The Italian government recently passed a series of strict new driving laws that will affect locals and tourists on the roads in the Bel Paese. A few of the new rules to keep in mind: DUIs. No more jail time for drivers with a blood alcohol level (BAC) of 0.08 to 0.05 (already stricter than [...]
Pilgrims trekking Italy to ogle the the Shroud of Turin, on public display for the first time in a decade, now have iPhone apps to help them see more. Last time thousands of visitors flocked to peek at the yellowed cloth said to depict the face of Jesus, the best mobile option was probably some [...]
If you’re short on cash but with some kind of marketable skill — photography, a foreign language, accounting — a Milan bed and breakfast just may be the ticket. At Bed & Breakfast Porta Garibaldi in central Milan you can trade your talents for a place to sleep year round. The idea is the brainchild [...]
If you’ve ever stared at a painting and wanted to reach out and squeeze that adorable little putto, you’ll soon have a chance to do it without getting arrested. Florence’s Uffizi Gallery, one of the largest treasure troves of Renaissance art, is developing a touch-screen device that allows art lovers to zoom in for a [...]
Caravaggio’s 1609 masterpiece “Adoration of the Sheperds” is getting touched up in public — here’s how to book the free visits. Like a lot of things worth doing in Italy, it won’t be particularly easy. Groups of 10/15 people will be allowed to watch restorers at work in Rome’s lower chamber of parliament until it [...]
Just in time for summer vacation traffic, Trenitalia launched a one-line announcement likely to make it the butt of more jokes: the lost and found offices have been “temporarily suspended.” With more Italians staying closer to home in belt-tightening measures this year — 73% will not leave the country, according to one poll — trains [...]
Roman police have issued a safety sheet that, while strong on common sense, makes a vacation in the Eternal City sound devoid of the merrymaking that makes Italy such a draw for tourists. The how-to on keeping safe and enjoying Rome (surprisingly in decent English) downloadable from their website starts off by reminding tourists (and [...]
It was a pleasure to return to the Venaria Reale near Turin after writing about it for the NYT about a year ago. The occasion: they’ve finished restoring an enormous exhibition space out of the former stables and greenhouse. On this visit, all the work was done and tidy. Fortunately, the same friendly, low-key atmosphere [...]
Two million romantics flock to see Romeo and Juliet’s balcony every year in Verona. Unfortunately, many of them also carve their names or scribble hearts on the monument, making it more of a tourist trap than attraction. To stop love-struck tourists from ruining the building, managers of theater Teatro Stabile, who own the famous balcony, [...]
For the cost of an SMS, Italian sun worshippers can save gas and headaches by plugging into sea and sand ratings from environmental association Legambiente. Roadtrippers send a text to 340 4399 439 indicating what area they’re in, a message comes back with best beaches nearby and other points of interest. My text message (see [...]
