La Settimana Bianca
Before we begin, what is the “white week?” Just like the name suggests, “la settimana bianca” is a week-long vacation that most Italians take every year in January or February to go ski with their family and friends immersed in the fluffy white snow of northern Italy. While I know many of you love the […]
Arquà Petrarca e la Festa dell’Olio
The small town of Arquà Petrarca, in the province of Padova, made it on the list of the Borghi più Belli d’Italia (most beautiful villages in Italy) not just for its stunning hilltop views and medieval streetscape but also for its culinary traditions and its hospitality. This region is particularly renowned for its wine and […]
Paolo & Francesca
The story of Paolo and Francesca is more than just a legend; their tragic love story still fascinates many people and has been the subject of many compositions by poets, musicians and writers; even Dante puts them in his “Divine Comedy”. To briefly summarize their story, towards the end of 1200, Francesca da Polenta was a […]
La Sicila Bedda
“Italy without Sicily doesn’t leave any images in the spirit. It is in Sicily that one finds the key to everything. The purity of the outlines, the softness of every thing, the fragile reciprocity of the colors, the harmonic unity of the sky with the sea and of the sea with the land… those who […]
Perfect Weekend Gateway on Lake Maggiore
By Francesca Marelli Stresa, the ancient Strixia, overlooks the Borromeo Gulf, the widest and liveliest point of the Verbano area. It includes three major and two minor islands. In 1400 it became a fief of the Visconti, then of the Borromeo, then passing to the Austrians and the Savoys. Its charm has inspired artists of […]
The 7 Secrets of Bologna
A few months ago, talking to one of my university colleagues, I discovered something cool about one of the most beautiful Italian cities: Bologna. She told me how this city is architecturally stunning, how cordial local people are and how intriguing it would be to go discover the seven secrets of Bologna. I had never […]
Il Ponte del Diavolo – The Devil’s Bridge
In Bobbio, a quaint village in the province of Piacenza, there is a bridge, dating back to Roman times, that crosses the Trebbia river and connects the two main areas of the borgo. The bridge is considered the symbol of the town but why is it called “Ponte Gobbo” (Hunchbacked Bridge) or “Ponte del Diavolo” (Devil’s […]
