Martha's Italy Travel Blog

May Holiday in Italy: May 1 is an Italian holiday so if you're vacationing in Italy you'll find banks and many stores closed but you'll probably come across spring festivals ... Read More

Flavor of Italy Country Inn is a great alternative to staying right in Rome. It's in the countryside but just a 20 minute train ride to Rome's Piazza del Popolo ... Read More

The body of Padre Pio, a popular Italian saint who died 40 years ago, has been exhumed and is on display in a glass coffin at Santa Maria delle Grazie ... Read More

Nan McElroy, of Living Venice, recommends the Ca’ Sagredo, a new 5-star hotel in Venice. She says, "They're in one of the handiest locations in all of Venice." Don't think ... Read More

Riding the train to the walled city of Lucca on the Lucca-Aulla Lunigiana train line is one of my favorite things to do in Tuscany. The train meanders past mountains, ... Read More

The New York Open Center, a non-profit holistic learning center, announces a September tour to Italy, Food for the Soul-Travel to Italy. Tour participants will stay in villa that's part ... Read More

April 25 is a national holiday in all of Italy celebrating Liberation Day, the anniversary of Italy's liberation in WW II. But in Venice it's also the day of two ... Read More

Ragusa is really two towns in one - the Upper Town where half the population decided to build after the 1693 earthquake and the enchanting Ibla or old town that ... Read More

In Montecatini Terme we came across an unfortunate traveler from the US who had lost his instant cash card in a Bancomat. He asked me if I could tell him ... Read More

While filming at Lake Garda for the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, a stunt driver lost control of the Aston Martin DBS and plunged into the lake, according ... Read More

A strike by train personnel is scheduled for Sicily on Monday, April 21, from 9 am to 5 pm. When there are major rail strikes, other transportation strikes often coincide. ... Read More

Rome's birthday is celebrated on April 21, commemorating the date of Rome's founding in 753BC. Rome will hold several festivals, concerts, and special events this weekend and on April 21. ... Read More

I've gotten several requests recently asking for information about cooking classes in Italy. There are cooking classes in nearly every region of Italy and most of them cater to foreigners ... Read More

We're in Rome this week. We'll be going on the Roman Spring Tour offered by SecretGardensItaly. First stop on the tour is the recently excavated archaeological site beneath Rome's 16th ... Read More

We recently stayed at Villa Le Piazzole in the hills above Florence. Villa Le Piazzole is a 17th century villa that's been elegantly restored into a deluxe residence with bed ... Read More

Agrigento is a large town overlooking the sea in southwestern Sicily. Visitors flock there to visit the Valle dei Templi, Valley of the Temples, one of Sicily's must-see sites. The ... Read More

We've just returned from a relaxing stay in the Chianti Hills of Tuscany at Le Torri Villa Holiday Vacation Rentals. Le Torri Villa offers self-catering apartments in a beautifully restored ... Read More

Venice is one of Italy's most expensive travel cities but it's also one of the most popular. Travelers to Italy often want to visit the legendary Harry's Bar, famous as ... Read More

What's the best Italian city for walking in the rain? Bologna, with its many porticos, or covered walkways, is a great place for walking even in the rain. According to ... Read More

Nancy Parode, about.com's guide to Senior Travel, has some suggestions for off the beaten track places to visit in southern Italy's Campania and Lazio regions between Naples and Rome. If you ... Read More

Modica is a pretty Baroque town in southeastern Sicily. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site along with the nearby Baroque towns of Ragusa, Noto, Scicli. Modica is just 20 km ... Read More

Manuela, of Italian Ceramics, sent me this information about Calendimaggio, a beautiful, very ancient traditional festival held in Assisi, Umbria, May 8 - 10, 2008. It is a spectacular evocation of ... Read More