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When Ludovico Sforza, known as il Moro, decided to transfer his court from Milan to Vigevano, making it his summer residence, he brought with him, in addition to his wife Beatrice d’Este and his court, two exceptional consultants: Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante. It was 1493 and the influence of these two giants has survived to this day.  Vig...

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Politecnico of Milan, then La Sapienza of Rome, and third the Alma Mater Studiorum of Bologna. Italian universities, year after year climb positions in the QS World University Rankings, which thus places Politecnico di Milano at the absolute first place in Italy, rising 16 positions over last year to 132nd in the world. Just behind Sapienza, which...

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Madonnines: As soon as you arrive in Piazza Duomo, in Milan, the first thing you notice, being not by chance the symbol of the Lombard capital, is it: the statue of the Madonnina, placed at 108.50 meters high on the highest spire of the Duomo so that it can protect the city and its inhabitants.  Milan, the city-symbol of the Italian economy at an i...

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Ten years ago, while exploring the Renaissance city of Mantua in Lombardy, I bumped into a bunch of cyclists embarking on a “bike and barge” trip all the way to Venice. It sounded like the perfect way to hit the quiet backroads of the little-known Polesine region, which surrounds the Po River and stretches to the Adriatic. Finally, here I am, joini...

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Several times a year, I’m fortunate enough to cruise up and down the deep waters of Italy’s mountain-fringed Lake Como. I have explored the tourist sights and lesser-known villages, the stately streets of the city of Como, and the hamlets with breathtaking views that will never make it into a guidebook. Lake Como is one of those dreamy places that...

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The masterpieces of Giotto and the pictorial cycles of the fourteenth century.  Walking through the center of Padua you can see some of the greatest Italian masterpieces.   Urbs picta identifies it as a painted city, and in the summer of 2021 Padova Urbs Picta became part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site. These are eight sites in the Venetian city...

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Have you decided to visit Certosa di Pavia? Ok, let’s make it real. Choose a beautiful day and get ready to spend an unforgettable journey in Pavia’s countryside. Lose yourself in the monastery gardens, walk around in the cloister, experience the everyday life of the Carthusian monks, enjoy the beauty of the art and don't forget to pop into the del...

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Crowned by mountains and wooded hills, Lake Garda is a small sea between the mountains. Lake Garda is the largest lake in Italy, touching three regions (Lombardy, Trentino-Alto Adige and Veneto) and it's a true paradise for visitors looking for culture, sport, adventure and wellness. Ancient villages, beaches and theme parks follow one another alon...

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Mayors across Italy are fearing a deluge of legal complaints after the country’s top court ruled that noisy nightlife could be harmful to people’s health. In the first ruling of its kind in Italy, the supreme court of cassation ordered Brescia city council to pay €50,000 in compensation to a couple for failing to safeguard them against noise, repor...

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Another community in Italy is paying people to move there, but this time it’s not a deserted village of crumbling houses. The northern Italian city of Mantua, home to regal palaces and ancient churches, is looking for new residents. The city council has announced it will pay people who relocate to Mantua a monthly contribution of €150 ($160). Here’...

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