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You’re taking a leisurely stroll in the city center of Milan, Italy’s capital of elegance and fashion, when you notice people spinning on a mosaic: what on earth is going on, you wonder.  The answer is simple: you’re seeing people participating in a well-ingrained tradition of the Lombard city, that of the famous “dancing bull,” a curious and much-...

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Eric and Christina Schwendeman's relationship got serious the day he brought up retirement. "I have a long-term plan," Eric, 53, recalled telling his now-wife nearly two decades ago. "I want to work as hard as possible and retire to Italy as young as I possibly can." At the time, the couple lived in Naples, Florida, which is more than 5,000 miles a...

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Rural Salento, the southernmost part of Italy’s “heel” that is Puglia, is not where one expects to eat vegan food.  Agriturismo Piccapane sits on the long, typically flat Pugliese road between Galatina and Cutrofiano, about 45 minutes southwest of Lecce. As far as the eye can see, this is deep olive oil country: rows upon rows of olive trees just b...

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An old legend, now rooted in the collective imagination, has long conditioned the first impact with the exuberant architecture of Sant’Agnese in Agone, a very ancient Roman church built on the site where the young Agnes suffered martyrdom. It all stems from the presence of a bulky opposite, Gianlorenzo Bernini’s Fountain of the Four Rivers, the abs...

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2024 has been designated as the year of Roots Tourism in Italy, a concept that seeks to bridge the gap between Italians abroad and their ancestral lands. Unlike traditional tourists, roots tourists are motivated by a desire to connect with their origins, immerse themselves in the local culture, and possibly even reclaim or purchase ancestral homes,...

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The region of Umbria is Italy’s best-kept secret. Known as the 'green heart of Italy', it’s a place of unspoilt nature, enchanting landscapes, exquisite cuisine and high culture. Not dissimilar, in fact, to its rather more famous neighbour, Tuscany – but without the many crowds. Indeed, while the rest of the country is increasingly overrun by touri...

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The pool was empty – perhaps because at about 22C, the water was too cold for Italians. It was also about to close. Whatever the reason, we had the glorious Biolago di Pinzolo, a spring-fed, plant-filtered swimming lake, to ourselves. As my son and I swam, we could just make out the tiny red-roofed hermitage of San Martino on the forested slope abo...

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Siena is a difficult city to come to grips with. It’s known for a twice a year horse race called the Palio, a race that, for Americans, has elements in it that a reasonable person would ascribe to insanity. It’s what attracts us to the city, mostly. And yet to ignore Siena outside the frenzy the Palio brings is to ignore a noble part of Tuscany and...

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In what could only be termed a stark contrast to the light, so-pale-they-are-almost-water wines that summer holidays spent basking on the Puglian coastline call for, the wines from Puglia have gained a reputation as heavy hitters, if you will–red, punchy, and fruit forward. How many of us have wandered into a supermarket looking for a good quality...

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Most people who visit the Amalfi Coast come in search of sun, sea, seafood, and a sunset Spritz. What they don’t realize is that the famous coastline is home to rare, local grape varietals and beautiful vineyards. Which means you can go wine tasting on the Amalfi Coast. Limoncello isn’t the only thing on the menu in Positano! With more than 500 reg...

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