Italy is the kind of destination that stays with you forever—the scent of espresso drifting through a cobblestone alley, the golden light washing over ancient ruins, the sound of a church bell echoing across a piazza. But here’s the truth: Italy can also be overwhelming, chaotic, and even disappointing if you don’t plan wisely. After … Read more
Civita di Bagnoregio is not like any other Italian hill town. It is called “Il paese che muore,” the dying town, because the fragile tufa rock it sits upon has been eroding for millennia. Earthquakes, landslides, and the relentless forces of nature have slowly eaten away at its foundation. The mountain is still sinking, inch … Read more
Matera is not like anywhere else in Italy. It is not even like anywhere else in the world. While Rome is three thousand years old and feels ancient, Matera has been continuously inhabited for nearly nine thousand years, making it one of the oldest cities on earth. The Sassi, the cave dwellings carved into the … Read more
Pompeii. You have seen the haunting plaster casts of bodies frozen in their final moments. You have heard the story of the eruption that buried an entire city in ash. You know about the frescoes, the forum, the amphitheater. It is a story that has been told so many times that it seems complete, sealed … Read more
Tuscany is wine country in the way that Paris is fashion country. It is not just that they make good wine here. It is that wine is woven into the fabric of daily life. The hills are patchworked with vineyards that the same families have tended for generations. The people speak of vintages the way … Read more
I’ve been to Italy many times, and every single trip has given me moments I’ll never forget. Some are big and obvious. Some are small and fleeting. But all of them have left a mark. If you’re planning a trip to Italy and you want to come home with more than just souvenirs, these are … Read more
Naples, or Napoli as Italians call it. It’s loud, chaotic, gloriously messy, and absolutely unforgettable. For years, travelers treated it as nothing more than a pit stop on the way to the Amalfi Coast or Capri, a place to catch a train and move on. But something has shifted. Naples is having a moment, and … Read more
Not all Italian food is great. I tell people that, and some don’t believe me, and perhaps you will come to that realization too. Maybe it comes when you bite into a piece of pizza in Naples and suddenly understand why people get emotional about dough. Maybe it hits you in Bologna, watching a grandmother … Read more
The Italian summer is a seductive promise. You picture yourself draped across a sun lounger on the Amalfi Coast, a spritz in hand, the Mediterranean glittering like scattered diamonds. You imagine strolling through Florence in a flowing linen dress, gelato dripping down your wrist, the golden light of the Tuscan evening casting everything in a … Read more
Italy is not a cheap country to visit. The costs sneak up on you, a little more for that meal, a few extra euros for that museum ticket, until suddenly your carefully planned budget has stretched well beyond its original confines. But here is the thing I have learned after years of visiting and making … Read more