Florence’s Baroque Bardini Gardens and Villa on the Arno river are on four hectares of parkland between the left bank of the Arno river, the Monte Montecuccoli hill and Florence’s Medieval walls city. In the 18th-century Giulio Mozzi, who was an enthusiast gardner, enhanced the property with a fountain with multi-material mosaic backdrops. Then in the mid-19th century the Baroque Garden was enlarged with the acquisition of the neighbouring Anglo-Chinese Garden of Villa Manadora, which had been created by Luigi Le Blanc in the early 19th century.

A five-year restoration project 

Unfortunately in 1913 the antiquarian Stefano Bardini, who acquired the complex, built an avenue to get into the villa by car, destroying the gardens, and reuniting the two existing buildings, Then in 2000, the Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze Foundation began the restoration of the complex, taking almost five years and giving it a whole new lease of life.

Fruit trees, wisteria,  roses and camellias

In the park which has traditional Tuscan fruit trees, you can walk through a wisteria tunnel, and admire many varieties of hydrangeas. Bourbon roses and irises flank the baroque staircase, and in the English wood, which was part of the Anglo-Chinese Garden, there is now a meadow of azaleas, ferns, viburnums, camellias and a collection of citrus trees. 

Views of Florence’s monuments

From Via de 'Bardi along the route you can see many of the monuments of Florence, and once you reach the villa, walking along the Costa San Giorgio in a few minutes you come to the Boboli Gardens from which you can descend towards the city.  The Bardini complex can be visited throughout the year:

The Villa is open on Tuesdays to Sundays 10.00 - 19.00

It is closed every Monday and on 1st January and 25th December

The Garden is open every day between:

8.15 - 16.30 (in the months of November, December, January, February)

8.15 - 17.30 (in the month of March)

8.15 - 18.30 (in the months of April, May, September, October)

8.15 - 19.30 (in the months of June, July, August)

It is closed on the first and last Monday of each month and on 1st January and 25th December

Palermo’s Cruise Terminal, designed by architect Salvatore Caronia Roberti and built on the skeleton of an ancient maritime station from 1950, has been inaugurated. It is the result of a €40 million refurbishment that has kept its external appearance largely unchanged while radically intervening on the reconfiguration of the interior spaces in terms of consistency, functions, architecture, and connections.

In 2017 the new administration, under Pasqualino Monti, inherited a neglected maritime station: a dilapidated structure on a quay that had been seized in 2015 by the Palermo Public Prosecutor for stability issues, as well as there being a dispute with the company that was carrying out the work. Overcoming a thousand difficulties, not least those caused by the pandemic, the redevelopment plan went ahead and by the end of 2018 the construction site had been reopened, the quay had been made safe, and the new terminal completely rebuilt.

A more efficient and people-friendly terminal 

The project is part of a larger waterfront redesign, part of a desirable and increasingly modern and mature relationship between the city and its port, capable of making the cruise terminal not only more efficient but also more livable and enjoyable for citizens.

Microclimatic control and energy saving

The use of steel and glass gives it a modern appearance, while the space dedicated to greenery is now an essential feature.  Environmental microclimatic control and highly sustainable energy savings were given special consideration. There is a bar on the top floor (and another on the ground floor), and a large restaurant on the roof. Aside from the quay the entire surrounding area has been completely redesigned, with specific locations assigned to the various services for disembarking passengers.

The Marian Way of the Alps is a new trekking route that crosses much of the Valtellina valley, with visits to some of the most important Marian devotional sites in the province of Sondrio.

The project, of significant religious, cultural, and tourist appeal was created to accompany pilgrims who choose to explore the Valtellina ending at the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Tirano.

Passing through ancient villages

The Via Occidentale western way starts in Piantedo, one of the first villages to welcome tourists as they enter the Valtellina. From there you travel through ancient villages that tell the story of this valley, natural landscapes of incredible beauty - most notably the terraced vineyards - and, last but not least, get to enjoy typical dishes that celebrate the region's culinary traditions. This authentic path perfectly combines nature and culture, and along the way the official logo signs point pilgrims in the right direction.

A five-stage trek

The Via Occidentale should ideally be completed in five stages. From the Sanctuary of Santa Maria delle Grazie and Suffragio in Valpozzo di Piantedo, the starting point, to the Beata Vergine Assunta of Berbenno di Valtellina, there are numerous Marian devotional sites worth visiting in the province of Sondrio.

A pilgrim’s passport

The Marian Way of the Alps also has a passport, which each pilgrim can download from the official website with six  stamps, one for each sanctuary of arrival, certifying the completion of the trail. When the pilgrims arrive at their final destination, they will be given the Testimonium, or pilgrimage certification, by the Rector of the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Tirano. This itinerary has been available from June1 and, with the exception of the coldest winter months, will be available all year.

“We are proud of this project”

“We are very proud of this important project,” says Roberto Galli, the president of Valtellina Turismo. "We are sure that the Marian Way of the Alps will satisfy visitors who choose Valtellina as a place to regenerate and discover our authentic nature as well as our sporting and outdoor activities."

For more information:
https://camminomarianodellealpi.it/
https://www.valtellina.it/cammino-mariano-delle-alpi

This year’s Macerata Opera Festival will feature three open-air operas and concerts in July and August in the great open-air arena of the Sferisterio. A novelty will be the symphonic concerts with leading   performers like Mehta, Chung and Lisiecki conducting the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia orchestras.  

Twenty-two evenings of open-air music

The 2022 programme is the first under the new artistic direction of Paolo Pinamonti, who comes to the Sferisterio with an important curriculum, having been artistic director of the Teatro La Fenice in Venice and the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples among others.  The new artistic team has combined opera with a series of high-level symphonic concerts, and is also giving space to the cinema and its relationship with music. In total, from 19 July to 21 August, there will be twenty-two evenings at the Sferisterio and two at the Lauro Rossi Theatre.

Mixing opera and the silver screen

"The world of cinema - underlines Pinamonti - will unite the Macerata Opera Festival 2022 playbill on several levels.” In fact the new production of Tosca (22, 24, 29 and 31 July) by director Valentina Carrasco will be set in a 1950s film set. Carmen Giannattasio, Antonio Poli and Claudio Sgura will sing the leading roles, with Donato Renzetti on the podium.

I Pagliacci and The Barber of Seville 

The 2015 production of Leoncavallo's Pagliacci by Alessandro Talevi will be presented again on 5, 7 and 11 August, preceded by the screening of one of Charlie Chaplin's masterpieces, The Circus which will be accompanied by a live performance of the original soundtrack restored by Timothy Brock who will also conduct Pagliacci, with Rebeka Lokar, Fabio Sartori and George Petean in the leading roles. The third opera will be Il Barbiere di Siviglia (12, 14, 19 and 21 August), which returns to the Sferisterio after an absence of almost twenty years, in a new staging that sets the opera on a television, rather than a film, set. The cast includes Alessandro Luongo, Serena Malfi, Ruzil Gatin, Andrea Concetti and Roberto De Candia, with young emerging talent Alessandro Bonato conducting. 

Great orchestras, famous conductors and Toquinho

The lineup of great orchestras and famous conductors will open the festival on 19 July with the orchestra and chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and Zubin Mehta in Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. This will be followed on 21 July by the orchestra of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia conducted by Myung-Whun Chung performing Beethoven's Symphony No. 6  Pastorale  and Symphony No. 7. And then Beethoven’s five piano concertos performed by the Canadian Jan Lisiecki, a young piano star, who will also conduct the orchestra on 4 and 6 August.    The Sferisterio Arena will also be the setting for an evening dedicated to Brazilian music with the great singer and guitarist Toquinho performing on 13 August. 

Italy is gearing up for a bumper summer, with its art cities and seaside resorts close to sold out, and with a new variable - value - fast gaining traction. Because more and more travellers are looking for destinations that offer the best value, basing their choice on how much they will spend, rather than being too picky about what they can see or do.  

Rome recently placed second, just behind Prague, for the best budget-friendly summer getaways in Europe. But the DiscoverCars.com survey put the Eternal City top of the pile for the number of budget hotels: 797 against Athens with 94, and Marbella with only 11.  Rome also soared higher than the other top ten cities surveyed when it came to affordable restaurants at 2,951, against Prague’s 1,201 and Vienna’s 689.  

For popular attractions it is no surprise that Rome was first past the post at 5,920, with Istanbul second at 4,294 and Prague third at 3,993.  And with entrance to the Eternal City’s biggest attraction, The Pantheon, costing €0 (like Ljubliana and Marbella’s old towns) compared to Vienna’s Schönbrunn Palace which costs a whacking €30,50 (imagine being a family of four!) well, the numbers speak for themselves. 

See you all in Rome this summer for great value holidays! 

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

Bernabó Bocca, president of Italian hotel association Federalberghi, says that red tape is slowing down the recovery. And not just in the hospitality industry.

Smaller operators and even travel agents agree, saying that a tangle of red tape is what’s stopping a true relaunch of tourism in Italy.

Of course this is nothing new. Bureaucracy has been slowing down the evolution of the Italian system for decades. But perhaps now it’s time to get cracking on a radical change.

The National Recovery and Resilience Plan is calling for faster decision-making, more streamlined procedures and more certain results. On the other hand, during the disastrous Covid crisis some administrations did emerge as small examples of efficiency. It’s time for that exception to become the rule.

Giuseppe Aloe
Editor in Chief

Orient Express’s Italian encore in Venice is in partnership with Arsenale. The Palazzo Dona' Giovannelli will be the second Orient Express hotel in Italy.

The result of the partnership between Accor and the Arsenale group, following the collaboration on the Dolce Vita trains and the Hotel de La Minerve in Rome.
Architect and interior designer Aline Asmar d'Amman and her studio Culture in Architecture were chosen to redesign the hotel which is currently undergoing restyling.

Hidden rooftop terraces with panoramic views

Orient Express Venice is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2024 with 45 rooms and suites, all with views of the city's gardens and canals. The main floor of the building will also house a bar in the former ballroom and a restaurant, at the helm of which there will be an internationally renowned chef. There is also a series of hidden terraces on the rooftops with panoramic views over Venice.

Just ten minutes from the Santa Lucia railway station

Located only ten minutes from Venice's Santa Lucia railway station and near the shopping district of Cannareggio, Palazzo Donà Giovannelli was built in 1400 by architect Filippo Calendario, known for the city's famous Doge's Palace. The former residence of the Duke of Urbino, a patron of the arts, it has been renovated twice, most notably in 1800 by architect Gian Battista Meduna. Once a picture gallery, it later became the property of the Donà and Giovannelli families. When the hotel opens, passengers on the future Orient Express La Dolce Vita train will be able to disembark directly at the station and either walk or take a boat to the hotel.   

With Make Iat, a new online software, individual tourists can create personalized Tuscan themed itineraries. Created by Fondazione Sistema Toscana, the itineraries can be viewed in real time by email or on WhatsApp.

Using VisitTuscany, the official Tuscany destination site, incoming agencies will be able to create multiple pre-set lists based on the typical traveller who visits an area, the length of stay and interests, with a catalogue of offers immediately available that are automatically updated by the system. 

Planning courses of action

Make Iat will also allow the profiles of tourists visiting Tuscany to be traced in real time, and will analyse arrivals flows and even interests by single areas, providing precious data and a significant advantage. Make Iat will be particularly useful for agencies like the Tuscany Region which, together with the Toscana Promozione Turistica agency and the various municipalities, can then plan courses of action based on the actual needs identified.

“Tourism will be increasingly experiential”

Tuscany’s councillor for tourism Leonardo Marras explains:

“This speed of detection and detail was previously impossible, and it will help us plan targeted promotion policies. Tourism will be different after the pandemic and we must be ready. Tourism will be increasingly experiential with places not just to visit but to experience, and with visitors getting involved in Tuscany which is what the trade calls crowd storytelling.”

 

Training courses for operators

Make Iat is already available to tourist information offices scattered throughout Tuscany, and training courses for operators, municipal employees and administrators have started, organized by Anci Toscana, the Tuscany Region, Toscana Promotion of Tourism and the Fondazione Sistema Toscana. 

The Dominican church and convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, and Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper were among the very first Italian treasures recognized by Unesco in 1980, coming right after the Valcamonica rock engravings. The monumental convent, designed by Swiss engineer and architect Guiniforte Solari, is worth a visit for its paintings and decorations alone. It took more than a century of work by dozens of painters to complete it, and there were subsequent interventions by Bramante and Cristoforo Solari.

An admirable work of human ingenuity

However, one fresco in particular stands out, and it also influenced the design of the building. The refectory of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie houses, conserves, protects, and guards one of the most admirable works of human ingenuity. Here at the end of the 1400s Leonardo Da Vinci's genius merged fine art and revolutionary technological solutions that were avant-garde for the time, creating his Last Supper which is considered the most famous representation of this biblical scene.

A 21-year restoration 

The fresco, which miraculously survived the Anglo-American bombings of 1943 that destroyed several walls of the church and the convent, including part of the refectory, is a wonderful painting that, through the use of different pictorial techniques, depicts an incredible group of figures. Leonardo Da Vinci created the large painting using his own technique, which was not like that used for traditional frescoes as it required quick layers of plaster that dried fast. So Leonardo mixed tempera and oil, overlapping two layers of plaster to achieve a smooth surface. Alas the humidity of the refectory walls caused the painting to detach over the centuries, and the work was the subject of one of the longest and most painstaking restorations ever, lasting 21 years between the 1970s and 1990s, and using the most advanced technologies of the day.

The Stelvio Pass by motorbike, with its unspoiled nature, hairpin bends and local foods is one of those trips that every motorcyclist must absolutely do at least once in their lifetime. For travel lovers it is an itinerary not to be missed, not only for the captivating route, but above all for the indescribable charm of the landscape with breath-taking peaks showcasing a wild and unspoiled natural environment. At an altitude of 2,758 metres, it is the highest pass in Italy and the second highest in Europe. 

A climb with 42 hairpin bends

Climbing up from the Lombardy side starting from Bormio, you go through 42 hairpin bends on a fairly wide road, covering about 22 kilometres in half an hour. A few stops during the journey are a must to enjoy the view and take some photos, and the route offers a series of areas where you can stop safely. The pass is normally open from the end of May to October, but it is always advisable to check before leaving. The climate should not be underestimated, especially if you decide to cross the Stelvio Pass by motorbike. 

It’s a good idea to layer up

Let's not forget that we are at over 2,700 metres asl, so the temperature remains cold for most of the time the pass is open. The advice therefore is to layer up, because if it's hot it's easy to peel off some layers. It is also a good idea to bring a backpack with warm clothing, as in the high mountains the weather changes on a dime, and it is not uncommon for snowflakes to fall even in July and August, so it’s essential to check the weather forecast before leaving.

Relaxing with local foods and wines

The Stelvio Pass must be mastered with technique, concentration and control. Some of the hairpin bends are difficult and taken at around  20 kilometres an hour while on other sections you can reach 40-50 kilometres given the physical limits dictated by the road. If you decide to have lunch up at the Pass, there are many good restaurants and taverns, and among the typical dishes of the valley you can enjoy gnocchi, canderli, spatzle, speck and strudel. There are also excellent wines produced from the Lagrein and Gewürztraminer grape varieties.