Italy's coastline is synonymous with summer: a vision of Aperol Spritzes sipped under blue parasols before a glass-clear sea. As an Italian who grew up in England, every summer brought the much-anticipated, post-exam ritual of spending the August holiday (called Ferragosto) at my grandparents' seaside village. I would spend long, lazy days in and o...
READ MOREHere we go again: Valentine's Day is here and you still don't know where to spend a weekend or just a romantic night with your soulmate, right? No fear! In this special Hidden Gems Love Edition we lead you to discover some of the most beautiful romantic places to visit in Italy - is there any other better occasion than Valentine's? In this article...
READ MORETo get the beauty take a medieval village, add a Norman cathedral complete with Byzantine mosaics. Lean against a cliff and put everything in front of the crystal clear sea of Sicily. Welcome to Cefalù. Among the Sicilian towns that do not require great presentations figure undoubtedly Cefalù: located in the province of Palermo, a medieval seaside...
READ MOREPalermo, the regional capital of Sicily, is a city of indescribable charm. Its streets are a mosaic of different eras: Arab-Norman architecture blends with Baroque buildings and Byzantine churches, creating a unique and unforgettable atmosphere. But Sicily is a multifaceted island, and beyond Palermo lie hidden treasures waiting to be discovered. A...
READ MORESicily is a Mediterranean paradise, where beauty, culture and history converge - a magical land forged by the mercurial Mount Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes. Etna's dominating presence metaphorically divides the island into an idyllic east and a bustling west. It's the volcano's mythology and volatility that make Sicily the perfect...
READ MOREFilming for some scenes of the eight-part TV series, directed by director Paolo Genovese and based on the first chapter of the Florios' saga "I Leoni di Sicilia," the best seller by Stefania Auci published by Editrice Nord, ended a few weeks ago in Cefalù. "The Lions of Sicily," which will air on Disney+, is the story of the Florio family. Brothers...
READ MOREWant to avoid the hustle and bustle of tourists in Rome, Milan, Venice, and Florence? Or maybe you’ve already seen those cities, and are looking for something new? Well here are some of my favorite small towns for you to live out your Italian dream. 1. Bergamo If you’re looking for a dreamy getaway, check out Bergamo! Bergamo is located north-east...
READ MORELess than an hour from Palermo, Cefalu is one of Sicily’s top seaside towns. Cefalu’s top draw is its Norman cathedral with stunning mosaics inside, part of the UNESCO World Heritage site that also includes 7 Arab-Norman monuments in Palermo and the cathedral in Monreale. Its historic center sits between a sandy beach and a huge rocky cliff topped...
READ MOREThe site represents the perfect example of socio-cultural, artistic, and religious fusion among the occidental culture, the Islamic and the byzantine one. It concerns nine historical buildings (two palaces, a bridge, three churches, one cathedral in Palermo plus other two cathedrals in Monreale and Cefalù, two little villages near the country seat)...
READ MORE"My paternal grandparents were born in Cefalu, Sicily, a small town in the Province of Palermo. They separately immigrated to the U.S. and ended up in Baltimore, and married at St. Leo's in June 1917. I have been conducting family research for several years and came across a 1928 article from the Baltimore Sun. I was thinking about how many ancest...
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