02 Apr 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Italian itineraries

Mount Etna view from CataniaItaly’s active volcanoes are located in Sicily and Campania.

Etna, the most famous, and the biggest in Europe, is located in Sicily, in the province of Catania.  It is almost constantly active, emitting lava from the central crater as well as from the numerous cracks along the slopes.

The other volcanoes are situated in the Aeolian Islands, north of the Sicilian coast, and create a regular volcanic archipelago. Lipari, the largest volcano, last erupted in Roman times around 1200 years ago.  Only the 900 meters above the sea are visible of Stromboli, the volcano that has been continuously active for over 2000 years, whilst the other 1000 meters are underwater.

31 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Testimonials

As you know, through Ville in Italia’s blog, our aim is to give travellers or simply the curious, many different ideas to learn more about the Italian fashion manBelpaese. We like to describe the “beauty of Italy” through traditions, products made in Italy and insights on various topics including art and cooking. Today we decided to go a little bit off topic and, with the help of the ironic Italian blogger Silvia Pizzi, we suggest a small “Italian portrait” sketched with humour and a decisively much more light-hearted tone… here are the 10 myths to unmask (or not) on the Italian man.

If you are a woman who is planning a trip to Italy and still has a little romance at heart, you probably already started building a small expectation of your next vacation in the Belpaese… Don’t you already see yourself with the wind in your hair, hugging a tall, dark and handsome man, riding on his Vespa that brings you around the streets of the Eternal City and takes you for ice cream, to throw coins in the fountains, out for supper and dancing? Of course.

28 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Italian itineraries

Mona LisaThe “Gioconda” or Mona Lisa, probably the most famous portrait in the world, was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1514 and is on permanent display at the Louvre in Paris.

According to tradition, as well as the famous 16th century art historiographer and critic, GiorgioVasari, the woman depicted is Lisa Gherardini, i.e. “Mona” Lisa (short for “Madonna” , “Signora”), the wife of the noble Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo (thus the term “Gioconda” is also used).

During his third stay in Florence, Leonardo lived in a house next door to Palazzo Gondi (which has since been destroyed), just a few meters away from Piazza della Signoria, which belonged to a branch of the Gherardini family.

26 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Italian itineraries

Sicily's seasideThe island of Sicily is undoubtedly one of the most attractive destinations in Italy. It is a popular resort with incomparable beauty supplemented by a rich cultural and architectural heritage.

What makes Sicily particularly unique is its blend of cultures and nations which can be attributed to the region’s rich history. Over centuries Sicily has seen a succession of rulers including Normans, Phoenicians, Arabs, Greek, and Romans just to mention a few. There are many remnants of Phoenician settlements, Greek temples, Norman castles, Punic cities, and even Aragonese churches all over the island.

24 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Italian itineraries

View on Amalfi Coast from the sentieroDespite having long been inhabited, the Amalfi Coast could only be accessed via the sea for many years. It was not until 1815 that the small towns and villages along this beautiful limestone coastline were linked by mule tracks and rock-hewn paths along the panoramic mountains.

A fine example of these paths is the Sentiero degli Dei which means the God’s Pathway or Path of the Gods. The Sentiegro degli Dei connects the hill-top town of Agerola with the town of Nocelle in the Postiano region on the slopes of Mount Peruso.