Discovering Vermouth in Its Birthplace of Turin
In Italian cuisine, it can be hard to find consensus about what town created the first epicureo, but it’s well accepted that Turin is the birthplace of vermouth. The herbalist and winemaker Antonio Bennetto Carpano first concocted vermouth in 1786 in his store in Piazza San Carlo, under the shadow of the Royal Palace of Savoy where the last Italian...
Piedmont leads Europe in surgeries using hypnosis as anesthesia
“This was the first surgery of my life, but it was a beautiful experience. When I opened my eyes, I felt only a mild and totally manageable pain. If I ever need another procedure, I’d want to do it under hypnosis again,” said a patient who underwent a procedure to treat cardiac arrhythmia using hypnosis at the hospital in Cuneo. The operation was c...
Italy’s Padel boom: a sport on the rise alongside Tennis
While Italy’s tennis champions continue to dominate on the global stage, there’s another sport closely related to tennis that’s experiencing explosive growth within the country: padel. As Rome hosts the Italy Major—one of the four most important tournaments in the world—the International Padel Federation’s research center has released a st...
Aperti per Voi sotto le Stelle 2025: a nighttime journey through Italian beauty
A weekend to discover the wonders of Italy by the light of the setting sun: Aperti per Voi sotto le Stelle returns from June 13 to 15. This special initiative by the Touring Club Italiano exceptionally opens the doors of over 100 remarkable sites across the country during evening hours—many of them rarely, if ever, open to the public. It’s a unique...
Martin Scorsese in Taormina on His Sicilian Heritage: Growing up ‘I Was Really Living in a Sicilian Village. It Just Happened to Be Downtown Manhattan’
Roots and religion are very much on the mind of Martin Scorsese as the Oscar-winning director is being honored with a lifetime achievement award by the Taormina Film Festival in Sicily, where he has family roots. Scorsese, 82, is back in Sicily after he last travelled to the Italian island in October 2024 to start shooting a doc that takes its cue...
An Oral History of Valentino Garavani's Fashion Empire
“I always wanted to make women beautiful,” Valentino Garavani once said. He certainly achieved that goal, dressing everyone from Nan Kemper and Nancy Reagan to Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lopez in ultra-feminine gowns, often lacy, red, or floral—or all three at once. Born in Rome in the 1930s, Valentino opened his first atelier in 1957 and quickly...
Is Naples the Genuine Italian “City of Magic”? Mystical Tales and Art in the City of Parthenope
Forget about Turin, Italy’s so-called “city of magic.” Instead, focus on Naples. The intriguing book “Partenope degli spiriti” (Rome: Viella, 2024), edited by Francesco Paolo de Ceglia, persuasively argues that Naples is the heart of Italian miracles, spiritualism, and esotericism. This volume explores the city’s rich spiritual heritage and wonders...
The Rome less travelled? I visited the super-popular Italian capital, full of iconic sights, to explore its quieter corners
The swift current of late-morning foot traffic is moving steadily over the cobblestones of Via dei Condotti. It streams down the iconic Spanish Steps, then flows past all the glamorous storefronts along one of Rome’s most famous shopping streets. You know the names: Prada, Valentino, Gucci. But my tour guide Dario Cortese, steering us around in a g...
I bought a €1 house in Italy – and found a treasure trove in it worth thousands
When George Laing followed his dreams of buying a one-euro home in Sicily, he was prepared for the hard graft that would follow. Instead, he found he had also purchased a small treasure of old jewels and artefacts – some of which he has now sold for €2,500 (£2,100), which will cover a significant chunk of his renovation costs. Laing, 32, an antique...
The Essence Of Italian Olive Oils
Everyone knows that there is no such thing as Italian food; instead we speak of the cuisine of a specific region, such as Piedmont, Tuscany, Sicily, Veneto and every one of the other regions of the country, 20 in all. Yet, when the conversation turns to Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), most of the attention is focused on only one region - Tuscany. Li...
Naples is having a moment – and it's about more than soccer
There are moments in a city’s life when events align in ways that are both symbolic and tangible. For Naples, 2025 has become such a year. The southern Italian city, often defined by its contradictions – ancient yet restless, beautiful yet chaotic – is experiencing a period of renewed attention and momentum. From celebrating 2,500 years since its...
Italy names Marco Peronaci as next Ambassador to the United States
The Italian government has tapped veteran diplomat Marco Peronaci to serve as the country's next ambassador to the United States. Currently Italy’s Permanent Representative to NATO in Brussels, Peronaci will relocate to Washington at a pivotal moment for transatlantic relations. He will take over from Mariangela Zappia, who is set to conclude her t...