If you are looking for books on Venice in any languages, that is the place to go. It looks like hidden cave, with books piled up everywhere, both new and second hand, so you may have to spend some time browsing before you find something that interest you, or ask to Luigi, the wonderfully welcoming owner.

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Thinking of visiting Florence… in low season?

I think it’s one of the best times of year to come!

Here are a few reasons why you’ll like Florence also in the low season…

The low season in Florence, but in general in all of Italy, is from November to April, excluding Christmas, New Year’s and Easter.

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‘Un Anno ad Arte’ (A year of art), is the name of the programme that includes eight temporary exhibitions, which will take place in the most famous of Florence’s museums, from next spring until the end of the year.

Let’s start from the most famous, The Uffizi Gallery with “Norma e Capriccio: Spaniards in Italy at the beginning of modern art” (March 5 – May 26), which will focus on the intense artistic exchange between the most important Spanish painters and sculptors of the time and Florentine and Italian later Renaissance.

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Thinking about Italian food, the first things coming to your mind are pasta, pizza, prosciutto and Tiramisù.

Not many of travellers and “food-lovers” know about some Italian culinary traditions that can sound a little unusual or even disgusting to most (even for me!). Here is a short selection of 5 Italian weird foods.

Enjoy your reading and ….buon appetito!

#1 LAMPREDOTTO

An institution of the street food in Florence is lampredotto; it is a part of the cow’s stomach slowly cooked in vegetable broth and flavored with herbs and aromas before being served in a bread roll accompanied by a green or hot sauce. Nencioni at the Porcellino market and La Trippaia in Via dell’Ariento are two of the most famous of Florence’s “lampredottai”.

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Vatican Museums

The Vatican Museums are free on the last Sunday of every month from 9 am to 12.30 pm so be sure to arrive on time if you want to take advantage of this opportunity!

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So you’re planning a trip to Rome and you’ve done a lot of researches: how to get from the airport to your accommodation, create a list of recommended restaurants and locals, museums and other places you want to check out during your trip.

But how much do you really think you know Rome? Here some fun facts about Rome that maybe you didn’t know yet.

1. She-Wolf

Shakira isn’t the only one who knows something about she-wolves. Did you know that Rome’s mascot is a she-wolf that suckles for the brothers Romulus and Remus (the founders of Rome)?

Legend has it that the brothers were abandoned in the wild. The twins were later discovered by a she-wolf who nursed them. Romulus and Remus eventually found a new city. Hence, Rome was born.

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Tuscany, with its spectacular hill towns and scenery, is one of Italy’s top vacation destinations.

Tuscany’s travel attractions include historic cities and art, great wine and food, medieval hill towns, beaches, and beautiful countryside.

Florence

Florence is one of the most important Renaissance architectural and art centers.

Just a tip…if you haven’t enough time, after a visit to the most famous and important museums, take the rest of time to LIVE Florence and visit the city off the common tourist routes, simply strolling through the streets and admiring glimpses in different parts of the city.

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Venice is a city that offers fun and entertainment opportunities for all ages.

In Venice it’s easy to get lost in the streets: apart from gondola rides and going on the usual historic tour, the simply way to have fun in Venice is to wander around the back streets of Venice.

The most famous cafes of Venice are situated in St Mark’s Square. It is here, in the heart of the city, that the first cafes were opened. From the 18th century, writers and artists like Foscolo, Goethe, D’Annunzio, Stravinsky and Modigliani spent the day at the tables of Venice’s cafes, immersed in conversation or contemplating one of the most beautiful Italian squares.

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