ItalyTravel.com by Perillo Tours http://www.italytravel.com ItalyTravel.com is brought to you by Perillo Tours, America’s leader in travel to Italy since 1945, and its sister company ItalyVacations.com Mon, 17 Jun 2013 04:36:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 steveperillohttp://feedburner.google.com The Italy Mix: Erice Sicily, Protecting Venice http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/sDZiX7cwuJk/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/the-italy-mix-erice-sicily-protecting-venice/#comments Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:29:49 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2630

ericeThe Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week:

A World of Mist and Stone in Sicily: Explore the walled town of Erice in northwestern Sicily. A local says, “You don’t come here to see sights, you come here to be here.”  (The Boston Globe)

Protecting Venice From Flooding: The first floodgate as part of the controversial 5.7-billion-euro MOSE project has now been installed. (ANSA)

Rome Crackdown: City cracks down on tables crowding historic piazzas. But how do cafe owners and tourists feel? (NBC News)

Family Travel News for Rome: Kids under the age of 18 can now enter Rome’s Colosseum for free. (Dream of Italy)

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

Photo by neekoh.fi, flickr.com

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portofino

If you’re looking for a little slice of paradise this summer, head the pastel-colored resort of Portofino on Italy’s Italian Riviera in the northwest corner of the country. It is one of the Italy’s most elegant towns with shops, restaurants and hotels lining the turquoise blue Mediterranean water.

Photo by Michal Osmenda, flickr.com

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/italy-travel-photo-beautiful-portofino/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/italy-travel-photo-beautiful-portofino/ Music and Wine at Tuscany’s Melodia del Vino http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/hIBddKxeGdw/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/music-and-wine-at-tuscanys-melodia-del-vino/#comments Thu, 06 Jun 2013 17:54:50 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2613
melodia-del-vino-jWhat’s more harmonious than pairing music with wine? That’s the premise behind Melodia del Vino – a series of five classical music concerts combined with wine tastings, hosted at some of Tuscany’s finest vineyards between June 27 and July 6, 2013.
The wineries taking part in the music series include Cantina Antinori nel Classico in Bargina, Cantna Petra near Livorno, Castello Banfi in Montalcino, Tenuta Rocca di Montemassi in Roccastrada (Grosseto) and Tenuta Rocca di Frassinello in Gavorrano (Grosseto). Performers include Italy’s Giovanni Belluci on the piano and Marc Laforêt (France) on piano accompanied by French cellist Henri Demarquette.
This is the third year for Melodia del Vino and is based on the French festival Grands Crus Musicaux, a cultural project which has been received with great success in the Bordeaux region for the past 10 years. This article in The Florentine has additional details.

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/music-and-wine-at-tuscanys-melodia-del-vino/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/music-and-wine-at-tuscanys-melodia-del-vino/ Blue Flag Beaches in Italy 2013: Liguria Tops The List http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/Ra3ppVtBn1M/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/blue-flag-beaches-in-italy-2013-liguria-tops-the-list/#comments Thu, 06 Jun 2013 00:57:02 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2621

liguria-beachThe region of Liguria — home to the Italian Riviera and the Cinque Terre –  on Italy’s northwest coast has been awarded with more Blue Flag beaches this year than any other region in Italy. With two new entries for 2013 — La Spezia Mirabello and San Lorenzo al Mare, Liguria now has 20 of the cleanest beaches in Italy.

The Blue Flag organization, in conjunction with the United Nations’ Environment Program, has analyzed beaches and marinas worldwide since 1987 to monitor quality and cleanliness.

A total of 248 beaches in Italy were awarded Blue Flag status this year (and 62 marinas).  According to ANSA, “Some 86% of last year’s Blue Flag beaches were confirmed this year while nine new entries included resorts in Carrara, Tuscany, Francavilla al Mare in Abruzzo and a lake beach resort in Levico Terme, in the north-eastern Trentino-Alto Adige region.”

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

Photo by dmytrok, flickr.com

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/blue-flag-beaches-in-italy-2013-liguria-tops-the-list/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/blue-flag-beaches-in-italy-2013-liguria-tops-the-list/ The Italy Mix: Dan Brown’s New Book, Prisoners Making Wine http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/VQOg6d-j4b0/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/the-italy-mix-dan-browns-new-book-prisoners-making-wine/#comments Sat, 01 Jun 2013 21:56:57 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2609

inferno-white-borderThe Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week:

Dante Fever in Florence: Dan Brown’s latest book The Inferno has tourists flocking to Florence to follow in Robert Langdon’s steps.  (The Daily Beast)

Venice’s Hidden Neighborhood:  The working-class district of Castello Orientale is place to take in authentic Venice . (The New York Times)

Italy’s Most Unlikely Vintners: A group of inmates on a remote prison island off the coast of Italy have started producing their own wine. (The Telegraph)

Dance in the Birthplace of Pesto: Danza Contempo Ligure, a small festival based in Genoa, puts the area on the map as more than just the home of pesto. (The New York Times)

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/the-italy-mix-dan-browns-new-book-prisoners-making-wine/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/06/the-italy-mix-dan-browns-new-book-prisoners-making-wine/ Italy Travel Photo: Taormina Sicily http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/ySIOqrt0q0s/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/italy-travel-photo-taormina-sicily/#comments Wed, 29 May 2013 13:45:07 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2605

taormina-scott1723

Taormina is one of the most beautiful towns in all of Sicily.  One of the most famous sites in Taormina is the 3rd century Greek theater at Monte Tauro, offering views of Mount Etna. There are also plenty of opportunities for fun in the sun at nearby beaches and golf courses. Taormina is a stop on Perillo’s 12-day South & Sicily Tour.

Photo by scott1723, flickr.com

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/italy-travel-photo-taormina-sicily/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/italy-travel-photo-taormina-sicily/ Rome Exhibit: Machiavelli’s “The Prince” Turns 500 http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/Ttp9cEdPWwQ/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/rome-exhibit-machiavellis-the-prince-turns-500/#comments Tue, 28 May 2013 17:43:04 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2602
macchiavelliThe most translated book from the Italian language, The Prince by Nicolo Machiavelli celebrates its 500th birthday this year with a special exhibit in Rome. The exhibition “Niccolò Machiavelli: The Prince and His Times 1513-2013″ runs through June 16th at Rome’s Vittoriano Museum Complex. Its six parts trace Machiavelli and his times, the impact of The Prince through today and how its meaning has been used and abused.
According to NPR (check out their special segment on the exhibit), “Few works of world literature have had so many diverging interpretations, and some of them are projected on a wall of the exhibit. The philosopher Spinoza was convinced The Prince was a warning to men of what tyrants were capable of; Francis Bacon thought Machiavelli a realist unfettered by Utopian fantasies; Karl Marx considered Machiavelli’s work a genuine masterpiece. Bertrand Russell called The Prince a handbook for gangsters.”

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/rome-exhibit-machiavellis-the-prince-turns-500/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/rome-exhibit-machiavellis-the-prince-turns-500/ Rent Sting’s Villa in Tuscany http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/NmVVL_1gBKk/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/rent-stings-villa-in-tuscany/#comments Fri, 24 May 2013 20:02:26 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2596

sting-villaRock star Sting and his wife Trudie Styler are now renting out their 16th-century estate in the Chianti area of Tuscany. Il Palagio has six cottages offering overnight accommodations for 50 guests, plus it is the perfect venue for a Tuscan wedding.

According to The Daily Mail, “Up to 200 partygoers will be able to enjoy the 900-acre Italian estate’s attractions which include a large swimming pool, a giant chess board in the garden, bee hives and its own, woods, lake and kitchen garden.”

Living like a world-famous celebrity doesn’t come cheap though. The rental price for a week on one of the cottages is upwards of $9,000.

There’s also a working farm on the estate and Sting and Styler sell the farm and vineyard products – including wine, olive oil and honey – online.

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/rent-stings-villa-in-tuscany/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/rent-stings-villa-in-tuscany/ The Italy Mix: World Nutella Day, Spoleto Festival http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/Rl59pBV1K6Q/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/the-italy-mix-world-nutella-day-spoleto-festival/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 18:00:15 +0000 Kathy McCabe http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2588

nutellaThe Italy Mix is a post about the most interesting Italy and Italy travel news and human interest stories around the Web each week. Here are our top picks for this week:

Will World Nutella Day Go On?: Italian chocolate maker issues cease and desist to fan’s yearly celebration. But have they now come to a compromise?  (The Huffington Post)

Farmacia Santa Maria Novella:  A profile of the historic Florentine perfume and scent shop A must-visit in Florence. (The Washington Times)

Carla Fendi Trying to Restore Spoleto Festival: Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto Umbria had a world-famous reputation before hitting hard times. (The New York Times)

Pleasing Visitors From Emerging Markets: The numbers of Chinese, Russian, Middle Eastern and Brazilian visitors to Italy are increasing and they are looking for special experiences. (La Stampa)

Ready to travel to Italy? Perillo Tours has been leading group trips throughout Italy since 1945 and ItalyVacations.com can custom design an independent itinerary for your dream Italy vacation!

Taking your first trip to Italy soon? Learn everything you need to know when you get your FREE copy of The First Timer’s Guide to Italy by ItalyTravel.com contributor Kathy McCabe

]]> http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/the-italy-mix-world-nutella-day-spoleto-festival/feed/ 0 http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/the-italy-mix-world-nutella-day-spoleto-festival/ Steve’s Travel Tips: Navigating Coffee Bars in Italy http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/steveperillo/~3/uvixKB9zb9U/ http://www.italytravel.com/2013/05/steves-travel-tips-navigating-coffee-bars-in-italy/#comments Mon, 20 May 2013 18:09:38 +0000 Steve http://www.italytravel.com/?p=2592

Steve_and_Harry_reasonably_smallI’m Steve Perillo of Perillo Tours. I’m thrilled to have started a new video series called Steve’s Travel Tips to share all the insider Italy travel tips I have learned over a lifetime of travel to Italy.

This week I’m talking about the great Italian tradition of drinking coffee or espresso at an Italian coffee bar. Now it isn’t as easy as you might think – there are rules you have to follow but I’m here to help! Enjoy my short video travel tip on enjoying Italian coffee bars.  

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