In these days of COVID sailing is the new trend, and requests for sailing vacations have increased by 800% over the last two years. This is according to www.speedvacanze.it, the largest tour operator specialized in group travel for singles, who say that sailing vacations have been perceived as safer than other types of holidays. And the fact that this new type of group vacation is open to everyone contributes to its success, in fact, 88% of bookings are from people aged 35 to 55 who are sailing for the first time, and 75 percent of those booked are new customers.

Sailing vacations are in high demand

“We have discovered a high demand for sailing vacations, and we are developing the market. We launched this formula last year and it has sparked a lot of interest,-  says Giuseppe Gambardella, founder of www.speedvacanze.it. - So much so that this year we have not only proposed it again, but we have bet heavily on it, with new itineraries and more departures. We have also improved the service by selecting better boats and more experienced skippers to ensure the best possible experience for our customers.”

Absolute relaxation

But what are the factors that are causing an increasing number of single travellers to prefer a sailing vacation? www.speedvacanze.it conducted a survey among its customers and followers on social media, and 32% of the responses prioritized absolute relaxation. Then another 26% prefer the contact with nature and the sea, 23% value the opportunity to see places from a different perspective and 19% love the sense of adventure. Itineraries along the Italian coasts are the most popular with 30% of travellers choosing Italian destinations, and with 35% preferring Sardinia. 

In fact, sailing vacations in the Maddalena Archipelago and the Pontine Islands, between Ponza, Palmarola, and Ventotene, will be the most popular this summer. Itineraries in Sicily, in the Egadi and Aeolian archipelagos, in Tuscany and Campania, along the Cilento Coast -  a stretch of coast to be discovered -  are also popular. Sailing is not a luxury vacation, and it does require some adaptability, though there is plenty of comfort on board, and it is a guaranteed experience that will last a lifetime.

Trullo Mò in the Puglia region, a six-room boutique resort on over six hectares, is bookable exclusively, and has a central unit and three annexes with a total of six rooms. 

Six suites and eight bathrooms

There are three suites in the central area, plus one in each of the three annexes, eight bathrooms, a kitchen and a living area. Located in Cisternino in Italy’s southern Puglia region it is a partnership between the Swiss real estate and hospitality management group A++ and the travel boutique Dunia Milano.

“Offering guests a new concept of hospitality”

"We believe that this new partnership is the answer to the current needs of travellers. Dunia was founded this year, and its mission is the search for truly unique locations and experiences, - explains Alexandro Petrizzi, president of the Milan-based company.- Trullo Mò con Dunia is the first of a series of properties that, thanks to their DNA and our added value, offer guests a new concept of hospitality."

A salt-water pool and an outdoor cinema

The heart of Trullo Mò con Dunia is the indoor living area: a large typical trullo ten-cone building, with huge windows framing the garden and swimming pool, that can accommodate up to 12 people. The exterior is designed to make the most of the sunny days and gentle evenings, whatever the season. On the six hectares of land, in a Mediterranean garden that guarantees perfect privacy, there is a heated swimming pool with salt water, a gym, yoga and massage area, a padel court among the olive trees, an outdoor cinema and an organic vegetable garden. 

A kids’ playground

The Trullo also has a children's playground, which can be set up according to the preferences of the little ones, and where Dunia takes care of everything, including babysitting. Last but not least there is Cinzia, the property’s local cook, who takes care of preparing breakfast and lunch for guests, with menus that are inspired by local traditions while respecting the tastes and dietary needs of the guests.

The little town of Genga is a medieval castle built on a rock in the heart of the Marches region, close to the town of Fabriano in the province of Ancona. Recognised as the birthplace of Pope Leo XII (1760-1829), Genga owes its notoriety to the Frasassi Caves, visited every year by over 300,000 tourists from all over the world. 

Popular with hikers, climbers, cavers and bikers

Located within the Gola della Rossa e di Frasassi Regional Natural Park, the park, the cave and the surrounding area are very popular destinations for hikers, climbers, cavers and bikers. And for wellness lovers the famous Frasassi Spa is a must to indulge in some well-deserved pampering and relaxation.

A treasury of art

The Museum of Art, History and Territory in the Castle of Genga narrates the community's religious sentiments and social patterns. But the little town is rich in artistic attractions from the Church of San Clemente, to the new church with its Renaissance and Baroque altarpieces. In the museum you can admire a triptych and standard by Antonio da Fabriano, dating from the 15th century, and the white marble statue Madonna and Child attributed to the school of Canova, a splendid example of neoclassical sculpture.

Religious itineraries

The municipality of Genga is also known for its sacred dimension thanks to the many itineraries of evocative churches and hermitages in the area, and recently a convention inspired by an article of the Italian constitution referring to the right to manifest one's religious beliefs, was organized in the museum.  

A venue for conferences and events  

The conference Posso dire di credere in Dio? (Can I say I believe in God?) was an in-depth reflection on freedom of thought and expression in the religious sphere. It was also an example of how this little town lends itself to the organization of conferences and events on an international level. The area is also well organized to receive visitors, with a wide choice of small hotels rental properties and farmstays, as well as local restaurants specializing in the traditional cuisine of the Marches.  

Next year will be 2023 Year of Return Tourism. Discovering the origins, the first part of the five-year plan 2023-2028 Return to Italy, a project from Rete Destinazione Sud. Established in 2014, this is a network of tour operators, travel agencies, hospitality operators, consultancy and information technology companies, restaurateurs, transport companies, business networks and consortia in the South of Italy, that also includes a growing number of local members at municipal, provincial and regional level.  

Many Italians living abroad wish to relocate

"This is an well-structured project that hinges on the desire of many Italians living abroad to return to our country -  explains the network's president, Michelangelo Lurgi.- This goes from the so-called return tourism which is the inspiration for next year’s project, to definitive relocations with a view perhaps to repopulating small towns and  villages, as well as investments, joint ventures, import-export operations and acquisitions of real estate, including hotels.” 

Some 700 municipalities are already involved

“These are all opportunities for which our network, in close collaboration with local institutions, is able to provide detailed and precise information, as well as valuable contacts for the realization of each individual operation. This is possible thanks to the network we have created, not only in Italy where we collaborate with about 700 municipalities, including some of the most beautiful towns in Italy, but also abroad. Starting from South America where we are carrying out a series of international missions to present our project in countries where there is the strongest presence of people with Italian roots.”

A listed candidate for a EU pilot project

The project is well underway as was recently illustrated to both the Italian House of Deputies and the European Parliament. “Given its broad scope, which is extendable to other realities in Europe,- Lurgi continues - we have been listed among the candidates to become an EU pilot project. And of course it all fits with the push towards sustainability and the valorization of renewable energy sources.”

The next important step will be the presentation of the proprietary platform 2023 Year of Return Tourism, at TTG in Rimini. “We will be present in the regional pavilions to illustrate the section on the destinations involved. At the moment we already have six participating regions, Calabria, Molise, Abruzzo, Marche, Campania and Lazio, but we count on adding others soon.”

As summer marches on much of the travel world is seeing a return to some kind of near normal, though airports and hotels are still grappling with crippling staff shortages, and travellers with cancellations, delays and immoderate prices.

But beyond all the slightly dizzy euphoria, which is more than understandable after two years of an almost complete halt to international travel, has the pandemic taught us how to be better prepared for the future?   

In a new report the World Travel and Tourism Council launches a stern warning to destinations from cities to islands, and from deserts to the tropics, saying they need to build up resilience and long-term sustainability, and pointing the finger at the environment, infrastructure, energy, economic, and societal resilience.

The touchstone for a return to pre-pandemic levels, it argues, lies in “preparing and processing for the next shock.” Are we all listening? 

Pamela McCourt Francescone
Executive Editor

The National Gallery of Umbria has reopened in Perugia.  After a year of renovations one of Italy’s most important museums has reopened its doors with new spaces and new visitor experiences.

Among the new features two rooms are entirely devoted to the works of Perugino, of which the gallery holds the world’s greatest number of paintings. There is also a new section reserved for contemporary art, with pieces by  Umbrian maestros like Gerardo Dottori and Alberto Burri.

A thoroughly modern museum

Tradition and innovation are the two benchmarks for the new exhibition experience. Faithful to its history and its identity, the National Gallery of Umbria is forging its way forward into the third millennium, proving its state-of-the-art credentials in heritage conservation, the safety and security of both people and property, environmental sustainability, interdisciplinarity and the international scope of its research.

ph credits Marco Giugliarelli

The Museum is custodian to Italy’s artistic and cultural heritage”

“Today is a special day for Perugia, for Umbria and for Italy,” said Professor Massimo Osanna, Italy’s Director General of Museums. “After a year of work a location of excellence, which is custodian to Italy’s artistic and cultural heritage, can once again be enjoyed by the public.” 

Two rooms with works by Perugino

The National Gallery of Umbria primarily houses paintings of sacred subjects dating from the 13th to the 18th centuries and these are now arranged in a new layout based on the passing of time. Monographic rooms have also been created to narrate the careers of the most significant artists present in the collections. The rooms with the greatest impact are the two dedicated to the most important Umbrian master, Pietro di Cristoforo Vannucci, also known as Perugino.  In 2023 to mark the 5th centennial of his death, Perugino will be celebrated with a series of cultural events.

“We transformed an accessible museum into a receptive museum”

“Rethinking the museum from the foundations meant first and foremost harnessing the ability to keep a firm focus on history and tradition,” stressed Marco Pierini, Director of the National Gallery of Umbria. “The challenge we had to tackle was that of transforming an accessible museum into a receptive museum.”

A virtual space that recreates missing pieces of artwork

The visitor experience is augmented by a multimedia project developed and created by Magister Art, which provides in-depth information and unprecedented angles on a selection of the heritage on display and includes a virtual space bringing together the missing pieces of certain works that were dismantled in the past. And there is also plenty of attention for the ‘green’ side, with the Gallery’s new hi-tech lighting system fitted with presence detectors that adjust the lighting intensity automatically.   For info: www.gallerianazionaledellumbria.it  

The Riace Bronzes 50 years from their discovery on that 16 August 1972 off the coast of Riace in Italy’s southern region of Calabria when, following a report by a diver, the Carabinieri unearthed two unique statues: the Riace Bronzes.

Two icons, and probably part of a complex group of bronze sculptures, whose images would soon go around the world, opening up new and unprecedented scenarios in the study of Magna Graecia and beyond.

A new UNESCO World Heritage site

Legends, heroes and warriors, the Riace Bronzes are still shrouded in mystery, and with their sculptural perfection have become the symbol of Magna Graecia, Calabria and the Mediterranean. Recently nominated as a UNESCO heritage site, fifty years after their discovery, the Riace Bronzes will be the protagonists this year of a new narrative of contemporary, sustainable and innovative Calabria. A story to be told in Italy and around the world through a series of events promoted by the Calabria Region.

Discovered on 16 August 1972

On 16 August, the date of the discovery, the Municipality of Reggio Calabria will pay tribute to the bronzes with an evocative video mapping installation on the facade of Reggio Calabria’s museum. For the entire summer the central Corso Garibaldi street will become the setting for an open-air exhibition of public archaeology dedicated to the discovery of the Bronzes.

A new emotional video and website

The city of Riace will also be transformed into a stage on 16 August, with the celebrations at the site of the discovery   opening with The Dawn of the Bronzes and concluding with The Night of the Riace Bronzes with a celebratory photo exhibition, a conference on historical and cultural studies, concerts and musical events.  The Calabria Region has also launched its new emotional video and a new website for discovering not only the Riace Bronzes but the entire Magna Grecia region. www.bronzi50.it

ph credits Federico Neri

Sardinia’s Nuragic complex of Barumini is a must-see, and was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site thanks to its levels of preservation, antiquity, and the cutting-edge construction techniques used by a prehistoric people.

The earliest signs of construction on the island’s largest archaeological site dates back to the Bronze Age, and the town of Barumini was also known as Su Nuraxi from the name of the main nuraghe.

The complex had five towers 

The complex originally consisted of five towers, the central one built of basalt blocks, and four lateral towers, positioned according to the cardinal points, connected by rectilinear walls, inside of which there was an internal courtyard with a well and a spring that is still operating today. The dwelling complex was secured by a rampart system comprised of towers outfitted with apertures from which to observe the threats posed by the perpetually restless sea.

Well-preserved remains of ancient rooms

Some scholars believe that the oldest part of the nuraghe had a religious, refuge, civil or parliamentary purpose, or may have been the seat of the village chief. Among the huts discovered, the most significant are the one reserved for the chief's meetings, which is larger, and the hut reserved for village assemblies which contains symbols of the worshipped deities. Among this set of buildings two are particularly fascinating, each featuring a well-preserved circular room with a stone bench around the outside and a large stone basin in the centre, which was possibly used for domestic rites related to the cult of water.

A suggestive and mysterious site 

The Nuragic civilization was essential to the spread of Mycenaean and subsequently Phoenician culture, even though some of its idiosyncrasies remain a mystery to the present day. This may well be because they were unfamiliar to classical Greek culture.

Visitors can discover the mysterious Etruscan people on the island of Elba from July to October to find out how the Etruscans lived.

If it is true that they wrote from right to left and then backwards, in alternating lines. If their cuisine was very different from ours. If it is true that their women were emancipated. What were their hobbies, games, music? Were they really mining talents capable of masterfully working metals?

Etruscan recipes and food tasting are planned 

To answer all these and many other questions Elba, the island of the Etruscans, celebrates its bond with the mysterious Mediterranean people with a year of events dedicated to Etruscan culture. The Etruscan Elba programme also features Etruscan recipes, food tastings, historical re-enactments, and visitors can try their hand at metallurgical technique.

©Rachele Lori per Enjoy Elba

“Visitors can try things first hand”

"Etruscan Elba is a new and wonderful opportunity to show the thousand faces of our island - underlines Niccolò Censi, a coordinator at Visit Elba. - Visit Elba will allow visitors to experience Elba authentically and try things out first hand.”

Precious Etruscan metals on display 

Mediterranean routes between Etruria and the East opened on 1 July and will continue until Sunday 2 October 2022. The exhibition - the main attraction is the Iron and Gold exhibition - showcases a selection of precious materials from the National Archaeological Museum of Florence, originally from the necropolises of mining Etruria.

Wine tours and conferences 

The banquet was a central moment in Etruscan social life, and the programme includes presentations of recipe collections and wine tours featuring the history of Etruscan wine. Many conferences are scheduled focusing on the many known and lesser-known aspects of the Etruscan civilization.

Info: www.visitelba.info and blog: blog.visitelba.info

City retreat Palazzo Belvedere has opened in Montecatini Terme with a spa. The new hotel, which is on the site where the old hotel of the same name once stood, is on the street leading to the Tettuccio Spa.

Leading the new team are Simone Galligani, an entrepreneur from Montecatini Terme who comes from an historic family of hoteliers, and manager Chiaralberta Valentini, who has been with the Belvedere group for ten years. 

An events and concert area

Palazzo Belvedere now has 60 rooms, 33 fewer than the original property. It also has three apartments for long stays and features a circular garden which is ideal for running, Pilates, yoga and meditation sessions, and is also a perfect area for events and concerts. 

The spa is inspired by the holistic concept of circularity, with treatments and programmes that allow guests to regain their balance. Next to the circular garden the wellness centre includes eight treatment rooms with natural light as well as a private outdoor area. The B&B outlets, helmed by Tuscan chef Daniele Ciofi, include a bistro, a restaurant and a bar.