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Gelato Festival Returns to Florence
Published on Thursday, August 17, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
When the Gelato Festival returns to Florence for the eighth time in September, it will unite Europe’s best ice cream makers – and ice cream lovers – to crown the continent’s best ice cream. Sixteen ice cream makers will compete in Florence and present flavors designed especially fo...
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New Bus Route To Florence Sites
Published on Monday, August 14, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
A new bus run by Florentine transportation body Ataf is bringing visitors from Florence’s historic center to the hillside Forte di Belvedere and Villa Bardini, with the goal of improving access to these sites for both locals and tourists . The temporary route was created by the City of F...
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Capri Suffers From Summer Overcrowd...
Published on Thursday, August 10, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
Capri’s mayor, Giovanni De Martino, is pushing back against overcrowding on the tiny island, saying it could “explode” from too many tourists. The island off of the Amalfi Coast receives 2 million tourists each year and up to 15,000 during peak summer season, 80 percent of which only...
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Italy Launches Nationwide WiFi App
Published on Tuesday, August 1, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
Good news for travelers who rely on their smartphones to get around: Italy has launched a nationwide free Wi-Fi app that enables Italians and foreigners to connect to hot spots all over the country with a single sign-on. Users only need to fill out information the first time they log in; a...
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Italy Gains Two UNESCO World Herita...
Published on Friday, July 28, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
Two new sites in Italy have been designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, bringing the country’s total number of sites to 53, the most in the world. The two sites are the Venetian works of defense, which stretch across the country’s northeast, and a group of 10 ancient beech tree for...
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Florence Starts Bike Sharing Progra...
Published on Monday, July 24, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
Florence will begin a “free flow” bike-sharing program on July 24, enabling riders to rent bicycles from anywhere in the city. Unlike traditional bike-sharing programs that require users to visit designated rental stations, Florence’s program will allow riders to rent bikes from anyw...
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New Rooms Opened at Rome’s Ca...
Published on Thursday, July 20, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome has opened previously closed-off spaces, including a series of three rooms known as the Cambellotti Rooms, to the public for the first time, and is also providing new ways for visitors to interact with and understand the historic monument.
Guests can access...
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Rome Turns Off Some Drinking Founta...
Published on Friday, July 14, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
A summer heat wave is prompting the city of Rome to turn off up to 30 of the city’s 2,800 public drinking fountains every day, much to the Roman public’s dismay. The fountains supply clean – and free – drinking water on street corners and in piazzas around the city, and some are co...
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First Part of Vasari Corridor Reope...
Published on Friday, July 7, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
The first part of the Vasari Corridor, which connects Palazzo Pitti, the Uffizi Gallery and Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, has reopened to the public after being closed since 1871. The first part of the corridor links Palazzo Vecchio and the Uffizi Gallery and travels above Via della Ninna. ...
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Florence Cracking Down on Loitering...
Published on Wednesday, June 21, 2017 by Kathy McCabe
To discourage tourists from loitering, eating lunch and leaving trash on the steps of two of its most famous churches, Florence street cleaners will hose down the steps and prohibit people from entering the area. The Basilica di Santa Croce, where Michelangelo is buried, and the Chiesa di ...