Italy is bursting at the seams with charming hilltop towns and languishing seaside villages. Lesser-known and often overlooked, foothill towns spill down the lower slopes of some of the country’s most dramatic mountain ranges, offering sweeping vistas as far as the eye can see. (And many times, without the crowds such vistas tend to attract.)
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Insider travel tips
Nestled in the Campanian seaside cliffs between astonishing Amalfi and sensational Salerno lies the lesser-known town of Maiori. Home to the longest stretch of beach on the Amalfi Coast, centuries’ worth of religious and cultural history and a gorgeous waterfront promenade, Maiori is the perfect place for a relaxing, romantic getaway.
There’s a distinct bohemian buzz as you walk through Corso di Porta Ticinese, the street connecting Colonne di San Lorenzo to Piazza XXIV Maggio. Ticinese is one of Milan's liveliest districts and a favorite among young people, students and trendy types, with its vinyl and vintage shops, stylish pop-up businesses, tattoo parlors and late-night hangouts.
Fabulous foodie guides
by: Jared Ranahan
The rolling hills of Tuscany have drawn hordes of people over the centuries – promising peace of mind, grand art, sumptuous meals, and fine wines. Part of the allure is that the region defies the march of time, somehow merging the blissful comfort of pastoral lands and ancient stories of love and intrigue with the satisfying pleasures of modernity.
Italian Language lessons
You may have heard about the latest language-led controversy making Italian headlines: At the end of March, Fabio Rampelli of Fratelli d’Italia — the hard-right party at the helm of Italy’s current government —
When digital decorum flew out the window late last year at the stateliest museum in Florence, Eike Schmidt took it upon himself to write a “rules of good email etiquette” manifesto.
In English, as in most languages, when we want to express a request, extend an invitation or even give a direct command, we rely on the imperative:
“Close the window!”
“Don’t fill up on sweets!”
Exclusive recipes
This dish is a specialty of the tiny hill town of Scheggino in Umbria, known for its delicious freshwater trout. Trout, caramelized onions, and tomatoes season the snails — or snail-shaped pasta, that is!
Pizza bianca con Nutella: It's like bread and chocolate, only better!
Turbot, a popular fish in Italy, is white with flesh that’s meaty yet delicate and tender. Here, the filets are cooked on the stove in a pan with grill ridges, but this recipe also works terrifically if you flour- or batter-dip and fry the fish. While turbot is preferred, the recipe is also wonderful with other white flesh fish like halibut or flounder.
Culture Vulture deep dives
The birth of Christ — the Nativity — is one of the central images of Christian iconography and an immensely popular subject for Italian artists through the ages. The Nativity immediately brings to mind Mary, Joseph, and the baby Jesus in a manger surrounded by animals, angels, and visiting kings.
Olafur Eliasson’s installation in Palazzo Strozzi’s courtyard is dizzying. The 36 x 26 ft flickering moiré pattern of two overlaid grids called Under The Weather hovers over visitors and seems to move with them as they walk. The topsy-turvy experience is a preview of the artist’s most significant exhibition in Italy to date, Nel Tuo Tempo (In Your Time).
October brings the feast of Saint Francis of Assisi, one of Italy’s most popular saints.
Artisan shopping secrets
Milan is one of the world’s design capitals. Brands like Prada and Versace are headquartered in the northern Italian city and the Salone del Mobile (Furniture Fair) attracts thousands of well-heeled visitors from across the globe each year.
The Italian footwear industry is one in which craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology combine to create a product with a distinct style that has no equal in the world. This mastery is especially true in a little town on the Romagna Riviera.
In Florence, city of masterpieces, artisan traditions have flourished for centuries. It’s a joy to discover the abundance of shops where talented workers dedicate themselves to techniques handed down through generations and also bring new ideas to this city where creativity has long been nurtured.