The Curious Traveler

Travel

Three Abandoned Italian Islands You Can Visit

by Silvia Donati | Thu, 04/01/2021 - 05:35

Smaller, little-known islands with interesting pasts can be found off the coast of Italy, making for fun day trips from larger nearby islands or the coast.…

Culture

Lost Ancient Roman Mosaic Turned into Coffee Table Returns to Italian Museum from US

by Silvia Donati | Thu, 03/25/2021 - 06:40

A lost mosaic belonging to Roman emperor Caligula has been unveiled and put on display at the Italian museum in Nemi, Lazio, where it was supposedly kept…

Lifestyle

A Guide to Puglia – Italy's Newest Hotspot

by Anonymous (not verified) | Tue, 03/02/2021 - 08:50

Italy's magic has been shifting over the last five years. While the Tuscan charm still attracts large volumes of tourists, slowly and steadily, the welcoming…

Culture

The Story Behind the Two Pink Columns at the Doge’s Palace

by Silvia Donati | Thu, 02/18/2021 - 00:00

If you’ve been to Venice, you may or may not have noticed two columns on the Doge Palace’s loggiato looking a different color from all others (if you haven’t…

Culture

Aosta, the ‘Roman’ Town

by Silvia Donati | Thu, 01/14/2021 - 00:00

In a far distant past, Aosta was known as Augusta Praetoria Salassorum. Founded by the Romans in 25 BC, Aosta is the second Italian city with the largest…

Lifestyle

Livorno’s Central Market is a Feast For the Senses

by Jamie Mackay | Tue, 11/24/2020 - 04:45

A few years ago now a Florentine friend gave me one of the simplest and most useful travel tips I’ve ever received. When moving around Italy, he recommended,…

Travel

Plaque depicting Dante on a wall in the streets of Florence

Italy Wins Two Awards in Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel 2021

by Silvia Donati | Tue, 11/17/2020 - 06:26

There is one Italian destination in Lonely Planet’s just released annual Best in Travel 2021 list: and that is ‘Le Vie di Dante’ (Roads of Dante) in the ‘…

Travel

Home is Where the Heart (and Food) Is

by Anonymous (not verified) | Fri, 11/13/2020 - 00:58

For Italian-born, U.S.-based Alessandro Concas Sr., teaching the Romance language through his Serata Italiana (Italian Evening) initiative is all about heart,…

Travel

Greccio, the Fascinating Site of the World's First Nativity Scene

by Silvia Donati | Wed, 11/04/2020 - 00:00

Known by worshipers around the world as the ‘Franciscan Bethlehem,’ the Sanctuary of Greccio is one of the four sanctuaries erected by St. Francis in the so-…

Travel

Architectural details of building in Coppedè neighborhood in Rome

Rome’s Most Bizarre Neighborhood

by Silvia Donati | Thu, 10/29/2020 - 01:00

When in Rome, you may want to head off the beaten track from time to time. You’ll discover sights and neighborhoods rarely mentioned on guidebooks, and they…