My great grandfather Niccolò Cipollina was born in the Cala, Palermo’s ancient port, in 1899. My great grandmother was born in Villarosa in the Enna province at around the same time. My Sicily roots run deep and it’s one of my favorite places to travel. It’s also a frustrating place to dine out since so many restaurants exist mainly to cater to tou...

If you’ve had the chance to spend Easter in Italy, you’ll know that settimana santa (holy week) is taken seriously. The religious holiday is marked up and down the country with street processions and devotional ceremonies in the lead-up to Easter Sunday, or Domenica della Resurrezione. Given Italy’s mania for all things food, it comes as no surpris...

The rituals of Holy Week, marked on the calendar this year from March 24th to March 31st, commence with Palm Sunday and feature special celebrations each day. This year, 83 Sicilian cities will honor these traditions, with many of the events listed in the Registry of Sicily’s Intangible Heritage. The complexity and symbolism they express make it ne...

La Dolce Vita Orient Express announced that it will soon be ready for guests to book tickets for what could arguably be called the most luxurious train journey in the world. In a press release shared with Travel + Leisure, the train operator shared it will open its virtual ticket window in April, with the train's specific run dates coming later thi...

Mount Etna loomed large over everything as we arrived in eastern Sicily that early January. From miles away, I could see the steam plumes rising from the snow-topped behemoth, like blown-out candles on a hastily iced birthday cake. Appropriately, I was on a milestone birthday road trip around Sicily, from Palermo to Catania. The second-to-last stop...

A visual love letter to the culture and landscape of Sicily, Sergio Gianfalla’s documentary “Sicily in Photographs” features images captured by a few of the island’s most renowned photographers, including Angelo Pitrone, Melania Messina and Mauro D’Agati, plus the stories behind them. The film begins with the photographers talking about what first...

How do you write a delicious book — a novel that makes readers hungry as they turn pages on their couch? You have to start with eating all of the food while you write. About five years ago I set out to write the most delicious novel I had ever created: The Sicilian Inheritance. It would be a Sicilian adventure, a murder mystery, and a romp followin...

A previously unknown building has been identified by archaeologists working in Sicily’s Valley of the Temples in Agrigento, Italy, according to a new study published in the Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. The structure may have been part of religious practices in the ancient city. Originally founded as a Greek colony known as Akragas ar...

Equestrian enthusiasts will love a vacation on horseback in Italy: seeing the Bel Paese from the saddle is truly a unique and unforgettable experience. From north to south and on its islands, Italy boasts innumerable areas for excursions on horesback, ideal for discovering beautiful and unique places. Nature lovers can explore natural parks, immers...

Italy’s top wine brands continue to rack up international awards. And, in the headlines, Sicily rises once again, with one of its leading realities, Planeta, elected “Wine family of the year” of the “Meininger Awards Excellence in Wine & Spirit” No. 18, one of the most prestigious awards in German wine, staged in Dusseldorf, during the days of ProW...