Marcello Cicalò is the new CEO of the Bluserena group. Cicalò brings to the company over twenty years of experience in luxury hospitality - starting his career at Delphina Hotels and Forte Village, and then moving  to the Rome Cavalieri  - and specific expertise in Italy, Europe, countries of the former Soviet Union, the United States and the Gulf States. 

“We share an orientation towards quality, innovation, training and motivation”

"I accepted this new position with enthusiasm and determination. I will bring to it all the skills I have acquired in each of my hotel experiences, together with a great passion for the world of hospitality and teamwork," Cicalò said. "Bluserena represents an innovative and stimulating reality in which I will have the opportunity to develop the vision of Azora European Hotel & Leisure, working in synergy with the entire team, with whom I share a strong orientation towards quality, innovation, training and motivation.

Summer 2021 closed with a 20% rise in turnover

For the immediate future, Cicalò will supervise the renovation projects of the 4-star villages and design the new services included in the investment programme of more than €30 million, allocated in 2021 following the acquisition by Azora European Hotel & Leisure. The expansion and renovation plan focuses on the further development of the company after a successful summer season, which saw pre-pandemic figures exceeded with a total of 1.2 million presences and a 20% increase in turnover. With 2,500 employees and a total accommodation capacity of 4,400 rooms spread across its 13 4- and 5-star villages and resorts, the ongoing investment programme will show its first results at the start of the 2023 season.

Work is underway at the Hilton Rome Eur La Lama, in preparation for its debut in the heart of Rome's EUR business district, the nerve centre for large companies, with bookings currently opening from January 2023.

The hotel will have 439 guestrooms and seven meeting rooms

The futuristic building, an example of architectural mastery is next to the Rome La Nuvola Convention Center. Standing 60 metres tall and spread over 16 floors, it has 439 rooms, 2 restaurants, 2 bars, a gym and 7 meeting rooms.

The Hilton Rome Eur La Lama is easily reached from Fiumicino Airport

This new hotel is aimed at an international public but also at locals, not only as a travel destination for business or pleasure. It will also be ideal for events and meetings thanks to its strategic position which is easily reachable from Fiumicino’s international airport.

This is the third Hilton Icarus property

Hilton Rome Eur La Lama will employ over 200 staff and represents the next chapter in the partnership between Icarus and Hilton, after the Hilton Rome Airport, which opened more than 20 years ago as the first airport hotel in Italy, to which the Hilton Garden Inn Rome Airport was then added in 2016.

The new hotel is owned by ICARUS

The new Hilton Rome Eur La Lama is owned by ICARUS S.p.A. with the engineering studio Reconsult S.r.l in charge of construction management, support for the interior design from Lorenzo Bellini Atelier, and Stile Spa on construction.

Emilia, the Land of the Slow Mix, is a lifestyle with a plethora of experiences, all to be experienced between Parma, Piacenza, and Reggio Emilia.  

One-of-a-kind experiences from local operators 

With a concentration of one-of-a-kind events such as cooking classes, visits to places of excellence in the Food Valley, enchanted castles, and historic towns, Emilia is a land to be experienced on many different levels. And it is possible thanks to the many local operators who belong to the Visit Emilia, Food & Wine, Culture & Castles, Spas & Outdoors networks.

Gastronomic tours in a true foodie heaven

To fully immerse yourself in Emilia’s culture why not start with a gastronomic tour of Parma and Reggio Emilia? Beginning with a tasting of the traditional Balsamic vinegar of Reggio Emilia Dop and a visit to a vinegar factory before continuing on to one of the producers of the famous Parma ham. Then it’s time for a tasty lunch based on typical Emilian cold cuts. And in the afternoon the itinerary continues, exploring Malvasia wine and admiring the Torrechiara Castle.

On two wheels around the heart of the city

Emilia is the land of two wheels, so a bicycle itinerary taking in Parmesan cheese and Parma is not to be missed. The half-day guided tour begins in a dairy to discover how the cheese is made, and you then pedal around the heart of the city. For a quick lunch break you can enjoy a basket of typical products, or stop in a historic delicatessen in Parma's centre.

A magnificent Renaissance square and a famous film set

Starting with a tour of Reggio Emilia and Gualtieri, with its magnificent Renaissance square, you can then continue to Brescello, which is an open-air film set where you can relive the stories of Don Camillo and Peppone, two of Italy’s best loved screen characters. 

Medieval tours, wine tastings and cured meats  

On the guided tours in the mediaeval heart of Castell'Arquato you can relive the days of ladies and knights, discovering this magical and romantic town with its Collegiate Church and Viscontea Fortress. Wine lovers will delight in the Colli Piacentini, surrounded by landscapes dominated by fine vineyards and wine cellars. The Piacentino Cellar Tour features tastings of various typical wines and combinations of Emilian gastronomic products. Then visit salami factories to discover Piacenza’s famous PDO cured meats - coppa, pancetta and salami – which are winners of numerous prizes and awards.

Taste a selection of the best South Tyrolean wines in typical ski lodges as you admire the stunning Dolomites, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

South Tyrol’s finest wines and great skiing

This winter 2022/23 the Alta Badia, which is a popular ski destination in northern Italy not far from Austria and Switzerland, proposes Sommelier on the slopes. With six dates scheduled between December and April (13 December, 17 January, 7 and 14 February, 7 March and 4 April) and fabulous skiing on the slopes of the Alta Badia, there will also be with tastings of some of South Tyrol’s finest wines. The price of the tastings, including the ski guide, is €40.00 per person.

Tickets can be purchased at the ski lodges

On Sunday 26 March 2023, Alta Badia brings the best South Tyrolean wines to new heights, with an exclusive tasting which will be held from 10:00 to 15.30, at the Piz Arlara, Ütia de Bioch, I Tablà and Pralongià ski lodges. The cost of the ticket, which can be purchased directly from the four participating lodges, is €35.00 per person and includes all the wines. An exciting way to combine tasting the area’s fine wines with skiing on the sunny slopes of the Alta Badia. 

For information www.altabadia.org  

During the Christmas holiday season Genoa (together with San Sebastian in Spain) will be the European Capital of Christmas. 

“A commitment to pursuing the European values of Christmas”

The designation is “for the high technical level of the projects…and the commitment to pursuing the European values of Christmas.... a powerful element of integration and knowledge of the values of Europe among its citizens:” The events will kick off on December 12 with a connection to San Sebastian the other 2022 capitals via a giant screen and with a concert by Beppe Barra. 

Festivities leading up to the Epiphany weekend

The busy programme of Christmas animations and light trails started on 1 December and will continue until the Epiphany weekend, all with the European Capital of Christmas logo. And on 8 December the lights on the large Christmas tree in Piazza De Ferrari will be switched on. Genoa, decked out in lights and decorations, will have markets that enliven the historic center's squares and alleys, as well as concerts, shows, and events inspired by the festive atmosphere.  

A traditional Genoese celebration

The Confeugo, which is celebrated on the Saturday before Christmas, is a much-loved Genoese tradition. Following the joyous procession in traditional costume, accompanied by flag-wavers, they set fire to a laurel trunk covered with branches and on New Year's Eve in Piazza De Ferrari concerts with famous artists will bring the holiday season to a close.

Themes guided tours of the city

Throughout the holiday season themed guided tours will allow visitors and locals to enjoy European Christmas capital, exploring its traditions and art, from guided tours to the Rubens City Pass promotion for those staying three nights in Genoa, to the special Rolli Experience - Rubens Edition package. For information visit the website: www.visitgenoa.it  

Genoa, a city for all seasons

The Val d’Ega in the heart of the Dolomite range, just a few kilometres north of Bolzano, has sun, snow and fun for all ages.  

A new ski lift, hiking trails and cross-country skiing

The futuristic Campanil chairlift in Pampeago with 29 seats, each carrying six people, joins the lifts serving the legendary Latemar Ski Center. The Zanggen II slope in Obereggen is a new addition to the snow sports playground with its 90 kilometres of slopes, three toboggan circuits, two snow parks and one night park. There are also many hiking trails and snowshoeing in a fairy-tale landscape as well as 160 kilometres of white trails for cross-country skiing between Obereggen and Carezza.

It's time to star-gaze among snow-capped mountains

Among the surprises of the coming season is the opportunity to travel even in winter on the Path of the Stars. This Dolomite trail connects the Astrovillages of S. Valentino in Campo and Collepietra and is the prefect way to explore the secrets of the firmament and the universe in the embrace of snow-capped mountains.

An explosion of emotion on 48 kilometres of slopes 

Obereggen, on the other hand, is an explosion of pure emotion and pleasure, with 48 kilometres of slopes of varying difficulty served by 18 ski lifts. It also has snow parks and original and high-quality food outlets, as well as two children's parks and one Miniclub, four toboggan runs, and the mythical Alpine Coaster. 

Named the best ski area in the world

The Oberholz Refuge and the LOOX Alpine Club represent the more refined side of this mountain pearl that speaks the language of design. And skiers and snowboarders of all sizes and ages will find what they are looking for inside the Ski Center Latemar, one of the most popular in the Dolomites, and named the best ski area in the world by www.skiresort.de. 

Great prices and super discounts 

To get the season started the Dolomiti Super Première - valid until 24 December 2022 - offers one free day for every four, which become two free days in the case of an eight-day stay. This offer includes lodging and ski passes, as well as ski schools and rentals and equipment at extremely low prices. Obereggen For Families, which runs from 8 to 28 January and 19 March to 16 April 2023, allows little skiers to take their first steps on skis and have fun on two toboggan runs on three fun slopes. Seven nights in HB/B&B/APP are included in the €1400 price as well as six days of the Skipass Fiemme-Obereggen, a free Skipass for children under eight, six days of ski and equipment rental for children, one day of free sled rental, and free admission to Brunoland.

Silent and no fuel, no smells and no leaks. Easy to ride, transport and park. The Moonbike is the first 100% electric snow bike.

A French start-up for life-changin mobility

100% electric and lightweight, the French start-up MoonBikes is revolutionizing mobility in snowy mountainous environments. MoonBikes are not only life-changing for mobility in the mountains, but are also a real lifestyle vehicle!

The Moonbike adventure has only just begun

The 2021-2022 winter season ended with excellent results for the company with a turnover multiplied by ten, about thirty employees between the French headquarters, Europe and the United States, €4.5 million raised and more than 300 MoonBikes sold in 15 countries. And the adventure for these electric snow bikes has only has just begun.

“In the first season we produced 325 Moonbikes”

The Annecy start-up intends to expand into parts of the world already seduced by this innovation, such as Scandinavia, and into new countries like Japan. To do this MoonBikes is already inventing a new economic model. It also plans to triple production and diversify its range of snow bikes.

Nicolas Muron, founder and CEO comments: “In just one season, our turnover multiplied by ten and we produced 325 MoonBikes. This is proof of the interest aroused by our fun and sustainable innovation.”

The company has doubled in size in Europe

This growth has allowed the company to double in size in Europe.  And after the opening of an office in Boulder, Colorado last January, the workforce on that site has doubled compared to what was initially planned. The growth of the electric MoonBikes seems to know no limits.

Rivington makes it feel like New York in downtown Milan. This true corner of the Big Apple in the Lombardy capital has one of the city's most breath-taking views: the skyscrapers of Porta Nuova framed by the room's floor-to-ceiling windows.

The new restaurant is the latest bet from the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale, the hotel that winks at fashion and design and is popular for its panoramic and rooftop ORGANICS SkyGarden.

A made-in-NYC culinary and sensory journey

An intimate setting with a retro allure is created by a jazzy atmosphere, candlelight, portraits of Italo-American personalities who have helped make New York great, and a view that spans the sparkling lights of the city’s skyscrapers. Rivington's philosophy is based on traditional classic and iconic New York dishes revisited in a modern key, with the kitchen helmed by chef Guglielmo Giudice

Classical NY eats with a new twist

Raw fish from the Raw Bar and the famous Oyster Rockefeller steamed oysters served with spinach and creamy Pecorino cheese, the Waldorf Salad, revisited with the addition of gorgonzola, and the steak tartare prepared at the table are just some of the recommendations. The second courses are inspired by old New York chophouses where you can sample the typical Surf & Turf fillet mignon with lobster, a hearty NY Striploin, or a classic Dover Sole à la Meunière. Not to be overlooked is the Vanderblit Hamburger, a tribute and synthesis of the famous cheeseburger, and desserts are a modern take on mid-century classics like the iconic New York-style cheesecake. The cocktail menu is given special attention. After all a perfectly prepared Martini is the promise of a perfect evening!

High-flying names in the restaurant world

Rivington was developed in collaboration with Jeffrey Tascarella, the well-known New York hotel entrepreneur who has opened iconic New York venues such as the award-winning NoMad and Scarpetta Italian restaurant. Tascarella, along with partner Chris Lowder - one of the world's most sought-after and awarded consultants in the high-end bar sector - collaborated with Chef Giudice, first in Milan and then in Manhattan, to recreate authentic New York cuisine.

Something new and exciting for Milan

"We wanted to bring something new to Milan,- says Andrea Pallavicini, General Manager of the Hyatt Centric Milan Centrale, - a true New York-style restaurant with refined cuisine and extremely high-quality ingredients. The name Rivington comes from Rivington Street on the Lower East Side, where many Italian immigrants started their new lives.”

Rivington's entrance is located in Via G.B. Pirelli 20, and customers have access via a dedicated elevator that catapults them into the heart of Manhattan. The venue is open every evening at 19.30. Call 348 968 7419 for information and reservations.

The month of December in the Laghi, Monti e Valli dell'Ossola area, in the upper Piedmont region close to the Swiss border, opens on the national holiday 8 December weekend in Santa Maria Maggiore, the main town in the Val Vigezzo valley, with the 23rd edition of the Christmas Market from 9 to 11 December. 

Visit Italy’s only Chimney Sweep museum

The magical atmosphere of the Orange Flag town will be the setting for two hundred exhibitors for a market that is among the largest in Northern Italy. And not to be missed is the famous - and unique in Italy – Chimney Sweep Museum, an ancient trade that is celebrated here, and the Feminis-Farina Perfume House, which honours the history of Eau de Cologne, the famous perfume invented by two emigrants from Santa Maria Maggiore.

credits Photographic Archive Distretto Turistico dei Laghi - Photo by Paolo Vallero

Skiing in the valley’s Neveazzurra resorts

But December also means snow and skiing, and in the Distretto Turistico dei Laghi, Monti e Valli dell'Ossola (the Ossola Lakes, Mountains and Valleys Tourist District) the Neveazzurra ski area, which comprises the Verbano Cusio Ossola ski resorts of Valli dell'Ossola, Formazza, Devero, Divedro, Antrona, Anzasca and Vigezzo. 

A single ski pass and cross country skiing

Of particular interest is the single ski pass, which can be purchased online (www.skiareavco.org), accessing an extraordinary Alpine area that stretches from an altitude of 1,000 to over 4,000 metres in the Monte Rosa massif and has 150 kilometres of slopes, served by natural and programmed snow and 50 ski lifts. Cross-country skiing is also popular in Formazza and in Santa Maria Maggiore, with a first-class competitive track, and in Valle Anzasca along the Macugnaga Fondo Signal circuit. 

Alpyland Mottarone

For those who love downhill skiing, the Macugnaga Monte Rosa ski area a little higher up has 30 kilometes of slopes and nine lifts, where you can ski while admiring the most impressive massif in the Western Alps, Monte Rosa with its 4,634 metres. 

Buses from Milan, Varese and Novara

From the beginning of December in the Ossola Valleys, it is also possible to go skiing without a car. At San Domenico Ski, which can be reached by bus from Milan, Varese and Novara, and has seven lifts and 35 kilometres of slopes, skiers will find Alpine skiing trails of varying difficulty with more than 1,100 metres of altitude difference, a snow park, and dedicated snowshoeing and ski mountaineering trails. A holiday in this very beautiful natural landscape also means relaxation, wellness, traditions and good food.

credits Photographic Archive Distretto Turistico dei Laghi - Photo by Piero Gatti

For information: www.distrettolaghi.it

The Palazzo dei Diamanti in Ferrara will reopen on 18 February 2023 with an art exhibition dedicated to two of Ferrara’s Renaissance masters: Ercole de' Roberti and Lorenzo Costa. 

The exhibition will run from 18 February to 19 June 2023

The exhibition in the newly restored art gallery will run to 19 June 2023, and is the first stage of a larger and more ambitious project, Renaissance in Ferrara 1471-1598 from Borso to Alfonso II d'Este. This exhibition will showcase the historical-artistic story of the period between the city's elevation to a dukedom and its passage from the Este dynasty to direct control of the Papal State.

A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to admire two great painters

The over one hundred works on display in the exhibition, drawn from museums and collections around the world, will provide the public with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about the art of two great interpreters of the Italian Renaissance: Ercole de' Roberti and Lorenzo Costa.  Ercole de' Roberti (Ferrara c. 1450 - 1496) had an incredible compositional talent which was extraordinary in quality and emotional expressiveness. He also worked in Bologna, but it was in Ferrara that he found the perfect environment in which to express himself during the last decade of his life, spent in the employ of the court.

Costa was inspired by both Leonardo and Perugino

Ten years his junior Lorenzo Costa (Ferrara 1460 - Mantua 1535), inherited de’ Roberto’s legacy and continued his style in his early works. Then, during a long stay in Bologna his painting softened. Leonardo and Perugino were imposing a new style which Costa immediately understood and of which he was one of the major interpreters, even after his transfer to the Gonzaga court in Mantua.

Refined paintings on loan from international museums 

Visitors can trace Ercole's career throughout the exhibition, through over twenty works.  From an exceptional loan of four paintings from the National Gallery in London to one of Porzia and Brutus from the Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, as well as the Lucrezia, Brutus, and Collatino from the Galleria Estense in Modena. The selection of Costa's works, which begins with his youth, is no less rich. There is a Holy Family from the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, the Louvre's Santa Veronica, the Minneapolis Institute of Art's Portrait of a Cardinal, and his last known work the Madonna and Saints from the Church of Sant'Andrea in Mantua, dated 1525.

For information: www.palazzodiamanti.it