Published on Saturday, April 29, 2017 by Kathy McCabe The Basilica di Santo Spirito in Florence has opened its cloister to the public for the first time. The cloister of the former monastery and convent was a space that connected different parts of the complex, such as the basilica and the dining hall, that the monks who lived there used daily. It comprises two refectories and a sacristy. To enter the cloister from th...

Published on Saturday, July 23, 2016 by Kathy McCabe Venice launched a new program to employ a group of people to welcome tourists and keep St. Mark’s Square clean and orderly, calling them the St. Mark’s Guardians. Among their duties are making sure visitors feel welcome and educating tourists on how to keep the lagoon clean and what behaviors to adhere to while in Venice. “Hostesses and stewards, who will be ...

Published on Friday, April 8, 2016 by Kathy McCabe For some time, “Naples Sotteranea,” or “Underground Naples,” has been a draw for travelers from around the world. The tunnels and caverns beneath the historic Italian city are built on a porous type of rock called “tufo,” the result of centuries of hardening of volcanic ash. (The photo to the right is of an old water tunnel underneath Naples.) While muc...

Published on Friday, October 9, 2015 by Kathy McCabe After sparring with France for years over which country produced the most – and best – wine, Italy has outpaced France in annual wine production, just surpassing France’s 46.4 million hectoliters of wine. At an estimated 48.9 million hectoliters, Italy is now the world’s largest wine producer, according to European Union data provided to Coldiretti, an Italian...

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, August 30, 2013 by Steve 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: Looking for the Borgias:  Novelist Sarah Dunant  is an expert on the Borgia clan who were true power brokers in 16th-century Italy. (The Daily Mail) 36 Hours in Lecce: This city in the region ...

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 Monday, August 12, 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: Siena: Italy's Medieval Gem:  Rick Steves explores the Tuscan city of Siena and recommends sites, hotels and restaurants. (The Seattle Times) Italy With A Baby: New parents take their baby to P...

Published on Saturday, March 9, 2013 by Kathy McCabe We've started a new feature on ItalyTravel.com, it is called The Italy Mix and it 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: Papal Conclave to Start Tuesday: Cardinals have gathered at Vatican City to elect a new Pope. (Miami Herald) Is An America...

Published on Friday, December 28, 2012 by Kathy McCabe More Americans want to travel to Italy in 2013 than any other foreign country, a survey by Fly.com reveals.   "It is no surprise that Italy is at the top of America's wish list for 2013," said Warren Chang , vice president and general manager, Fly.com.  "The destination conjures up images of romance, history and some of the finest food and wine in the world.  H...