Published on Wednesday, August 29, 2018 by Kathy McCabe To combat Islamophobia and celebrate ancient Middle Eastern culture, two Florence museums have teamed up to stage an exhibit on Islamic art and the reciprocal relationship between Florence and Islam. The exhibit, titled “Islamic Art and Florence from the Medici to the 20th Century,” runs through Sept. 23 at the Uffizi Gallery and the Bargello Museum, showcasing 25...

Published on Thursday, February 22, 2018 by Kathy McCabe In anticipation of peak summer tourist season, the Duomo cathedral complex in Florence is stepping up security measures by installing seven metal detectors in the building. The new walk-through metal detectors will replace the old handheld detectors, with the goal of reducing the time spent waiting to clear security and helping the monuments’ 1.4 million annual visi...

Published on Saturday, February 22, 2014 by Kathy McCabe Florence is the home of two of the world's most famous and most visited museums — the Uffizi and the Accademia Gallery — so it isn't surprising that some of the "other" Florence museums don't get as much publicity but can be just as fascinating and worth seeing. So if you're visiting Florence and have some extra time after seeing the main sites, consider a visit t...

Published on Wednesday, April 24, 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: 17 Italian Treasures to Explore: Beaches, spas, restaurants and sites that truly evoke Italia. (AFAR) First U.S. Ship to Cruise Italian River: The first U.S. owned and operated ship is now touri...

Published on Wednesday, September 28, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Italy is home to thousands of museums (this list of museums features the most famous ones) and those numbers are in the increase with the opening of the new Gucci Museum in Florence and a new museum opening in Rome’s Leonardo Da Vinci Airport (also known as Fiumicino). The  new Gucci Museum in the 14th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia, in Florence's Piazza Signor...

Published on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Who wouldn't like to save a few dollars -- or euros -- while visiting Italian cities? Special city cards for tourists, which usually include discounts on public transportation and museum admissions, can be worth using when you are visiting Italy. For example, the Roma Pass which is valid for three days at the cost of 25€ gives you free admission to your first two...

Published on Tuesday, May 10, 2011 by Kathy McCabe Did you know that Italians absolutely adore children? Maybe it has to do with their family-oriented culture as well as the fact that the country of Italy has a fairly low birth rate so there just aren't as many little ones around. This means Italy is the perfect place for a family vacation! And within Italy, absolutely consider taking the kids to Rome — with all of ...