The year was 1370, and even the shimmering canals of Venice brought no joy to Francesco Petrarch. Over the last two decades, the world-renowned scholar and poet had travelled the length and breadth of Italy. But with every passing year, he found himself retreating more from social life, seeking to escape the "ignorance" of his age. "I escape the ci...

Elegant, inimitable, exciting and romantic, precious: this is Venice, the gem on any tour of Italy where churches, palazzi, ancient bridges, monuments and piazzas confirm its artistic and cultural vitality. All has testified to and continues to testify to the long history of the city.  Venice’s beating heart is Piazza San Marco, Europe’s most elega...

December is definitely here and Christmas is on its way, the cities in Italy are ready to celebrate the festive season with locals and tourists standing up their best Christmas decorations, and for us it is one of the best month ever to plan a trip in Italy. Both the most famous cities and the iconic Italian villages have their own Christmas tree t...

St. Nicholas took on the guise of American “sky soldiers” ahead of his usual feast day, as members of the Army’s famed 173rd Airborne Brigade became toy distributors for their Italian hosts. For the 54th Brigade Engineer Battalion troops, the annual toy donation that took place Tuesday as part of the Community Alliance Program brought a range of be...

November in Italy is a dream come true for chocolate lovers, with various regions hosting delightful chocolate fairs. From the historic streets of Turin to the charming squares of Bari and Marostica, Italy’s passion for chocolate comes to life in these events. Let’s check them out together… The Turin Chocolate Festival, famously known as Cioccolatò...

Peggy Guggenheim collection is a fundamental stop for anyone visiting Venice. Located in Palazzo Venier dei Leoni, a beautiful residence overlooking the Grand Canal, this palace was the private home of Peggy Guggenheim from 1949 to 1979, becoming a museum in the 1980s. Today it represents one of the most important museums in Italy for European and...

Year after year, between November and December, the tradition of Christmas markets in Veneto rekindles the magic of the holidays in this amazing region of northern Italy, decorating the cities with stands, shows, delicious food and typical products. For many people this is the perfect time to find the gift they were looking for, purchase unique han...

Artists are raising concerns about Italy’s plans to restore a mural by the street artist Banksy in Venice, which has faded due to exposure to the elements. In early October, the Italian Culture Ministry first announced the plans to restore the mural known as The Migrant Child, painted on the wall outside an abandoned Venetian palace in the city’s D...

The Asiago Plateau (Province of Vicenza, Veneto), also known as “dei Sette Comuni” (lit. trans. the seven townships), rises to an altitude of 3,281 feet. This enchanting landscape hosts green forests that are completely covered by the wintertime snow. A precipitous street – with ten hairpin turns along the way – that climbs upward from the plain of...

The Custoza grape is a native white grape from the Veneto region in northeastern Italy. Per the Consorzio Tutela Vino Custoza’s site, the Custoza grape is “delicate, floral and fruity aromas with slightly aromatic herbs….recognizable for its freshness”.  As the wines made from this grape ages they take on riper fruit notes, with savory characterist...