Capalbio and the Maremma

The Maremma, part of the Regions of Tuscany and Lazio, runs along the Tyrrhennian Sea, a zone of mostly plains; as Dante reminds us in Canto XIII of The Inferno, it begins in Cecina (Livorno) and ends in Tarquinia (Viterbo), and in those days was known as Corneto: "Non han sì aspri sterpi né sì folti, quelle fiere selvagge che 'n odio hanno, tra Cecina e Corneto i luoghi cólti."
The Maremma is divided into three distinct parts: that central and most well-known near Grosseto, extensive and rich in flora; that south, in Lazio, comprising the shores of Viterbo Province; and that north, near Pisa, belonging to the Province of Livorno.

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ITALY // SICILY/////THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS

THE AEOLIAN ISLANDS

Volcanic in origin, the Aeolian Islands are named after Aeolus, the Greek god who kept the winds he controlled shut tight in one of the islands’ many caves. According to Homer, Odysseus put into the Aeolians and was given a bag of wind to help him home, but his sailors opened it too soon and the ship was blown straight back to port. More verifiably, the islands were coveted for their mineral wealth, the mining of obsidian (hard, glass-like lava) providing the basis for early prosperity, because it was the sharpest material available until people learned the art of smelting metals. Later their strategic importance attracted the Greeks, who settled on Lipari in 580 BC, but they later became a haven for pirates and a place of exile, a state of affairs that continued right into the twentieth century with the Fascists exiling their political opponents to Lipari.

The twentieth century saw mass emigration, mostly to Australia, and even now islands such as Panarea and Alicudi have just a hundred or so year-round inhabitants. It’s only recently that the islanders stopped scratching a subsistence living and started welcoming tourists, and these days during the summer months the population of the islands can leap from 10,000 to 200,000. Every island is expensive, with prices in shops as well as restaurants reflecting the fact that most food is imported. But get out to the minor isles or come in blustery winter for a taste of what life was like on the islands twenty – or a hundred – years ago: unsophisticated, rough and beautiful.

DIVING THE AEOLIANS

There’s plenty of fun to be had in Aeolian waters. At Panarea you can snorkel over the submerged foundations of a Roman port, and columns of pulsing bubbles around the majestically sculpted islets, or take an easy dive (12–20m) to see what appears to be a submarine snow-storm – the water is full of blobs of a weird white bacteria that grows on sulphur and has the consistency of eggwhite. Also off Panarea are the remains of a British cargo ship deliberately sunk during the Depression as an insurance scam – for the past fifteen years it has been inhabited by a giant fish (about 80kg).

Alternatively, head to the Salinan village of Pollara, where a giant offshore crater offers easy diving with lots to see, or explore the wreck of a Roman ship off Filicudi; a rope guides you down to the archeological area – a true underwater museum. It is also a beautiful dive, with lots of fish and fascinating rock formations.

The islands’ most professional diving outfit is Amphibia, with bases at the ports of Panarea and Salina

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THE TOP 20 BEST BEACHES IN ITALY

Once you’ve finished shopping in busy Milan or scaling volcanoes at Mt Vesuvius, Italian beaches are often a glorious escape, but with an increasing number of hotels charging for access to the sands, it’s hard to know where to spend your money. Here’s our breakdown of some of the best beaches in Italy that are bound to be a sound investment – whether you’re after secluded coves or lively seafronts.

Forno, Elba, Tuscany

The main five beaches on Elba can get suffocatingly packed in high season – including the popular resort of Biodola. However, Forno, set in the bay of Biodola, is far less busy and the main beach is set in a lovely cove, surrounded by villas and dense vegetation.

Levanto, Liguria

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Rome.....

Ask an Italian where in the world they would most like to live, and the odds are that they will say “right here”. Indeed, most people – not just Italians – have raved about Italy since tourism began, and to be honest the country really does

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Naples, Sorrento, and the Amalfi Coast

Naples Bay rounds out any trip to Italy with an antipasto misto of travel thrills. Serene Sorrento, an hour south of Naples' urban intensity, is a great home base and the gateway to the much-drooled-over Amalfi Coast. From the jet-setting island of Capri to the stunning Amalfi towns, from ancient Pompeii to even more ancient Paestum, this is Italy's coast with the most. Naples is Italy in the extreme — its best (birthplace of pizza and Sophia Loren) and its worst (home of the Camorra, Naples' "family" of organized crime).

On a quick trip, give the entire area — including Sorrento and Naples — a minimum of three days. With Sorrento as your sunny springboard, spend a day in Naples, a day exploring the Amalfi Coast, and a day split between Pompeii and the town of Sorrento. While Paestum (Greek temples), Mount Vesuvius, Herculaneum (an ancient Roman site like Pompeii), and the island of Capri are decent options, they are worthwhile only if you give the area more time.

For a blitz tour from Rome, you could have breakfast on the early Rome–Naples express train (about 7:00–9:00), do Naples and Pompeii in a day, and be back in Rome in time for Letterman. That's exhausting, but more memorable than a fourth day in Rome.

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Camogli

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Turin and Its Chocolate Tradition

Turin and Its Chocolate Tradition

The continuing love story between Turin and chocolate began as far back as 1560: in celebration of the Ducal Capital’s move from Chambéry to Turin, Emanuele Filiberto of Savoy served a symbolic cup of piping hot chocolate to the city. 
An authentic passion that has created specialties now known throughout the world has also continued to stimulate the imaginations of the master chocolatiers over the centuries.  
Indeed, it was here in the Savoy Capital that the Bicerin – a glass of hot coffee, cacao, and milk cream – was conceived in the 1700s. 
By way of chocolate, the maestros of Turin knew exactly how to express their taste for innovation, so much so that they experimented with new mechanisms to mix cacao, vanilla, water and sugar into a malleable paste (beginning 17th Century). They discovered that they could transform the chocolate into solid bars, thus giving life to chocolates, or cioccolatini, of every type – from bon bons to pralines, truffles and cremini. 

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WHAT TO SEE IN LIGURIA

Liguria possesses a number of charming attractions, some of them classified as World Heritage Sites by UNESCO for their uniqueness and their historical and natural value. 

One of these sites is Genoa, a multi-faceted city that combines the ancient with the modern, the past with the present, colors with shadows. This city belongs to the sea and the sea belongs to it; its culture, places, food and buildings tell the story of the old Maritime Republic. 
You can still breathe its ancient atmosphere walking among the carruggi, the narrow alleys of the old town of Genoa. Here we can find the Strade Nuove and the system of the Palazzi dei Rolli, an extraordinary architectural work of the 16th Century built to host politicians and aristocrats. The aristocratic dwellings that would host State visits were chosen by draw from the rolli, or public registers.

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Liguria

Liguria is in north-western Italy, bordering with France. The region features impressive mountains and lovely rolling hills, colored by the green Mediterranean turf and overlooking the Ligurian Sea. The two are divided by a high, indented coastline.
Liguria is a multi-faceted sliver of the Peninsula, where differences weave together to create a wide array of things to do and see during a visit here.

Nature, mountains, culture, entertainment and night life: all one has to do is choose.
The waters of this section of the Mediterranean are an enormously important feature of the region, with its characteristic rocky coasts interrupted by small coves, and beaches of fine golden sand.

The Cinque Terre and the Gulf of Poets, the Gulf of Tigullio, Genoa and Paradise Gulf, the Riviera delle Palme and the Riviera dei Fiori make up the famous coast of Liguria which stretches from Ameglia to Ventimiglia, for more than 300 km (186 mi). During an itinerary so spectacular for the beauty of the land and seascapes, we can see the most famous tourist resorts of Liguria: Portofino, Santa Margherita Ligure, Rapallo, Sestri Levante with its enchanting Baia del Silenzio (Silent Bay), and Chiavari.

One after another, generous beaches, minuscule yet gorgeous ports and amazing sceneries for exploring greet visitors, and turn into vivacious centers by night, with plenty of entertainment and shopping on offer. Some of these include: Sanremo, the city of flowers, famous for the Italian Music Festival and for its Casino; the refined towns of Bordighera and Alassio, with its 3 kilometers (almost 2 mi) of fine sand, along with Laigueglia and Varigotti, some of the gems embedded in the Riviera di Ponente.
Then comes Portovenere - facing Palmaria Island - then Lerici with its grand Medieval castle, elegant villas and lush gardens.

The Ligurian Sea also attracts several specimens of sperm whales, rorquals and dolphins, who find their natural habitat and live safely in this area known as the “Sanctuary of Cetaceans.”
The extensive woods of Liguria with their centuries-old trees, a true natural legacy, are an excellent alternative to traditional tourism. Immersion into the region's natural environments allows one to get to know and see the places where man, with love and dedication, has managed to cultivate the best possible fruits from thisland. Places full of history, culture and traditions, which witness the passage of ancient peoples coming from the sea.

The provinces of the region are: Genoa (the region's capital), Imperia, Savona and La Spezia.

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Agritourisms IN ITALY

In Italy tourists and travelers love staying in agritourisms (agriturismi), authentic agricultural enterprises that are often outfitted with all the comforts and modern conveniences. 
From the magnificent hills of Tuscany to the magical borgoes of Umbria, from the countryside surrounding art cities such as Rome, Naples, or Venice, all the way to the Sicilian hinterland, this type of vacation offers visitors the possibility to live in strict contact with nature, and allows them to learn about diverse farming methods up close. One of the founding principles of agritourisms is indeed the use of gastronomic products that are harvested and made on site. Time spent at an agritourism is an occasion to explore the diverse enogastronomy from region to region, tasting the local dishes par excellence: from the truffle of Piedmont to Friulan prosciutto, from Mozzarella di Bufala from Campania to Bolognese mortadella, without leaving out, of course, the wonderful olive oil from Apulia. Besides welcoming visitors to spend a lovely day amidst nature and in front of a table laid out to suit both the eyes and the palate, the restaurants in agritourisms will expand their guests’ gastronomic horizons, so to speak, introducing them to cooking traditions both old and new. 
Vacationers that choose to stay overnight in an agritourism can focus their vacation, in small or large part, on discovering ancient flavors and cuisines. 
The agritourism is also an ideal choice for an environmentally-friendly vacation, observing and perhaps taking part in cultivation and/or harvest alongside the personnel of any particular agritourism, sharing in the development objectives, values and preservation of the land. A naturalistic vacation set in a charming agritourism also falls under the category of sustainable tourism – many agritourisms even lie inside national parks, including in Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni. 
Another important aspect of vacationing in an agritourism is the fact that high quality and a favorable price are more than often mutually-inclusive. 
In fact, this vacation type began as an economically-smart and feasible way to an unforgettable vacation set amidst good values, good food, and beautiful surroundings. Nevertheless, the agritourism, a concept that has dramatically risen to the forefront, has become ever more comfortable in recent years, and even organized in accordance to regulations and networks similar to those of hotels. 
Yet, what continues to make the difference is the ambience of nature itself, the ample open-air space, and the friendly raport that the owners more than often have with their guests; the agritourism is usually managed by a family, and guests are likely to feel as if they were at home with their own family. 
An agritourism vacation is adapted for everyone – whether families with young children, a group of friends, or senior citizens – and also pair perfectly with cultural, archaeological, enogastronomic and nature itineraries. 
It is no doubt that mixing Italy’s best characteristics, from food and fun, culture and history, to the arts of man and nature alike is done best on an agritourism vacation, and is the best way to experience the Bel Paese!

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Italy Far and Wide

Infinite are the itineraries and tours that allow visitors to explore Italy, a unique and singular country known around the world for the variety of its landscapes and terrains – a country in perfect equilibrium between the sea, mountains, hills and plains. 

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From the Gulf of Asinara to the Costa Smeralda

From the Gulf of Asinara to the Costa Smeralda

Turquoise waters, jagged coasts, hidden bays, rocks sculpted by the wind, white-sand beaches set within natural pink granite: this is the “comp card” of the Sardinian coast from Porto Torres to Olbia.
Both are final destinations on an itinerary that winds its way between the Gulf of Asinara and the Cosa Smeralda and that touches some of the best-known places on the Island. It is also here that high society plays, and where hidden, wild pockets of land wait to be discovered, all within an ultra-millenary environment.

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Camogli

Camogli is an exquisite borgo with a view on the Gulf of Paradise (on the Italian Rivera di Levante). 
A typical, romantic seaside village characterized by highly-stacked and vivaciously-painted houses, Camogli is part of a magnificent natural setting that has enchanted tourists the world over, for centuries. 
It is the calling for those wanting to enjoy a mix of relaxation, culture, seaside fun and great food. 

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Umbria

Everchanging, untouched landscapes in the green of winding valleys make Umbria a region that will never fail to amaze. This region comprises mainly hills, mountains, hollows and plains and extends along the Tiber’s central basin. 
At the heart of the boot, it is the only region with no coastline. 

It includes Lake Trasimeno, central Italy’s largest lake. The area still has the remains of Etruscan settlements, particularly around Castiglione del Lago, where the loveliness of the natural landscape combines with the romanticism and stillness of the lake. 
Moving on from the two lakes, we come to the Cascate delle Marmore waterfalls near Terni, some of the most beautiful in Europe. 
The waters dive into the River Nera with a spectacular 165 m (541 ft) drop, and are surrounded by lush vegetation. This is the spot for sports lovers who enjoy canoeing, kayaking, and not only. 

Still in the province of Terni, tourists looking to get the feel of Umbria should not miss out on two little gems: one of them is linked to history and the other to the territory. Carsulae is an ancient Roman town traversed by the ancient Via Flaminia, where important public buildings have been discovered. We can still see the remains of the S. Damiano Arch, with particularly beautiful and fascinating surroundings. 
The other gem, closely linked to the area’s makeup is the Dunarobba Fossil Forest, a rare example of a forest that existed 3 million years ago, with very well-preserved tree trunks set in a lunar landscape. 

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Aosta Valley

Aosta Valley is the smallest region in Italy; in its northwest, it is located between France and Switzerland. At its core are its majestic peaks (the region is, after all, mostly mountainous). Here we can find the highest peaks in the Alps: Cervino, Monte Rosa, Gran Paradiso and the king of them all, Mont Blanc, which at 15,781 feet is the highest mountain in Europe, the roof of the old Continent. 
Those who are not familiar with mountaineering can use the comfortable, yet thrilling, cable car; catch it just a few miles from Courmayeur, one of the most important ski resorts in the world. 
In this setting of stately mountains and diverse valleys sits the oldest National Park, the Gran Paradiso, where it is still possible to see animals in their natural habitat - ibex, chamois, eagles and marmots live in vegetation that changes according to the surrounding environment. 
Historically, the Aosta Valley has been viewed as land of contact and conjuncture between Italy and France; such is also reflected in its official bilingualism and its special status as autonomous region. The great modern tunnels of Gran San Bernardo and, even more so, those under Mont Blanc - extraordinary engineering masterpieces that run to France - highlight even more clearly this aspect of intersection between Italy and the rest of Europe. 

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