Metaponto, with its sandy beaches and the Basilicata region's most important archaeology, is a small town in the province of Matera which is a must for visitors to the region. Exploring this lovely Ionian coastline with its white powdery beaches is particularly popular in the summer months.

The Magna Graecia area was colonized by the Greeks

The ancient city was founded by Greek colonists from Achea in the 7th century BC in a fertile area between the Bradano and Basento rivers. It dominated the plain which is now known as Metapontino at the very centre of Magna Graecia (the vast area at the foot of Italy colonized by the Greeks) and today is a key area for important archaeological remains.

One of the only five Ionic temples in Italy

Thanks to the grain trade it became an important commercial hub. So much so that an ear of corn was printed on its coins and became the symbol of the city. When the Pythagoreans were expelled from Crotone, Pythagoras chose Metapontus to continue his teachings, and his home was later transformed into the temple of Hera. In Metaponto, there are the remains of one of the very few Ionic temples found in Italy (there are only four others) and, dating back to around 470 BC, it is dedicated to Aphrodite, the goddess of love, fertility and beauty.

A small, well-preserved archaeological park

Whether it be the charm of age-old myths and gods, or the thrill of discovering  remarkable ancient and historical finds, the Archaeological Park of Metaponto, which is small, private and very well preserved, has a truly unique and compelling atmosphere. Among the other temples is that of Hera, the wife of Zeus and today we can still see fifteen of its imposing columns, the so-called Palatine Tables. These continue to testify to the importance of this area for the original Greek colonists. It was truly a sacred place, and today it still resonates with the same magic.

The ancient traditions of artisan life

Another interesting area is that of the kerameicos, or the potters’ district, which offers us a glimpse of the traditions of artisan life. Then on the opposite side of the park, the Castro Romano area emerges in the form of a long arcaded gallery and was used up to the end of the 6th century AD.

Borgo San Gaetano

Lovers of all things beautiful will feel totally at home in Borgo San Gaetano, a charming relais located in the elegant town of Bernalda, a short distance from the coast. The seven suites in an old mill blend vintage and contemporary and prices range from €90 to €150 for two people per night, including the delicious and abundant Bernaldese breakfast.  

“Naples is one of the oldest cities in Europe with a contemporary urban fabric that retains countless elements of its eventful history. The layout of its streets and its priceless historic buildings from different eras endow it with an unparalleled universal value, which has exerted a profound influence on much of Europe and beyond." With this motivation, UNESCO declared the historic centre of Naples a World Heritage Site in 1995, including it in the list of assets to be protected. 

Naples underwent many dominations

Down the centuries, the city witnessed many different styles and dominations from its foundation as the Greek colony Parthenope, to Roman domination, from the Swabian-Norman period to the Angevin reign, then under the Aragonese Empire, the Kings of France, Garibaldi and the Kingdom of Italy. Its heritage area consists of the following city districts: Avvocata, Montecalvario, San Giuseppe, Porto, Pendino, Mercato, Chiaia, San Ferdinando, Stella, San Carlo all'Arena, San Lorenzo, Vicarìa and part of the Vomero and Posillipo hills.

The San Carlo is the oldest opera house in Europe

Strolling through the centre on Via Toledo you can admire the grandiose Galleria Umberto I, a crossroads for artists, painters and poets. Also not to be missed is the Castel Nuovo, known as the Maschio Angioino, home to kings and barons from the Angevins to the Bourbons; and the San Carlo Theatre is the oldest opera house in Europe. In its historic churches artists such as Caravaggio, Donatello and Jusepe de Ribera all worked and one much-loved site is the Monastery of Santa Chiara with its cloisters which are decorated with beautifully crafted majolica. Not far away we find elegant Filomarino Palace, which was a noble residence before becoming the home of the famous philosopher Benedetto Croce.

Take a mystery night tour

But Naples is also city of mystery. Stories of ghosts, legends and mysterious characters have always played a major role in Neapolitan popular culture, and today there are organized night tours with fascinating itineraries featuring popular legends and esotericism that add a touch of excitement to any visit to this beautiful city. 

Just a few steps from the central Piazza del Duomo, the Palazzo Giureconsulti has reopened after restoration. For 400 years at the heart of Milan’s social, economic and cultural life, work was carried out on the facade and the main internal areas, including the reception and the prestigious Sala Colonne.

It housed Milan’s first stock exchange

With an elegant façade and a clock tower, one of the most elegant, charming and iconic venues in the city is on four floors and has a total area of 4,000 m2. Designed by Vincenzo Seregni, it was inaugurated in 1654 and housed the first Milan Stock Exchange (1809). Since 1911 it has been owned by the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce.

Highlighting Milan’s international appeal

It is Milan’s oldest and most central conference centre and is managed by Parcam, a company owned by the Milan Chamber of Commerce, and is the headquarters of the city promotion agency founded by the City of Milan and the Chamber of Commerce of Milan, Monza Brianza and Lodi. The opening of the Palazzo marks a new page in the story of the city, highlighting and enhancing Milan's economic and social dynamism and its international appeal as well as its development and urban regeneration projects and its world-famous Made in Milan brands.

“Milan is a city of multiple identities and opportunities”

"We are proud to reopen Palazzo Giureconsulti, which has been carefully restored to its former beauty and at the same time given new infrastructural, technological and digital potential. We want it to become the centre of the story of the Milan of multiple identities and opportunities as the city changes and develops,” said Elena Vasco, Secretary General of the Milan Monza Brianza Lodi Chamber of Commerce. 

Global promotional campaigns

"We want wants to catalyze the energies of the Municipality, the Chamber of Commerce and the city's businesses in contributing to the relaunch of Milan after the pandemic. With the Yesmilano brand we are working on global promotional campaigns and a schedule of events for the Palazzo and the city," commented Luca Martinazzoli, Director of Milano & Partners.

The Fabbriqa project is the result of an agreement signed by Erqole, a company which is part of  the Swedish hospitality group QarIbo Ab, and the Tuscan municipality of Monte Argentario. The project entails the restoration of the former Cirio factory's area which will be converted into a luxury property, and the Don Pedro hotel in Porto Ercole which will be relaunched as La Roqqa. 

The aim is sustainability

The property to be built on the former Cirio area will emphasize sustainability and environmental stewardship; elements that have characterized Erqole’s activity since its inception. Qarlbo Ab, headquartered in Stockholm, invests in entertainment and hospitality, as well as healthcare and real estate, and owns 100% of Erqole, which is wholly owned by the Jonsson family.

Experiencing authentic Tuscany 

"Tourism is a natural fuel for our economy - says the president of the Tuscany region, Eugenio Giani- normally standing at 10% of GDP and 11% in terms of jobs. We want to boost tourism, making it an opportunity not only for a holiday but to experience Tuscany in a really authentic way."

Facilitating investments

“I thank the Tuscany region and the municipality of Monte Argentario for showing their interest in promoting this project,” adds Jonsson, the founder of Erqole. “We intend encouraging Tuscany’s competitiveness and facilitating investments by companies like ours, also with a view to creating new jobs and boosting the local economy.”

The Marche’s first Sibillini Mountains tourist district was created with an MOU signed, at the recent BIT international tourism exchange, by the municipalities of Bolognola, Castelsantangelo Sul Nera, Fiastra, Montefortino, Montegallo, Montemonaco, Sarnano and Ussita. 

Boosting outdoor and snow tourism

The region's main objective is to move from tourism strictly linked to the sea to two new products involving the hinterland. The first is the redevelopment of its small towns and the second the creation of the first mountain tourist district, which sees the Sibillini Mountains as a pivotal element and a very strong attraction in terms of outdoor and especially snow tourism. Thanks to the resources allocated in the CIS Sisma and the PNRR Sismi Complementary Fund, which together will bring more than €800 million investments to the Marche, the municipalities are modernizing ski lifts and mountain refuges to the tune of €58 million while important resources are being allocated to the enhancement of pathways and trails. 

Repopulating inland areas

The agreement aims at repopulating inland areas and a study revealed how the different age groups of the population associate the concept of "mountain" with the idea of a vital and dynamic place (over 70%), capable of enhancing physical and mental wellbeing (94%), identifying it as an ideal place in which to implement new life projects.

‘There is no commerce without tourism’ 

The research also showed how a quality, intersectoral, and environmentally friendly tourist product in the Sibillini Mountains can have benefits for all, triggering investments to boost the off-peak seasons and to repopulate the Sibillini Mountain areas. "Tourism is an economy and there is no commerce without tourism,”s aid  Lara Magoni, Lombardy Region's councillor and Guido Castelli concluded by saying that the MOU strengthens the community, defines further synergies, identifies future projects and optimises the various types of funds available.

Ph credits: Maurizio Paradisi

Pisa will be Flydubai’s third Italian destination after Naples and Catania. The new Pisa flights, starting om 24 June will operate three times weekly on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays operated by a Boeing 737 Max. Emirates will share the code on these routes and the flights will operate from Terminal 3 of Dubai International, ensuring passengers convenient connections through the Emirates hub.

Adding new destinations and increasing frequencies

"We have seen healthy growth in passenger numbers as more countries ease travel restrictions and travel demand returns to pre-pandemic levels," says Flydubai’s CCO Hamad Obaidalla. "We are looking forward to an exceptional summer as we continue to add more destinations to our network and increase flight frequencies on some of our existing routes.”

Economy and business class on the Boeing 737 Max aircraft 

The Boeing 737 Max aircraft deployed on the route are configured in both economy and business classes, with the latter featuring flat beds as well as extra space, and the economy class has new Recaro seats designed to optimise space and comfort.

Flydubai has carried over 80 million passengers

From its base in Dubai Flydubai has established a network of over 95 destinations served by a fleet of 62 Boeing 737 aircraft including 34 new generation Boeing 737-800s, 25 Boeing 737 MAX 8s and 3 Boeing 737 MAX 9s. Since starting operations in June 2009, the low-cost carrier has carried over 80 million passengers.

Suite Travel, the first network of co-branded agencies, will organize a trip for one hundred US students from the prestigious Wharton University, underscoring the role of travel agencies in bringing foreign tourists back to Italy.

The students will visit Apulia, Matera and Rome

Behind this initiative are Giada Marabotto and Antonella Ruperto, the founders of Suite Travel. The group of students will visit Puglia (Lecce , Galatina, Gallipoli, Ostuni and Alberobello) and Matera, and the exchange event promoted by the Wharton Italian Club in collaboration with Luiss Business School will also take in the capital on 20 May.

Experienced international staff

"We feel a great responsibility as tourism professionals - explains Giada Marabotto – and Italy deserves the attention and interest of the world. We are selecting international and highly experienced staff to be competitive on the main markets of the world. We already have Takeo Yajima, a Brazilian who has been managing groups from South America visiting Italy for years, and Sandra Woro from Indonesia, an expert in the Asian market. "

‘We would like to contribute to a real restart’

"We want to get this Suite Travel project off the ground - adds Antonella Ruperto - we are a benefit company, and we place a lot of importance on enhancing culture and locations. Tourism has suffered a lot with the pandemic, many highly experienced people have lost their jobs and we would like, in our small way, to contribute to a real restart.”

360° support for trips to Italy

The goal is to provide 360 ° service aimed at tour operators, travel agencies, associations and clubs who want to organize trips to Italy and, with this in mind, Giada Marabotto and Antonella Ruperto have selected fresh and interesting itineraries in various Italian regions, from Lazio to Liguria for unique and unforgettable experiences. From visiting Rome in an Ape calessino to cooking classes, Suite Travel's goal is to provide an original product capable of responding to the new needs of travellers.

In 1977 Modena was listed by UNESCO on its World Heritage List for the monumental ensemble of the Piazza Grande, the Ghirlandina Tower, and the Cathedral. This masterpiece of man's creative genius is an expression of the art of two exceptional masters: the architect Lanfranco and the sculptor Wiligelmo. Their work became a model for Po Romanesque architecture, providing a "eminent example of a type of construction or architectural complex illustrating a significant period of human history."

Modena’s square is largely untouched

The square has remained largely untouched to the present day. This quadrangular space, created in the second half of the 12th century, is surrounded by civic and religious buildings, while the houses on the south-east of the square have been used for craft, commercial, and municipal activities over the centuries.

A mediaeval wonder

The Cathedral delimits the square's left side to the north, and its brick interior retains the original structure. For the main facade Wiligelmo created a new figurative language based on canons from Roman antiquity early Christian and mediaeval art, with the goal of suggesting a promise of salvation to the faithful. The main portal of the facade served as a model for the Cathedral's other doors as well as an example for subsequent medieval Italian sculpture.

An exceptional testimony of a vanished civilization

The Civic Tower, known as the Ghirlandina, is 88 metres high. It is the symbol of the city and is connected to the Cathedral by two arches. It was built in two stages: first the architect Lanfranco and the sculptor Wiligelmo built the six lower orders, and later Arrigo da Campione built the octagonal drum of the cusp. As an example of an urban settlement linked to the values of municipal civilization, the entire complex consisting of these three architectural works is a "unique or at least exceptional testimony of a vanished civilization or tradition."

The Val Camonica Valley in eastern Lombardy has a large collection of prehistoric petroglyph rock carvings. At 100 kilometres long, it is one of the largest valleys in the central Alps and is historically divided between the provinces of Bergamo and Brescia. In 1979 it became Italy’s first UNESCO site and today there are over 180 different archaeological locations in 24 municipalities along the valley which is world famous for its prehistoric petroglyphs or rock carvings.

The rock carvings show hunting and battle scenes

The figures in the carvings are sometimes superimposed one on top of the other in no apparent order, while others are in a logical relationship with one another such as the scenes of religious rites, hunting or battle. These ideograms in the Val Camonica represent the "idea" of the object rather than the actual object, and the rock art is currently to be seen in eight parks, although given the valley's wealth of archaeological relics new sites are being added.  

Cycle paths and modern spa towns 

The Val Camonica also means nature and sport as it has many ski resorts and slopes. It also has the Oglio River Cycle Path, and various mountain bike trails. Nature lovers will appreciate the Adamello and Stelvio Parks and for wellness buffs there are the modern spas towns of Boario, Angolo and Sapori which delight with their wide range of traditional products and gastronomic specialties.