Published on Thursday, November 21, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome, eight miles of tunnels off the Via Salaria, reopened to the public this week after years of restoration. Catacombs were used for Christian burial in Rome from the late 2nd century to the 4th century.  These series of burial chambers, carved out of tufo (volcanic rock), were found outside the city walls as Roman law prohibite...

Published on Friday, November 15, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week: Venice: Google Street View: How did Google captures the alleys of Venice without cars? Employees carrying backpack-mounted cameras. (The Guardian) St. Peter's Bones: For the first time in hist...

Published on Friday, November 1, 2013 by Kathy McCabe When in Rome, do as the Romans do and when it comes to the lauded dessert Tiramisu, they get theirs at Pompi. Pompi is known as "Il Regno Del Tiramisù"  or "the kingdom of Tiramisu." The original location for the kingdom is a coffee shop/bar, Bar Pompi,  in Piazza Roma di Rè. This is where Romans would flock to buy a Tiramisu for a dinner party or get a swee...

Published on Thursday, October 10, 2013 by Steve You can't fully experience Rome without tasting the local culinary delights that make this city so unique. I'm excited to announce that Perillo's ItalyVacations.com is now offering two three-hour insider food tours that will have your mouth-watering as you walk around Rome. Traditional Flavors in Rome starts with breakfast and coffee and one of Rome's oldest cafes....

Published on Wednesday, October 9, 2013 by Steve Rome is a dream in the fall and winter...still warmer than home, fewer crowds and the light hitting the Eternal City's ancient stones in the most magnificent way. You will have time to explore the city on your own with a 4-star home base and guided tours of the highlights. Plus off season means travel at a great price; this package starts at $1,524 per person based on...

Published on Sunday, October 6, 2013 by Kathy McCabe Ever thought about Rome in terms of numbers? We did and here are the numbers that tell the story of the Eternal City: 7 - Number of hills in Rome. 15 miles - Distance from central Rome to the sea. 43 years- Average age of a Roman resident. 70.5 degrees - Average high temperature in October, in Fahrenheit. 108.7 acres - Size of Vatican City. 800 square meters...

Published on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The newly elected mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino wants to close down the Via dei Fori Imperiali which runs next to the Colosseum  in a bid to make ancient Rome more pedestrian friendly, hoping to double the current number of visitors to the ancient sites to 20 million.  On August 3rd, Marino began barring private cars from the southern end of the road and tas...

Published on Wednesday, August 14, 2013 by Kathy McCabe You can't visit the city of Rome without coming upon a Vespa parked on almost any street or whizzing by. These red Vespas truly stand out against a Roman backdrop. Photo by tekaybe, flickr.com...

Published on Thursday, July 18, 2013 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week: Fishing in Tuscany:  Who knew that the region of rolling hills and vineyards is also a fine place to fish - whether in the rivers or on the sea.  (The Florentine) Colosseum Restoration Startin...

Published on Thursday, June 27, 2013 by Kathy McCabe There's no doubt that Rome is a bustling city. As you explore Rome, you can hear the buzz of Vespas on the road, the trinkle of fountains, the chatter of conversations in Italian. But is Rome too loud? Especially at night? The Italian environmental association Legambiente conducted some noise readings in conjunction with an Italian newspaper and found illegal night...