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.

Seehof Nature Retreat, an adults-only resort near Bressanone in the South Tyrol is the kind of place you would dream of setting a fairy tale. Just try to sketch one in your thoughts, and you will probably see a forest, a quiet pond, mountains in the distance and a cosy wood and stone home away from home.

This place exists, and it is even more than you could have dreamed of. It is the Seehof Nature Retreat in Naz-Sciaves, in the Isarco Valley, near the beautiful South Tyrolean town of Bressanone. 

Seehof Nature Retreat is an adults-only resort with 40 rooms, including suites and doubles. The designer rooms have views of the lake and the garden, and the public areas are designed to ensure maximum privacy and serenity. The formula is all-inclusive - with breakfast, lunch with a hot dish and starter buffet, and a 4-course gourmet dinner – and half board is available on request. 

A restaurant and La Prima Vera Spa

This resort is the perfect place to relax and regenerate and the materials used for the interiors - wood, stone and copper, create a chromatic harmony designed to blend with the landscape. The menus in the restaurant use only seasonal products, mostly of regional origin, in a delicate mix of Mediterranean flavours and Alpine suggestions and the luminous La PrimaVera Spa, with its panoramic sauna overlooking the landscape and the many wellness treatments to choose from, reconnect you with your most authentic self. 

The ideal choice for discerning travellers 

The resort’s gracious hosts Tamaris and Andreas Auer ensure that every stay is perfect and pleasure-packed in this charming hotel where refined luxury blends with a family atmosphere. So for discerning travellers looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life this is the perfect choice.

As widely predicted the war that broke out with Russia's invasion of Ukraine has cooled enthusiasm for a full recovery of domestic and international tourism. This slowdown could put the Easter holidays at risk, with foreign tourists staying away and bookings plunging.

The summer season, on the other hand, is very much on track. All indicators predict a lively summer with regenerated flows of tourism, both national and international which, after two years of total standstill, is starting to pick up again. 

But this scenario should not make us think that all the problems of organized tourism have been hammered out. Recently Astoi’s president Pier Ezahay said that even with a good summer “organised tourism will close the year with a 30/40% drop compared to 2019, which is still better than the 81% nosedive of 2021.”

Something worth pondering on. Losses have not yet been recovered and there is almost total disinterest from the authorities who should be supporting such an  important sector of the Italian economy. This is what happens in a country that thinks too much about trivialities and not enough about the real deal.

Giuseppe Aloe
Editor in Chief

Santa Marinella, which is 60 kilometres and less than an hour by car from Rome, is a popular surfers’ paradise. The territorial peculiarities of this part of the Lazio coastline make it ideal for surfing which has been very popular in the area since the 1980s.

The winds and currents create perfect surfing conditions

The jagged coast with its many bays and inlets has a rocky bottom which means that the waves reach the seafront with greater intensity. The formation of the bays in the area channel the winds and the sea currents in such a way that they create perfect waves to the delight of surfing enthusiasts. 

The most popular spot on the coast is Banzai Beach 

The most notable spot on this stretch of coast is Banzai Beach and it is one of the few local beaches that is famous worldwide. Banzai Beach was discovered about 30 years ago and today the town has many surf schools and regularly hosts national and international surfing events.

Events also take place in Santa Severa

The Banzai Surf School was founded in 2002, and in 2014 the nearby town of Santa Severa hosted the Italy Surf Expo. The area has also hosted the World Challenger Series of Stand-Up Paddle, with some of the world’s best athletes competing.

Craco is an Italian ghost town in the province of Matera in Italy’s southern Basilicata region. It dominates from atop a hill and, following a major landslide in the 1960s, the historic centre was evacuated, the population being forced to flee their homes.  It appears that the landslide was caused by routine maintenance repairs to the old residential centre, the work on sewers and water networks combining with the land's particular conformation to cause the disaster.

Craco is perched on a hilltop

Craco is known for its natural architecture of stone and brick, the handiwork of skilled artisan builders. The houses appear to be entwined around the castle which dominates the entire township from its perch high on a hilltop. Many tourists visit Craco to wander through the alleyways in a surreal setting, with the gullies in the hilly areas of the Lucanian Apennines providing spectacular views.  

Craco is popular with movie directors

Craco is a natural movie set that has captivated many great film directors. It has appeared in works like Pier Paolo Pasolini's The Gospel according to Matthew and in Mel Gibson's The Passion the little town appears as ancient Palestine. Craco also appeared in Francesco Rosi's Christ stopped at Eboli, and in Marc Forster's James Bond - Quantum of Solace.

Visitors must reserve the guided tours 

Visitors to Craco can check out its history in the municipal media library for which they must make a reservation. For safety reasons and to protect the integrity of the town, visits are organized in groups and with a guide. In 2010 the historic centre of Craco was added to the watch list of the World Monument Fund, an independent international organisation that protects historical and cultural sites around the world.

Enjoy the wonders of Piedmont this Easter with itineraries from Yescapa, the European camper sharing platform, for itinerant and active holidays exploring ancient villages, art cities, and unique panoramas comfortably equipped with hiking shoes and bicycles. With 95 protected natural areas, such as Turin’s Gran Paradiso National Park and the Val Grande National Park in Verbano Cusio Ossola, as well as five UNESCO World Heritage sites, Piedmont is ideal to travels by camper, charting your own course.

A beautiful region with an elegant capital 

Yescapa's proposals start in Turin and travel through Piedmont's major regions on a journey dedicated to freedom and beauty. Colours and flavours abound in the hills south of Turin, and after a tour of the elegant capital city, the itinerary travels south to an area with small villages and ancient rural landscapes.

An ancient royal residence and a cherry festival

Moncalieri, located close to Turin has a camping area and is worth visiting, as it has Moncalieri Castle which is one of the oldest royal residences, and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Built in the Middle Ages for defensive purposes, it was transformed by the Savoy kings into a "place of delights" in the 15th century. We then come to Pecetto, a historic village founded in 1224 and now known as the Cherry Village as it is a delight in April with its cherry blossoms and again in June with the Cherry Festival. 

The Martini Museum in Pessione

In the town of Chieri the Middle Ages and the Baroque eras blend harmoniously in the historic centre, and the Textile Museum is well worth a visit, followed by a tasting of local specialties such as the Freisa DOC wine, and the local focaccia.  And wine lovers should not miss a visit to the Martini Museum in Pessione which was founded by Lando Rossi di Montelera, owner of Martini & Rossi, the world-famous Vermouth producer.

Nature reserves and wonderful views

The Zegna Oasis is a large nature park in the Biella Alps to be explored along the 26-kilometer Panoramica Zegna road, which is equipped for campers. Starting at Casa Zegna we come to the Conca dei Rododendri, a garden designed by landscape architect Pietro Porcinai in the 1950s which is famous for its wonderful flowering rhododendrons.  The San Bernardo Sanctuary, some seven kilometres away, is accessible by foot or mountain bike, and from its 1400m elevation the view spans 360 degrees, from the Ligurian Apennines to the Alps and the Po Valley. 

Ski resorts and a roller bobsled run

From Bielmonte, a ski resort founded in 1957 by Ermenegildo Zegna, you can admire Mount Rosa and take the chairlift to the Monte Marca Refuge for a delectable meal before descending on the Rolba roller bobsled run. Then there's the wild Alta Valsessera, which is home to deer and roe deer and has many panoramic trails. From the Locanda Bocchetto Sessera rest house you can walk through the Bosco del Sorriso wood along a path with signs explaining how plants affect our energy and psycho-physical systems.  

With Trenitalia’s high-speed train network offering the key to efficient leisure and business travel, business division director Pietro Diamantini predicts a strong recovery for summer vacations and business trips from both the domestic and foreign markets this summer. “The positive sales trend in March together with the April bookings confirm a progressive recovery for both business and leisure travel in the summer months.”

The Frecciarossa high-speed trains are more efficient than ever

With more than 230 Freccia high-speed trains operating on the network and a raft of new services tailored to passenger needs, the aim is also to intercept holidaymakers who usually choose private transport for their summer travels. "Our Frecciarossa high-speed trains between Rome and Milan are more efficient than ever, and the same is true between all of Italy’s main cities. We have also studied new opportunities for weekends and holidays on the Tyrrhenian and Adriatic coasts like our FrecciaLink connections to seaside and mountain resort towns and to Italy’s smaller art cities.”   

There are 76 trains between Milan and Rome every day 

The very popular Milan and Rome high-speed trains have been stepped up to 76 daily, as have the Frecciarossa trains between Venice and Rome with 32 trains daily, while Rome to Genoa now takes less than 4 hours. There are also 14 daily trains between Rome and the Apulia region, and better connections to and from Calabria with the addition of two daily Frecciarossas from Venice in place of the Frecciargento trains.

American visitors want to come back to Italy 

Diamantini is also looking beyond Italy. "The US is our biggest market after Europe and in recent weeks bookings are showing that Americans want to come back to Italy for their spring and summer vacations. We are confident the domestic market will continue to grow this summer, and that we will see a return of foreign visitors who are anxious to discover our cultural and scenic attractions."

The Frecciarossa brand is seen as an example of quality and comfort

"During the health emergency period we used online formats to further expand our sales network both at home and abroad, and through social network channels we have been able to reach a rapidly expanding audience. Both in Italy and around the world the Frecciarossa brand is seen as an example of quality and comfort."

“Red tape is strangling tourism with its unprecedented demands,” says Franco Gattinoni, president of the Organized Tourism Federation Fto.   

Our employees have not been paid since 1 January

"Government support for social security cushions for organised tourism is still a pipe dream. What happens is that first measures are announced, and then the procedural process silently blocks their application. The FIS applications are complex, burdensome and uncertain in terms of timing, and the INPS still has to approve them, so our employees have not been paid since 1 January. It’s scandalous, to say the least”.  

The standard procedures are a veritable quicksand

"In 2022 we found ourselves with a new system of social security cushions - continues Gattinoni – and we tried to simplify the process in Q1. But the streamlining has not worked, and what's more, with the eight weeks of wage supplementation starting on 1 April, we will find ourselves back with the standard procedures which are a veritable quicksand".

The emergency does not wait for red tape

"The procedure is too long and complex, especially for companies with fewer than five employees who have never used these tools before. It’s unthinkable that micro-enterprises have to follow the same procedures as medium-sized and large companies and are obliged to present technical, economic and financial reports. The cost of these applications practically wipes out any benefits. It’s just not worth it, so many businesses are not bothering to submit them. The emergency does not wait for red tape - concludes Gattinoni - and after two years of the pandemic the government must step in if it is to prevent what remains of our sector getting buried under a pile of useless paperwork”.