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Small towns and villages in Italy have suddenly become more attractive for people looking to escape stressful and crowded city life. With the advent of remote working (dubbed ‘smart working’ in Italy) due to the Covid pandemic, many Italians are no longer necessarily forced to live in the city and are considering relocating to the countryside or to...

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It's Valentine's Day week and we're feeling the love, but, because we're not able to travel right now, save these romantic escape ideas for any time of the year! Head to one of these five lovely villages in Italy, set in idyllic locations, by the sea or a lake, in the mountains or the countryside, the perfect setting for romantic strolls hand in ha...

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“The moment we spotted Pienza from the road, perfectly placed atop the rolling Tuscan hills, I was transfixed. We pulled over to take in the first view of my ancestral town. It was so quiet and the air around me was thick with the smell of burning olive branches. I just knew that was the exact same view that my ancestors saw when riding their horse...

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Probably the first thing people think about when Valentine's Day is mentioned is a loving couple, and Italy has the most famous couple of all, Romeo and Juliet. The city of the 'star crossed lovers', Verona, makes a romantic destination, but this most obvious of romantic places in Italy is actually rather disappointing. 'Juliet's house' (she never...

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“Evviva la Torre di Pisa che pende, che pende ma sempre sta su. Evviva la Torre di Pisa che pende, che pende e mai non vien giù:” this was the famous  refrain of a 1950s song by popular crooner Gino Latilla, dedicated to one of Italy’s symbols, the leaning Tower of Pisa.  Just like the song says, the stunning gothic belfry keeps on leaning, but doe...

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In a small village north of Florence, Tuscany, a family of master craftsmen has been continuing the artisan tradition of knife production for 5 generations (since 1895) without interruption.  It is an incredible testimony of art, culture, tradition, and respect for one’s roots, which I felt compelled to get to know better. It takes one-hour and goo...

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The reputation of Dante Alighieri needs little burnishing: his Divine Comedy, tracing the poet’s journey through Hell, Purgatory and Paradise, is widely regarded as one of the greatest works ever written. But more than 700 years after Dante was accused of corruption and condemned to be burned to death, his descendant is looking to clear his name. S...

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Upon arriving in Siena, Italy, we traveled first across the winding sidewalks which led us to the Campo, the public square. Before us, kiosks of various vendors dotted the wide-open area stretched out in front of the impressive Palazzo Pubblico and its tower. Around the outer edge of the square, a wooden barrier was being installed in anticipation...

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To join the event, tune in LIVE on-line, with organizers Advancing Women Artists and The Florentine, on Friday February 5th at 6.30pm in Italy; 12.30pm EST; 9.30am PST; 5.30pm in the UK. Please use this link: Restoration Conversations: The world's oldest drawing academy, Accademia delle Arti del Disegno or access directly through TF's Facebook and...

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The prophets, bishops and cherubs depicted in the 14th-century mosaics on the interior walls of Florence’s Baptistery are shining again, following a lengthy restoration that began in 2017 and is still ongoing.  The restoration is funded by the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore, the institution created in 1296 by the Florentine Republic to manage the c...

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