Gallipoli, from the Greek Kallipolis or beautiful city, is a pretty seaside town on the Salento Peninsula of Puglia, the heel of Italy's boot. Gallipoli has a picturesque old town ... Read More

June 2 is an Italian national holiday for the Festa della Repubblica. Shops and banks will be closed but many towns celebrate the day in 1946 that Italians voted in ... Read More

Venice's annual boating event, the Vogalonga (long row), is an exciting spectacle with more than 1400 boats of all kinds. The 30 km course starts at St. Mark's Square, passes ... Read More

The interior of central Italy's Marche region is a good place to get off the beaten track. This week we're heading to Urbania, a center for ceramics since the 15th ... Read More

Cantine Aperte, open wineries, is celebrated on the last Sunday in May all over Italy, with wineries from every region participating. 2009 Cantine Aperte is May 31 from 10 ... Read More

Umbria Jazz in Perugia is one of Europe's top jazz festivals, drawing jazz musicians from all over the world. Besides the big name concerts (with an admission charge), there's plenty ... Read More

Here's the view from my room at Bella Baita Italian Alps Mountain Retreat, an inexpensive bed and breakfast with fabulous mountain views and equally fabulous owners. Bella Baita is in ... Read More

When people think of a palio, they often associate it with Siena. Many Italian towns hold palio contests and they're not always horse races (see What is a Palio?). A ... Read More

Angels and Demons, the new movie based on the best-selling book Angels and Demons (compare prices) by Dan Brown, opens today in the US. When it opened in Italy, ... Read More

In 2007 the Roman Colosseum was selected as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. Now the New7Wonders foundation has a contest to select the New7Wonders of Nature. ... Read More

Visiting castles and the medieval villages surrounding them is one of my favorite things to do in Italy. Today we went to Castell'Arquato in the Emilia Romagna region between ... Read More

Dianne Hales' new book, La Bella Lingua (compare prices), is a fascinating book for anyone who enjoys Italy or who is learning Italian. Dianne's amusing anecdotes about her struggles to ... Read More

The trulli of Alberobello are an amazing site. These unique conical structures are found in the Puglia region around Alberobello (see shaded area on Puglia map). Alberobello, a UNESCO World ... Read More

Rome is a top Italy travel city and visitors often fly through Rome airports or arrive on a cruise ship. Our Rome Transportation to Airports, Port, and Cities has details ... Read More

Santa Giulia City Museum of Brescia is an amazing museum, one my favorites. Highlights include walking above well preserved Roman remains and through old churches. Another plus is that everything ... Read More

Popular tenor Andrea Bocelli has several upcoming concerts scheduled for the 2009 season. Rome Colosseum: May 25 Andrea Bocelli with Abruzzo Symphony Orchestra, proceeds to Abruzzo region cultural heritage. Venice: July ... Read More

In May Italy holds two historic races. The Giro d'Italia bike race, celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, starts May 9 and the Mille Miglia 1000 mile car rally, defined ... Read More

Angels and Demons, the new movie based on the best-selling book Angels and Demons (compare prices) by Dan Brown, takes place in Rome and Vatican City. Popular sites featured in ... Read More

The National Archaeological Museum in Naples houses the world's largest collection of frescoes and paintings from the ancient walls of Pompeii. Following ten years of restoration work, the exhibit is ... Read More

Going to a sagra, or local food festival, is one of the joys of off the beaten track travel in Italy. From spring through fall, there are usually two or ... Read More