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Welcome to Bevagna, a wonderful medieval town in the province of Perugia, home to an ancient Umbrian population that fought off the Roman expansion – until they lost the famous Sentino battle (295 BC), together with their allies: the Samnites, the Senones and the Etruscans. Bevagna is a treasure chest of artistic and architectural wonders, such as...

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The town of Assisi will forever be associated with its most famous son, Saint Francis, the founder of the Franciscan order and patron of Italy. A town located in the Umbria region of Italy in the province of Perugia, Assisi is also the birthplace of Saint Clare and Saint Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows. The town’s vast collection of medieval art and...

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We’ve been hearing about how Italy’s famous landmarks have been suffering under the strain of overtourism lately. As well as crowds being a nightmare for residents, it doesn’t exactly make for the most enjoyable travel experience for visitors either. After all, it’s hard to enjoy the view when you’re being poked in the eye by someone’s selfie stick...

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Out in the rolling curves of the Umbrian countryside, Brunello Cucinelli is indulging his utopian urges. Headquartered in the 12th-century hilltop village of Solomeo, once largely ruined but now restored and fruitfully occupied, the cashmere mogul runs an experiment in what he calls ‘humanist capitalism’. This is not fantasy or folly, though there...

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Archaeologists have made a strange discovery on an Italian excavation site. In a children's cemetery dating from the fifth century AD, scientists have in fact uncovered the bones of a child of about ten years of age, and... in whose mouth a heavy stone had been placed. This ‘vampire grave’ has raised many questions. Halloween might be long gone but...

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As a travel writer, I often get asked, ‘What’s the best place you’ve been to?’ Always a difficult question to answer, I used to say something like, ‘Oh everywhere is different and each has its highlights.’ But more recently, the answer has been Italy. I just can’t get enough of this country. Maybe it’s because I’m dating an Italian, or maybe it’s t...

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Every country has its own unique Christmas traditions, and Italy may not be the first European country you’d associate with winter cosiness. But the country goes all out for the holidays, and does Christmas bigger and, we think, better than anywhere else. If you’re a fan of all things festive, here’s why Italy is the place to be. Rome’s beleaguered...

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Certainly not lacking for cultural excellence, Italy is not only the cradle of Roman, Renaissance and Baroque art, but it also plays a rather important role in the international modern and contemporary art scenes. Museums, galleries, cultural institutions and the artists themselves are organized into collectives: art in Italy follows the flux of ev...

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Trumpets sounded Friday night in Gubbio as the world’s largest representation of a Christmas tree came to life. The attraction, which takes up an entire hillside in the medieval Italian town, is more than 2,400 feet tall and nearly 1,500 feet wide. For nearly 40 years, the Guinness Book of World Records has declared it the biggest Christmas tree di...

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In 1198, when the people of Assisi revolted against the Emperor who had ruled over them since 1173 and plundered the city’s fortress, Saint Francis was sixteen years old and Frederick II was only four. At that moment, the future emperor – who would be crowned in Rome by Pope Honorius III in 1220 – lived in Assisi with his mother Constance, Queen of...

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