Pope Francis has beatified a long list of religious figures in the first creation of saints of his papacy, the Guardian reports. Included in this list are the 813 Martyrs of Otranto. These were victims of a massacre in the southern Italian town in 1480 when Ottoman ...Click on a label to read posts from that part of the world.
Italy
Otranto Cathedral: Where You Can See The Remains Of Catholicism's Newest Saints
Pope Francis has beatified a long list of religious figures in the first creation of saints of his papacy, the Guardian reports. Included in this list are the 813 Martyrs of Otranto. These were victims of a massacre in the southern Italian town in 1480 when Ottoman ...Photo Of The Day: Contemplating Lake Como In Italy
In northern Italy, the Alps meet Lake Como at the comune of Bellagio to form some of the most beautiful vistas in Europe. Not only has the region provided inspiration for the Bellagio hotel in Las Vegas, but it is unequivocally gorgeous. Instagram user Jason Rodman ...Rome Suspends River Cruises Because Tiber Too Polluted
Visitors to Rome this year won't be able to cruise along the Tiber River, which weaves through the city, because it has become "strewn with rubbish," according to a representative of Rome Boats, the company that controls the river tours.
In an interview with AFP, Rome ...Tourists Outraged Over $84 Gelati In Rome
Getting scammed by quack taxi drivers or phony tour operators is one thing, but when a group of tourists were charged 64 euros ($84) for a few ice cream cones in Rome - well, that's just sad.
The Eternal City has quite the reputation for con artists. Cafes and bars have ...Dozens Arrested For Baggage Theft In Italy
Having an airline lose a piece of luggage is a relatively common - albeit frustrating - part of travel. But when just a few items repeatedly go missing out of a bags, there is a major call for concern. CNN is reporting that's just what has allegedly been happening over and ...Where Have All The Italian Pizza Makers Gone?
Italy is in trouble. The economic crisis has had an unforeseen consequence: it seems the country is in need of some pizza makers – 6,000 of them, to be exact.
Despite the worst unemployment rate the country has faced in decades, The Telegraph is reporting it seems ...'House Hunters International' Offers 'Scripted Reality' Tailor Made For Vagabonds
I'm addicted to "House Hunters International," the HGTV reality show that profiles people who are moving to another country or buying a vacation home outside the U.S. Aside from the fact that the program whets my appetite to visit the places that are profiled, I love the way ...Travel Tool: Interactive World Heritage Site Map
When it comes to planning my next trip, a pretty photo only inspires me half as much as a good map. I'm particularly partial to UNESCO's interactive World Heritage List map, which I spend more time clicking on than I'd care to admit. The map identifies the List's 962 ...Venice Landmarks Are Just Steps Away From Restored Hotel
Travelers often associate famous destinations around the world with iconic landmarks. In Paris, it's the Eifel tower; Seattle has the space needle; New York has the Statue Of Liberty; and San Francisco is associated with the Golden Gate Bridge. Think "Venice" and the ...Should Easter Be A Long Weekend In The US?
At the stroke of midnight, fireworks lit up the night sky on the Greek island of Naxos. In a square outside a centuries old church, at least half the island's population gathered to celebrate the occasion. Children ran around and threw firecrackers, senior citizens occupied ...Mussolini's Bunker Discovered In Rome, Will Become A Tourist Attraction
A bunker intended for the Italian dictator Benito Mussolini has been discovered in Rome, World Crunch reports.
The bunker was found in 2011 by workers restoring the Palazzo Venezia, but its existence wasn't revealed until now. The workers found a trap door in the cellar ...Souvenir Of The Week: World's First Duckface
Among the Michelangeos, the Raphaels, the Caravaggios and other Renaissance masterpieces at the The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, open to the public since 1591, one Bottecelli painting, "Portrait of a Young Man With a Medal," captures an unidentified subject's "boo-yah" moment ...Pillow Soft: A Love Letter To Gnocchi
The first time I ever saw a bidet, I peed in it. I was young; I wasn't very well traveled, and, well, the porcelain bathroom apparatus for washing one's nether-regions found in many European hotels and homes looked like a toilet. That was in Florence. And it was also on ...IKEA To Launch Budget Hotel Chain In Europe
Meatballs for room service? That might be a bit of a stretch, but Swedish home furnishings giant IKEA is launching into the accommodations business, collaborating with Marriott to create a budget-friendly hotel chain in Europe.
The hotels - which will be called "Moxy" - ...Conservatives, Pack Your Bags! Liberal-Free Travel Has Arrived
Some people like risks when they travel. Others don't want to take any chances that their entire hard-earned vacation will be ruined by angry, bitter, close-minded companions - you know, liberals.
That's the philosophy behind Conservative Tours, a Boston-based company not ...Video Of The Day: A Sunny Day In Venice
Venice is widely thought of as one of the ultimate romantic destinations, especially in Europe. Today's Video of the Day, Around Venezia, captures the charm of the The Floating City's beautiful canals and colorful architecture. Venice's trademark gondolas are included, ...
How You Can Help Save Endangered Destinations
Earlier this year, I told you about several destinations you should see before they disappear. Climate change, environmental destruction and a number of other issues were all threatening to ruin these travel sites, and in some cases (such as The Maldives) wipe them ...Video Of The Day: Italy's Biggest Food Fight
Each year, thousands of people in the town of Ivrea in northern Italy have one of the largest food fights on the planet during the Battle of the Oranges. Part of the city's annual Carnival celebrations, origins of the tradition are somewhat unclear, but it's believed to ...
Food And Wine Bike Tours Visit Italy's Dolomite Mountain Range
Food and wine may already be an embedded focus of vacation plans for many travelers. It's not something to put on a to-do list, pencil in on an itinerary or even think all that much about when traveling. But maybe it should be. Travel companies feature and package food ...From Ankle To Arch: Italy's Culinary Diversity
Go to your local supermarket to buy pasta and you'll find about a dozen different shapes from which to choose. Travel from the ankle to the arch of the heel in Italy, though, and you'll find 150 different types. And those are just the pasta types that begin with the letter ...
