Dream of Italy® - Italy Travel News Blog

Is Tuscany on Your Bucket List?

2012-01-27T14:53:00.001-05:00

Make it Real at Il Borgo

private villa estate

charming drivers

daily breakfast basket

excursions to medieval towns

dinners in local restaurants

spectacular sunsets

a crazy bargain

Free Cooking Class for bookings made by March 1st

Inclusive Tuscany at Il Borgo from Villa Vita

from $2195 per person per week.

Learn More

(This is an ad.)

What's New in Rome: Spring 2012

2012-01-27T14:35:00.000-05:00

Though it may be thousands of years old, the Eternal City is always changing and evolving. If you're planning a trip to Rome in 2012, check out what's new in Rome:

The historic Testaccio Market will be closing and a new, modern market will be opening a few blocks away. The move is controversial. Depending on when you are visiting Rome, you might be one of the last to visit the 97-year-old market in Piazza Testaccio or among the first to go inside the new Testaccio Market.
The latest outpost of Eataly (the mammoth gourmet marketplace that started in Turin) opens in Rome on the city's birthday, April 21. Eataly Rome will take up 12,000 square feet in the former Air Terminal Ostiense, and boast 11 restaurants.
The must-not-miss musem exhibition in Rome this year is Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed. A hundred documents from the Vatican's Secret Archives go in display at the Capitoline Museums starting March 1, 2012.

Learn more about what to do in Rome at Dream of Italy and get our Rome travel app for just $2.99!

Photo by alainlm, flickr.com

Umbria Photo Workshops: May and October 2012

2012-01-24T20:42:00.003-05:00

The trip of a lifetime...
Week-long photo workshops with the bestselling authors of Serenissima: Venice in Winter. Explore Umbria by chartered van and stay in a gorgeous fully restored farm villa in the shadow of Assisi. Guided excursions, personal instruction, many meals—a molto simpatico photo vacation. Maximum enrollment for each workshop is six students. May 5-12, 2012 and October 13-20, 2012

Info: http://www.experienceumbria.com/

(This is an ad.)

"Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed" To Open in Rome

2012-01-24T20:32:00.000-05:00

If you're visiting Rome between March and September 2012, plan to visit the Capitoline Museums for the once-in-a-lifetime exhibition Lux in Arcana: The Vatican Secret Archives Revealed. One hundred original documents -- spanning 400 years of Papal history -- will leave the confines of Vatican City for the first time. The records are usually kept in Vatican Secret Archives, a highly secure building behind St. Peter's Basilica.

Some of those documents on display will include:

an appeal by the English Parliament asking the Pope to annul Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine of Aragon
items from the heresy trial of Galileo, whose scientific theories attracted the hostility of the Catholic Church
a letter written on birch bark in 1887 by the Ojibwe Indians of Ontario, Canada, to Pope Leo XIII

The exhibition opens March 1st. You can purchase a combined exhibition/museum entrance ticket for the Capitoline Museums for 12 euros and visit Tuesday through Sunday, 9 a.m through 8 p.m.
Need more information on what to see in Rome? Get Dream of Italy's Rome travel app for just $2.99!

Dream Italia: Your Passpost to Italy for Enchanting Tours

2012-01-11T22:17:00.001-05:00

Dream Italia specializes in small group tours to Italy offering the culture ordinary travelers miss. Discover our Culinary & Wine, Seaside, and City & Culture tours where we offer you an insider’s view and weave in-depth experiences and interaction with local Italian people into your experience. Join a Dream Italia tour and see firsthand the Italy that dreams are made of...

Experience The Magic of Italy with Dream Italia

elizabeth@dreamitalia.com

303-504-6151

View Our Tours:

Dream Italia Picks Positano & Amalfi Coast for 2012!

(This is an ad.)

Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012 Issue: Rome Food Tour, Carnevale in Friuli, Maremma Hideaway

2012-01-08T20:17:00.003-05:00

The Dec. 2011/Jan. 2012 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one this week and get TWO BONUS Italy travel documentaries on DVD ($40 value), you will also receive access to this issue, online access to more than 85 back issues and subscriber-only discounts! Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) are reading the following articles this month:

Muggia Carnevale Unmasked
While you hear so much about Italian Carnevale in Venice, did you know that one of Italy's great Carnevale celebrations is in the city of Muggia in Friuli? Find out all you need to know to take part.

Rome Food Tour in Testaccio
The working class neighborhood Testaccio is home to some of Rome's great culinary treasures -- both food and the characters behind the food. This food tour's passionate guide will lead you through nine tastings and a unique experience. Also: The New Testaccio Market, Kenny Dunn's Favorite Rome Restaurants

A Magical Maremma Hideaway
The renovated castle in one of Tuscany's most authentic areas offers an upscale escape complete with Tuscan cooking lessons with the proprietor who is a cookbook author.

Italy Travel Apps from Italia!/ Taste Italia Magazines

2011-12-21T14:04:00.003-05:00

There was so much interest in our new Rome app that we would like to tell you about other apps that might help you with your Italian travels - a fantastic range of new apps brought to you by our friends, the publishers of Italia! and Taste Italia magazines.

From Italian living and travel to food and drink, and the perfect Italian Christmas, there really is something for everybody in this fantastic range of apps, available from just $1.99. Take them everywhere you go when you download them to your iPhone/iPad/iPod!
Features of the Italia! and Taste Italia themed apps:
+ Download an issue and read on or offline
+ Apps from just $1.99*
+ Save weight in your luggage with the Italia! travel guides
+ Ingredient lists always to hand when you're at the shops
+ Keep as many issues as you like all in one place
+ Take every issue with you wherever you go
+ Turn the pages like a print magazine
+ Easy navigation and zoom function
+ Contents and hyperlinks for easy searchability

Download the Italian Christmas Recipes App - Just $6.99

Download the Italia! Magazine App - From $1.99

Download the Taste Italia Magazine App - From $1.99

Download the Tuscany Guide App - Just $6.99

Postcards From Italy: Naples Doll Hospital

2011-12-15T14:46:00.000-05:00

This holday season, we've partnered with filmmaker Steven McCurdy to give away TWO DVDs of his Italy travel documentaries with every subscription/renewal or gift subscription to the award-winning travel newsletter Dream of Italy (there's still time to order for Christmas delivery in the U.S.!)

In the documentary Postcards from Italy, McCurdy journeys through southern Italy showcasing ordinary Italians who are diligently preserving age-old traditions and customs.

In Naples, he meets the charming Luigi Grassi who has spent his whole life "repairing objects of love" at The Doll Hospital (Ospedale delle Bombole). Enjoy this clip....

Postcards From Italy: Rome Video

2011-12-14T23:46:00.001-05:00

We're currently offering TWO BONUS DVDs (worth $40) of filmmaker Steven McCurdy's Italy documentaries with every Dream of Italy subscription. McCurdy (see our interview with him) has an eye for what makes Italy so alluring. In this clip from one of the DVDs, Postcards From Italy, he sets the sites of Rome to music:

Finding Santa's Bones in Southern Italy

2011-12-14T17:34:00.001-05:00

While the above headline is no doubt alarming, don't worry, I have it on good authority that Santa Claus is alive and well and quite busy up at the North Pole. But his inspiration, the original St. Nick, a 4th-century Greek bishop, rests in the region of Puglia. Saint Nicholas was known for his secret gift-giving. The legend goes that believers left their shoes out and he filled them with gold coins.

The story of how the "original Santa Claus" got to the city of Bari from where he perished in Turkey is recounting the fascinating article Saving Santa's Bones. Apparently, roughly 900 years ago, if your city didn't have a pilgrimage site, you were practicially left of the map. So the good folks of Bari decided to hatch a plan to get themselves some relics!

"Three ships and 47 sailors set sail in 1087 for Myra, Turkey, the site where St. Nicholas had been buried some 800 years previously. After convincing custodians at the church where the saint was buried that they were pilgrims, the pirates smashed open the grave, took most of the ancient relics, and carried them back to Bari," writer Debbie Olsen recounts.

Since then, St. Nick's remains have resided in a crypt beneath the altar of the Romanesque Basilica di San Nicola. Olsen writes,"Every year, Bari re-enacts the arrival of the body of St. Nicholas from Turkey with a 10-day festival in early May. The highlight of the Festa di San Nicola is the "translation ceremony," where a statue of St. Nicholas is paraded through the streets with 500 costumed attendants and taken out to sea and brought back to the Basilica."

Learn more about Christmas in Italy in our FREE 35-page e-book -- filled with Italian Christmas and New Year's traditions, Italy holiday travel tips and traditional Italian Christmas recipes!

Christmas Around Italy In Photos: From Bolzano to Puglia

2011-12-13T17:13:00.000-05:00

My latest contribution for travel section of The Huffington Post is a slideshow on Christmas in Italy. Click on the photo below to start your journey through age-old holiday traditions in Rome, Milan, Turin, Alto-Aldige, Umbria, Puglia and more....

Learn more in our FREE 35-page Christmas in Italy Guide -- filled with Italian Christmas and New Year's traditions, Italy holiday travel tips and traditional Italian Christmas recipes!

Spend Christmas in Italy with These Hotel Packages

2011-12-12T14:16:00.000-05:00

Hotels throughout Italy realize what a special experience it is to spend Christmas in Italy where frankly, the holiday remains more authentic and family-oriented than in the United States. If you're plotting an Italian Christmas vacation, here are some special places to spend the holiday:

Two Amalfi Coast hotels are offering packages that include a chance to experience age-old Italian artistery. One offers an excursion to the nativity workshops of Naples and another teaches guests the art of inlaid wood in Sorrento.
Rome is one of Italy's top Christmas destinations. If you're in the mood for Christmas luxury, check out the holiday packages at these Rome hotels.
These Florence and Tuscany hotels have Christmas and New Year's packages starting at 99euros per night - a bargain for the holiday season in Italy.
These Venice hotels include small holiday touches with their Christmas package - a holiday gift, welcome drinks, a Christmas meal, etc.

Learn more in our FREE 35-page Guide to Christmas in Italy -- filled with Italian Christmas and New Year's traditions, Italy holiday travel tips and traditional Italian recipes.

Photo by Any.colour.you.like, flickr.com

What Does The Christmas Eve Feast of Seven Fishes Cost for an Italian Family?

2011-12-06T13:57:00.000-05:00

The Feast of the Seven Fishes is the typical Christmas Eve meal served on family tables throughout Italy. It is no secret that times are tough in Italy these days. Having just returned from Italy several weeks ago, I can tell you that the word I kept hearing again and again was "crisis." So how will this affect how Italians celebrate Christmas?

According to this fascinating article Italians Pass on Prosecco, Italians are cutting on spending wherever they can. "People are eating less pasta than a year ago," a supermarket manager told Bloomberg News. "They don't buy pasta topping. They put off buying mayonnaise." Will the cost of seven fishes be too much for the typical Italian be too much this year? Here's how Bloomberg breaks down the meal for a family of eight:

seafood antipasti = 50 euros
bass, bream and salmon = 35 euros
clams with spaghetti = 24 euros
panettone for dessert = 4.99 euros

Learn more in our FREE 35-page Guide to Christmas in Italy -- filled with Italian Christmas and New Year's traditions, Italy holiday travel tips and traditional Italian recipes.

See the Vatican Christmas Tree in St. Peter's Square

2011-12-03T19:07:00.001-05:00

The Ukraine has donated a 100-foot Christmas tree to be displayed in St. Peter's Square in Vatican City this holiday season. The gigantic spruce tree will be lifted into position on December 5th and lit during a ceremony on December 16th. It is expected to be decorated with more than 2,500 ornaments and numerous white and yellow lights. Along with the Christmas tree, a life-size Nativity scene or presepio (creche in Italian) will grace the center of the square.

In 1982, Pope John Paul II started the tradition of erecting a tall Christmas tree in St. Peter's Square and it has now become an essential part of Christmas in Rome.

Learn more in our FREE 35-page Christmas in Italy ebook, filled with Christmas and New Year's traditions, Italy holiday travel tips and traditional Italian recipes.

Photo by ANSA

CyberMonday Deals on Gifts for Travelers, Italian Gifts and Gift Subscriptions

2011-11-27T18:06:00.002-05:00

Looking for the perfect Italian gift or gifts for travelers on your Christmas list. Look no further than the award-winning travel newsletter Dream of Italy and our online gifts store. Enjoy the following deals for CyberMonday (as we write this Sunday, you can start shopping!) and the Tuesday afterwards. Enjoy!

$15 Off Gift Subscriptions + TWO BONUS DVDs

Use Discount Code: 15off
Only through Tuesday, November 29th

Use Discount Code: 15 off
Only Through Tuesday, November 29th

Spend $75 or more in one order being delivered to the U.S. and enjoy FREE SHIPPING!

Good for U.S. orders only through 11:59 p.m. PT, Tuesday, November 29th. Shop for our Italian Christmas Cards, Italy DVDs, Italy Travel Books, Italian Note Cards, Framed Italy Photos, Decoupage Window Boxes, Italian Movie Night Gift Basket and Venetian Glass Jewelry.

Spend $100 or more on subscriptions/renewals, gift subscriptions and/or Italian gifts between Oct. 15 and Dec. 25 and receive a BONUS COPY of the book Up at the Villa ($17.95 value) by Linda Dini Jenkins. No need to put in a code, we will just send it to you when you've spent $100 or more before shipping.

(Thanks to CoolText.com for fire-y images)

November 2011 Issue: Emilia-Romagna Wines, Meandering Through Le Marche, Prosciutto Party in Parma

2011-11-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

The November 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one today and get TWO BONUS Italy travel documentaries on DVD ($40 value), you will also receive access to this issue, online access to more than 85 back issues and subscriber-only discounts! Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) are reading the following articles this month:

The Wines of Emilia-Romagna
Haven't heard much about the wines of the distinct areas of Emilia and Romagna? Wine expert Mark Spivak tells you what you've been missing and suggests wines to try and vineyards to visit in Emilia-Romagna

Meandering Through A Corner of Le Marche: Pesaro e Urbino
The northern province of this under-the-radar Italian region has much to offer including the seaside city of Pesaro (home of the Rossini Opera Festival), a Renaissance jewel in Urbino, territory ripe for truffle hunting and a place of pilgrimage at the house of the Virgin Mary.

Parma's Prosciutto Museum
Parma is synonymous with prosciutto and for a full immersion in this food staple, our writer enjoy a factory visit, museum tour and delectable tasting.

Will Strega Be "Bewitching" Your Italian Holiday Celebrations?

2011-11-22T15:00:00.001-05:00

One thing Italians and Americans have in common is their love of heavy, elaborate meals at holiday celebrations. Only the Italians, though, can make the excuse that drinking liquor after your meal is good for your digestion. One of my favorite digestivi, especially around Christmas, is Strega (Italian for witch). It comes from Benevento, a city in the Campania region that was said to have once been the meeting place for all the witches of the world.

The liquor was born in 1860 and has been produced by the Alberti family for 150 years. It’s 100% natural, distilled from over 70 herbs and spices coming from every corner of the world. Among these herbs are Ceylon cinnamon, Florentine iris and Italian Apennine juniper which grow along the riverbanks in Campania.
It gets its name from a mystical legend, citing a walnut tree in Benevento as the meeting place for witches. As the legend goes, each witch was guided by a demonic spirit who would rub her with magic ointment before riding off into the night on her broomstick. The witches would then come together to worship the devil, who appeared as a buck, rewarding the best witches and punishing the bad ones. The scene was eventually dissolved by the sunrise.

It is perfect to enjoy as is, on the rocks, over fruit, ice cream and other desserts. Strega can even be used as an ingredient in cakes, pastries and cocktails. Check out the website http://www.strega.it/ for recipe and serving ideas. After all, what better way to cure your food induced coma over the holidays than to sip a glass of fine Italian liquor? The effects are like witchcraft! -- Danielle Rovet

Learn more about Italian holiday traditions in Dream of Italy's free 35-page Christmas in Italy e-book!

Take the Alitalia Bus from Rome's Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumincino) Airport

2011-11-18T09:08:00.000-05:00

Just back from Rome yesterday and have a tip for those flying into and out of Leonardo da Vinci (Fiumincino) Airport -- you can take the new Alitalia Bus for 7 euros each way to and from the airport. But you have to be flying on Alitalia (a plane ticket is required to purchase a bus ticket).

I'm not sure exactly when the bus service started but the "New Alitalia" as the airline has been rebranded is heavily promoting the service. There was an advertisement on every seat on my flight from FCO to EWR yesterday.

One minor point of inconvenience for those flying from the U.S. is that the bus is based in Terminal 1 and U.S. flights arrive in and leave Terminal 3. There is a shuttle bus that runs between terminals however.

The bus make stops at several spots in the center of Rome including Termini Train Station is a very affordable new airport transportation option. I've dropped a note to my contact at Alitalia to learn more about the new bus service.

Join Dream of Italy's Editor for A Meetup in Rome This Week

2011-11-13T13:00:00.000-05:00

I'm always excited to meet new Italophiles and travel lovers -- especially meeting in person, those I have only "met" online. I'll be in Rome this week and decided to organize an informal meetup for anyone in the travel industry, fans of Dream of Italy, expats who live in Rome and anyone just passing through would would like meet for wine, networking and conversation.

Join me from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Wednesday, November 16th at Etabli a wine bar not far from Rome's Piazza Navona.

Introducing the ArtFast Pass for Florence Sites

2011-10-14T23:39:00.002-04:00

The Tuscan Traveler turned us on to the new ArtFast Priority Pass -- which for seven euros per year allows tourists and locals to skip the lines at its famous Duomo, which can get crowded in peak season. The card grants expedited entry to six attractions in the Piazza del Duomo in Florence, including the Duomo, its cupola and bell tower, the Baptistery of St. John, the Crypt of San Reparta and the Museum of the Opera of Santa Maria del Fiore.

When arriving at the Duomo and its surrounding sites, users bypass the standby lines and go straight to the entrance or to the priority line, swiping the card at the entrance turnstile to gain access. The cost of the card does not include admission prices, which vary according to the attraction. The ArtFast Priority Pass is sold online at artfast.it and can be mailed to the buyer’s address within seven days.

ArtFast is still a new service, and hopes to expand to other Florentine museums – like the Uffizi and the Accademia – as well as to other Italian cities, if it is well-received at the Duomo.-- Elaine Murphy

The Pizza Pilgrims Leave on A Delicious Journey

2011-10-08T17:40:00.004-04:00

Tomorrow, British brothers, Thom and James Elliot, are setting off on a month-long culinary quest to serve fresh pizzas as they drive their Piaggio Ape throughout Italy. The brothers, who dubbed themselves the Pizza Pilgrims, purchased the three-wheeled vehicle outfitted with a custom pizza oven, and will fly from the United Kingdom to the far reaches of southern Italy to retrieve it.

Then, they’ll drive the length of Italy at a maximum speed of 40 miles per hour, stopping to gather fresh Italian ingredients for their traditional pizzas, which they will prepare in the back of their van.

"We're going to find the best tomatoes, the best cheese; all the best ingredients,” said Thom, the elder Elliot. According to James, the brothers’ love of food is hereditary. "Our parents have always managed pubs, so the foodie vibe has been instilled in us from a very young age,” he said.

Their journey will send them 2,000 miles across little-traveled areas in Italy, into Europe and finally back to their home in the UK, where they will continue preparing Italian-style pizzas from their van in an effort to create a start-up street food business.

A television crew will be following Thom and James on their journey, filming a series scheduled to air in early 2012. The brothers are also utilizing social media, including Facebook, Twitter and video blog posts, to engage fans in their month-long pilgrimage. -- Elaine Murphy

Gucci Museum Opens in Florence

2011-10-06T16:27:00.003-04:00

In the nine decades since Guccio Gucci opened a small leather shop in Florence in 1921, his name and products have become fashion icons across the world, and can now be viewed at the new Gucci Museum in Florence. The museum opened on September 28th, as part of this year’s 90th anniversary celebration of the iconic Florentine designer.

The museum’s three stories display a variety of items bearing the Gucci brand, including designer clothing, glamorous evening gowns and black and white photographs of stars wearing Gucci garments. A travel-themed room displays luggage and accessories pays tribute to Gucci’s job as a porter at London’s Savoy Hotel in the late 19th century, while another room showcases items with a floral motif created for Grace Kelly in 1966.

Visitors can view a history of Gucci logos, a 1970s Gucci-upholstered Cadillac Seville, handbags, and other rare home and lifestyle items, many of which are on display for the first time. The museum also contains an art exhibit with works from contemporary artists, established by the Francois Pinault Foundation.

All items were pulled from the museum’s basement archives, containing thousands of Gucci pieces, and the museum plans to rotate its exhibits to display more of its archived collection. Half of the museum’s admission price of 6 euros per person will be donated to help preserve historical artifacts in Florence.

Gucci creative director Frida Giannini first created the concept for a museum dedicated to the luxury fashion brand. The museum is located in Piazza Signoria in the 14^th-century Palazzo della Mercanzia, which was once the home and working space of the Medici family. Piazza Signoria, in front of the Palazzo Vecchio, is a key part of the history of the Florentine Republic. The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. -- Elaine Murphy

September 2011 - Art in Venice, Villa d'Este's International Ambassador

2011-09-28T23:24:00.003-04:00

The September 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one today and save $15 on our regular subscription rates and receive access to this issue and more than 85 back issues! Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) will be reading the following articles:

One Woman's Truly Dolce Vita

Meet Jean Salvadore -- an Italian woman who has lead a most evenful life -- from a volunteer to help American troops in Rome in World War II to international ambassador for one of the world's most exclusive hotels, Villa d'Este on Lake Como.

Sleuthing for Art in Venice - Part 1 and Part 2

Just how much art can you see in one vacation in Venice? Our writer plots her art hunt through Venice's churches and museums to its most beguiling treasures.

Planning an Art Tour of Venice

Details on the Venice Choral Pass, Venice Connected Cards, walking tours of Venice's art and artisans and artful hotels in Venice.

Fall Deals on Amalfi Coast and Sicily Hotels

2011-09-22T11:17:00.007-04:00

Ragosta Hotels is offering discounted fall rates through November 30, 2011 starting at 150€ to 250€ per night for Hotel Raito and Relais Paradiso on the Amalfi Coast and La Plage Resort in Taormina, Sicily.

This is quite the deal since rooms at Relais Paradiso usually start at 500€. There are only 22 rooms here, with stunning views of the Amalfi Coast, and room rates include a welcome cocktail and personal car transfer to Vietri sul Mare (perfect for ceramics shopping). The nearby Hotel Raito is larger and has the exclusive Seiren Floor in its own wing - Seiren guests enjoy a private reception and entrance to the spa.

Fall is the perfect time to visit Sicily. Why? Not so hot and still so beautiful. The La Plage Resort (pictured above) combines the best of two worlds as it is near the charming town of Taormina where there is plenty to do but it is also steps away from Sicily's natural island preserve Isola Bella.

New Florence Card for Museums and Transportation

2011-09-07T15:15:00.000-04:00

If you're headed to Florence, you should know that the city now offers the Firenze Card -- but due to its price it is really for the most ardent and ambitious museum-goer and tourist. The Firenze Card offers admission to more than 33 participating museums, villas, and gardens -- as well as unlimited public transportation -- over three days for 50€ per person.

Budget Travel Magazine recently did an analysis and calculated that you would need to visit three sites per day for three days or use the equivalent of 17€ in admissions and transportation to make the card pay.

The card does include admission to any special exhibitions and the website says you can avoid lines and booking fees (but doesn't say exactly how to do that - there may be a special line at the most popular museums).

You can see if the card is for you by checking this breakdown of the entrance fees of participating sites. Entrance to the Uffizi starts at 6.50€ as does entrance to the Accademia -- but that's not figuring in booking fees and special exhibitions.

In the past, we've also written about the Friends of the Uffizi membership (Amici degli Uffizi) which is a bit more than the Firenze Card but is good for a year.

July/August 2011 - Monza, Hotel Barge in Italy, Rome App

2011-08-20T23:06:00.002-04:00

The July/August 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one today and save $15 on our regular subscription rates and receive access to this issue and more than 84 back issues! Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) will be reading the following articles:

Off the Beaten Path in Monza
If cars and racing are your thing, don't miss Monza, the home of one of Italy's most famous racing tracks -- where you can get behind the wheel. But there's even more to Monza including a royal palace and one of the largest walled parks in Italy. Plus Where to Stay in Monza, Where to Eat and More

Exploring the Po Valley on A Hotel Barge
During our her barge trip through Italy's Po Valley, our writer began to understand why barging was once the preferred way for royalty to vacation.

Best of Rome From Our New App
Among the 380 entries in our new iPhone/iPad app on Rome, a private shopping guide for Rome, the city's delightful children's museum and a Roman gelateria not to miss (especially if you like pistachios).

Puglia: One of My Favorite Italian Regions

2011-08-16T08:30:00.001-04:00

It is true. I have favorites. I don't usually broadcast them but although I cover all of Italy and truly love all of Italy, there are certain places that have captured my heart. One of these is the southern region of Puglia, on Italy's Adriatic Coast.

I was reminded just what a treasure this region is while thumbing through my friend Martha Bakerjian's Puglia Travel Guide -- a new iPhone/iPad app. This app captures so many of the places that make Puglia special including the sandy beaches, the conical white stone buildings (trulli), the ceramics tradition, the hometown of Padre Pio, numerous ancient ruins and more.

The app explores some unusual sights like the octagonal castle built by the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II, a chapel made up of bones and skulls and the region's Romanesque churches with stunning floor mosaics.

And have we even begun to talk about the food in Puglia? Martha's Puglia app will lead you to all the fresh, authentic goodness that is Puglian cuisine. She even tells you where to see the cows that produce the milk that goes into Puglia's incredible cheeses.

Like our new Rome app, Martha's Puglia app is just $2.99 to download and includes a lifetime of updates. Start planning your trip to Puglia! It is a magical and authentic slice of Italy.

Celebrate the Feast of San Lorenzo in Rome

2011-08-09T18:11:00.003-04:00

This is an excerpt from Dream of Italy's NEW Rome travel app for iPhone and iPad:

On August 10th, the martyrdom of San Lorenzo is celebrated with fireworks and celebrations throughout the area around his crypt on the Via Tiburtina in Rome, where the saint was killed in 258 AD. The patron saint of librarians, firemen, bakers, and other professions whose jobs involve fire and roasting, San Lorenzo's association with such incendiary professions is certainly a disturbing one.

His martyrdom is said to have occurred by slowly being roasted on a gridiron by the troops of the Emperor, and, as he died, is believed to have said in Latin, "Ecce, miser, assasti tibi partem unam, regire aliam et manduca" (Here, you miserable person: you have roasted one side for yourself, now turn me over and eat.)

The Feast of San Lorenzo is an event celebrated throughout Italy on August 10, in honor of the saint. The focal point of the celebrations in Rome is the fireworks and food at the Basilica of San Lorenzo Fuori Le Mura, which was built above the saint’s tomb. Other celebrations are spread out around Rome’s piazzas. The Feast of San Lorenzo is also known as "The Night of Shooting Stars" because there is a meteor shower that annually falls on or around August 10. This meteor shower follows the Swift-Tuttle comet, and is interpreted as the tears of Saint Lorenzo. -- Elaine Murphy

Umbria Culinary Tour: Check Out Photos of Umbria Harvest Week

2011-07-25T21:31:00.003-04:00

Ready for the trip of a lifetime? We're exploring authentic Umbria this fall with cooking lessons, ceramics painting in Deruta, truffle hunting, wine tasting at the vineyards of Montefalco, a visit to an olive mill for the first press, private tours of Assisi and Perugia. All (gourmet) meals with wine included. Even gratuities included. Join us for this exclusive small group tour of Umbria and check out our slide show of last year's Umbria trip.

Personalize a free slideshow design

Our Rome iPhone App Is Out (For iPad Too)

2011-07-09T19:16:00.005-04:00

Very exciting news! Dream of Italy's Rome app -- which works on the iPhone and iPad is now available -- it includes over 375 entries for just $2.99. Download this Rome travel app and receive all of Dream of Italy's Rome travel advice plus exclusive entries we wrote just for the app. We cover a bit of everything in Rome including all of those ancient sites, museums, major sites, apartment rentals, hotels, restaurants, cooking lessons, markets, shopping, transportation, tour guides and more.

Here are some highlights of the app Rome: Dream of Italy --

+ our favorite centrally-located 3- to 5-star Rome hotels
+ Rome apartment rentals that let you live like an Italian
+ Rome Bed & Breakfasts starting at 30 euros per night
+ Roman convents that rent affordable rooms
+ details on over 40 museums in Rome
+ tips on how to beat the lines at the Vatican and get tickets to see the Pope
+ recommendations for best Rome tour guides including one who is a favorite of U.S. presidents
+ favorite places in Rome to take in some of the world's best art
+ detailed descriptions of the Colosseum, Roman Forum and Imperial Forums
+ 100+ entries on ancient sites, fountains and monuments all over the Eternal City
+ nearly 50 dining recommendations including hole-in-the-wall Roman trattorias
+ historic Roman cafes where you must stop for an espresso
+ hands-on pizza-making and cooking lessons in Rome
+ food market tours and wine tasting with local experts
+ best spots for authentic Roman pizza and gelato
+ dozens of our favorite places to shop in Rome
+ day trips outside of Rome including the ruins known as “better than Pompeii”
+ tips on how to get around Rome
+ details on spending Easter or Christmas in Rome

Download the app today! (And leave a rating/review on the iTunes page!)

Join Us for a Twitter #italychat on Women's Travel in Italy

2011-06-26T13:29:00.003-04:00

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) will again be hosting #italychat on Twitter on Wednesday, June 1st at 3 p.m. ET. The topic will be women's travel in Italy and our guest will be Susan Van Allen (@100PlacesItaly)! You're invited to join us by asking questions and/or sharing your own own advice on women traveling in Italy

Susan Van Allen's love for Italy stems from her maternal grandparents, who emigrated from Southern Italy. She was born in Newark, New Jersey, and grew up on the Jersey shore amidst wonderful food and drama. When she first stepped off the train into Roma Termini in 1976, she got hooked on Italian travel. Since then she's explored the country up and down the boot--visiting relatives, immersing herself in the country's masterpieces and culture, taking language and cooking classes, and going on boating, biking, and hiking adventures. She's written about Italian travel for many media outlets including Dream of Italy and she's the author of 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go. When she's not in Italy, she is based in Los Angeles, where she lives with her husband and makes scrumptious lasagnas.

If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions, here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.
Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.
@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number-
Sample tweet from @dreamofitaly: "Q1: What is your favorite town on the Amalfi Coast? #italychat"
Our special guest @100placesitaly will tweet her answer using same number -
Sample tweet from @100placesitaly: "A1: My favorite is the town of Amalfi #italychat"
Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information.
Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: Ravello has to be the best town on the AC #italychat"
If you want to ask Susan or the crowd a question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready.
Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly Is it safe for women to travel alone in Italy? #italychat"

See transcripts from past sessions of #italychat

June 2011 Issue - Le Marche, Florence Restaurants

2011-06-26T13:14:00.003-04:00

The June 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one today and save $15 on our regular subscription rates and receive access to this issue and more than 80 back issues! Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) will be reading the following articles:

Livin’ La Tavola Marche
Our writer takes us to this rural region of Italy on the Adriatic and introduces us to an American couple who run a very special agriturismo in Le Marche where they give cooking lessons and preserve and teach the traditions of Le Marche.

Le Marche Recipes from La Tavola Marche
Three simple yet delicious recipes to transport the flavors of Le Marche into your home: fava (broad bean) crostini, pesce (fish) in crosta di sale and spaghetti con vongole (clams).

Florence Restaurants: Dining on the “Other Side” of Florence
Foodie Elizabeth Minchilli introduces use to culinary delights around Florence’s Piazza della Passera with a handful of restaurants, gelaterias and delis serving everything from trip to Ligurian specialties to the time-honored Tuscan ribollita.

Three Great Things to Do on The Island of Elba

2011-06-19T20:30:00.004-04:00

In our May special report on the coast of Tuscany, Elisabeth Antoine Crawford took us on a special journey to the island of Elba, just off the coast. She detailed 10 Great Things to Do on Elba, here are three of our favorites:

#1 Get a Mountain High

From the hill town of Marciana, take a cabinovia to the 3343-foot summit of Monte Capanne. Any fear of heights will be seriously challenged during the twenty-minute ride over steep granite cliffs. The yellow, open-air baskets are barely large enough for two people and sway precariously in the breeze. Once at the summit landing, climb the steps to the rocky peak for a panoramic view that will take your breath away. On a clear day, look for the isle of Corsica on the western horizon. Open daily April through October. Call (39) 0565 901020. A round-trip ticket costs 17 euros.

#2 Try Some Drunken Cake

Sample some of Elba's typical pastries, the most famous being schiaccia briaca, or "drunken cake." Made with raisins, pine nuts, hazelnuts, and candied fruit, then soaked in the local dessert wine Aleatico, this crumbly confection can be found in nearly every pastry shop on the island. To try a wide variety of Elban specialties, including torta corona, sbrisolana elbana, and sospiri di Napoleone, visit Pasticceria Lambardi Giorgio in Marina di Campo.

#3 Mine for Iron

The island is famous for being one of the world's richest sources of minerals--particularly iron--and several towns in eastern Elba offer activities for the gem enthusiast. In Porto Azzurro, ex-miner Emilio Giacomelli runs La Piccola Miniera, a Disneyland-style train ride through underground caverns that offer a glimpse into the authentic mining experience.

For a less staged tour, visit the Parco Minerario. Small groups hike to nearby quarries to explore and learn about local minerals. If your passion for gemstones is still not sated, there are notable rock and mineral collections in the towns Rio Marina, Rio nell'Elba, Porto Azzurro and Capoliveri.

Attend the Italian Life Expo in Portland, Maine Next Week

2011-06-04T11:23:00.006-04:00

The Italians are invading Portland, Maine next week! Don't worry, it is a friendly invasion for the first Italian Life Expo. Held at Portland’s waterfront Ocean Gateway Center, the festival will host exhibits on food, wine, and travel opportunities in Italy. Six sessions over the weekend will focus on wine tasting, travel, and culinary products. The event is sponsored in part by Dream of Italy and proceeds will benefit Maine’s Institute for International Studies and the Spannocchia Foundation, which supports conservation efforts and environmental education in Tuscany.

Among the mostly Italian exhibitors are restaurants, vintners, outdoor and sports specialists, travel and tour companies, the Italian consulate and Italian language specialists. Artisan products from Italy will be available to sample and buy, including cheese, prosciutto, olive oil, Italian regional wines, preserves, clothing and ceramics. Guests will have the opportunity to discuss travel options with Italy travel experts, including traveling in Tuscany, visiting destinations off the tourist track, and taking cooking lessons in Italy.

The Italian Life Expo will be held from June 9-11 from 11am-9:30pm at Portland’s Ocean Gateway Center. Sessions fall on Friday and Saturday, with a welcome reception on Thursday. Visitors can buy sessional tickets or day passes, which include access to the exhibit hall, a wine glass for sampling Italian wines, food, and samples of artisan products. So join the Italian invasion! -- Elaine Murphy

Join Us for a Twitter #italychat on Amalfi Coast Travel

2011-05-30T22:11:00.003-04:00

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) will again be hosting #italychat on Twitter on Wednesday, June 1st at 3 p.m. ET. The topic will be Amalfi Coast travel and our guest will be Laura Thayer (@ciaoamalfi)! You're invited to join us by asking questions and/or sharing your own own Amalfi Coast travel advice.

Laura Thayer grew up as a travel lover and nomad, living in eight different states before making the jump to expat life in southern Italy in 2008. She attended St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland, where she learned how much she loves living in a sailing town and studying languages (Ancient Greek & French). Graduate school pulled her back to the Midwest, where she completed a Masters in Art History at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. During a fateful holiday on the Amalfi Coast, she fell in love with southern Italian architecture and one very special tour guide. She now lives near another sailing town, the seaside village of Amalfi where she works as a freelance writer.

If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions, here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.
Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.
@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number-
Sample tweet from @dreamofitaly: "Q1: What is your favorite town on the Amalfi Coast? #italychat"
Our special guest @ciaoamalfi will tweet her answer using same number -
Sample tweet from @ciaoamalfi: "A1: My favorite is the town of Amalfi #italychat"
Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information.
Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: Ravello has to be the best town on the AC #italychat"
If you want to ask Laura or the crowd an Amalfi Coast question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready.
Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly What are the best gardens to visit on the Amalfi Coast? #italychat"

See transcripts from past sessions of #italychat

May 2011 Issue - Special Report: The Coast of Tuscany

2011-05-29T21:35:00.002-04:00

The May 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one today and save $15 on our regular subscription rates and receive access to this issue and more than 80 back issues! Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) will be reading the following articles:

Rediscovering Paradise in Castiglioncello
This little-known Tuscan coastal town offers the best of the coast of Tuscany including a famous festival of fish.

10 Great Things to Do on the Island of Elba
Most famous as Napoleon’s island of exile, Elba offers so much more than a slice of history. Think natural wonders, amazing seafood and cuisine, thermal springs and more.

Forte dei Marmi: Family-Friendly Beach Vacation
Want to take the kids on a beach vacation in Tuscany? Our expert has the perfect resort for the ultimate Italian beach vacation with kid-friendly hotels, sandy beaches and easy access for day trips.

Il Pellicano: The Love Resort
Dianne Hales, author of the book La Bella Lingua shares why this romantic beach resort on the coast of Tuscany has been drawing her and her husband back year after year…

Get Insider Italy Travel Advice from #italychat on Twitter

2011-05-06T13:10:00.003-04:00

These days there are so many new and innovative ways to get travel advice. Through our nine years in business, Dream of Italy has always tried to ride the wave and find new and innovative ways to present great Italy travel advice (i.e. our first iPhone/iPad app is about to launch). In January, we founded #italychat on Twitter. Every other Wednesday, we invite one special guest and anyone who has a Twitter account to tackle one Italy travel or culture topic.

The results (see our page of #italychat transcripts) have generated a wealth of insider tips on everything from participating in an archaeological dig in Italy to the best places to eat pizza in Rome. James Martin, About.com's Europe Guide, said in a recent article on alternative travel resources, "You'll find many travel writers and expats extolling the virtues of a trip to Italy and spilling their travel secrets freely (it's that punch)." Here are some highlights from recent sessions of #italychat:

How to Join An Archaeological Dig in Italy:
Daryus Arya (@saverome) shared this tip in our #italychat on archaeology: You can sign up as a volunteer- a good website is www.archaeological.org and see our Ostia dig... think of a skill you can bring as an architect, donor, engineer, etc; or just enthusiast! Time is running out; crews are filing up-- do apply soon and if you are passing by in the summer- say Hi and ask questions- excavators love to share!

Best Places to Eat in Tuscany:
James Martin (@wanderingitaly) was our special guest for this #italychat on Tuscany for foodies: I repeat: Antica Locanda di Sesto for meat outside the walls of Lucca. Man, pig fat rules. My local Spino Fiorito for three course lunch with all the organic wine you can stomach for 10 Euros is nice as well.
@ilpalazzone shared: ll Silene di Roberto Rossi in Pescina EVERY TIME! amazing primary ingredients, creative but not pretentious, great wines.

Best festivals in Umbria:
Rebecca Winke (@brigolante) was our special guest for this #italychat on Umbria: Fave festivals: medieval Mercato delle Gaite in Bevagna and Calendimaggio in Asissi.
@seeyouinitaly shared: Cheese rolling on Pasquetta, Monday after Easter in Panicale. weather permitting

The Story Behind "Extra Virgin" with Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos

2011-05-05T00:08:00.006-04:00

I couldn't help but be hooked from the first episode, when I started watching Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel. I was already familiar with actress Debi Mazar and had been following her Italian husband Gabriele Corcos on his website Under The Tuscan Gun and his presence on Twitter. I'm not sure what I was expecting but the chemistry between the couple and their love of each other, their daughters and the food they loving prepare, just jumps off the screen. I had the most lovely conversation with Gabriele a few weeks back and turned it into this article which appeared in the April 2011 issue of Dream of Italy. While print newsletter articles are usually only available to paid subscribers, I've made it accessible to all:

When you're Italian man, you move to the United States for love but you can't legally work here yet, what do you do? Cook. At least that's what Gabriele Corcos did and in the end it led to a television show that you may have seen over the past few months — Extra Virgin on the Cooking Channel. Corcos met American actress Debi Mazar in Florence in 2001 at a dinner party for a mutual friend. It was love at first sight and soon the jazz musician, who hails from the town of Fiesole which overlooks Florence, moved to Los Angeles to be with the star. But as soon as he arrived, Mazar was off to Canada for several months to shoot a Jackie Chan movie

Read the rest of the article

Join Us For a Twitter #italychat on Italian Cuisine and Cooking

2011-05-04T20:00:00.001-04:00

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) will again be hosting #italychat on Twitter on Wednesday, May 5tth at 3 p.m. ET. The topic will be Italian cuisine and cooking and our special guest will be Judy Witts Francini (@divinacucina)! You're invited to join us by asking questions and/or sharing your own Italian culinary expertise.

Our dear friend Judy Witts Francini fell in love when she moved to Tuscany in 1984, first with Florence and then with her husband, Andrea. Already trained as a pastry chef, Judy began to study Tuscan cooking right at the source learning from locals at the markets how to choose and combine the best and freshest ingredients. In 1988, she started Divina Cucina, a cooking school across the street from Florence's famous food market, Mercato Centrale. Judy's passion for her topic and wealth of knowledge about authentic Tuscan cooking earned Divina Cucina media attention around the world. Her classes are always filled. She recently opened a new culinary teaching space in the Tuscan countryside and she is the author of the cookbook Secrets From My Tuscan Kitchen.

If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions, here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.
Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.
@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number-
Sample tweet from @dreamofitaly: "Q1: What is your favorite Italian dessert? #italychat"
Our special guest @divinacucina will tweet her answer using same number -
Sample tweet from @divinacucina: "A1: I love biscotti with vin santo #italychat"
Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information.
Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: Every time I go to Italy, I cannot resist semifreddo #italychat"
If you want to ask Judy or the crowd an Umbria question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready.
Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly What is the most unusual way to prepare pasta? #italychat"

Umbria Festival: Castel di Fiori's Archeoflora in June

2011-04-29T01:33:00.008-04:00

The Amici di Castel di Fiori will be holding its third edition of ARCHEOFLORA on June 5, 2011, in the historic village of Castel di Fiori near Montegabbione, in the Umbrian hills between Orvieto and Chiusi. This event is an annual gathering for lovers of nature and art and has become a major spring event in Umbria dedicated to flowers, plants and garden furnishings.

The exhibitors are distributed around the charming village. Throughout the day, from 9:00 a.m. until sunset, drinks, homemade cakes, pizza and pasta will be served as well as local wines. A variety of other activities will be offered, including a visit to the nearby 7th-century necropolis; a flower arrangement demonstration by the Perugia Garden Club; a visit to the nearby Scarzuola Convent and grounds, listed as one of Italy's national gardens; and the presentation of a new book by a local author.

With the goal of raising money to build a community center complete with an industrial and a community hall, the Amici has produced Mozart's Cosi Fan Tutte, Rossini's Cenerentola and Eduardo de Filippo's Questi Fantasmi. Record crowds from around the world have been in attendance. Given the resounding success of these and other events organized by the Amici over the years, such as numerous candlelight dinners in the square, the forthcoming ARCHEOFLORA III event is expected to live up to Castel di Fiori's reputation as a cultural venue in Umbria. And what better way to spend a day out in a rural setting, off-the-beaten track but nonetheless fascina ting, surrounded by spring flowers?

To find out more about Castel di Fiori, ARCHEOFLORA III and how you might be able to contribute, contact Kip Keenan at 0763 837 063 or at 333 22 145 47 or find Castel di Fiori on Facebook.

Celebrating Easter in Rome

2011-04-19T17:52:00.006-04:00

Holy Week (Settimana Santa) in anticipation of Easter (Pasqua) this Sunday is underway in Rome. It will be a rather intense week leading up to Easter and events will be filled with many tourists and devout locals. If you are not put-off by a little overcrowding, Rome will definitely be a rewarding experience.

On Holy Thursday (Giovedi Santo) the Pope will lead two masses. At the first, called the Chrism Mass held in St. Peter's Basilica a 9:30 a.m., the traditional oils used throughout the year are blessed. The second mass, held at St. John Lateran, is later in the evening and is conducted in remembrance of the Last Supper. The Pope washes the feet of 12 of his priests to symbolize the theme of his office “not to be served, but to serve.” While all events taking place during Holy Week at the Vatican require tickets, you can enjoy the atmosphere as there will be hundreds of thousands of people from all over the world gathered in one location for one unified cause.

Holy Friday will be a sight for those who have never witnessed a Good Friday Roman-style. All statues and crosses within Roman churches are covered in purple or black cloth up through Easter Sunday. Via Crucis (the Way of the Cross) is procession led by the Pope from the Colosseum to the Palatine Hill where pilgrims carry the cross to each of 14 stations symbolizing the passion and death of Christ.

Because on Easter Sunday, many of the city's residents and visitors will be in church, you can take advantage and explore open, public sites such as Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps. The Pope will be leads 10:15 a.m. mass in St. Peter's Square. At noon, he delivers the ‘Urbi et Orbi’ message – ‘to the city and the world – from his balcony in which the Pope grants forgiveness to all Catholics. When all the blessings are dealt and the services are complete, people will be flocking to their favorite restaurants for a special feast with their families and loved ones.

The traditional Pasqua feast is the grand end to the end of Lent, including the absence of meat, and an ode to new life. The tables are decorated with fresh green flowers and ingredients. The dishes are complete with artichokes, asparagus, sun-dried tomatoes and of course a selection of stewed meats but traditionally it is lamb (most Italian dishes are traditionally based around meat so this long, meatless period is usually a struggle for them).

La Pasquetta (Little Easter) the Monday after Easter is a national holiday that is usually celebrated in the countryside or at the beach. In Siena, adults celebrate the day off of work with picnics in Piazza del Campo. In Panicale (Umbria) rolling the cheese (Ruzzolone) is an ancient tradition that is still practiced on this day. A nine-pound round of Pecorino cheese is hurled from atop one of Umbria's steep hills. “Spotters” are stationed at different points down the path and mark where the cheese falls.

In Fontanelice (Emilia-Romagna) the Festa della Pie Fritta celebrates two of the three most popular foods of the Holy Week, bread and eggs. The piadina is light bread that usually decorates the center of the table and is eaten more as a sweet treat than a dinner accoutrement. This is the 50th year of this festival.-- Kendra Howard

Join #italychat to Talk About Archaeology in Italy

2011-04-18T21:18:00.007-04:00

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) will be hosting another #italychat on Twitter, this Wednesday, April 20th at 3 p.m. ET. The topic will be archaeological ruins in Italy (especially which ones to visit and new discoveries travelers should know about) and our special guest will be Darius Arya, a.k.a @saverome on Twitter.

Based in Rome, Darius Arya is an archaeologist, professor, documentary host and executive director of the American Institute for Roman Culture. He has appeared in documentaries for the Discovery, History and National Geographic channels, and has been cited in articles in The New York Times and The Guardian (among others). Most recently, he appeared as an expert on National Geographic’s When Rome Ruled. A graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, Darius received his MA and PhD from the University of Texas, Austin. He is a Fulbright Scholar and American Academy of Rome Fellow.

We're so happy to have him with us for this edition of #italychat on Twitter! If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions, here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.

Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.

@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number- Sample tweet for @saverome: "Q1: What is one of your favorite little-known ruins in Rome? #italychat"

Our special guest @saverome will tweet her answer using same number - Sample tweet from @saverome: "A1: My favorite Roman ruin is xyz #italychat"

Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information. Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: Actually, I went to abc and that's my favorite archeological site in Rome #italychat"

If you want to ask Darius or the crowd an Italy question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready. Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly What is the best way to see Pompeii? #italychat"

Palladio in America: The Architect on Tour

2011-04-08T14:56:00.002-04:00

In our March 2011 issue, Julie Maris/Semel wrote about the city of Vicenza and why it is a must-visit if you are interested in architecture and the legacy of the great 16th-century architect Andrea Palladio. UNESCO has even named Palladio's buildings in Vicenza and villas in the surrounding countryside as a World Heritage Site.

If you can't make it to Vicenza right away, you can learn about Palladio right here at home. After all, on December 6, 2010, the Congress of the United States of America adopted a resolution - by unanimous vote - recognizing Andrea Palladio as the "father of American architecture."

In New York City, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Public Library on Fifth Avenue, City Hall as well as United States Capitol in Washington, D.C. are studies in Palladio's bilateral symmetry. The Rotunda at Thomas Jefferson's University of Virginia is encircled by pairs of columns with capitals that feature the composite order of Palladio. Pattern books that American architects and builders used in the 17th and 18th centuries were highly influenced by Palladio.

The exhibition "Palladio and His Legacy: A Transatlantic Journey" organized by the Royal Institute of British Architects commemorates the 500th anniversary of Palladio's birth and his influence from Italy to America. Already viewed in New York and Washington, D.C., the exhibition moves on to the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana from June 5 to July 31, 2011 and at the Carnegie Museum of Art in Pittsburgh from September 24 to December 31, 2011.

Photo of Palladio's statue in Vicenza by Julie Maris/Semel

March 2011 Issue - Vicenza, Rome, Montepulciano

2011-03-31T14:51:00.002-04:00

The March 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is hot off the presses. Our paid subscribers (who can log-in here) will be reading about Palladio's Vicenza, three Rome hotels and Montepulciano's wine cathedral. If you're NOT a subscriber, become one today and save $15 on our regular subscription rates!

Visiting Palladio's Vicenza
When it comes to the development of Palladio as an architect, there is no better place to explore his modern interpretation of classical design than the city of Vicenza, 40 miles from Venice, and the surrounding province of the same name.

Palladio's Vicenza: What to See, Where to Eat and Stay, A Great Tour Guide
A cheat sheet to the important Palladio buildings to see in Vicenza, a great guide to take you around and where to eat and stay in this charming northern Italian city.

Three Rome Hotels
This month we're back with more Rome hotel reviews including a hideaway on the Spanish Steps, an affordable 4-star with a fascinating history and a blow-the-budget option on the Via Veneto.

Montepulciano's Wine Cathedral
Talk about creating great expectations. If your guide starts a tour by saying, "You are about to visit the most beautiful wine cellar in the world," well, she'd better deliver.

Study Italian at Sorrento Lingue

2011-03-31T00:36:00.004-04:00

So you love Italy, you can't wait to visit, but you don't speak a word of Italian! Fancy turning that around? Sorrento Lingue offers Italian language courses for foreigners, cooking courses and even study abroad programs for college and university students! AND if you want a head start you can even do italian online classes in the comfort of your house or office...

(This is an ad.)

Join #italychat To Plan Your First Trip to Italy

2011-03-28T23:13:00.017-04:00

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) will be hosting another #italychat on Twitter, this Wednesday, April 6th at 3 p.m. ET. The topic will be planning your first trip to Italy and our special guest will be Jessica Spiegel, a.k.a @italylogue on Twitter.

Jessica, the editor of Why Go Italy for the Bootsnall network, is an absolute treasure trove of practical tips on planning a first trip to Italy. She can tell you how many days to spend where, how to get there (I'm always impressed with her detailed articles on Italy's transportation options) and what to do in Italy's most popular destinations. We're so happy to have her with us for this edition of #italychat on Twitter! If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions, here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.

Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.

@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number- Sample tweet from @italylogue: "Q1: What is the minimum number of days you recommend to visit Venice? #italychat"

Our special guest @italylogue will tweet her answer using same number - Sample tweet from @italylogue: "A1: You want to plan on at least two days in Venice #italychat"

Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information. Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: I only went to Venice for one day and regretted not staying #italychat"

If you want to ask Jessica or the crowd an Italy question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready. Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly Do I need to rent a car to visit Tuscany? #italychat"

Related Articles:

Tips for the First-Time Visitor to Milan

F.A.Q.: Should I Rent a Car in Italy?

F.A.Q.: What Is the Best Way to Get Euros and Pay for Things in Italy?

Rome: New "Made in Italy" Museum and Aquarium

2011-03-10T15:52:00.004-05:00

In an effort to boast Rome's prestige and popularity, by enticing new travelers and return visitors, a string of new, modern string of attractions will be opening in the EUR neighborhood of Rome. Esposizione Universale Romana, better known as EUR, is an area in southern Rome known mostly for business and art. Mussolini originally ordered the area built as the location for the 1942 World's Fair, but that idea was abandoned at the onset of the war. A "Made in Italy" Museum as well as an Aquarium are now planned for the neighborhood.

Tourism official Mauro Cutrufo feels the "Made in Italy" Museum is the "something different" visitors are looking for; not another ancient ruin or church but something new, attractive and engaging. The Palazzo Civiltà del Lavoro, one of the most iconic buildings in the EUR since the 1940s, is undergoing renovations and when finished will be the museum's home. All products baring the prestigious label, “Made in Italy” that is synonymous with high fashion, design and production, will be on display.

Also adding to the allure of EUR, in 2012, Mare Nostrum Aquarium is set to open beneath the area's artificial lake. -- Kendra Howard

New Holocaust Museum To Be Built in Rome

2011-03-10T15:35:00.003-05:00

There is at least one Holocaust museum or center in 15 countries around the world and soon Italy will be added to the list. The Roman Jewish Diaspora is the second oldest in the world so the museum will serve as an educational vehicle for the Italian people and the world. Under the direction of Marcello Pezzetti and with support from the Roman Stati Generali, the new Holocaust museum will cover both the history of Jews in Italy and in the world.

The location of the museum is set to be at the center of the large and gracious Villa Torlonia, on the outskirts of Rome. This villa, complete with a vast garden, was first seized by Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini in 1929 from the Torlonia family and then later abandoned. While under Mussolini's ownership a pair of catacombs, that were once intact, had been discovered.

The burial ground for Jews tells an in-depth history of how Jews lived and died; the colorful frescoes that cover the interior are of the iconographic symbols of Jewish people, the menora and the circumcision knife to name a few. Unfortunately, because of falling rocks and unsafe conditions, the catacombs have since been closed to the public. When the Holocaust museum is unveiled within the next 10 years, the catacombs too will be opened to the public.

The Italian government, with the help of RAI-TV, is sponsoring a television segment that will be played repeatedly through June encouraging Italians to come forward with any relevant records or material for exhibition in the museum. The museum will highlight the positive and negative roles Italy played in the Holocaust and their involvement with the Jewish people; how some Italians helped by providing Jews with fake documents while others assisted the Nazis in their post-war escape to South America. The cost to build three sections of the museum and assemble the library, archives and vast video collection, will cost approximately $30 million. -- Kendra Howard

Related:
Article - Touring Rome's Jewish Ghetto
Informative Book - The Italians and the Holocaust: Persecution, Rescue, and Survival

What You Need to Know About Pope John Paul's May 1st Beatification

2011-03-02T21:55:00.003-05:00

If you're thinking of heading to Rome for the May 1st beatification of Pope John Paul II, you will be in good company as part of an expected crowd of two million pilgrims. People from all over the globe are flocking to the Eternal City to witness this historic and much-anticipated event. With Rome spreading its resources thin in order to accommodate the influx of visitors, there is some important information you should know if you too are planning to experience this historic event firsthand.

Kendra Howard answers all of your beatification travel questions -- from where to find hard-to-get lodging, who is runnning special beatification tours, whether or not you need tickets or the beatifiation mass and how to find out more about related events in Rome that week.

Photo by scot2342, flickr.com

Fun Facts About San Marino - A Country Within Italy

2011-03-02T21:49:00.003-05:00

In our February 2011 print newsletter, Sharon Sanders takes us on an intriguing visit to San Marino - the small republic tucked in between the Italian regions of Emilia-Romagna and Le Marche. Her extensive articles on what to do, where to stay and where to eat in this storybook destination are available to paid subscribers and are an essential resource for adding a visit on to your travels through central Italy. Here are a few fun, fascinating facts to whet your appetite for this tiny jewel:

San Marino is about 24 square miles. It is the third smallest country in Europe, after Vatican City and Monaco.
San Marino is the oldest surviving sovereign state and constitutional republic in the world. The official date of its founding is September 3, 301. Yes, that's the year 301.
The constitution of San Marino, enacted in 1600, is the world's oldest constitution still in effect.
In terms of per capita GDP, San Marino is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. It also enjoys a budget surplus and no national debt.
30,000 people live in San Marino - about 1,000 of them are foreigners, mostly Italians.
Italian is San Marino's official language and the euro is the official currency.
With no border formalities, passage from Italy to San Marino is seamless. Foreign visitors may enter without showing a passport. If you'd like your passport stamped as a souvenir, there's a 5-euro charge.

Photo by Paolo C., flickr.com

March 17th Voted New Holiday in Italy

2011-02-24T01:31:00.003-05:00

In celebration of its 150^th birthday, Italy is showing its pride as the government declares March 17 a national holiday. It marks 150 years to the day since Victor Emmanuel II proclaimed the formation of the Kingdom in Italy. Turin, the unified country's first capital, will host numerous events from March to November titled “Esperienza Italia." Other Italian cities are also joining in on the celebration in their own way in the form of festivals, exhibitions and concerts.

For now while Italy’s official birthday has a place on the national calendar, it didn’t arrive there without some controversy and it’s not certain how long it will remain. Thursday, March 17^th will bring about the closings of banks, schools, offices and most shops while some museums and galleries may remain open, but not all Italians are so excited to share in the celebration.

Though this is to be a celebratory day signifying unity, some Italians are against the holiday. In times of economic hardship, some feel the day off, which will cost the country money, is unnecessary and irresponsible. Luis Durnwalder, the president of the 90% German-speaking Tirol, is voicing his opposing views claiming his region was forced into a union with Italy and therefore has no desire to participate. Others have raised the notion that the holiday is a reminder of the the economic disparity between the northern (traditionally the more prosperous) and southern (facing more struggles) halves of Italy. -- Kendra Howard

Join Us for a Twitter #italychat on Umbria

2011-02-16T00:52:00.005-05:00

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) will be hosting the third #italychat on Twitter on Wednesday, February 16th at 3 p.m. ET. The topic will be Umbria and our special guest will be @brigolante! You're invited to join us by asking questions and/or sharing your own Umbria expertise.

@brigolante is really Rebecca Winke, an American expat, who runs the Brigolante Guest Apartments near Assisi and blogs frequently about the best things to do in Umbria. Rebecca was lovely enough to join our Umbria Harvest Week guests for dinner in November 2010 and we hope to see her again this November! (If you're interested in learning more about the region, Dream of Italy's current sample issue is a special report on Umbria.)

If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions (we know many of you are experienced Italy travelers!), here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.
Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.
@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number-
Sample tweet from @dreamofitaly: "Q1: What if your favorite town in Umbria? #italychat"
Our special guest @brigolante will tweet her answer using same number -
Sample tweet from @brigolante: "A1: I love Assisi #italychat"
Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information.
Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: I love the little town of Cannara #italychat"
If you want to ask Rebecca or the crowd an Umbria question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready.
Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly What are your favorite vineyards in Umbria?"

Photo of Perugia by Arthur Isack during Dream of Italy's Umbria Harvest Week

Special Offer From Ciao Laura Culinary Vacations

2011-02-09T14:46:00.002-05:00

Ciao Laura Culinary Vacations offers cooking vacations, hands-on cooking lessons, wine and foodie excursions in Italy.

Spring Special: 10% OFF our FARM-to-FORK Cooking Lessons in Chianti or $100 OFF Gourmet Cooking in Bella Tuscany weekly cooking vacations programs booked in April 2011. Offer not valid on previously booked programs.

(This is an ad.)

Words, Wine and Wandering: It’s Word/Play Week in Verona Italy!

2011-02-03T14:01:00.003-05:00

Join author Linda Dini Jenkins, a Dream of Italy contributor, for a once-in-a-lifetime writing and touring week. With Verona as our base, we’ll visit Vicenza and Padua, tour wineries and share in a cooking class. And together, we’ll capture what we see, taste, smell and experience in three workshops at a real palazzo! May 23-30, 2011. See www.travelthewriteway.com for full details. Reservations due by March 15.

Join Us for #italychat on Italian Wine

2011-02-01T19:55:00.004-05:00

Two weeks ago, Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) hosted the first #italychat on Twitter. We had a grand time talking about Rome travel. The second #italychat will be held Wednesday, February 2nd at 3 p.m. ET. We're talking about Italian wine and visiting vineyards with special guest @vinoroma! You're invited to join us by asking questions and/or sharing your own Italian wine expertise.

Now, @vinoroma is really Hande Leimer, a sommelier based in Rome who offers wine tasting courses for tourists and Italian natives alike through her company Vino Roma. You can see a sample of her wine tasting advice in this Why Prosecco is Not Italian Champagne video and this How to Taste Italian wine video.

If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions (we know many of you are experienced Italy travelers!), here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.
Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.
@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number-
Sample tweet from @dreamofitaly: "Q1: What if your favorite white wine? #italychat"
Our special guest @vinoroma will tweet her answer using same number -
Sample tweet from @vinoroma: "A1: I love Pinot Grigio #italychat"
Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information.
Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: Via Condotti is my favorite for the designer shops #italychat"
If you want to ask Hande or the crowd a wine question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready.
Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly What are your favorite vineyards in Puglia?"

We plan to host #italychat every other Wednesday at 3pm ET. The next #italychat will be Wed, February 16th with special guest @brigolante. The topic will be travel to Umbria!

Italy Bicycle Tour Retraces Garibaldi's Route

2011-01-31T01:02:00.001-05:00

You may have heard that 2011 mark's Italy's 150th birthday. Celebrations are planned throughout the country to mark a century-and-a-half since the initiation of the country's reunification. Tour companies are also planning special itineraries related to the milestone, including Experience Plus! Bicycle Tours.

This Colorado-based bike tour company is offering a 1,400-mile, 28-day Italy 150 Expedition that pedals from Sicily to Rome, north along the Tyrrhenian coast to Tuscany and across the Apennine Mountains to conclude in Turin in the north where in 1861 the unification process was spearheaded. The route through nine Italian regions retraces the steps of Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italy's great unifier.

The expedition takes place May 7 to June 4, 2011. The per person, double occupancy rate is $8,850 and includes use of a 24 - 27 speed high-tech bicycle; 28 nights in comfortable 3- and 4- star hotels and country estates; 28 breakfasts, 17 dinners, some lunches; van support; bilingual tour leaders; and cultural activities. Cyclists will average 60 miles a day, with three rest days factored in. What an amazing way to celebrate and explore Italy!

Seeking Editorial and Photo Interns for Spring

2011-01-30T23:52:00.002-05:00

Our award-winning subscription travel newsletter Dream of Italy is looking for at least one editorial intern and one photo editing intern for the spring semester. Interns should be current college/grad students or recent college graduates who are passionate about Italy and equally passionate about journalism and online media. Preference will be given to those intern candidates who can speak or understand at least some Italian or who have studied in Italy or traveled there.

Interns can work virtually and set up their own schedules with a minimum commitment of 10 hours per week, for at least 12 weeks. Interns will be paid a small stipend (or we can work with your college for you to get credit). Former interns have gone on to great careers in journalism and public relations and the editor/publisher is very happy to mentor interns in all facets of travel writing, journalism and the publishing industry. Interns will gain an insider’s view of how a travel Web site works.

Overview of Dream of Italy Editorial Intern Tasks:

• Research article ideas, fact- check completed articles.
• Write short articles for print newsletter and e-mail newsletter.
• Locate sources for Italian travel news and write short blog posts.
• Update previously published stories with new information.
• Research events in Italy for our online calendar.
Skills needed for editorial internship: Obviously excellent writing and research skills are essential. Strong Web skills – such as basic knowledge of HTML (and use of Dreamweaver and equivalent) and a basic understanding of search engine optimization – are desirable. Also looking for interns who are not shy about reporting and reaching out to sources. Must be a self-starter who works with minimum supervision.

Overview of Dream of Italy Photo Editing Intern Tasks:

• Source and edit photos to add to 850-plus Web pages.
• Source high-resolution photos for print newsletter and iPhone apps.
• Organize Dream of Italy photos on Flickr and start new groups.
• Assist with running photo contest for readers.
Skills needed for photo editing internship: Strong eye for photography. Strong knowledge of Photoshop and Flickr. Understanding of different requirement for Web photos vs. print photos. Strong understanding of rights and Creative Commons. Must be a self-starter who works with minimum supervision.

To apply, please send a cover letter and resume ASAP to Editor and Publisher Kathy McCabe at kathy@dreamofitaly.com For either internship, please detail exactly how your experience matches our needed intern tasks. For the editorial internship, please include links to several writing samples on travel or more specifically Italy. For the photo internship, please include links to your photos or photos you have edited.

What to Know About Spending Money in Italy

2011-01-29T08:43:00.001-05:00

So what's the best way to get cash in Italy and spend your money without getting ripped off on transaction fees? This F.A.Q. covers what you need to know about using ATMs in Italy, the fees you will pay for credit cards and why cash is king -- and how that can work to your advantage!

Traveler's checks are passe but the companies who produce them have come up with a cool new card option that gives you similar protections and even some advantages. Read about it.

Umbria Villa Rental: Il Casale di Mele

2011-01-28T20:30:00.002-05:00

Secluded yet easily accessible, Il Casale di Mele is the perfect setting, providing the tranquility of the countryside but within easy reach of E45 which leasds to many famous hilltowns as well as parts of Tuscany.

Il Casale di Mele is a traditional Umbrian stone farmhouse built with all the modern conveniences that sleeps 6 + 1. Read more about the accommodations.

(This is an ad.)

Whether or Not to Rent a Car in Italy

2011-01-28T20:24:00.003-05:00

Everyone seems to have an opinion about driving in Italy. Some people love the chaos. Others who have rented a car to drive through the country swear they will never do it again. If you're traveling through the countryside, renting a car is often the best option for some people.

There are four factors to consider when deciding whether to rent a car or drive in Italy for the first time OR if this is the best transportation option for the type of trip you're planning. Check out the F.A.Q. for a reminder of the ONE document you should have with you when driving and a special Dream of Italy DISCOUNT CODE for renting with Auto Europe!

How to Participate in the First #Italychat on Twitter

2011-01-19T14:20:00.003-05:00

UPDATE: The first #italychat transcript includes great Rome travel advice.

Dream of Italy (@dreamofitaly) is hosting the first #italychat on Twitter today, Wednesday, January 19th at 3p.m. ET.

Today's special guest is Erica Firpo (@NG_guide) and the topic for the hour-long chat is Rome - anything and everything about traveling to Rome and living there as an expat. Erica's personal blog is Moscerina and she is the Rome blogger for Nile Guide. Erica is both Italian and American. Her mother is from Rome. Erica and her husband Darius Arya, archaeologist and classics professor, and their children have been living full-time in Rome since 2003. Erica has also worked at the Guggenheim in Venice.

If you would like to participate by reading the chat and hopefully asking and answering questions (we know many of you are experienced Italy travelers!), here are some tips:

Be sure to use the hashtag #italychat within your Tweet so everyone can see your question, answer, contribution, etc.
Whether or not you have a free Twitter account, you can follow #italychat LIVE here OR here or you can come back to these links later to read the chat in full.
@dreamofitaly will tweet out all questions using "Q" and a number-
Sample tweet from @dreamofitaly: "Q1: What if you favorite street in Rome? #italychat"
Our special guest @ng_rome will tweet her answer using same number -
Sample tweet from @ng_rome: "A1: I love Via Corso for the great shopping #italychat"
Anyone else on Twitter including YOU can answer the question too using A+number as this is all about sharing great experiences and Italy travel information.
Sample tweet from YOU: "A1: Via Condotti is my favorite for the designer shops #italychat"
If you want to ask Erica or the crowd a Rome question, start your tweet with @dreamofitaly followed by the question and I will put it in the queue and give it a number (example - "Q6") and tweet it out when ready.
Sample tweet from YOU: "@dreamofitaly What is the best kid-friendly museum in Rome?"
Erica Firpo has a few questions she would love ask YOU the crowd about your Rome experiences after the half-hour mark and I will put those in the queue and we would love your participation.
One #italychat participant will be randomly selected to win an online subscription to Dream of Italy ($79 value). You will be entered by using the hashtag between 3pm and 4pm ET today on Twitter.

We plan to host #italychat every other Wednesday at 3pm ET. The next #italychat will be Wed, February 2nd with special guest @vinoroma. The topic will be Italian wines and wine tourism in Italy!

Free Italy Travel Consultation with Subscription

2011-01-18T19:42:00.004-05:00

I did a lot of thinking and planning for 2011 over the holidays. The questions I asked myself were: How could I bring more value to a Dream of Italy subscription? How could I serve our readers and subscribers better? Well, here is one way

All paid Dream of Italy newsletter subscribers will be entitled to a 15-minute personal travel consultation with me during the month of February -- a $50 value.

Yes, I realize it appears I have lost my mind.
Yes, I know I will be doing consultations and only consultations for the month of February!(I've done the math).
Yes, the author of the book The 4-Hour Work Week would certainly have me committed.
No, I will probably never offer this again.

Here's my chance to use my FIFTEEN YEARS of intense Italy travel experience to be of personal service to our paid newsletter subscribers and encourage those who are interested in subscribing to finally take the leap by giving my most valuable assets (time and knowledge) to you!

On Feb. 1, ALL paid subscribers will be e-mailed instructions on how to do a 15-minute consultation with me via e-mail or on the phone. ASK ME ANYTHING about your trip (need the name of a hotel or restaurant? need to know how many days to spend where? need the name of a guide I haven't written about?) and I will answer as much as I can within the time constraints.

But you MUST be a paid subscriber during the month of February to have a consultation, so subscribe or renew now (we're even still offering our BONUS Tuscany/Umbria book and of course you will get online access to 80 back issues as well as 10 issues over the coming year).

If you're traveling to Italy in 2011, you MUST take advantage of this ONE-TIME opportunity!

Rome Travel Alert: May 1 Will Be Pope John Paul's Beatification.

2011-01-14T15:09:00.003-05:00

If you're planning to travel to Rom e this spring OR if you're interested in being in Rome for a very special event, there is some news you should be aware of -

According to the Associated Press, "The pope on Friday signed off on the miracle needed to beatify Pope John Paul II and set May 1 as the date to honor one of the most beloved popes of all times as a model of saintliness for the church. Pope Benedict XVI said in a decree that a French nun's recovery from Parkinson's disease was miraculous, the last step needed for beatification. A second miracle is needed for the Polish-born John Paul to be made a saint. The May 1 ceremony, which Benedict himself will celebrate, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims to Rome"

So if you're planning to be in Rome on May 1 and haven't booked your accommodations, do so ASAP or if you're interested in honoring Pope John Paul II with a pilgrimage to the Vatican, start planning now. We will have more tips and information as the date draws closer.

An Italian Wine Education: Prosecco is NOT Italian Champagne

2011-01-12T01:13:00.004-05:00

In the December 2010/January 2011 issue of Dream of Italy, I reviewed Vino Roma's wine tasting classes in Rome. I had a terrific afternoon with sommelier Hande Leimer and she taught me much I didn't know about Italian wine, including why I was WRONG (and lots of other folks have been too) to think that Prosecco is the equivalent of Italian champagne. Here she explains:

Italy Celebrates 150th Birthday in 2011

2011-01-10T08:24:00.001-05:00

With all the antiquities and ruins to see throughout Italy, it is easy to forget that the actual country of Italy is quite young. For centuries, the Italian peninsula was comprised of independent city-states, the Papal States and other areas controlled by various European kingdoms. The Italy we know today only dates back to 1861 when the modern Italian state was founded following battles by unifier Giuseppe Garibaldi. The movement to unify Italy was called Risorgimento. In 1861, much of northern and southern Italy (with big exceptions including Rome and the Papal States) was united into the newly formed Kingdom of Italy, headed by King Victor Emmanuel and Turin was named the first capital. Despite the fact that Rome didn't join unified Italy until nine years later, Italy is celebrating its 150th birthday in 2011 with events all over the country...

Read more about Italy's 150th birthday celebrations

(Map from WW Norton)

Dec. 2010/Jan. 2011 Issue - Lake Como, Cooking in Emilia-Romagna, Italy's 150th Birthday

2011-01-07T22:28:00.002-05:00

The December 2010/January 2011 issue of Dream of Italy is out! Paid subscribers can login to see the PDF version (or read the articles on Web pages). Become a subscriber today (you'll get immediate access to this issue and nine more over the coming year, online access to over 75 back issues, some incredible Italy travel discounts and our BONUS, the 640-page book Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler! Here's what is in the issue:

Adrenalin Rush on Lake Como
Biking to a chapel devoted to cyclists, skipping stones on the lake, boating to a delicious restaurant and hiking in the hills above Bellagio.

Casa Artusi: A Living Museum of Italian Home Cooking
A visit to the Emilia-Romagna home of one of Italy's most famous cookbook authors, Pellegrino Artusi.

Vino Roma: Wine Tasting in Rome
Learn about Italian wines before exploring the rest of the country at these fun and informative wine seminars in Rome.

Venice: An Apartment with A View
The Venice you always imagined is right outside the windows this fairly affordable Venice apartment rental.

Italy Celebrates 150 Years in 2011
A guide to events celebrating the beginning of the unification of Italy in 1861.

Huge Sale on Italy Travel DVDs and Books!

2011-01-06T14:44:00.006-05:00

Headed to Italy in 2011? Looking for inspiration? Well, we have some deals for you - but you have to act fast as there are only limited quantities. We're clearing out our holiday stock and are reducing some of our most popular Italy travel DVDS and books by 20 to 45%. If you were every going to buy any of these titles, now is the time...and time to start planning your 2011 trip to Italy! Quantities are very, very limited so order now:

ON SALE: Italy Travel DVDs
A Year in Italy 2-DVD Set - $27.95
Rudy Maxa's Europe: Italy DVD/Blu-ray Set - $22.39
Inside the Tuscan Hills 2-DVD Set - $19.95 (lowest price ever!)

ON SALE: Italy Travel Books
Ciao Bambino Children's Book - $10
100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go + 2 Bonuses - $15.15
Retirement Without Borders + Bonus - $16
Dreaming of Florence + Bonus - $25
In The Footsteps of Popes (rare, signed first edition) - $58

Introducing La Dolce Via Travel

2010-12-22T21:44:00.004-05:00

Our passion and expertise: Italy; our goal: our clients come to love Italy as we do!
We listen and carefully create the trip that gives you Italy on your terms by crafting special experiences, like a moonlit picnic on the Appian Way, a private lesson in making limoncello on Capri, or almost anything else you'd like.

We make Italy yours.

630.887.8983

rosanne@ladolceviatravel.com

www.ladolceviatravel.com

(This is an ad.)

Dream of Italy Around the Web: Christmas in Rome, Last-Minute Holidays in Italy, Parma Museums

2010-12-15T19:50:00.003-05:00

Every so often we share our expertise on other Web sites. Take a look at our Italy travel articles floating around cyberspace this week:

Four Places to Celebrate Christmas in Rome on The Huffington Post

Last-Minute Christmas and New Year's Italy Deals on PeterGreenberg.com

Parma Museums Dedicated to Food and Perfume on Jetsetter.com's Blog

Special Savings from Ciao Laura Culinary Vacations

2010-12-11T18:08:00.002-05:00

Ciao Laura Culinary Vacations offers weekly cooking vacations, hands-on cooking lessons, wine tours, and foodie excursions in Italy. Guided walking tours to historical sites available in Venice, Florence, Rome & Bologna.

Special Dream of Italy Reader Discount on our Best Selling Tuscany Culinary Programs - 10% off FARM-TO-FORK™ Cooking Lessons in Chianti or $100 off Gourmet Cooking in Bella Tuscany all-inclusive weekly cooking vacation if booked by December 31, 2010. New bookings only. Offer not valid on previously booked programs.

Visit our Web site at www.ciaolaura.com

(This is an ad.)

New Year's Eve in Tuscany at A 1930s Party

2010-12-09T17:12:00.002-05:00

This New Year's Eve, step back in time in the heart of Tuscany as the luxurious Terme di Saturnia Spa & Golf Resort hosts a 1930s soiree, complete with gangster pinstripe suits, bow ties, Borsalino-hat clad waiters and chefs. The Jazz quartet, Sweet & Hot Band, will play the night away, and guests will ring in 2011 with a traditional fireworks display accompanied by the renowned voice of the musician, Karima. Rates start at 456€ per room, per night (double occupancy) and are based on a 7-night minimum stay.

Dream of Italy reviewed this luxurious spa in our very first issue eight years ago. It remains one of our favorite resort destinations in all of Italy. Located in the heart of the Tuscany's Maremma area, in the medieval village of Saturnia, the four-star hotel consists of 140 rooms, two restaurants under the supervision of a three-star Michelin chef, two bars, fitness center, Cruciani shop featuring luxurious cashmere, art Gallery, the hair salon Aldo Coppola by Terme di Saturnia, a meeting room for up to 250 people, the Spa Boutique at Terme di Saturnia, a state-of-the-art spa with 53 treatment rooms and the 3,000-year-old thermal pool nestled in the center of the resort. The resort also features an 18-hole championship golf course, practice green and private golf villas.

Italy Gift Idea: Personalized Italy Travel Planning Package

2010-12-09T17:04:00.004-05:00

If you're planning a trip to Italy in 2011 and looking for help OR looking for a gift for the person who has everything, I'd like to tell you about the special personal Italy travel consultation package I've put together for the holidays! You may or may not know that I offer personalized travel advice as The Italian Dream Concierge. I'm offering 25% off my services and a slew of bonuses if you purchase by Dec. 31 (you have a year to use the consultation).

In brief, it includes:

an hour-long consultation with me on the phone (after you've filled out a special questionnaire)

a list of very personal recommendations of hotels, restaurants, guides, cooking lessons, shops, etc. and help booking if you need it (at no additional fee)

a one year-subscription or renewal to DOI's print newsletter by mail including the BONUS book Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler ($99 value)

the BONUS DVD/Blu-ray Rudy Maxa's Europe: Italy ($28 value) for spending more than $155 in our online store (limit one per customer)

the first issue, Bonus Book, Bonus DVD and gift letter about the consultation can be sent in time for Christmas to the recipient of your choice!

The entire package is $225 (normally $295). Plus if you like, I will send you to one of our travel agent partners to book your entire trip (with no additional fees).

12 Days of Christmas Giveaways on Dream of Italy's Facebook Page - 12/8 to 12/20

2010-12-07T23:21:00.004-05:00

We're playing Santa Claus or Babbo Natale here at Dream of Italy giving away Italy travel gifts - DVDs, books, jewelry, subscriptions - over the next 12 days. It is 12 days of Christmas giveaways. ALL you have to do to ENTER is hit the LIKE button our Facebook Page! Winners will be randomly selected from among our Facebook Fans. How easy is that?! Every afternoon, we will be picking a winner and posting it on the page.

Here are some of the great Italy gifts you might win:

Christmas in Verona Italy - Celebrating the Italian Nativity Scene

2010-12-06T23:26:00.004-05:00

During the Christmas season in Italy, the presepe, or nativity scene, is a reminder Italy's deep-rooted traditions.Italians' love for art and religion combine in these gorgeous scenes. It's nearly impossible to visit Italy during the holidays and not stumble across presepi in store windows, cathedrals or museums.

The event Natale in Arena in Verona celebrates presepi from December 4, 2010 through January 23, 2011. On display at Verona's historic Arena are 400 presepi include different artistic interpretations of the traditional Christmas nativity scene, and are a collaboration of artists, museums, and collectors from Italy and other European countries. The symbol of this Christmas event is a giant star sculpture leading from the Arena to nearby Piazza Bra. The exhibit is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily and tickets are 7 euros per person. A portion of the proceeds are donated to charities in Bethlehem. -- Elaine Murphy

Related:

Italian Christmas Cards
Dream of Italy's FREE 35-page Christmas in Italy e-book
Naples: Christmas Street Featuring Presepi

Rome's Presepi Museum Celebrating Italian Nativity Scenes

Photo by alfrephoto, flickr.com

Introducing La Dolce Via Travel

2010-12-06T22:09:00.002-05:00

Our passion and expertise: Italy; our goal: our clients come to love Italy as we do!

At La Dolce Via Travel, we listen and create carefully the trip that gives you Italy on your terms bycrafting special experiences, like a moonlit picnic on the Appian Way,a private lesson in making limoncello on Capri, or almost anything else you'd like.

We make Italy yours.

630.887.8983 -- www.ladolceviatravel.com

e-mail: rosanne@ladolceviatravel.com

(This is an ad.)

New Year's Eve in Venice: Concerts and Galas

2010-12-06T10:12:00.006-05:00

Our friend Nan McElroy of Living Venice fills us in on musical options for New Year's Eve in Venice -

If you are visiting Venice for New Year's and want to make it a musical holiday, consider attending the Concerto di Capodanno, the New Year's concert offered by the Teatro La Fenice on December 30th at 8 p.m., the 31st at 4 p.m., and on New Year's Day at 11:15 a.m. Conducted by Daniel Harding, the first portion of the concert is orchestral, while the second part features a chorus and soloists performing Verdi’s beloved “Libiam” from La Traviata and “Va Pensiero” from Nabucco among other selections, perfect for ringing in the New Year. For information on the Fenice concerts, visit HelloVenezia or call (39) 041 2424 or visit www.hellovenezia.com  

There are other musical offerings for both Christmas and New Year's. From violins to Vivaldi to opera highlights, these concerts are all held in opulent Venetian palaces: there is even one that includes a buffet dinner held at the Scuola Giovanni Evangelista, another is a formal dinner and gala at the Palazzo Barbarigo-Minotto. To book these concerts, stop by the tourist pavilion jus outside the Royal Gardens near the Vallaresso vaparetto stop, or use an online booking service such as www.classictic.com Of course, thousands will be celebrating New Year's Eve in Piazza San Marco -- if you decide to join them, be sure to check the aqua alta forecast, bundle up, and remember: no glass bottles permitted in the piazza. -- Nan McElroy

Read the rest of Nan's advice for traveling to Venice for Christmas and New Year's

Get Your FREE Guide to Christmas in Italy

2010-11-30T23:23:00.005-05:00

Traveling to Italy for Christmas or New Year's Eve or just dreaming about Christmas in Italy? Interested in Italian Christmas traditions and the ways Italian spend the holidays? Looking for some Italian holiday recipes especially Christmas desserts from Italy? We've got the Italian holiday information you're looking for... In early 2011, we will finally (was scheduled for 2010) be launching a free daily e-mail devoted to Italian food, wine, travel and lifestyle called Italian Daydreams. These short, savvy dispatches will provide us with the chance to cover more of the topics, such as food, wine, culture and the arts, that are important to our Italophile readers. Plus the daily e-mail format is a terrific way to feed everyone's daily need for everything Italian!

In exchange for adding your e-mail to our mailing list (you can unsubscribe at any time!) we would like to give you a FREE COPY of our e-book Christmas in Italy: Traditions, Travel Tips and Recipes! This 35-page guide to Christmas in Italy includes all of our back content on spending the holidays in Italy as well as new articles on how to celebrate Christmas and New Year's Italian-style, whether you are traveling or staying home.

** CLICK HERE to get your FREE Christmas in Italy Guide **

We've gathered the experts to give you practical Christmas travel advice as well as share their own memories of Italian holiday traditions:

Dream of Italy Editor Kathy McCabe outlines the Italian holiday season for you, what happens when and more importantly what to eat when.

Frequent Dream of Italy contributor and Susan Van Allen explains the magic of La Befana and the holiday market at Rome's Piazza Navona.

Dianne Hales, author of La Bella Lingua, offers a fascinating lesson in the language of the holidays in Italy - a quick Italian lesson for us all.

Our woman in Rome Frances Kidd heads to Naples to visit the master artisans behind Italian creches.

Back in the Eternal City, Kidd shares a complete guide to Christmas in Rome.

McCabe gives readers the 411 on how to see the Pope during the Vatican's Christmas celebrations.

Shannon Venable of ItaliaKids.com shares how to keep the kids entertained during a holiday visit to Italy.

Family travel expert Amie O'Shaughnessy of CiaoBambino.com fills us in on hotels offering special Christmas and New Year's packages.

Three - yes, count 'em three - Venice experts guide us to the best markets, restaurants and events in Venice this Christmas season.

Laura Faust of CiaoLaura.com instructs us on New Year's traditions in Campania and includes a traditional lentils recipe.

Robin Locker of MyMelange.net proclaims her love for the classic Italian holiday
dessert - panettone.

Cookbook author and Tuscany resident Pamela Sheldon Johns fills us in on the best of the holiday season in Tuscany (with recipe).

The Diva of Tuscan cooking Judy Witts Francini shares four mouth-watering recipes for Italian desserts.

And much more..

** CLICK HERE to get your FREE Christmas in Italy Guide **

Christmas in Puglia: The Living Nativity in Tricase

2010-11-30T20:37:00.006-05:00

The town of Tricase, almost at the tip of the Italian heel in Puglia, is often called “The Bethlehem of Italy” for the living nativity (Il Presepe Vivente di Tricase) that takes place here each year. Supported entirely by volunteers from civic groups and schools, everyone from children to grown-ups (about 250 residents in total) dress in period costumes that transform the town into a Nativity pageant. The tradition was started in 1976 by resident Andrea Rizzo. For the 2010-2011 holiday season, this free event takes place on December 25, 26, 28 and 30 and January 1, 2 and 6 at 5 p.m. -- Sharon Sanders

Related:

Dream of Italy's free 35-page e-book Christmas in Italy - filled with informative holiday travel advice, the history of Christmas in Italy, Italian holidays recipes and more!

Cyber Monday Deals: Italian Gifts, Travel Gifts, Italian Jewelry

2010-11-28T23:59:00.001-05:00

Our Cyber Monday Deals are good through Wednesday evening.

Support a small business and check out our travel gifts and Italy gifts.

The Gift of Angels: Venetian Murano Glass Angel Charm w/ Italian Rubber Necklace

2010-11-28T16:48:00.004-05:00

A Favorite Italy Holiday Gift: Venetian Murano Glass Christmas Angel - 10% OFF

Photo by Isabelle Vonturi

Cyber Monday Sale: Italy Travel and Movie Gift Baskets

2010-11-28T11:40:00.005-05:00

In honor of Cyber Monday, we're discounting all of our Italian gift baskets $10. You don't have to wait till Monday to order and we'll keep this discount available (if stock lasts) through December 1st. You won't find these gift baskets anywhere else and they make a unique travel gift or gift for Italy lovers!

Here are the choices:

PLUS if you spend $155 or more at DreamofItaly.com between October 1 and December 31 (before shipping - including subscriptions and gifts) we will send you a FREE Blu-ray/DVD set of Rudy Maxa's Best of Europe: Italy - a $28 value!

November 2010 Issue - Amalfi Coast Treasures, Biodynamic Wines in Tuscany, Rome Restaurants

2010-11-26T23:00:00.003-05:00

The November 2010 issue of Dream of Italy is out! Paid subscribers can login to see the PDF version (or read the articles on Web pages). Become a subscriber today (you'll get immediate access to this issue and nine more over the coming year, online access to over 75 back issues, some incredible Italy travel discounts and our NEW BONUS, the 640-page book Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler! Here's what is in the issue:

In Tuscany, Biodynamic Wines Help Preserve the Past
One "fabbrica" near Lucca dives into biodynamic wines. Like organic agriculture, biodynamic methods eschew chemicals and synthetic fertilizers. But biodynamic agriculture goes further, operating a farm, a vineyard as a self-contained living organism.

Capri's Villa San Michele + Where to Eat and Where to Stay in Anacapri
The white stucco structures are blinding under the Mediterranean sun but nothing in Anacapri dazzles more than Villa San Michele. Here Axel Munthe created a museum, gardens and cultural foundation.

Badia di Cava - An Amalfi Coast Landmark - Celebrates 1,000 Years in 2011
The imposing L'Abbazia della SS. Trinità di Cava de'Tirreni, known locally as Badia di Cava, is recognized for its religious, cultural and artistic significance. It's only a few miles above the
pottery town of Vietri sul Mare, yet has remained a relative secret to foreign tourists.

Two New Favorite Casual Rome Restaurants
Looking for a casual place to eat in Rome? We've got two new favorites - one is a trattoria near Campo de' Fiori specializing in dishes from Piedmont, the other is a wine bar near the Spanish Steps.

Unique Italian Jewelry Gifts: Italian Wine Harvest Necklace + Italian Tree of Life Necklace

2010-11-22T13:05:00.005-05:00

Italian Wine Harvest Necklace - $58

Italian Tree of Life Necklace with Murano Glass Disc Bead (tree made from 24kt gold foil) and Vintage Pearls - $79

New Year's Package at New Hotel on Lake Como

2010-11-21T21:56:00.003-05:00

The newest 5-star resort to open on Lake Como in a century, CastaDiva Resort offers luxury amenities and a prime location, in a 280,000-acre botanical park on the shores of Lake Como. It has already attracted celebrity guests and received rave reviews since its opening this past summer. If you're looking for a new place to ring in the new year, consider CastaDiva Resort.

Bring in 2011 with a 7-course New Year's eve gala dinner with wine, live music and dancing, and traditional Italian lenticchie after midnight. CastaDiva's New Year's package, priced at 1,075€ per person, includes two nights in a lake-view room, full breakfast on the lakeshore or in your room, a New Year's day brunch buffet and free entrance to some spa amenities. -- Elaine Murphy

Considering traveling to Italy for the holidays? Be sure to get our FREE Christmas in Italy E-book - includes Italy travel tips on spending Christmas and New Year's in Italy.

What's It Like to Film a Television Travel Series in Italy?

2010-11-17T21:43:00.005-05:00

I recently did an interview with my friend travel expert Rudy Maxa. A former Washington Post investigative reporter and life-long traveler, Rudy began covering the travel industry 15 years ago for public radio’s evening business show, Marketplace where his commentaries under his moniker, The Savvy Traveler, were heard by nearly five million listeners. He now hosts a Los Angeles travel radio show and has filmed dozens of episodes for two travel series that have appeared on PBS. My favorite part of our chat was this insightful bit on what it is like to film a travel series in Italy:

Dream of Italy: We’re offering your Blu-ray/DVD set "Rudy Maxa's Best of Europe: Italy" as a bonus to customers who spend more than $155 in our store/on subscriptions this holiday season. Tell us about the making of your series. Any funny stories from your time in Italy? What are some of your favorite scenes? How do you go about selecting what you would like to film?

Rudy Maxa: Choosing destinations is really up to me and the producers. When I started hosting the shows 11 years ago, we filmed the basics--London, Rome, Paris, and so on. But the production company who hired me--I did not yet own the shows--had worked with Rick Steves for five seasons and already knew that shows on Italy were among the most popular. So over the course of the first several seasons, we shot 11, half-hour shows in Italy.

The one hallmark about shooting in Italy is how little assistance we receive from the Italian tourism offices. Almost everywhere in the world--and I've shot shows from Shanghai to Uzbekistan to Delhi--tourism officials are happy to work with us helping get shoot permits, local guides or translators, hotel rooms, and so on. In Italy, bureaucrats know the country is so popular, they apparently think there's no need to work overtime hard to help anyone publicize it.
I happen to think that's short sighted on their part, but there you go. I recall my co-producer sending fax after fax to the tourism officials in Florence. She never got a reply. When we arrived to shoot, she visited the tourism office, and an employee there proudly gestured to a pile of her faxes to prove they'd received them.

And then there's the matter of, um, fees. When we arrived at Pompeii to shoot, it didn't matter that we had the necessary paperwork and an overall insurance policy that all film crews carry in case they cause any damage. The official at Pompeii informed us we'd have to pay $7,000 on the spot as "insurance" to shoot. When my producer accompanied the bureaucrat to his office to discuss this, a local guide approached and told us if we gave him $200, he'd take care of everything. And he did. He guided me and the crew around the entire complex, slipping a few bucks to gatekeepers along the way. And by the time our producer emerged to say no agreement could be reached, we'd already shot the place.

The recent, tragic collapse of a historical building there reminded me of that incident. I love Italy, but I have a hunch if we'd paid that $7,000, not much of it would have gone toward the upkeep of the historical site.

As for the making of the series, we travel lean with me (the host), the episode producer, a grip, and a shooter. Sometimes, if we have the budget, we'll hire a dedicated sound man. We usually shoot a show in seven to eight days. We arrive with a rough script and, hopefully, all our permissions and other details in order. We don't simply arrive and start shooting things that look interesting. We know what we want to shoot and how things fit into the theme of the show. Obviously, if something interesting happens while we're there, we go with the flow, and often that makes it into the script that has to be re-written to the pictures upon our return to the U.S.

Christmas Cooking Lessons in Italy: Learn Italian Christmas Recipes an Traditions!

2010-11-12T05:41:00.003-05:00

This holiday season, spend Christmas in Italy and learn to cook Italian meals and desserts, while experiencing Christmas traditions and exploring Italy:

Ciao Laura offers a weeklong Christmas cooking vacation in Sorrento, which includes three Italian cooking lessons, Christmas lunch, and opportunities to explore Sorrento, Naples, Pompeii, and Positano and other spots along the Amalfi Coast. To whet your culinary appetite, watch a demonstration on making Neapolitan pizza in a traditional wood-burning oven, and sample wine in Campania. Then, once you’re ready to start cooking, learn to make traditional Italian Christmas pastries, including zeppole and struffoli. The trip includes three cooking lessons, focusing on a special holiday menu, and Christmas lunch. The highlight of the trip is cooking an authentic three-course Italian seafood meal, under supervision of a professional chef.

Apple Languages combines Christmas cooking courses with Italian language courses of any level. Participants in this 12-day program, beginning December 20, will stay with an Italian host family in Sorrento while preparing traditional Italian meals, and will enjoy Christmas activities in Sorrento and excursions to Naples, including a visit to a Neapolitan church to see handmade cribs.

Spend four days on a country farm in Umbria, improving your Italian cooking skills and exploring the region of Umbria, whose Christmas traditions are sacred to the region. The four-day Christmas cooking session from Let’s Cook in Umbria is available from December 8, 2010 to January 6, 2011 and can be booked on any day of the week. The program offers participants the option of taking planned half-day trips to Perugia, Assisi, and Gubbio, and includes three cooking classes featuring traditional Italian Christmas recipes and dishes. -- Elaine Murphy

Also, get your free copy of our Christmas in Italy guide - travel advice, Italian holiday recipes and more!

Tips from An Insider: What to See and Do in Pisa Italy

2010-11-04T05:01:00.004-04:00

Pisa is so much more than a tourist city BUT you have to know where to go. That's why we asked Pisa resident Gloria Capelli to share her insider secrets for the best sites (besides the tower), restaurants, shops, day trips and more. (Dream of Italy subscribers can save 10% on Gloria's Pisa apartment rental, Behind The Tower. ) Here are two of the more than dozen recommendations she shared in the October 2010 Special Report: Tuscany's Province of Pisa:

Keith Haring's Mural "Tuttomondo"
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele
Not many people know about this large mural that Keith Haring painted on the side of a building in Piazza Vittorio Emanuele in 1989. It is dedicated to the theme of peace and harmony in the world. Opposite to the mural, a cocktail bar has recently opened.

Max il Cuoiaio
Via Domenico Cavalca, 57
(39) 050 574299
Closed Monday morning
If you like leather goods, this is the place for you. They make fabulous leather purses, professional bags and briefcases, wallets, belts and other leather goods. Truth be told, if you are looking for a leather bag, the many stalls near the Leaning Tower also have some fabulous things.

Subscribe to Dream of Italy (or log-in if you are already a subscriber) and receive the rest of Gloria's list in the Pisa Special Report as online access to more than 75 issues, the BONUS BOOK Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler Book and more....Save $20 on gift subscriptions through November 15th!

(Photo by Elisabetta_81, flickr.com)

Introducing Queenslander Tours - Small Group Trips to Italy

2010-11-01T18:28:00.002-04:00

It has an Australian name, it is owned by Americans, and the specialize in small group tours to Italy. QueensLander Tours invites you to check outtheir growing list of trips and consider traveling with them on the"anti-tour" experience of Italy. Owner/director Mark Story describes their tours as a small group of friends traveling as QueensLander "unwraps Italy before their eyes."

Trips include Italy's Great Cities Tour, Italy's Lake District to CinqueTerre, Delights of Tuscany, Amalfi Coast Vacation, Sicily with Friends and other destinations including Spain & Portugal, Scotland & Ireland and Australia & New Zealand.Visit them online at www.queenslandertours.com

(This is an ad.)

October 2010 Issue - Special Report: Tuscany's Province of Pisa

2010-10-29T08:58:00.004-04:00

The October 2010 issue of Dream of Italy is out! Paid subscribers can login to see the PDF version (or read the articles on Web pages). Become a subscriber today (you'll get immediate access to this issue and nine more over the coming year, online access to over 75 back issues, some incredible Italy travel discounts and our NEW BONUS, the 640-page book Tuscany and Umbria: The Collected Traveler! Here is what is in the issue:

An Insider's Guide to Pisa Italy: Where to Eat, What to See, Where to Shop
One of our favorite Pisans shares a priceless list of what to see and do in Pisa. She tells us about her favorite restaurants, pizzeria and best place for a cup of coffee. Looking to buy leather? She has the place. Also visit one of Pisa's up and coming museums and see a mural by Keith Haring.

Exploring the Province of Pisa: San Miniato, Volterra, Lajatico
This corner of Tuscany has much to offer besides the city of Pisa - there's art, history, truffles, vampires and Andrea Bocelli!

Food and Wine Experiences in Tuscany's Province of Pisa
Tour an artisanal pasta producer, considered to make Italy's best pasta. Visit a small, woman-run vineyard outside San Miniato, specializing in Vin Santo and spumante. Meet a young butcher who marries his love of meat with the arts and community.

Where to Stay in the Province of Pisa: Agriturismos, Hotel and Villa Rentals
Our selection of places to stay in the Pisa province of Tuscany includes an agriturismo that's great for families, a honeymooner's paradise in Pisa, a quirky inn, villa rentals in Andrea Bocelli's
hometown and more.

Stay in The Tuscany Villa Where "Under The Tuscan Sun" Was Filmed

2010-10-18T19:35:00.003-04:00

No one put Tuscany on the map quite like Frances Mayes and her book Under The Tuscan Sun. But that was before the film version of the book came out and even more people latched on to the dream of owning a villa in Tuscany OR at least staying in one for a week or two. In the film, the role of Bramasole, Mayes' wreck-turned-dream-home was played by Villa Laura in Cortona. You didn't think Mayes was going to let Diane Lane and crew film in her place, did you?

Villa Laura was purchased in 2006 by the owners of Cline Cellars Winery of Sonoma, California. The new owners have carefully and thoughtfully restored the property and it is now available for rent from our friends at Doorways. The villa is actually a villa plus farmhouse, sleeping a total of 18 people. The bedrooms all have en-suite bathrooms and the estate features air-conditioning, swimming pool, hot tub, pond, wood-burning pizza oven and wireless Internet. There's even the "Diane Lane Room" - named for the actress who plays Mayes in the movie - which offers a stunning view of the countryside.

Get your 17 closest friends together because they will all need to chip in to afford the rental fee which ranges from $14, 580 to $21,870 per week, depending on the season. BUT paid Dream of Italy newsletter subscribers can save $500 per week (hey, that pays for a week of wine!) as Doorways offers an exclusive discount to our paid members.

If you're looking to rent a villa in Tuscany (whether it be for $1,000 per week or $10,000), our FREE Italy Villa Rentals Report will get you started with tips and tricks as well as a list of our 50 favorite villa rentals and rental agencies!

New for Christmas 2010: Snowy Palazzo Vecchio Florence Italy Christmas Cards!

2010-10-17T19:07:00.004-04:00

Our Italian Christmas cards are a bit hit each and every holiday season. This year we are proud to announce a new Italy Christmas card design....Snowy Palazzo Vecchio in Florence Italy! If you're familiar with our offerings you know that we almost never discount our exquisite and unique Italian holiday cards. But this year, the early bird gets the worm, save $2 per set on all of Italian Christmas cards when you purchase them on or before October 31st!

And if you dream of an Italian Christmas, don't forget to get your free copy of our 35-page Christmas in Italy E-book.

Learn the Italian Language and Italian Christmas Traditions in Milan

2010-10-13T01:25:00.004-04:00

There always seems to be a great deal of interest in traveling to Italy for Christmas or enjoying Italian Christmas traditions at home, (That's also what prompted us to create a free e-book on Christmas in Italy!) Well here's a unique opportunity to visit Italy, spend a week learning the Italian language as well learn about Italian Christmas traditions -- and be home in time for Christmas to show your friends and families what you have learned!

The Italian language school "Scuola Leonardo da Vinci" in Milan is offering a special Christmas Tradition and Language Course, December 13 to 17, 2010. The course, which costs 250 euros, includes 7.5 hours of language instruction (tailored to your level), classes on decorating and cooking for an Italian Christmas celebration as well as special holiday field trips to local shops and restaurants. The school offers options for six nights of accommodations starting at 192 euros per person.

What an innovative way to get into the Italian holiday spirit!

Meet Two of My Favorite Italy Travel Experts

2010-10-12T22:06:00.003-04:00

Dream of writing about travel to Italy? Dream of buying a home in Italy and living there part-time? My friends Martha Bakerjian and James Martin (they're married) have fulfilled all three of these dreams and it was a pleasure for me to finally meet them in Tuscany several months ago. I've been following the work of these Italy travel experts for years...

Martha has written the Italy travel site on About.com since 2005 and has traveled extensively in Italy for more than 25 years. James has run the About.com Western Europe travel site since 2002. He also blogs at Wandering Italy. The couple owns a home in Piano di Collecchia, between the towns of Aulla and Fivizzano in the Lunigiana region of northern Tuscany. They split their time between Italy and California.

If you're dreaming of building a life in Italy or at least creating the best Italy vacation, read my interview with Martha and James about living, working and traveling in Italy.

Special Offer: Join the Alta Cucina Epicurean Society

2010-10-12T20:07:00.003-04:00

Have a special culinary experience and become a member of Alta Cucina Society.

Alta Cucina is an epicurean society for those who want to explore, share, and celebrate premium Italian cuisine and wines. As a member you will receive invitation to exclusive dinners, free tastings and discounts on products and cooking classes.

Alta Cucina membership is $45 annually, but as a Dream of Italy reader, you can become a member for only $40 and you will receive a FREE welcome package that includes pasta, extra virgin olive oil, chocolates and a book.

To become a member of Alta Cucina, join through Dream of Italy and save $5.

Win a Week in Tuscany or A Set of Seven Italy Travel Books

2010-10-06T23:30:00.006-04:00

News of two fantastic Italy travel giveaways crossed my desk today and I wanted to let you know about them so you can enter to win. Who couldn't use a week in Tuscany or a stack full of wonderful Italy travel books?

CiaoBambino.com is giving away a week in a two-bedroom apartment at Al Gelso Bianco, a wine and olive producing estate in the heart of Chianti. The estate is set in a superb, much-sought after location for regional sightseeing with easy access to Florence, Siena and San Gimignano. The week is available in April or October 2011. Comment on this Ciao Bambino blog to enter and learn about other ways to increase your chance of winning.

To get ready for that great Tuscan vacation, you will want to do some reading. Enter this contest over at BecomingItalian.com and you could win a set of these seven awesome Italy travel books:

La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair with Italian,the World's Most Enchanting Language by Dianne Hales

Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian Life by Frances Mayes

100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go by Susan Van Allen

Fodor's Italy 2011

Marcus of Umbria: What an Italian Dog Taught an American Girl About Love by Justine Van Der Leun

Passion on the Vine: A Memoir of Food, Wine, and Family in the Heart of Italy by Sergio Esposito
Bold Italian by Scott Conant with Joanne McAllister Smart

These authors are generously giving away FIVE sets of their books. Buona Fortuna!

Trieste's Best Bakery: Pasticceria Penso

2010-09-29T20:07:00.002-04:00

This is an excerpt from the longer article Eat Your Way Through The Friuli--Venezia Giulia Region of Italy by Elisabeth Antoine Crawford, author of Flavors of Friuli: A Culinary Journey through Northeastern Italy:

My fondest memory of Trieste will always be the day I first stepped into Pasticceria Penso. My timing seems predestined -- I arrived on a blustery February morning just as a few dozen chocolate cakes were being pulled from the oven. I was immediately invited back into the cozy kitchen to watch their transformation into Torta Sacher.

The patriarch of the family-run bakery, Italo Stoppar, doused each layer of cake with Maraschino liqueur, then spread on a thick coat of apricot preserves. His son Antonello drizzled the top with dark chocolate ganache, which was soon followed by a garnish of chocolate sprinkles around the sides. This was just the first of many such mornings; the next year, I arranged for an apartment across the street, so that I could spend countless hours observing their techniques-and sampling every cream-stuffed, chocolate-glazed, fruit-filled morsel I could possibly devour.

Read more about Elisabeth Crawford's favorite sweet spot

Get One Hotel Night Free In Italy and Beyond With JDB

2010-09-23T15:17:00.003-04:00

I've long been a fan of JDB Fine Hotels & Resorts. Judy Baer and her team have a knack for representing truly unique and charming hotels in Italy and beyond. I often learn about a special new property from their offerings or see a place that I've reviewed (and loved) make it onto their list. JDB is a fantastic operation and offer great deals and add-ons for the properties they represent.

That's why I wanted to let you know about a really unique deal they are offering. Book three of four nights in 2011 at one of their participating properties and receive one night free. JDB SmartStart: One Night Free offers must be prepaid, are non-refundable, subject to availability, and are valid on bookings made between September 1, 2010 and February 15, 2011 for travel throughout 2011. One change of date is permitted, subject to approval by the hotel (restrictions apply).

Dozens of fantastic Italy hotels are on the list for the one-night free offer, including some of my favorites: Villa Mangiacane in Tuscany, St. George in Rome, Palazzo Niccolini al Duomo in Florence and Ca' Sagredo in Venice. JDB encourages you to work through your travel agent in using their services.

September 2010 Issue - Dining in Friuli, Exploring Verona

2010-09-23T15:04:00.003-04:00

The September 2010 issue of Dream of Italy is out! Paid subscribers can login to see the PDF version (or read the articles on Web pages). Become a subscriber today (you'll get immediate access to this issue and nine more over the coming year, online access to nearly 75 back issues and some incredible Italy travel discounts, too! Here is what is in the current issue:

Eat Your Way Through Friuli–Venezia Giulia
Tucked away between mountains and sea in Italy’s northeast corner, tiny Friuli–Venezia Giulia boasts one of the country’s most distinctive regional cuisines. With influences from Austria, Hungary, and Slovenia, the Friulian people cleverly merge local ingredients with spicesfrom foreign lands. Learn about the best restaurants in Friuli.

Recipe from Friuli-Venezia Giulia: Gnocchi di Zucca (Butternut Squash Gnocchi)
Fall is the perfect time of year to cook this Friulian specialty - gnocchi made from butternut squash. One of the delightful flavors of the Friuli region of Italy.

Verona: So Much More Than Juliet’s Balcony
Sure this lovely city in the Veneto is known most for Romeo and Juliet, but there's so much more to Verona. Explore historic piazzas, the well-preserved Roman ruins and captivating museums here in Verona.

Where to Stay and Where Eat in Verona
We've got a selection of charming small hotels and family-run restaurants that you must visit!

In Verona for A Special Occasion?
Whether its a wedding or a business meeting, we've got the perfect palazzo for you to hold your special event in Verona.

Great Place for a Spa Day in Rome

2010-09-16T15:03:00.002-04:00

Sometimes running around Rome takes its toll. So much to see, so many miles to walk. If you're looking for a place to relax and rejeuvenate in the Eternal City, our friend Rebecca Winke tells us about her secret haven in Rome - Acquamadre Hammam. I can't wait to try it on my next visit to Rome.

Dream of Italy Leads Readers to The Butcher of Panzano

2010-09-08T23:00:00.007-04:00

I love hearing feedback from subscribers when they use our articles to help them with their travels in Italy. We first wrote about "the Butcher of Panzano" Dario Cecchini in 2004 when he was becoming famous the world over as a Renaissance man with absolutely his lucious cuts of meat and a store worth a special pilgrimage. Earlier this year, our friend Judy Witts Francini wrote a terrific new article about how Dario has put truly Panzano on the map encouraging new stores and places to stay. (His sister is opening a bed & breakfast in the town.)

Subscribers Peggy and Boyd Rapp wrote to say that the article led them to Dario's who was thrilled with the coverage (I later received a very nice thank you e-mail from Dario - what a gentleman.) Here is what the Boyds had to say:

Just wanted to let you know that we visited the artisan butcher, Dario Cecchini in Panzano as was published in your March 2010 “Dream of Italy” newsletter. We showed Dario the article and he immediately call his wife Kim (who originally is from California and thus speaks fluent English and Italian) to come over and meet us. We proceeded to show her the article and they were both so excited to read about what you had written. They particularly wanted to show the article to the rest of their family, because they have been trying to get them involved in the notoriety of the town.

They ushered us through the kitchen through a secret door (!) in the wall upstairs to the outside patio. We were greeted by a joyous chef and a helpful waiter. In the glorious sunshine and ambience, we enjoyed MacDarios and what was called a “Welcome” platter along with the best house wine-amazing! It was the kind of experience we were hoping to be a part of on our trip through Italy-spontaneous, local, and genuine. It made our trip! So, thank you, for sharing your experiences that we might also partake. Can’t wait to go back! Grazie! (Peggy is to the right of Dario in this photo.)

Did you know that our paid subscribers receive exclusive discounts for Dario's gourmet products (15% off at LovefromItalia.com) and Judy's Florence market tours (10% off)? Subscribe today to receive a list of discount codes!