Blog

Most cities give you a viewpoint. Milan lets you walk across the roof of its cathedral. The Duomo Cathdral's rooftops are a network of marble terraces set among 135 carved spires, and from up here you look out over the city, with the Alps on the horizon on a clear day...

On a wall in Milan hangs one of the most famous images ever created. Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper has drawn visitors for more than five centuries, and standing before it in person is a moment few ever forget. Here is why this painting matters so much, and how to...

Italy is warm, welcoming, and endlessly beautiful, but it is also a country that cares deeply about its history and daily life. Visiting here also a joy in late summer, autumn and winter. The summer crowds slowly starts to thin out, the light turns golden, cities feel...

Some towns make you slow down the moment you arrive. Sirmione is one of them. Set on a slender peninsula that reaches into the southern end of Lake Garda, this little Italian town feels almost like an island, with clear turquoise water on both sides and a fairytale...

Few places in Italy feel as effortlessly glamorous as Lake Como. Long before it became a favorite of film stars and royalty, its shores were lined with the summer homes of dukes, cardinals, and wealthy industrial families. Many of those grand villas are still here...

In 2009, the global success of Twilight: New Moon brought a small Tuscan hilltop town to the attention of millions of viewers around the world. In one of the film's most memorable scenes, Edward Cullen (the saga's beloved vampire protagonist and many teenage girls'...

There is a reflexive habit among wine drinkers of reaching for Champagne as the reference point for any serious sparkling wine. For Franciacorta which is the sparkling DOCG produced on the southern shores of Lake Iseo in Lombardy, the comparison is understandable and...

When most people think of Tuscan wine, they think of Chianti. That is understandable. Chianti Classico is one of Italy's most exported and internationally recognised appellations, and the rolling hills between Florence and Siena have been photographed so many times...

Florence can be overwhelming. The queues at the Uffizi, the crowds in Piazza del Duomo, and the sheer concentration of extraordinary sights all competing for your attention can make the city feel intense at times. Even though it is one of the greatest cities in Italy,...