Published on Friday, February 27, 2015 by Kathy McCabe The latest (and, some say, greatest) James Bond, Daniel Craig, is now 46. In decades past, that would have meant his leading ladies would range in age from 25 to 35. But not so with Spectre, the new Bond film in production, directed by Sam Mendes. The “Bond Girl” who captures the hero’s eye this time is Italian actress Monica Bellucci—who is 50, and readily a...

Published on Sunday, February 22, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Gazing at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or admiring Leonardo’s The Last Supper are must-sees, but Italy also has plenty of other ways to engage your sense of sight. Don’t neglect outdoor vistas, especially the ones here: We know you probably have a few favorites, but if you haven’t seen all of the views on our list, you haven’t seen everything. 1. Villa...

Published on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Let's face it, ALL of Italy is romantic. But in honor of Valentine's Day, here are five great spots to celebrate romance! 1.  A gondola ride in Venice At the top of every hopeless romantic’s bucket list is a private gondola ride through the canals of one of Italy’s most beautiful cities. As the gondola floats through the peaceful waterways and the gondolier ...

Published on Wednesday, February 4, 2015 by Kathy McCabe The Italy Mix is a weekly post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web. Here are our top picks for this week: Lesser Known Rome:  This brief video gives travelers ideas of less famous places to visit in Rome including Centrale Montemartini where ancient artwork on display in a decommissioned power station. ...

Published on Monday, January 26, 2015 by Kathy McCabe An authentic Italian meal eaten outdoors in a sunny, charming piazza is a picture-perfect dining experience for many tourists who visit Italy, and Rome’s outdoor café culture is thriving. Like many European cities, Rome draws visitors from abroad who want to live out a scene from a romantic movie, or perhaps just dine al fresco under the Italian sun. But is it poss...

Published on Thursday, January 8, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Landing in Rome and traveling directly to Florence and Venice, just got a whole lot easier with trains running a new route from Rome’s Fiumicino airport to Venice. Two trains a day – at 11:08 a.m. and 3:08 p.m. from Rome, and 5:40 a.m. and 9:25 a.m. from Venice – travel along the route, which ends in Venice and stops in Florence, Bologna, Padua and central Rome�...

Published on Friday, January 2, 2015 by Kathy McCabe Perhaps you’ve visited Rome more than once—even a dozen times. You’ve run up the Spanish Steps, marveled at the Vatican’s treasures, and climbed Palatine Hill. But, as journalist Amanda Ruggeri  explains in this article , you’ve just scratched the surface. Underground Rome is your next adventure: “Anywhere you go in Rome, you are walking on a buried, anci...

Published on Wednesday, December 3, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Well, actually, the five best from among both the mercatini delle pulci (flea markets) and the mercatini dell’usato (second-hand markets), because both can be fun and because the latter type has gotten more and more popular in recent years. Biggest: Carmagnola in Turin may not have the largest number of stalls, but it’s laid out over the greatest amount of la...

Published on Saturday, November 15, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Excellent design features in every aspect of Italian life, from furniture to automobiles to eyeglass frames to grocery packaging. Of course bookstores in our favorite country are well designed—and often also extremely beautiful. This list is of the most visually arresting stores. They aren’t necessarily the ones in which you’ll find titles in English (but isn’...

Published on Tuesday, November 11, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Twenty years ago, the frescoes of the Vatican’s renowned Sistine Chapel received a major 16-year restoration, making Michelangelo’s masterful paintings vivid once more. After all, the Sistine Chapel is visited by 20,000 people each and every day; some wear and tear is to be expected. Both visitors and artwork will benefit from the latest upgrades installed by t...