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M&S Classics Chianti, Italy 2018, £8.50, Marks & Spencer Producers of chianti classico have a long-running beef with wines labelled simply as chianti. The classico wines come from the original, superior winegrowing lands between Florence and Siena, recognised as far back as 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany, Cosimo III de’ Medici. Chianti, by contr...

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When we think about the quintessential Renaissance artist, thoughts – quite rightly – go almost immediately to Leonardo or Michelangelo, and only those with a passion for and some knowledge of art history would mention Benvenuto Cellini. But the Florentine goldsmith is as much a complete artist in his essence and work, as his more famous, above-men...

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Perhaps no country’s cuisine puts people into so many different camps as Italy’s. Just tell the person next to you why pizza is the best Italian cuisine, and soon you’ll have started an enormous debate as to which of the various pizzas—spread among the boot-shaped country’s north, south and central areas—you are talking about. And that’s just pizza...

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An Italian audience expecting to enjoy a performance from Italian singer Matteo Bocelli appeared speechless, as his father – the great tenor Andrea Bocelli – stepped on stage as a last-minute understudy. “Normally in life it’s the sons who replace the fathers. In this case it’s up to me, I have to replace my son,” Bocelli told the audience, accordi...

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This summer Italy has relaunched 'Dante's Train,' a special route tracing the journey of the Father of the Italian Language from Florence to Ravenna, every weekend until 1 November. The vintage train takes visitors from the Tuscan capital of Florence to Ravenna in the Emilia Romagna region where Dante fled in 1302 to avoid the prospect of being bur...

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Countless Americans have Italy on their bucket list! Among the Italian regions, the one they love the most is definitely Tuscany, in the central part of the peninsula. Americans love Tuscany, from delicious food to charming landscapes to art, to history (it is the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance) and culture (it is the foundation of the Itali...

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Wild beaches and pristine landscapes surrounded by the scents of Mediterranean vegetation, hidden coasts caressed by a turquoise sea that is just as good as any tropical paradise: from Liguria to Sardinia, from Veneto to Campania, Italy enshrines breathtaking beaches where you can enjoy the sea and feast your eyes with magnificent views. Here for y...

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Among the Italian jewels recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of Europe's great spa towns, Montecatini Terme, in the heart of Tuscany, surrounded by art cities such as Florence, Pisa and Lucca. Beautiful and easy to get to. Montecatini Terme is a garden city set in the picturesque Valdinievole, an amphitheatre of green hills in the hea...

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It takes a moment to place the scent. I close my eyes and am first transported to a Christmas tree farm, the bracing wintry air laced with pine—but that is not quite it. The aroma is somewhat fruity and slightly peppery. A moment more and my memory takes me to a barstool with a glass in hand, which is when I recognize it: gin. But in that instant,...

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The sun was shining brightly, but the air was still cool and fresh, a result of the recent rain still visible in some distant slowly vaporizing clouds. Our cozy wrought iron table was set on perfectly mowed green grass adjacent to a small restaurant built with rough bricks, wooden beams and glass walls embellished with every possible wine décor bot...

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