The Real Reason Italy Has Over 300 Different Pasta Shapes
Discover why Italy has over 300 pasta shapes and what every curve and ridge was designed to do — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Places to visit
Italy is a country full of history, culture and outstanding natural beauty. Some must-visit places include the romantic city of Venice with its famous gondolas and canals, the capital city Rome, home to ancient ruins like the Colosseum and the Vatican City. Florence is famous for its Renaissance art and architecture. The Amalfi Coast and Cinque Terre are renowned for their stunning coastal scenery. Other notable places include the fashionable city of Milan, the picturesque region of Tuscany, the historic city of Pompeii and the beautiful islands of Sicily and Sardinia. Beyond cities and landscapes, Italy is also known for its delicious cuisine and world-class wines.
– Venice: Known for its romantic ambiance, iconic gondolas, and beautiful canals.
– Rome: The capital city is home to ancient ruins like the Colosseum and the Vatican City.
– Florence: Famous for its Renaissance art and architecture.
– Amalfi Coast: Renowned for its stunning coastal scenery.
– Cinque Terre: Another area known for remarkable coastal views.
– Milan: A fashionable city, known as a global hub for design and fashion.
– Tuscany: A picturesque region with rolling hills, vineyards and historic towns.
– Pompeii: An ancient city with well-preserved ruins from the eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
– Sicily: The largest island in the Mediterranean sea, known for its rich history and diverse architecture.
– Sardinia: A beautiful island with stunning beaches and clear blue waters.
– Italian Cuisine: Famous for its delicious food like pizza, pasta, gelato, and many regional specialties.
– Italian Wines: Italy is one of the largest wine producers in the world, with famous varieties like Chianti, Prosecco, and Barolo.
Why Orvieto Built a Whole Second City — Directly Beneath the First
Beneath Orvieto’s clifftop streets lies an Etruscan underground city — tunnels, carved wells, and olive mills hidden in volcanic rock for 3,000 years — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Italian City That Once Hired the Best Artists in Europe — and Most Tourists Skip It
Discover Mantua: Italy’s most underrated Renaissance city — Gonzaga palaces, Mantegna’s painted ceiling, and a city almost nobody visits — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Bologna Is Italy’s Most Underrated City — and Its Most Delicious
Bologna is Italy’s best-kept secret — a food capital with 40km of UNESCO porticoes, hidden canals, and the world’s oldest university — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Every Great Italian Olive Oil Begins With a Very Old Family Tradition
Discover the ancient tradition of Italy’s olive harvest — why families gather every October to pick by hand and what it means for the oil you taste — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Calabria Is the Part of Italy Most Tourists Never Reach — But Should
Calabria is Italy’s forgotten south — fiery food, clifftop beaches, and the Bronzi di Riace — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Trastevere Is the Part of Rome That Romans Actually Call Home
Trastevere is the ancient neighbourhood across the Tiber where Rome’s locals actually live — cobblestone streets, golden mosaics, and real Roman food — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Italian Cheese That Inspectors Test With a Hammer — and What They Listen For
Discover the ancient DOP rules, the strict hammer quality test, and why real Parmigiano Reggiano from Emilia-Romagna is in a class of its own — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Five Cinque Terre Villages: What Nobody Tells First-Time Visitors
A practical guide to all five Cinque Terre villages — what makes each one unique and which suits your travel style — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Secret Leather School Hidden Inside Florence’s Greatest Church
Discover the hidden leather school inside Florence’s greatest church, where artisans still hand-craft leather goods using Renaissance-era techniques — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Italy’s White Truffle Season Draws Food Lovers From Around the World
Discover why Italy’s white truffle season in Piedmont and Umbria draws the world’s finest chefs every autumn — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why the Dolomites Are Italy’s Most Dramatic Landscape and Best-Kept Secret
Explore Italy’s most dramatic landscape: the Dolomites. UNESCO-listed peaks, flower-filled valleys and mountain villages that stay with you forever — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Venice Dresses Up in Medieval Costume and Races Boats Every September
Venice’s annual Regata Storica fills the Grand Canal with medieval pageantry and gondola racing each September — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Hidden Italian Origins of Words You Use Every Single Day
Discover the everyday English words secretly invented in Italy — from umbrella and balcony to bank and quarantine. Venice alone changed English more than any other city — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Sicily Has Better-Preserved Greek Temples Than Greece Itself
Agrigento’s Valle dei Templi has ancient Greek temples more intact than most in Greece itself — here’s why Sicily’s greatest ruin belongs on your list. — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Every Shop in Italy Closes at 1pm — and Italians Wouldn’t Have It Any Other Way
Discover why Italian shops close every afternoon for the riposo and how embracing this ancient tradition will transform your entire Italy trip — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Italian Towns That Made Leonardo da Vinci — and Where to Find His Legacy
Discover the Italian towns that shaped Leonardo da Vinci — from his Tuscan birthplace to Florence and Milan — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Italian Cured Meat That Even Prosciutto Lovers Don’t Know Exists
Italy’s most prized cured meat is not prosciutto. Culatello di Zibello is aged in river fog and made only in one corner of Emilia-Romagna — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Italian Harvest That Turns Neighbours Into Family Every Autumn
Italy’s vendemmia harvest brings villages together every autumn — discover the ancient rituals, regional festivals and how to experience it yourself — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
The Puppet Masters of Sicily Who Have Kept the Same Epic Alive for 200 Years
Discover Opera dei Pupi, Sicily’s UNESCO-listed puppet theatre — two centuries of knights, armour, and epic battles still performed nightly in Palermo — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.
Why Palermo Is the Italian City That Rewrites All Your Expectations
Discover why Palermo, Sicily’s capital city, surprises every visitor with its Arab-Norman architecture, legendary street food and ancient piazzas — plus get weekly Italy stories free in our newsletter.