From opera to jazz to fusion music

There are plenty of events on the calendar to discover the authentic side of Sicily in the autumn. Our cultural journey can begin in Catania, where the 6th edition of the Bellini International Context takes place until 4 October. Promoted and organized by the Sicilian regional government, the festival brings together over thirty events, mostly in Catania itself, with stops in Palermo, Messina and Agrigento. The programme ranges from opera to classical music and jazz, from cross-genre fusions of drama and music to musicological talks and community-based events. 

Showing jumping and a de Chirico exhibition

From 25 to 27 September and 2 to 4 October, the programme of events continues in Palermo with the 41st Coppa degli Assi, a historic international show jumping competition. In October, the musical journey continues in Monreale with the 68th International Week of Sacred Music, organized by the Sicilian Symphony Orchestra Foundation with the support of the regional department of tourism. From musical heritage to 20th-century and contemporary art, the programme continues in the south-east of the island. Until 1 November, the Museo d’Arte Contemporanea del Carmine in Scicli is hosting "Giorgio de Chirico. The Sun of Metaphysics."Around fifty works by the master will be juxtaposed with photographs by Giovanni Chiaramonte, Giuseppe Leone, Pino Ninfa and Armando Rotoletti.

Palermo's Arab-Norman itinerary

For a longer period, running until 31 December 2026, the season offers the chance to visit Gibellina, Italy’s first capital of contemporary art. The annual programme “Portami il futuro” (Bring Me the Future) transforms the town and the Belìce Valley into a widespread cultural network comprising exhibitions, artist residencies, performances, talks and research activities. Autumn is also a good time to explore the island’s archaeological heritage, alternating between museums and cities of art and outdoor visits. Palermo offers its Arab-Norman itinerary, Agrigento the Valley of the Temples, Syracuse the Neapolis Archaeological Park and Ortigia, whilst the Val di Noto brings together towns where churches, stairways and 18th-century palaces form a cohesive urban landscape.

Modica's chocolate festival and the Etna wine route

This is the time of year when local produce takes centre stage at festivals and events. On the weekends of 9–11 and 16–18 October the "34th Mostarda and Prickly Pear Festival" brings Militello in Val di Catania to life with flavours, folklore, guided tours and events in the Baroque village. Finally, from 30 October to 1 November "ChocoModic", the festival dedicated to Modica IGP chocolate, brings the historic town to life with tastings, workshops and cultural events.  Those wishing to extend their trip into early winter can also follow the Etna Wine Route. The Wine Train, departing from Linguaglossa and stopping at wineries and villages on the northern slope of the volcano, is scheduled to run until 28 November; the Etna Wine Bus, departing from Catania and stopping at wineries and olive oil mills, continues until 20 December.

PriceTravel Holding has signed an agreement with Mangia's Hotels and Resorts connecting 12 properties in Sicily and Sardinia closer to Latin American markets.

Access to a network of over 16,000 agencies

The partnership gives Mangia’s access to a network of over 16,000 affiliated travel agencies and 28,000 active travel agents, with PriceTravel Holding’s wholesale business reaching over 180 source markets. The agreement forms part of Mangia’s strategy to strengthen the international distribution of its portfolio and to connect its Sicilian and Sardinian properties with new trade partners globally. The 12 properties form part of Mangia’s broader international distribution strategy, with other properties already available through PriceTravel Holding’s connections with major global hotel groups, including Hilton and Marriott.

Mexico is the main source market

Latin American markets currently account for over 75% of PriceTravel Holding’s business to Italy, with Colombia standing out as the fastest-growing market: business has increased by 64.7% year-on-year, reaching $516,000. Mexico remains the main source market, with revenue generated from travel to Italy amounting to $3.4 million in 2025. Italy also represents a significant destination within PriceTravel Holding’s European portfolio, comprising over 1,900 hotels and some 16,500 passengers travelling to Italy each year. In 2025, the ADR for Italy reached approximately $299, confirming the market’s appeal for hotels looking to expand their international presence.

"A new channel of access to Sicily and Sardinia"

“Italy is an important destination and demand continues to grow in our source markets. The partnership with Mangia’s enables us to expand the range of Italian resort products available to our trade partners, connecting Sicily and Sardinia with travellers from Latin America and other international markets,” said Rafael Durand, COO of PriceTravel Holding. “The partnership with PriceTravel Holding opens up a new channel of access to Sicily and Sardinia and strengthens our international distribution strategy. It allows us to connect our resorts with a wider network of tourism professionals and international travellers seeking authentic Italian hospitality, extraordinary landscapes, gastronomy and distinctive experiences,” added Fabrizio Di Trapani,  Mangia’s.senior commercial director.

The Val Senales is celebrating two important anniversaries: 35 years since the discovery of Ötzi and 50 years of the Texel Group Nature Park.

Focusing on humankind and the environment

This year the Val Senales is celebrating two significant anniversaries that highlight the deep connection between humankind and the environment. These are the 35th anniversary of the discovery of Ötzi, the Iceman, and the 50th anniversary of the Texel Group Nature Park, one of South Tyrol’s largest and most valuable protected areas.

The body of a Copper Age man

On 19 September 1991, on the Giogo di Tisa (3,210 m), on the border between Italy and Austria, Erika and Helmut Simon, a married couple, stumbled upon a body emerging from the ice. It was only a few days later that the exceptional nature of the discovery became clear: it was the naturally preserved mummy of a man who had lived over 5,300 years ago. Since then, Ötzi has become one of the most studied archaeological finds in the world and an international symbol of scientific research.

How life was in the Alps in the Copper Age

His extraordinary state of preservation, together with the equipment found alongside the body, including the famous copper axe, the bow, the arrows, tools and clothing, has allowed researchers to reconstruct life in the Alps during the Copper Age with great precision. Even today, new analyses continue to provide information about his diet, his state of health, the climate of the time and the final hours of his life. But the discovery of Ötzi also tells a deeper story: as far back as over five thousand years ago, people were already crossing the mountains of the Val Senales. The Alpine passes were not barriers, but rather places of connection, exchange and movement between different territories. A history that continues to this day and which shapes the valley’s identity.

The Texel is South Tyrol’s largest park

This identity is also closely linked to the Texel Group Nature Park, established in 1976, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. On over 33,000 hectares it is South Tyrol’s largest nature park and safeguards an exceptionally rich Alpine landscape: glaciers, high-altitude lakes, forests, pastures, streams and habitats that are home to unique biodiversity. Much of the Val Senales lies within the park, which for fifty years has played a fundamental role in the conservation of natural heritage, scientific research and environmental education.  

Guided hikes, cultural events and themed tours

The two anniversaries are therefore closely linked: Ötzi, who bears witness to the relationship between humans and the mountains in the past, while the Nature Park ensures that this heritage is preserved for the future. Together, they tell the story of a valley where archaeology, research, nature and culture coexist in a unique balance. To celebrate these anniversaries, throughout 2026 Val Senales is offering a packed programme of guided hikes, cultural events, themed tours and activities dedicated to the story of Ötzi, Alpine biodiversity and exploring the local area.

For information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  www.valsenales.cc 

From 7 to 13 September, Rome will host the 23rd edition of Vinòforum.

The 23rd edition of Vinòforum

In Piazza di Siena 800 wineries, 3,200 wines, top chefs, master pizza makers, tastings and themed itineraries will be dedicated to Italian and international culinary excellence. This. the 23rd edition of Vinòforum, on the evenings from 7 to 13 September 2026, will transform Piazza di Siena, in the heart of Villa Borghese, into a grand showcase of Italian and international excellence. Over seven evenings, the event will bring together 800 wineries and consortia from across Italy, with around 3,200 wines available for tasting, as well as a packed programme of tastings, signature dinners, cookery demonstrations and meetings with producers and industry professionals.

Vinoforum - ph courtesy of MG Logos

Wine Top Tastings and Flash Tastings

 “At Vinòforum, every wine and every production reveals itself beyond the label,” says Emiliano De Venuti, organiser and CEO of the event, highlighting how direct interaction with producers, regions and industry professionals lies at the heart of a format that aims to transform wine tasting into a cultural and communal experience. At the heart of the event are the Wine Top Tastings, guided tastings organized by the Italian Sommeliers’ Association and dedicated to the great wine-producing regions of Italy and the world, with two sessions each evening. Alongside these, Casa Barolo, a space dedicated to Barolo and the wines of the Langhe region will return with, in addition to tastings, sommelier-led sessions every evening to explore the region’s diverse winemaking styles. To round off each evening, the Flash Tastings offer a glass of fine wine, exploring its origin, identity and nuances.

Night dinner Vinòforum ph credits Ilaria della Ceca

Night Dinners and a pizza master chefs

At the heart of the gastronomic event will be The Night Dinners, signature dinners with wine pairings dedicated to the theme “Human Factor. Past. Present. Future”. Seven dinners by seven chefs, offering an immersive, multi-sensory experience that goes beyond taste. The link with Roman cuisine will be represented by the Temporary Restaurants, with the theme “Rome: Roots and Future.” Over twenty restaurants will present 40 recipes throughout the week, and there will also be a strong focus on the art of baking. The “Pizza d’Autore” format will bring some of Italy’s leading master pizza chefs to Piazza di Siena, and Vinòforum will also host the final of “La Città della Pizza” with the finalists competing for the title of best emerging pizza chef of the year on Sunday 13 September. For information:  www.mglogos.roma.it 

Four Italian chefs under a brigade leader will bring their haute cuisine on board La Compagnia flights.

Gastronomic experiences on the Milan-New York-Milan route

La Compagnie’s Chef & Co programme launches this month, a project that brings the creations of Italian chefs, selected season after season, onto the airline’s flights, with each chef invited to interpret the gastronomic experience at 10,000 metres in their own unique way on the Milan-New York-Milan route.

Leading figures from the Italian culinary scene

For this new series of events, under the guidance of Lorenzo Cogo, the brigade leader for this project, La Compagnie has chosen leading figures from the Italian culinary scene: Alessandro Negrini and Fabio Pisani, Lorenzo Cogo, Felix Lo Basso and Richard Abou Zaki. Their recipes are to be featured on the four-course menu served on board alongside the signature dishes created by the airline’s resident chef, who ensures seasonal consistency. With these leading figures in haute cuisine, La Compagnie boosts its 100% business-class offering with an even more exclusive and detail-oriented touch. An original way of bringing the best of Italian cuisine to the skies, one season at a time, and accompanying passengers from Milan to New York and back with a level of care that makes all the difference.

Pisani and Negrini run the historic Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia 

Fabio Pisani, born in Molfetta, trained in three-Michelin-starred restaurants like the Grand Véfour in Paris and the Waterside Inn in London. Alessandro Negrini was born in Caspoggio in Valtellina, and moved from the Hotel Palace in St Moritz to Dal Pescatore in Canneto sull’Oglio, where the two met. Since 2005 they have jointly run Il Luogo Aimo e Nadia, a historic Milanese restaurant founded in 1962. For La Compagnie, the duo will be creating the autumn starter, which features the Panzanella by Aimo and Nadia: bluefin tuna, fiaschetto tomatoes from Torre Guaceto, cannellini bean purée with extra virgin olive oil and wild fennel.

Lorenzo Cogo will lead the culinary team

Born in 1986 in Vicenza, Lorenzo Cogo bears a surname which, in the Venetian working dialect, means cook. The son and grandson of chefs, he has worked in Australia, then the United Kingdom and Japan. In 2011, he opened El Coq in Marano Vicentino, becoming Italy’s youngest Michelin-starred chef. For Lorenzo Cogo, this marks a grand return on board: his collaboration with La Compagnie, which began in 2023, takes on an even more central role. As head of the culinary team he oversees the project’s gastronomic direction, selecting the lead chefs, approving their menus and coordinating the development of the dishes, to ensure consistency, quality and continuity in the culinary experience offered on board, season after season. During the winter months, the starter served on board will bear his signature: Potato and vegetable millefeuille with robiola and black truffle

From Calamaro alla pizzaiola to Yellowtail with lemons

Felice Lo Basso was born in Molfetta in 1973 and trained in leading gourmet restaurants in Italy and abroad. In 2011 he was awarded his first Michelin star.  In this second collaboration with La Compagnie, the Apulian chef will be serving passengers his starter, Calamaro alla pizzaiola, for the first time this spring. Born in 1996, Richard Abou Zaki trained alongside some of the world’s greatest chefs, including Massimo Bottura, and quickly established himself as one of the rising stars of Italian cuisine. His career led him to open the restaurant Retroscena in Porto San Giorgio, which was awarded a Michelin star in 2021. For the summer menu he will create a starter featuring semi-cooked yellowtail, Adriatic sauce and a trio of lemons.

Mary Cook, founder of Alegria Destination and Events says: “Italy is not just Rome, Florence and Venice.”

“Florence because of the arts”

ItaliAbsolutely met Mary Cook at the Las Vegas Teavel Agent Forum 2026 and asker her some impressions about Italy. Based in Roseville, California, Alegria Destination and Events is an agency specialized in Italy vacations with a professional focus that reflects a personal passion for the country.

“Italy is one of my favourite destinations to visit as well,” Mary Cook told us, and among Italy’s many cities, Florence holds a particularly special place in her heart. “My favourite city in Italy is Florence because of the arts, the Uffizi and Accademia, and especially the food.” 

 

Favourite Hotel: Hilton Molino Stucky Venice

While the combination of art, culture and gastronomy makes the Tuscan capital a favourite, more recently she has discovered another Italian city that has captured her imagination: Venice. “I recently fell in love with Venice,” she says, describing the strong impression the lagoon city made on her. Venice is also home to what she considers “my favourite hotel in the whole world”: the Hilton Molino Stucky Venice a historic 5-star luxury hotel on Giudecca Island.

The importance of the smaller cities

While her clients continue to favour Italy’s best-known destinations, “Rome, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast, ” Cook is eager to look beyond the traditional itinerary. She wants to explore more of the country herself, particularly areas that she can then introduce to her clients. “I wanted to explore more areas of Italy myself to learn more about the southern region of Italy and the most northern parts of Italy as well,” she explains. For Cook, discovering these lesser-known destinations is essential to showing travellers a different side of the country. “Italy’s appeal also lies in the smaller towns and less familiar regions that can offer a more local and authentic experience.It is not only the main destination, but all the small cities, the South of Italy.”

Food and wine tastings 

Food is another major part of Cook’s connection with Italy. “Italian food is my very favourite food to eat on a regular basis.” Her passion extends beyond travelling: she cooks Italian food at home and enjoys introducing her clients to culinary experiences in Italy. Although she has not personally taken an Italian cooking class, she says her clients particularly enjoy them as part of their travels. Wine is another favourite. “I love wine tasting,” she says, recalling wine-tasting experiences in Tuscany. Her connection with Italian wine is perhaps unsurprising given her California background. “I am from Napa Valley, so it reminds me of home.” 

Beyond the iconic destinations 

For Cook, promoting Italy means much more than creating itineraries around its most famous cities. It is about continuing to discover the country’s food, wine, smaller towns and diverse regions and sharing those discoveries with travellers. Her message is simple: Italy’s greatest experiences can be found not only in its iconic destinations, but also beyond them.

Flights will be relocated to Salerno Airport in November for work on Naples Airport’s runway.

Naples Airport will close from 1-30 November

As planned some time ago, from 1 to 30 November 2026, Naples Capodichino Airport will be closed to allow for runway maintenance work. This exceptional situation will inevitably mean that numerous routes normally operated to and from the Naples airport will be temporarily relocated to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport. 

As of today the flights affected by the relocation are as follows

Iberia, with its daily flight to Madrid; Flydubai, with its daily flight to Dubai; Eurowings, with flights to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart; easyJet, with its daily flight to Milan Malpensa (which doubles on certain days); Luxair, with its flight to Luxembourg; Neos, with its service to Sharm El Sheikh (operated once a week, on Sundays); Transavia, with flights to Amsterdam, and Transavia France to Paris Orly (the latter a daily service); Vueling, with flights to Barcelona. Then there is the ITA Airways flight to Milan Linate; however, this is currently not bookable on the airline’s website for the month of November.

The works are expected to complete on schedule

The planned works at Naples airport are extensive and concern the runway. The project is expected to cost around €20 million and must be completed on schedule. Passengers who have booked a flight departing from Naples in November should check their booking and any communications received from the airline: the flight may have been rerouted to Salerno, with airport code QSR, and will no longer depart from Capodichino.

Putting Salerno Airport to the test

This situation will transform Salerno airport into one of the main hubs for air traffic in Campania for at least a month. This is an important real-world test, not only to tackle the emergency caused by the closure of Capodichino, but also to gauge how ready Salerno is to handle heavier traffic and, above all, how attractive it can become to airlines.