Category: Fun Facts and Curiosities

In Italy we love foods, we love our traditions and we love a laid back life style. There is another thing that we love very very much, motorsports. Our motoring heritage is huge with brands like Ferrari or Maserati and with racing drivers like Alex Zanardi, Valentino Rossi or Giacomo Agostini. So in Italy, we […]

The 100 hundred creche exhibition is an event which celebrate one of the old traditions of Italy. In fact, Christmas tree a representation of the moment of the Jesus nativity. The name of this representations in Italian is “presepi” that translated in American English it sounds like “cribs“.

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. That includes drinking the water from one of the many beautiful public fountains around the city. It is truly the freshest supply of drinkable water and one could say it originated the concept of fresh spring water, as it has been available for public drinking since 312 […]

The “Dolomiti Lucane” or Lucanian Dolomites is found in the Regional Park of Gallipoli Cognato in the heart of Basilicata. This rocky chain of sandstones has a rugged, almost lunar landscape, which is reminiscent of the mountains of the eastern Alps.

One of the symbol of Italy is the famous moto scooter, Vespa. Vespa in italian means wasp. The legend told that the name of this unique moped was born when Enrico Piaggio, the founder of the current Piaggio Group, made this exclamation “Sembra una Vespa! (It seems like a wasp!)” the first time that he […]

Maranello is the town center of the Ferrari myth, in the heart of Emilia Romagna. In this worship place for every car sports fan and car daydreamer, there is a museum entirely dedicated to the most known red car in the world. In this museum, you could admire Formula 1 cars and many others sports […]

When one hears the “Town of Mads” a variety of things may come to mind. A town dedicated to craziness, or perhaps a village filled with rumors that would drive inhabitants mad if listened to long enough? However, none of these ridiculous thoughts ring true. In fact, the “Town of Mads” is a small medieval […]

Tucked in the western point of Sicily, Salemi is a small town of about 11,000 people tucked into the Belice valley. It sits about 100 kilometers, or about 62 miles, outside of Palermo and is near Segesta and Selinunte, a pair of ancient cities that were constantly at war with each other. All that’s left […]

Have you ever wanted to explore the exciting grandeur that is Italy? Have you wondered what it would be like to behold the beauty that has set the scene for the most romantic of stories? “Trenino Rosso del Bernina” (the little red train of the Bernina) can escort you through some of the most thrilling […]

Lover’s Lane, Juliet’s Wall, Love Lock Bridge; we have all heard about these romantic destinations created to unite two lovers together for all time, but have many of us actually seen them?  Legends say that a lock closed by a couple with a key tossed into a river can bind two souls together; a letter […]

The roar of a majestic lion, a stately rooster’s crow, statues coming to life and music filling the air as a story unfolds; this artistic display of characters sounds more like an up and coming movie than an eighty year old Astronomical Cathedral clock. The Cathedral of Messina’s animated clock show is a great way […]

Many people do not think of golf when they think of Italy, but Italy is actually home to some of the most renowned courses in the world. Whether you are looking for a luxurious getaway at a resort where you can relax and play or a serious course which would challenge even the most experienced […]

Even though the 86th Academy Awards were this last Sunday, native Italians are still celebrating the success of The Great Beauty (2013) By Paolo Sorrentino. The exciting news that The Great Beauty (La Grande Bellezza) won the Academy Award for best foreign language film has been the top story news story in Italy since its […]

On the island of Sardinia, where lively colors and bright festivities are the norm, a ritual of contrasting black and white can seem far from the original tempo of the city. Once a year around the time of Ash Wednesday, Sardinia becomes an island that is bursting with black and white painted faces, grotesque masks, […]

The Leaning Tower of Pisa, in the Tuscany region, is considered a must see. It’s a marvel and a miracle that attracts many tourists from all over the world. Did you know that it began to lean even before its construction was completed during the 12th century? Nowadays the current tilt makes an angle of […]

Naples is the southern culinary capital of Italy. The Pizza was born here in honor of Queen Margherita di Savoia in 1889. The queen was visiting the city …

Folklore is a large part of Italy and even more so, in the Apulia region located in what is the heel of Italy’s “boot” shape. In this particular region, folk dances are very popular and have their roots in Ancient Greece. The “Pizzica” is a traditional dance popular throughout the Salentine peninsula along with the […]

One of Tuscany’s most famous and attractive landscapes is its never ending fields of sunflowers during the summer. Usually from June to August, one can enjoy a beautiful panorama of these lovely yellow flowers driving through the small winding roads through the enchanting Tuscan countryside only to be enhanced by the sight of cypress trees, […]

Blue Jeans… did you know this super popular garment has Italian origins? Its name comes from the particular blue fabric that was once worn by the dockworkers in the port of Genova, in the Liguria region. They were always traveling around the world and thus, brought what we know as denim to the shores of […]

When in Venice, be sure to visit the Island of Murano, home to artisan glass shops where unique handmade glass products have been produced for thousands of years, using the same ancient techniques particular to Murano glass making . From simple small glass figurines available in different colors to much more elaborate pieces such as […]

Skiers know that they can find quite a few great places to go skiing on their Italian vacation, and the Aosta Valley is one that often stands out amongst the best in the country. You can find great lifts and runs, perfect snow, and plenty to love about the area. This area offers far more […]

Every year in the quaint and historic town of Spoleto, located in the Umbria region, one of the most important artistic festivals in the world takes place during the summer months: the “Festival dei Due Mondi,” or Festival of the Two Worlds. This exuberant event was first started in 1958 by composer Gian Carlo Menotti. […]

If you think that the word Palio is only associated to the well-known Siena horserace, you will learn that it is not the case after reading this article. According to its Latin origins, the word Palio (from Pallium) refers to the banner or the cloth awarded to the winner of a competition. According to the […]

Although winter arrived late to most of Europe, this past winter, Italy and especially the Apennine region have experienced an exceptional snowfall that temporarily buried some towns and small villages under an incredible amount of fresh snow. In the Abruzzo region, the owners of a Vacation Farm or “Agriturismo” were left isolated in the mountains […]