Elegant Journeys Travel

20/11/2024

Microsoft and the Vatican used artificial intelligence to virtually recreate the historic Vatican City church

04/09/2024

Rome's ancient Arch of Constantine near the Colosseum was damaged by lightning during a violent storm that wreaked havoc on the Italian capital on Tuesday.

08/08/2024

A new archaeological museum in Capri charts the Roman history of the Italian island at the height of its splendour under the emperors Augustus and Tiberius.

31/07/2024

The Colosseum Archaeological Park has reopened the House of Livia, a first-century BC domus on Rome's Palatine Hill, after a programme of restoration work.

27/07/2024

🏆🩵🩵

Italy has been successful in its bid to have the Appian Way added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, the United Nations' cultural agency announced today.

23/07/2024

Archaeologists think the Roman army constructed it to contain the revolting gladiator in 71 B.C.E.

05/07/2024

The ruins of an ancient Roman garden likely owned by Emperor Caligula have been excavated as part of a major Jubilee construction project near the Vatican.

26/06/2024

🍇 🍷 🥂

The Impossible Vineyards of Cinque Terre. I (Valeria) had no idea that wine in Italy was also produced by heroes.

23/06/2024

In the seaside resort town of Herculaneum, the beach is the final resting place of more than 330 residents who tried to flee

12/06/2024

Dozens of items, including burnt bones and ceramics, provide new insights into ritual activity in the city of Ostia

08/06/2024

The 86-square-foot space is adorned with artworks depicting female figures and agricultural imagery

04/06/2024

Nom nom nom 🤤

Italian confectionery giant Ferrero launches Nutella Ice Cream this summer, with supermarkets across Italy stocking the gelato treat from the start of June.

01/06/2024

Italy marks Festa della Repubblica, a national public holiday in celebration of the Italian republic, with numerous major events in Rome on Sunday 2 June.

27/05/2024

Siena's Duomo will unveil its extraordinary inlaid marble mosaic floors which can be admired during a visit to the Tuscan cathedral city over summer 2024.

22/05/2024

When visiting Puglia—the heel of Italy's boot—be sure to hit the antique markets, experience a local sagra, and feast on fresh fish seaside. http://cntrvlr.co/v4nWhnZ

02/05/2024

A friendly reminder to anyone heading to Venice: Today's the day the new visitor registration system goes into effect! Rick's co-author, Cameron Hewitt, was just in Venice and got the scoop:

Basically, as a counter-over tourism measure, Venice is experimenting with a system to charge day trippers an "access fee" of €5. However, even those exempt from the fee — including anyone staying overnight in Venice — still have to register. This means on certain days, all visitors to Venice must have a registration QR code on their phone (or printed out).

Be aware that (for now) this requirement only applies to 29 designated days between now and July 14 (dates in red on photo). City leaders describe it as a "pilot program"; soon, they will re-evaluate and decide whether to continue. If you're going to Venice later this year, be sure to check back.

Some hotels and tour operators (including Rick Steves tours) can help you with registration, or even do it for you; others leave it entirely up to you.

Getting registered is a bureaucratic headache, but ultimately not a big deal: Go to the website (https://cda.ve.it/en/) and fill out the form. While the website feels poorly designed, ultimately it should take just a few minutes. To confirm, you either need to make a toll-free call or provide an email address where you’ll need to click a link.

How will this be monitored, exactly? Excellent question! We'll find out, starting today. When I was there, locals speculated that you might be greeted by control officers upon arrival at the train station (Sta. Lucia) and/or bus station (Piazzale Roma) and/or parking garage (Tronchetto), and be asked to show your QR code. To me, this seems like a logistical nightmare...especially since the Pope is coming to town in a few days for a Mass on St. Mark's Square. This will bring hundreds of thousands of additional visitors to this tiny island, just as they're figuring out the new system. If you'll be in Venice over the next week, pack your patience.

If anyone happens to be there now (or soon), please report back on your experience. How was registration? Were you checked on arrival? Let's compare notes to help fellow travelers.

01/05/2024

Map of the language varieties of Italy.

According to the Ethnologue, Italy is home to 27 living languages.

Recommended Reading: “Lingo: Around Europe in 60 languages”
https://amzn.to/4dffl9D

Source for Map: https://sblanguagemaps.wordpress.com/2016/05/14/languages-of-italy/

Source for Language Statistic: https://www.ethnologue.com/country/IT/

Ladin