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Sicily, Italy’s biggest island, oozes the dolce vita of sunny seaside days and sumptuous food. And now another small town is making the dream of living there a possibility. Petralia Soprana, located southeast of the capital Palermo, is offering cash incentives for new residents. The town council hopes the scheme will boost the dwindling population...

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Ever since it was unified in 1861, Italy has remained a country of two halves. The north: traditionally affluent and commerce-focused. Southern Italy: often seen as poor, lacking infrastructure and looked down on by their richer northern neighbours. Cliche or not, these stereotypes also pervade Italy’s wine. All of the country’s blue-chip regions –...

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Until about ten years ago, the eggplant and I were sworn enemies. Largely flavorless, tough in texture, and rather unappetizing with its strange oblong shape and bizarre-sounding moniker, it was but an unwanted discovery in a plate of ratatouille, or a dissatisfying replacement for meat in a particularly uninspired vegetarian dish. I picked it out...

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I will never forget my first encounter with cassata Siciliana, a Sicilian classic I have termed “dessert of the gods” ever since. It was my first day in Palermo, and I had already fallen deeply in love with the city and its crumbling Baroque beauty. As always, I’d gone straight to a local for advice on where to eat, and they pointed me to Bar Rosan...

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Whether you’ve followed Part 1 of our itinerary and are now halfway through your trip, or you’re starting off here, welcome! There is no such thing as seeing it all in Sicily – the landscape is vast and varied, its architecture and customs change from area to area, and the food…oh the food, is endless and each city has its forte, from arancini to g...

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A village on the Italian island of Sicily has gone viral over its unique shape. The small town of Centuripe is known for its wealth of Roman ruins and rare ancient sculptures, but a drone shot from the air has uncovered its rare shape – an uncanny resemblance to a person with arms stretched out. Photographer and drone pilot Pio Andrea Peri noticed...

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Regarding historical Greek islands, Mykonos, Rhodes, and Crete are unabashedly in the limelight. The Aeolian Islands are lesser known, but they were just as impactful to Ancient Greece. Today, over half a million tourists scramble to this unique volcanic chain to soak in the Sun and bathe in Mediterranean history. To grasp the true essence of the A...

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The eastern coast of Sicily is home to the island’s second-largest city Catania, known enigmatically as “the black city”. The color of its buildings, covered in the inky hues of volcanic ash, is testament to the ever-present threat of Mount Etna. Yet, despite the repeated destruction wrought by the volatile mountain, the city has risen from its ash...

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If you watched the second season of “The White Lotus” you must add a Testa di Moro or “Moor’s Head” to your summer gardening plans. It may be too lovely (and creepy?) for garden soil, but it will make a statement on a porch or table. If you must plant, the most appropriate choice is basil. Peter and Barb Strom, owners of the La Bella Vita shop in C...

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Italia has many fascinating regional coffee drinks and traditions. Let’s begin at the top of the boot and explore a few. In the Italian northwest Aosta Valley near France and Switzerland, one can enjoy a Caffè alla Valdostana.  This popular coffee drink includes sugar, lemon peel, cloves, cinnamon and juniper.  Traditionally drank from a wooden cup...

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