While waiting for the sets to arrive for the remake of "Ben Hur" and the new 007 movie, scheduled to be filmed in Italy in February, the crew of the NBC TV series "Hannibal", starring Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen, considered by American critics to be the “best television horror of all time”, is coming to Florence. Starring alongside Mikkelsen is Gillian Anderson, who plays his psychoanalyst who has become his accomplice in a murder and is now hiding out with him under a false name in the birthplace of the Renaissance.

The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization has spent the past few decades identifying and preserving natural and cultural heritage sites around the world, and Italy is home to a significant number of these sites. Discover the beauty and history of Italy at these five amazing sites:

In the heart of Tuscany is the birthplace of the Renaissance: Florence. This ancient city is bustling with beautiful art, interesting architecture and plenty of spots to inspire romance on your holiday.

The weather in Florence is warm and sunny in the summer, and mild and calm in the winter. A light dusting of snow on the top of Cattedrale di Santa Maria del Fiore’s famed cupola, Il Duomo, is a captivating sight.

Do you want to know some interesting and fun facts about the Leaning Tower of Pisa? Many people around the world are familiar with the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Italy, which is actually the bell tower of the Pisa Cathedral, but most people don't know why it leans or how it is still standing today. To visit the most famous leaning tower in the world in style, check out the luxury villas in the region.

Italy is highly regarded for, among many things, its diverse cuisine, great climate, picturesque landscapes, impressive villas, and a host of gourmet restaurants serving mouthwatering culinary delights. Some of the best restaurants in Italy are found in the Piedmont region. Piedmont restaurants are specifically well known for maintaining centuries’ old traditional cuisine made from the region’s famous specialties such as truffles, stuffed pasta, hazelnuts, and meat casseroles served with the region’s best wines and a variety of chocolate desserts. Here is a look at the top 6 Piedmont restaurants serving unforgettable traditional Italian cuisine: