The Big Guy
Locals call him Carlone, (big Carlo, pronounced Car-low-nayh), and for over 200 years his statue, on a hilltop in Arona, Piemonte, was the tallest statue in the world. The metal structure was...
View ArticleThe Duomo Roof Top
Now that the scaffolding is down and the renovation and cleaning are complete, you can once again finally climb the approximately 170 stairs up a narrow tower del Duomo di Milano for a one-of-a-kind...
View ArticleThe Shell Grotto
Of the many wondrous sights to see on Isola Bella, one of the most wondrous of all is the shell grotto in the Palazzo Borromeo. The stately palace dominates one side of the island, while its elaborate,...
View ArticleVilla Taranto
Although Villa Taranto is impressive in April, when 40,000 tulips are in bloom, it is at the end of the season that the gardens really burst. The dahlias have grown tall, so tall that on the curving,...
View ArticleFil da Fer
The winters in the north of Italy are long and cold, and the mountain people who lived there, although hearty and quite used to the harsh elements, needed special fortification now and then to stay...
View ArticleSanta Caterina del Sasso
The proper way to arrive at l’Eremo di Santa Caterina del Sasso (the Hermitage of Saint Catherine of the Rock) is definitely by boat. That, after all, is how Alberto Besozzi arrived here in 1170 when,...
View ArticleCastelli di Cannero
Just a stone’s throw off the shore of Lago Maggiore, near the town of Cannero and only few kilometers from the Swiss border, sit two tiny specks of islands on which one can find the ruins of an old...
View ArticleTranquil, Tiny Lago Mergozzo
From the top of Mt. Mottarone in northern Piemonte one can see seven lakes. The largest is Lago Maggiore, second largest in Italy. And the smallest is Lago di Mergozzo, only 1 1/2 miles long by 1/2...
View ArticleLooking for Love in Verona
Once upon a time, many years ago, a young man and a young woman lived in Verona, Italy. His name was Romeo and hers was Juliet. They were in love, and although we all know the tragic ending to their...
View ArticleMiss Italia
It was 1946, just after the war, and Italians badly needed a pick-me-up. So it was decided to hold a beauty pageant. As Stresa had remained largely undamaged, and was already known as a summer resort...
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