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More millennials are spending money on travel experiences over buying things, and research shows these experiences bring more happiness. So what is the best travel experience in the world? It offers fresh pasta, an apron and a stunning view of the Tuscan countryside, according to TripAdvisor. TripAdvisor recently released its Travelers' Choice Awar...

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Three of Leonardo da Vinci's greatest masterpieces, which were until this week housed in separate rooms at the Uffizi Gallery, are now on display together in a room dedicated exclusively to the Renaissance genius. The development is one of several revolutionary changes brought about by the gallery's director, German art historian Eike Schmidt. The...

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After more than a year of preparation, the Merced County Courthouse Museum opened the “Grazie America! From Italy to Merced County” exhibit on March 16, 2017. The exhibit collected personal stories from more than 130 contributors. As this successful exhibit came to an end on August 6, the process of documenting and preserving their stories continue...

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Giorgio La Pira, the deeply religious Christian Democrat mayor of Florence in the early 50s and 60s, was set on a possible path to sainthood Thursday when Pope Francis recognised his "heroic virtues". The pope authorised the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate a decree regarding the "heroic virtues of Servant of God Giorgio la Pira"...

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In the Tuscan countryside of western Italy, just 12 miles southwest of Michelangelo’s “David,” in Florence’s Accademia Gallery, is another display of marble and stone, far less well-known than “David” but, in its own way, far more meaningful. The Florence American Cemetery is where more than 5,800 U.S. soldiers who died in combat during the Italian...

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While the church itself is beautiful and Baroque, with a gorgeous nave featuring the last intact carved wooden ceiling in Livorno, the real attraction is in the surrounding rooms and hallways. On the walls hangs Italy’s largest collection of ex-votos (votive offerings, short for the Latin ex voto suscepto: “from the vow made”) giving thanks to the...

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When the conversation begins and ends discussing favorite eateries and obscure museums in Bologna, you know it’s going to be a great chat. I was lucky enough to spend two hours speaking with the 44th U.S. diplomatic representative in Florence, US Consul General Benjamin Wohlauer, a role that covers Tuscany, Emilia-Romagna, and the Republic of San M...

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Anyone up for a trip to Italy? If so, we’ve found the perfect place to stay with family or friends (or both!). The beautiful villa from the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun” is available to rent, and can accommodate up to 20 people — so bring all your loved ones along! Located in the Tuscan countryside near the town of Cortona, Italy, the 10 bed, 10 and...

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This is the story of the knight Galgano and how a vision made him renounce to wealth, war and women in name of a life of meditation and prayer. This is a story where faith, legend, history and literature merge in one intriguing tale, to the dénouement of which, in truth, we won’t be able to come. This is a story of Tuscan hills, hermits, abbeys and...

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You can spot it from several locations in Florence, yet relatively few seem to venture to the Basilica of San Miniato al Monte, which stands atop one of the highest points in the city, on a hill that overlooks it from the south side of the river Arno. This year may be just the right time to visit as this Benedictine abbey celebrates 1,000 years sin...

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