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.

Highlighting some key issues for the hospitality industry, Maria Carmela Colaiacovo, president of Confindustria’s Italian Hotels Association, said that despite the signs of recovery hotels are still as risk, as energy costs are unsustainable after two years of almost complete standstill.

"The year 2022 opened with good prospects, but a 'perfect storm' has hit the hotel industry again. The exponential increase in energy has increased costs to unsustainable levels. Although hotels do not fall into the energy-intensive category, in practice the cost of energy bills is one of the largest items in their budgets which is why structural interventions are necessary to keep them alive. We support the government's actions to identify a medium-to-long-term strategy to cap the cost of gas, but immediate action is also needed to save the sector,” she said. 

During the two years of the pandemic many hospitality professionals had to opt for new career paths and Colaiacovo advocates a cut in the tax wedge.

“We are well aware that this is a costly measure, but it is necessary to keep companies competitive on international markets. The labour shortage is serious. We need an organic framework and a system of rules capable of overcoming the abusive practices widespread in many cities and destinations.”

Colaiacovo also noted the importance of bringing clarity to the issue of beach concessions which is another problem facing hotels.   

Livorno, the longest summer in the world is the name of the programme of spectacular, cultural, tourist and sports events planned in the Tuscan city up to

December 2022. With over 500 scheduled events, and others likely to be added, as well as eight exhibitions, the project spans the four seasons of the year: starting in Spring, going into full swing in Summer and continuing through Autumn and Winter.

‘We propose Livorno for Italian City of Culture 2023’

"This infinite summer actually started on 19 March when Livorno turned 416 years old, as it was 1606 when Grand Duke Ferdinand elevated it to the rank of city,” said Eugenio Giani, president of the Tuscany region. “A summer celebrated in what is perhaps the most modern of the historic Tuscan cities and that today is a hub of aggregation, entertainment, and sociability, thanks also to the spirit of openness that the sea and the port give it, impacting on the way we create culture. This is why I will propose to Mayor Salvetti that next year Livorno be elected Italian City of Culture.”

Over 500 events and great food

"We chose the slogan The Longest Summer in the World - added Leghorn’s mayor Luca Salvetti – because from April to December our city will host over 500 events, ranging from culture to entertainment, concerts, exhibitions, and great food.  Two important features of Leghorn's summer are worth mentioning: the way the different city boroughs will become more livable thanks to the events being organized, and sport.” 

In September 3 days of events dedicated to paralympic sport

Livorno is universally recognized as a city of sport (it holds the highest number of Olympic medals of all Italy’s cities) and sport can be a way to attract tourists and visitors. Among the many sporting events two stand out:  the rowing and the September Strabilianti, a three-day event dedicated to paralympic sport.” 

Dario Leone heads Savills' new hospitality & leisure division, underscoring the interest Italy’s real estate investment world is showing for the hotel and leisure segments. This is also underscored by the growing number of real estate service companies that are opening dedicated in-house departments like Savills, which has just opened its new hospitality & leisure division in Italy headed by Dario Leone.

A strong and experienced team   

With twenty years of experience in advisory services, operator selection and capital markets in Italy, Leone recently held the role of partner in charge of the hospitality division at Cushman & Wakefild. The new team he now heads also sees the addition of Giuseppe Leonardi and Marta Miragoli, who will report directly to Leone. Leonardi, who joins the Savills team as an associate, has worked in hospitality real estate for the past eight years in an advisory and capital markets services capacity. Marta Miragoli, joins the Savills team as a consultant, and started in the hospitality sector with the Marriott Group.

Italy has many new openings in the pipeline 

“It is a great pleasure to join the Savill team in Italy,” said Leone. “The market is in turmoil with a high investor appetite for Italy. So far we have seen intense activity in terms of transactions, and there are a lot of new openings in the pipeline backed by leading international hotel operators."

If you want to visit Venice this summer you have to buy a ticket. Making the city more livable for visitors and launching new tourist routes is what Venice's mayor is attempting to accomplish by launching the new ticket system for visitors to the city.

Recording the names of visitors to the city

"This is the right way - says Mayor Luigi Brugnaro in an interview with the Corriere del Veneto newspaper  - and now many people have understood it.” The mayor's plan is to launch a computer platform – ready in a couple of months - to record the names of anyone who wants to enter the city. Even residents of the Veneto region will have to register and pay but there is no obligation for Venetians. To start there will be no penalties, and there will be discounts and incentives for those who book. "We will be the first in the world - adds Brugnaro - with this difficult experiment.”  

A summer with a ticket

In a nutshell, this summer to stroll around Venice, hop on its water transport or just sit in a shady corner and relax, you will need to book a ticket first. And it looks like being a good thing as over the Easter weekend the city’s carrying capacity was sorely challenged by the arrival of over 140,000 visitors.

The Etruscan sites in Cerveteri and Tarquinia, around an hour from Rome, were added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004 and were the first example of Etruscan civilization sites included in the world ranking.

Prime examples of Etruscan funerary architecture

The necropolis of Banditaccia in Cerveteri, and that of Monterozzi in Tarquinia are unique testimonies of Etruscan funerary practices. In Cerveteri thanks to the variety of tombs you can follow the development of Etruscan funerary architecture, while in Tarquinia, the painted tombs are the most precious series of pictorial documents preserved not only in the historical Etruscan Etruria region, but throughout the classical world. 

1st-century remains of an ancient civilization

The symbol of Banditaccia is the Tomb of the Reliefs with its very fine decorations. It is in the burial chamber and depicts objects that were used in everyday life at the time. Inside there are several sectors, which reflect the different nuclei in which the necropolis must have been divided up to the 1st century B.C. Particularly striking are the imposing circular mounds with a hemispherical earthen cap, the so-called Cube Tombs and the great noble hypogea.

The Mediterranean’s most important necropolis

The extraordinary series of painted tombs in Tarquinia are the most prestigious part of the necropolis which is the most important of its kind in the Mediterranean. The practice of decorating the tombs of aristocratic families with paintings is also documented in other sites in Etruria, but only in Tarquinia does the phenomenon have these major dimensions. In the necropolis sector currently open to the public it is possible to admire some of the most famous of these ancient paintings.

A mysterious period of ancient history

Today the Etruscans still represent one of the most fascinating, mysterious and complex pages of the evolutionary path of the Mediterranean basin. Their great sense of devotion and respect for the dead is testified in the extraordinary funerary sites which, with their urban structure represent a unique and exceptional testimony of this ancient civilization.

The Pollino Experience (pollinoexperience.com), a new portal for the Il Borgo Ospitale deconstructed hotel in Basilicata, is online. This territorial communications and promotion project aggregates the accommodation and catering facilities of Il Borgo Ospitale in Rotonda, a town in the Pollino National Park in the southern Basilicata region. 

The portal has four main sections

The portal is divided into four main sections: Food, with direct links to the catering facilities and the excellent food and wine on offer; Hospitality, with links to the Borgo Albergo’s facilities; Wellness, the wellness area in the Eufrasia SPA, and Nature, a section with nature and environmental experiences. And there is also a Stories section, dedicated to the history of the area. 

The Pollino, starting from the town of Rotonda, is very popular with Italian and international visitors looking for experiences in contact with nature, beauty and charm. To make our offer even more attractive, we have chosen to improve and simplify the user experience through this innovative digital project. Today’s travellers are looking for more intense experiences that involve all the senses and generate emotions that will remain as memories to tell and share. The destination is no longer at the centre of things, what matters is to have an intimate experience and be the protagonist of your time. "

“Tourism has to take into account sustainability, innovation, and travel spread over time and territory - continues Bruno – putting people and their passions first, so that every visitor can have their own unique experience. Our region can offer all this, the Pollino Experience portal  is aimed at both tour operators and individual tourists and designed to promote sustainable, experiential, slow and easily accessible tourism."

The new ways of tourism move through different whys and wherefores. Which is what the mayor of Venice is trying to achieve by launching a booking system which means that, starting this summer, if you want to visit Venice you have to book.

The mayor's idea is to create a digital platform that, in a couple of months, will be registering the names of anyone who wants to enter the city, including residents of the Veneto region. Initially there will be no penalties, but there will be discounts and incentives for those who book, and residents of Venice itself will be totally exempt.

In short, a summer with a ticket. And it doesn't seem such a bad idea, given that at Easter the lagoon city’s streets and squares were filled to overflowing with 140,000 tourists.

Now anyone arriving there will have to book on a special website which is due to be launched in a few weeks. Let's say it's a way to safeguard the city and its extraordinary treasures, and to whittle visitors down to those who really want to get to know Venice.

Giuseppe Aloe
Editor in Chief