Who can resist the warm romance of Rome, its classic yet eternal elegance, the immense wealth of history and art treasures, its golden summer sunsets? And Naples, sitting in the shadow of ominous Mount Vesuvius, with its often chaotic but fascinating beauty, its warm and colourful people and the beautiful islands of Capri and Ischia just a short fe...

Trastevere is one of the most picturesque districts of Rome, with its cobbled streets, colourful red and ochre buildings and thriving bohemian nightlife. At the same time, being on the left bank of the Tiber, it has always had its own very distinctive character, which it still maintains today. It is one of those neighbourhood where you can still fe...

I am sure that at least once we have all found ourselves in the centre of a major city, in the middle of the summer, the tarmac melting under our feet and the searing heat radiating from the buildings wondering why the hell we didn't choose a better time to visit... But thankfully many cities boasts oasis where visitors and locals alike can sw...

Rome has several obelisks adorning squares and avenues. Many of them were shipped from Egypt by the Romans after conquering the land of the Nile. Others were actually sculpted by the Romans themselves, who were fascinated by Egyptian art. But there is one obelisk that has a peculiar story, one that tells us of a deep affection - some say love - bet...

​Rome is a city of water. Its citizens have been used for centuries to enjoy an abundance of crystal clean water. The Romans had well understood the immense power of supplying this vital element; to make people happy is to have to keep them well fed and watered first. They built impressive aqueducts feeding hundreds of beautiful fountains and ...

Urban parks and gardens are an antidote to the city's noise, pollution and chaos. However some of the green spaces enclosed in our cities are more than that. They tell amazing stories and often help us understanding the history of the centres they sit in. Here are a few more or less known parks and gardens and the fascinating histories they hold wi...

​ With almost 50 million visitors every year, Italy ranks fifth among the most visited countries in the world. Its endless bounty of artistic treasures, romantic landscapes, literary and musical icons and world-renowned food makes it a destination without equals. Of those visitors, many are LGBT. What sort of welcome do they expect to receive in It...

During the middle ages a lot of the Roman roads leading to and from Rome had fallen in disrepair. The journey to the Holy See was long, arduous and often dangerous, for the medieval roads were neglected and frequented by bandits. Yet thousands of people made the journey to Rome every year as their was one of the three major holy pilgrimages (the ot...