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WHEN THE DOMINICAN FRIARS AT Florence’s Santa Maria Novella didn’t feel well and needed medicinal herbs, they stepped out to Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy (considered the oldest still-operating pharmacy in the world) along the monastery wall. But when it was time for these same monks to ingest a meal, they went to Santa Maria Novella’s refectory—a r...

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Italy is a treasure chest of wonders and, as everyone knows, it is also the country with the highest percentage of biodiversity in the world. A fundamental role in preserving this treasure of nature are the nature reserves. In this regard, the Gran Sasso e Monti della Laga National Park established in 1991, one of the three national parks in Abruzz...

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THE VALLEY OF RIETI IN Sabina is known as Valle Santa (Holy Valley) for the number of Franciscan monasteries that dot this forested region northeast of Rome. There are several legends associated with the saint, one of which might have left traces that are still visible today.  In the woods above the small town of Rivodutri, along the Way of Saint F...

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As the Italian government prepares to bring in “phase two” of the national lockdown measures aimed at stopping the spread of coronavirus, here's what we know about what that means, when it might happen, and how long it will last. The next phase of Italy's quarantine restrictions could be in place for “six to eight months”, Italian health officials...

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THE STELVIO PASS, OR PASSO dello Stelvio in Italian, is the second-highest paved mountain pass in the Alps. The road zigzags for about 29 miles up and over the Ortler Alps in northern Italy, a stone’s throw from the Swiss border. While not ranked highly among the most scenic passes in the Alps, it is considered one of the most dramatic and challeng...

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Leaders at the MaXXI Museum in Rome and Venice’s civic museums are among the high-profile cultural figures calling on the Italian government to create a “national fund for culture” in the wake of the coronavirus crisis. The museum chiefs have signed a petition launched by the culture advocacy group Federculture which states that “we have to make It...

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AT ABOUT FOUR FEET TALL, this tiny saint looks genuinely relaxed through the glass of her gilt coffin. Her leathery skin has pulled back from her pearly teeth in the approximation of a smile. Santa Rosa (Saint Rose), the patron saint of Viterbo, Italy, died in the 13th century at the age of 18 after a short life of devotion, prayer, charity, politi...

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The Palazzina di Caccia of Stupinigi, near Turin, was designed by Filippo Juvarra and built in 1729; between the 18th and 19th centuries, it was the Savoy’s hunting lodge as well as a palace where the royal family celebrated weddings and held parties. Born as one of the most luxurious and imposing monumental complexes of the 1700s, it was extended...

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THESE GORGEOUS HOT SPRINGS ARE a must-see for anyone visiting Tuscany. A wooded path leads you to the secluded pools surrounded by trees. The colors are simply spectacular, and when the weather is nice, you can find Italians and tourists climbing to reach different pools on the hillside. The calcium carbonate deposits in the water not only make for...

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THE CITY OF SIRMIONE IS located on a narrow strip of land extending more than two miles into the southernmost part of Lake Garda. At the end of the Middle Ages, during a period growing communes in Italy, Sirmione was governed by the powerful Della Scala family of Verona whose members were known as Scaligeri. During the second half of the 14th centu...

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