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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Amalfi Coast

The territory

Amalfi Coast is situated on the Sorrento peninsula. We find the "Lattari mountain", which rocks are "calcareous-dolomitic". The ground of the coast is very fertile, thanks to the Vesuvio's eructions that has always been covert by pyroclastic materials. The highest crew of the Peninsula of Sorrento are "monte S. Angelo a tre pizzi", 1443 mts high, above Positano, "monte Cerreto", 1316 mts high, near Ravello. Following the Lattari Mountain we meet other crews, "monte Rotondo","monte Candelotto" and "monte Finestra". This last crew throw itself in the Tirreno Sea, from Cape "d'Orso". The coast has many valley, born throught the water erosion of little river, as Canneto, Dragonea, Sambuco and where the people built our towns. The clima of the coast is typically mediterranian, but we can find some micro-clima as in the "Valle delle Ferriere", between Amalfi and Scala, rich of water, where leave some rare ferns, like the "woodwardia radicans".

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Best of South Italy in 13 Days Tour

This tour treats you to the slice of Italy that's richest in contrasts, from cities to beaches, and from rugged to glamorous. After touring the wonders of Rome, your Rick Steves guide will take you across Italy's boot to the wild beauty of the Gargano Peninsula and Adriatic Coast. You'll meander through the untouristed Puglia and Basilicata regions, followed by the must-see historic sites at Paestum and Pompeii, the jaw-dropping vistas of the Amalfi Coast, and the untamed energy of Naples. Join us for the Best of South Italy in 13 Days!

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Camogli

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The Sea

With its approximately 4,660 mi of coastline, Italy is the ideal place for water lovers. The wide variety of its beaches makes it perfect for every type of vacationer in search of nature, fun, and rest and relaxation. The Italian coast, with its countless gulfs, coves and inlets, touristic ports and long, sandy beaches, is truly adapted to the water lover’s every demand. It is chock-full of fishing villages, and coastal cities with sea resorts and day beaches - much of it easily reachable by car, train and planes, and vessels large and small.

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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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The Italy of Contemporary Art

Certainly not lacking for cultural excellence, Italy is not only the cradle of Roman, Renaissance and Baroque art, but it also plays a rather important role in the international modern and contemporary art scenes. 

Museums, galleries, cultural institutions and the artists themselves are organized into collectives: art in Italy follows the flux of events, and techniques and expressions change with economic, global, political and socio-cultural transformations.

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Culture of Italy

From antiquity until the mid-17th century, Italy was considered as the central place of Western culture and the starting point of worldwide phenomena such as the Roman Empire, Roman Catholic Church, cultural and educational reform and new beginning. During this period, Italy gave birth to a number of famous painters, sculptors, poets, musicians, mathematical and architects those created a niche of their own in history.

Both the internal and external facets of Western culture were born on the Italian peninsula, whether one looks at the history of the Christian faith, civil institutions (such as the Senate), philosophy, law,^[1] art, science, or social customs and culture. Furthermore, the country played a leading role in the fight against the death penalty.

Italy was home to many well-known and influential civilizations, including

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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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Cruises

Italy, with its 7500 km (4,660 mi) of coastline, practically overflowing with indentations, gulfs and coves, natural landfalls and touristic ports, stands out as a cruise destination, and is one of the primary cruise departure points in Europe.

Ever higher numbers of tourists are choosing a cruise as an all-inclusive vacation that combines fun, relaxation, culture, and the possibility to see a number of destinations in one long itinerary at sea – and, one might add, without having to change hotels!The Bel Paese is a protagonist among sea destinations, both on an international level and within the Mediterranean, thanks to its favorable climate and marine conditions, as well as easy port access and varied touristic divertments, all on a year-round basis.

Italy not only offers innumerable ports from which passengers can embark on a cruise (more than any other country – one passenger in three departs from an Italian port), but even more often the Peninsula is a destination point for many cruises.

Among the major ports are Civitavecchia, Venice, Naples, Livorno, Savona, and Bari. Particularly, the port at Civitavecchia, besides being at the top of the European rankings for numbers of embarkations, disembarkations and transits, represents an ideal mooring post for excursions to Rome (inserted as one of the 47 Italian sites on the UNESCO World Heritage List).

Naples, even though not a typical docking point for passenger loading and unloading, is still one of the primary sea ports of call in all of Europe, as seafarers can take a number of different trips to the nearby islands (specifically, Capri, Ischia and Procida), as well as to the glorious Amalfi Coast.

The port at Venice, on the other hand, is one of the most frequented by both Italian and foreign navigation companies; after all, it is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and thus a huge attraction for numerous sea cruise itineraries.

Messina, as well, is another landing place for a variety of cruiselines: a Sicilian port, it serves as a stop from which to visit some of the most beautiful spots on the island, like Taormina.

Those departing from, embarking or stopping at Ligurian ports (Genoa, Savona, La Spezia), will be astounded by the magnificent panorama overlooking the towns of the Cinque Terre and the other splendid Ligurian borgoes on the sea, e.g. Portofino.

It goes without saying that a renewed increase in cruise traffic that leaves from, visits or lands in Italy has taken place in recent years (as in the Loire Valley and on the Nile River, for instance). Similarly, destinations have become more focused, meaning passengers can spend days visiting Venice and its Lagoon, or the Po River Delta, by boat.

Italy, other than being one of the most important European destinations for the cruise sector, is also among the nations with the highest number of cruise company owners, offering sea cruises throughout the world. 

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For camping enthusiasts, the camper has became a lifestyle – a travel approach that, in Italy, regards approximately 5.6 million tourists (annually), including Italians and foreigners both.
A camper vacation invites travelers to escape from the usual, well-trodden itineraries of mass tourism, and instead to discover the magic of undiscovered Italy: its borgoes, pristine nature, evocative landscapes and ancient traditions (all without, however, denying one’s desire for both convenience and creature comforts). 

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Cycle Tourism

Cycle Tourism: Discover Italy by Bike

Cycle tourism is a travel experience that focuses on the bicycle as the primary mode of transport. Cycle tourism combines particularly suggestive localities (whether mountain range, countryside or urban scene) that you can easily visit on your bike! This form of tourism represents an alternative to markedly traditional tourism.

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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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Traveling in Italy

Traveling in Italy

Italy is well-connected to the rest of the world via air, as well as by land and sea, with cars, trains, buses and boats large and small making their way to the Peninsula. 

Moving within Italy is easy: flights between both principal and smaller cities run daily, if not more frequently. Rail networks extend over 15,000 km (9, 321 mi) and evenly cover the entire country, as do the autostrade, freeways and state highways, allowing drivers and passengers to reach every angle of the “Boot” with speed and ease. Frequent and rapid ferry lines travel between the islands and all the principal coastal and port cities.

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