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When Italy shuttered for the lockdown, the obscure village of Campli, in the central region of Abruzzo, got to work. Its mission was simple: to put itself on tourists’ maps. It is not short of attractions, with churches frescoed by students of Giotto and Raphael, acres of lush woodland and Abruzzo’s oldest Sagra della Porchetta, a traditional festi...

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Abruzzo’s spectacular Sulmona seizes and captivates your heart – you won’t ever want to leave! A few days is not enough to explore the must-sees of this fabulous underrated city. Where is Sulmona? Have you heard of Italy’s Sulmona? With an invitation to spend a few days over Easter in Sulmona with friends, I’m not crazy enough to pass up this oppor...

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Italy was the first European country to allow tourism (and all types of non-essential travel) from within Europe to restart on June 3rd. But other visitors, including from the US, are still barred from entering the country for all but the most urgent reasons. No date has yet been confirmed for travel to restart from the US. Unfortunately, it doesn'...

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The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has chosen to start its drive to 'Restart Tourism' after the coronavirus lockdowns in Italy. Italy is one of the world's top travel destinations and it is also one of the countries hit hardest by the COVID-19 pandemic. UNWTO Secretary General Zurab Pololikashvili will be in Italy on July 1, when...

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IN ORDER TO BRING WATER to the nearby monastery of St. Benedict, a massive aqueduct was built during the 9th century in what is now the historic center of Salerno. At the time the city was thriving as one of the most important centers of Italy, under the rule of the Lombards. The aqueduct consists of two separate branches, joining near the monaster...

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I love Venice. For me it’s one of the most enchanting cities in the world, a uniquely beautiful place that never ceases to mesmerize regardless of the season or time of day. Through its art and architecture, it flaunts its immense wealth, most accumulated by the Venetian Republic so many centuries ago. It’s a city of beautiful light that envelops i...

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Ponza is a popular summer vacation destination for Italians, especially Romans and Neapolitans, as Rome and Naples are only a short drive and ferry ride away. Known by some as “Capri without the tourists,” Ponza is a worthy vacation destination for travelers who want to experience summer the Italian way, basking in the beauty of the Mediterranian....

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A Unesco serial site not many are familiar with, the nine Sacri Monti (Sacred Mountains) of Italy are groups of chapels created in the late 16th and 17th centuries dedicated to different aspects of the Christian faith. They are located in northern Italy, in the regions of Piedmont and Lombardy. “In addition to their symbolic spiritual meaning, they...

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THE LOCATION OF ITALY’S true geographic center has obsessed writers since Roman times. Marcus Terrentius Varro (who was born in Rieti, then known as Reatae) claimed that his home region was Italy’s ombelicus (navel). Initially, the site was believed to be the nearby Lake of Paterno, sacred to the ancient Sabine people, which Pliny also cites in his...

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Naples is best known for its chaos and pizza, but it is also home to quite a few artistic treasures. One of my favorite sculptures in all of Italy is in a small chapel in the center of Naples: the Veiled Christ by Giuseppe Sanmartino. The Veiled Christ is renowned because it seems almost impossible. How can a sculptor make marble seem transparent?...

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