Visiting Italy is a vacationer's dream. Its history dates back thousands of years, and the architecture and countryside are astonishingly beautiful. The food is beyond belief, too, whether you're up for prosciutto pasta, Caprese salad, or gelato. For sightseeing, maybe you're thinking of the Forum and Colosseum in Rome, the Statue of David and pric...

A few months ago, I published a guide to 72 hours in Florence, but what if you have more than 72 hours? That’s the question a reader recently asked me via email. “My nephew is studying in Florence next semester. I'm flying over to see him with my sister and sister-in-law,” she wrote. “Two of us have been to Rome before so we wanted to maximize our...

If you are looking for a relaxing and scenic getaway in Italy, consider Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Tuscany. Famous for its rolling hills, cypress trees, medieval villages, and wine production, this region offers a captivating weekend escape. Immerse yourself in the natural and cultural beauty of Val d’Orcia, discovering its delect...

Leanne Davis has always had a taste for wine. The California native runs her own winery, Via Romano Vineyards, outside Sacramento. So it's perhaps little surprise that her love of the grape is leading her to her next home: Tuscany, the lush enclave in central Italy famed for its vine-covered hills and bushy olive trees. A decade ago, Davis and her...

Lucignano is one of those small villages in Italy that you probably never heard of. But if you are traveling in Tuscany, visiting Lucignano can be an escape from the throngs of tourists in big cities like Florence and Siena. Perched on a hilltop, this hidden gem is waiting to be explored, a virtual portal to the past that allows visitors to step ba...

Walk the quiet stone streets of Lucignano and it’s easy to see why it was named one of the most beautiful towns in Italy. This small fortified village in Tuscany, not far from Arezzo, is famous not only for its cultural and historical significance but also for its efforts to preserve and promote an authentic way of life. The Beautiful Towns of Ital...

Welcome to Savoring Italy's go-to Siena guide, the essence of Tuscany. Siena mixes history, tradition, and Italian country flavors. It's medieval and unspoiled. We'll dive into a place where Piazza del Campo beats with life, cobblestone paths surprise, and every corner dishes out Siena's culinary history. Gothic buildings, lively markets, and hills...

Michelangelo’s David is recognised as one of the most sublime works in the history of sculpture, but according to the director of Florence’s Accademia Gallery, dusting it is much like cleaning a bathroom. “You know when you clean a bathroom, you clean and clean and think you’ve done a great job but then you spot some dust and wonder ‘where did that...

Italians are adamant about recognizing and protecting their heritage. There are consortiums that protect regional products like Parmigiano Reggiano, organizations that preserve the country’s artistic and architectural treasures, and even official designations for the country’s most beautiful villages. I Borghi più belli d’Italia is an association f...

In all its territorial variety, Italy boasts a large number of beautiful and evocative mountain localities, ideal for visiting any time of year, whether summer or winter. From north to south, the Italian mountain scene offers tourists a range of landscapes: lakes at high altitutude, incredible forests, enchanting villages and borgoes rich in histor...