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Milan is famous for fashion, football, and its soaring cathedral, but tucked just north of the center stands a fortress that tells the story of the whole city. The Sforza Castle is one of Milan's greatest landmarks, and behind its red brick walls hides art by two of...

From the outside, La Scala looks almost modest. There are no grand columns or sweeping steps, just a neat neoclassical front on a quiet Milan square. Step inside, though, and you find one of the most important opera houses in the world, where some of the greatest...

A cruise stop in Catania puts two very different sides of Sicily within reach: the raw power of Mount Etna and the elegant Baroque streets of the city itself. In a single day you can stand on Europe's highest active volcano, then wander a historic centre built from...

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'...