Hundreds of historic homes across Italy will open their doors on Sunday 24 May for the16th edition of National Historic Homes Day.  

Over 450 exclusive sites

This will be a unique opportunity to visit historic homes across Italy free of charge. And most of them are situated in little-known locations far from the traditional tourist routes. The event, promoted by the Associazione Dimore Storiche Italiane, which brings together owners of historic properties from across the country, forms part of Italy’s packed calendar of cultural events and offers a unique opportunity to visit over 450 exclusive sites, including period properties, residences, castles and historic gardens of great charm and rich historical and cultural heritage.

Some 80% of Italy consists of smaller towns and inland areas

Italy has unique monuments located throughout the country in cities, regional capitals, towns and villages, in the mountains, in valleys, on the coast and in the plains. “In 2025 alone, over 500 historic homes took part in the event, welcoming more than 250,000 visitors,” says Maria Pace Odescalchi, president of the Italian Historic Homes Association. The initiative is part of an effort to raise awareness of the importance of protecting and conserving Italy’s private historical and architectural heritage, as well as the significance of its role in generating value across the country, nearly 80% of which consists of smaller towns and inland areas.

Castellamonte Castel - ph credits Martina Alesse

Generating cultural, social and economic value

The theme of the 2026 edition is “Guardians of the Future. A living heritage for a shared value,” and offers an opportunity to reflect on the responsibility involved in caring for assets that are not only to be preserved, but also to be enhanced and made accessible within their local communities, to generate cultural, social and economic value. For information: https://www.associazionedimorestoricheitaliane.it/giornatanazionale2026/) 

Club Esse took part in the 2026 Giro d’Italia bicycle race by hosting 12 professional teams and their support staff to its two Calabrian venues in Aquilia and Sunbeach.

Two 4-star seaside properties

From 10 to 12 May, Club Esse Aquilia in Badolato Marina and Club Esse Sunbeach in Squillace Lido hosted 12 professional teams during the 2026 Giro d’Italia. Both resorts are 4-stars located on Calabria’s Ionian coast. Aquilia, which recently joined the Club Esse portfolio, combines a seaside holiday with the historical and cultural attractions of the nearby medieval village of Badolato; Sunbeach, one of the group’s flagship properties, overlooks the Gulf of Squillace, one of the region’s most iconic stretches of coastline.

Calabria hosted over 2 million arrivals in 2025

The Calabria Region closed 2025 with over two million arrivals, the highest figure ever recorded. The 2026 Tourism Promotion Plan lists the following as priorities: seasonality management, improving the quality of accommodations, and supporting events that  generate visitor flows and promote local identities. 

Reflecting a clear vision of hospitality

“Hosting the teams of the 2026 Giro d’Italia fits perfectly within the Club Esse model, which is based on direct management, operational control and constant attention to the guest experience,- explains Marco Baldisseri, the company’s CCO. -Welcoming as many as 12 professional teams means deploying not only facilities, but an organization that can guarantee reliability, coordination and responsiveness in a highly complex context. It reflects a clear vision of hospitality that is accessible, well-structured and built around high standards.”

Everything is ready for the summer season with the “Dolomiti Supersummer” system.

Cable cars are opening for the summer

At Cortina Skiworld the Lagazuoi cable car opens on 30 May, the Cinque Torri chairlift on 6 June, the Tofana area on 13 June, and the Socrepes area alongside the Cortina Bike Park Dolomiti and the Rio Gere chairlift - Son Forca on 20 June, and Cortina Skyline on 27 June, while Auronzo and Misurina will also open in mid-June, followed by the Faloria cable car in July.

The Cortina Skiworld lifts open up new vistas

Cortina is gearing up for the warmer months with an increasingly well-structured offering, in which the ski lifts take centre stage even during the warmer months and provide the key to a new way of experiencing the mountains: simpler, more sustainable and suitable for everyone. With the start of the season, the Cortina Skiworld lifts allow visitors to easily reach the most scenic heights and access the main hiking trails without having to tackle long ascents on foot. A system that is not only functional but increasingly central to the summer tourist experience, allowing visitors to move fluidly between different areas of the Dolomites.

Hiking and flexible passes

It is within this context that the Dolomiti Supersummer system fits in, the summer pass that allows use of the ski lifts in the main destinations of the ski circuit. More than just a ticket, it is a tool that allows you to tailor your own high-altitude experience, by flexibly combining hikes, views and outdoor activities. Alongside the traditional options, more flexible passes are also available, such as the points card, available in a 1,000-unit format for €100. This is a transferable solution that allows you to use the lifts gradually, making it particularly suitable for families or small groups. For certain specific experiences, such as the Dolomites Ronda, a dedicated 800-unit version is also available.

A multi-stage hiking route

The Dolomites Ronda is one of the main new features of summer 2026, taking the form of a multi-stage hiking route connecting some of the most iconic areas of the Dolomites, including Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Plan de Corones and Alta Badia. It is a modular route that can be spread over several days and stands out for its flexibility. Along the route, it is in fact possible to choose between three levels of difficulty: an easier version, an intermediate one and a more alpine one, designed for experienced hikers.   A distinctive feature is the integration with the ski lifts, accessible via Dolomiti Supersummer, which facilitate connections between the different areas and allow you to tailor the physical effort required along the stages.  

A Bike Park for downhill and trail riding

To complete the offering, Cortina Skiworld also offers two options particularly popular with mountain lovers during the summer. These include the Cortina Bike Pass, available as a 1-day or 3-day pass, which grants access to ski lifts authorised to carry bikes. For those who prefer trekking, there is the Cortina Vertical Pass which offers the chance to use the lifts open during the validity period via 1-, 3-, 5- or 7-day passes, even non-consecutive, or with a seasonal pass valid until the end of summer 2026. The Cortina Bike Park Dolomiti also forms part of this offering, developed in the Tofane area and accessible from Socrepes and Freccia nel Cielo. The bike park features a network of trails dedicated to downhill and trail riding, with varying levels of difficulty, and can be accessed via day passes or shorter options, such as the 3-hour ticket.

Palazzo Sanzio in Rome is due to make its summer debut under the Radisson Collection brand.

A historic building in the heart of Rome

With renovation at Palazzo Sanzio completed, the hotel, wholly owned through the IHF fund managed by Castello SGR, is in a historic building on the Lungotevere Raffaello Sanzio 15, in Rome. Approaching the final stages ahead of its opening, scheduled for this summer, the five-star luxury hotel will open under the Radisson Collection brand.

A short walk from cultural, leisure and shopping districts

Dating back to the beginning of the 20th century Palazzo Sanzio is a prestigious architectural landmark overlooking the River Tiber, just a short walk from Rome’s main cultural, leisure and shopping districts. The extensive and meticulous architectural and interior design project carried out by the international firm De.Tales, has completely transformed the building into a five-star luxury property, combining its historic architectural character with contemporary luxury design and international operational standards.

Views of the river Tiber and Rome’s skyline

Once completed, the property will have 70 rooms and suites as well as refined dining options, an exclusive wellness and fitness centre, and a panoramic terrace with exceptional views of the river Tiber and Rome’s skyline. The hotel will operate under the Radisson Collection brand, part of  the Radisson Hotel Group’s global premium portfolio.

Rome, a premier destination for global luxury tourism

Michelangelo Ripamonti, head of hospitality investments at Castello SGR explained: “The completion of Palazzo Sanzio, the future Radisson Collection Hotel, consolidates Castello SGR’s leadership in the luxury hospitality sector in Rome. This transaction follows the successful openings of the InterContinental Rome Ambasciatori Palace and the Leonardo Boutique Hotel Rome Monti, as well as strategic financing for the Nobu Hotel Roma and the Orient Express Hotel La Minerva. Castello SGR’s commitment to the capital city continues to gather pace with the recent acquisition of a new property between Via Veneto and Piazza Barberini. These investments confirm our commitment to elevating Italy’s hospitality heritage to the highest international standards of excellence, thereby ensuring that Rome remains a premier destination for global luxury tourism.”

Four hotel and resort projects in Italy

Emanuel Arbib, CEO of IAM Capital, added: “We are delighted to announce the imminent opening of our first luxury hotel in Rome, as well as our partnership with RHG, with whom we have been collaborating for almost two years to create what could be the best RHG Collection hotel in the world. We have spared no expense or effort to offer our guests the best possible experience in Rome. Palazzo Sanzio, the group’s third hotel property, is the first of four hotel and resort projects we plan to open in Italy over the next two years and demonstrates our strong commitment to the hospitality sector in Italy, both for our group and for its funds.”

Tua4Fly is the new integrated transport service promoted by Tua Abruzzo, in collaboration with Saga, the company managing Pescara Airport, to connect to the station. 

Timed for arriving and departing passengers

The service is set to launch this May and aims to strengthen connections between the airport and the main urban and regional transport hubs. Designed to ensure connections with trains, urban and inter-city buses, and the trolleybus, the system features services timed to flight schedules. Buses will depart from the airport 30 minutes after landing, whilst from the railway station they will be scheduled to allow passengers to arrive at the airport at least one hour before take-off.

Pescara Airport

Connecting with up to 36 flights a day 

The timetable will vary depending on the day of the week and the number of flights: in May, for example, this ranges from 22 flights on Mondays to 36 on Saturdays. A further adjustment is planned from June, when there will be an increase in flight connections. Tickets cost €3, are valid for 90 minutes and can also be used on other urban routes. They can be purchased on board at no extra cost using a contactless card, via the Tua app or through Trenitalia’s sales channels.

"A new concept of regional mobility"

Various bus liveries have been designed, dedicated to some of the region’s iconic locations, from the coast to the mountainous areas, including Pescara, Rocca Calascio and Civitella del Tronto. “With Tua4Fly, we are not simply launching a connection to the airport: we are bringing a new concept of regional mobility to life,” says Tua’s president, Gabriele De Angelis, adding that Abruzzo Airport must be “a modern, connected and recognizable gateway. This is why we have created a service synchronized with flights, integrated with the railway, with urban and inter-city buses, and with the La Verde trolleybus. Passengers must be able to step off the plane and immediately find a straightforward connection to Pescara and the rest of the region.”

Monopolele, the ukulele festival will return once again to Monopoli from 28 May- to 1 June.

Concerts, workshops, jam sessions and street performances

Italy’s most important ukulele festival, and one of the most renowned around the world, won the jury prize at the Ukies 2025 (Anarchy in the Ukulele Awards) for Best Festival worldwide. And Monopoli will once again host the event for five days, with the picturesque Apulian village transformed into an open-air musical stage. Visitors will also appreciate its how Baroque squares, ancient harbour, deconsecrated churches and cloisters will be used as venues for concerts, workshops, night-time jam sessions and street performances.

ph.Valerie Tristan

Artists from all over the world

Among the new features of this edition is the introduction of four consecutive outdoor night-time jam sessions led by international ensembles: the Ankara Ukulele Big Band, Ukulele Tuesday from Dublin, and a group from Galway. The programme features artists from all over the world, including six-time Grammy Award winner Daniel Ho. The festival will open on Thursday at Porto Vecchio, whilst the evening concerts will take place in Piazza Palmieri. The Church of San Pietro will host the Sound Embraces concerts, featuring Arlo Anwin, Paolo Damiani and Strade Aperte.

Ukulele Tuesday

A youth orchestra from Cuba

This fifth edition will also feature a musical collaboration between Italy and Cuba. On Friday afternoon in the Cathedral Square, around a hundred young musicians from schools in Monopoli, Bari and Sulmona will perform alongside Son de Sol, a youth orchestra from Cuba, which will be among the headliners at Monday evening’s Grand Finale in Piazza XX Settembre, alongside Erica Mou and the other artists. Admission to all main events is free, which means that no booking is required. The street performances are open to anyone who wants to play, and the nightly open-air jam sessions welcome both professionals and amateurs. A music festival that welcomes talents of all ages and all qualifications!  

From hikes up volcanic peaks to walks through the salt flats, Sicily is focusing on cultural and outdoors tourism beyond beaches.

Skydiving with Mount Etna views 

Active tourism is offering a diverse range of experiences with high experiential value, meeting the demand for adrenaline-fuelled activities by combining them with unique natural settings. On the eastern side, between Syracuse and Caltagirone, skydiving is one of the most sought-after experiences, with jumps from around 4,000 metres offering a privileged view of Mount Etna and the coastline. Also at altitude, paragliding allows for scenic flights between Taormina and Castelmola, showcasing visually striking landscapes.

Kitesurfing, body rafting and canyoning

On the western side, the Stagnone Nature Reserve in Marsala remains an internationally renowned destination for kitesurfing, thanks to its shallow waters and consistent winds. Among freshwater activities, meanwhile, the Alcantara Gorges offer pursuits such as body rafting and canyoning, amidst basalt walls rising up to 25 metres high. Climbing has one of its main hubs in San Vito Lo Capo, particularly in the Salinella cliff area, which offers more than 800 equipped routes overlooking the sea, making it an iconic destination on the European scene. Mount Etna stands out as a key destination for high-intensity outdoor activities, ranging from downhill mountain biking on volcanic terrain to high-altitude trekking up to the summit craters, in a unique setting reaching an altitude of 3,300 metres.

Alcantara Gorges

Salt pans and a salt cathedral

Alongside these experiences, Sicily is expanding its offering by showcasing less conventional settings. In the Aragona area, the Macalube offer an almost otherworldly landscape with its sedimentary volcanic phenomena. In the Nebrodi Mountains, the Argimusco plateau stands out for its distinctive rock formations dating back millions of years. Along the western coast, the salt pans of Trapani and Marsala represent a significant landscape and cultural feature, combining traditional production methods and visual appeal with water basins reflecting the sky and ancient windmills. Underground, near Realmonte, the Salt Cathedral is carved into the salt rock, set within a system of underground tunnels. In the Ragusa area, Cava d’Ispica offers an experience that blends nature and archaeology, with a kilometre-long gorge featuring vegetation, caves, necropolises and evidence of ancient civilizations.