Provocative People & Cool Places in Italy

One of the most recognized faces in Italy is that of Moira Orfei, whose outlandish appearance has become the Italian symbol for the circus queen

Enjoy free admission to museums and archeological sites all over Italy during the 14th annual Settimana della Cultura, the 2012 edition of Italian Culture Week

Set amongst lemon groves near the town of Noto in southeastern Sicily, the remains of the Roman Villa del Tellaro are noteworthy for their exquisite Roman mosaics dating back to the 4th century AD.

Aren’t towers supposed to be tall? Not in the countryside of Modica, where a “torre” – tower – is something else indeed.

The weekend of March 24 & 25, 2012 the organization called “FAI” (Italian National Trust) sponsors guided visits of 670 sites all over Italy, most of which are not normally open to the public.

The historic Lorenzi shop in Bolzano is a family–run store with a great selection of quality kitchen goods, knives, and scissors. If you’ve got something to cut, they’ve got the tool, and their individual attention and friendly service are the essence of shopping in Italy.

Gathering snow and compacting it into ice has been done for centuries, but nowhere more beautifully than at the neviere snow huts of Monte Lauro. Join us on a visit to this off the beaten path attraction in Sicily.

A visit to torrone heaven in the small town of Giarratana, Sicily. At the Torronificio Trapani, I watched how to make almond torrone, a traditional Christmas nougat that is popular all over Italy.

New fixed-price menus at lunch are an enticement for discerning diners at the 2-star Michelin restaurant Il Duomo in Ragusa Sicily. They’re a great way to sample chef Ciccio Sultano’s superb cooking.

Silvio Berlusconi resigned on Nov 12, 2011, and a government of technocrats is being headed by the newly appointed prime minister, Mario Monti. But Italy’s current situation is still shaky as Monti works to gain a confidence vote in parliament, and hopefully head off early elections.