October 16, 2026
Tenuta de l'Annunziata is a 5-Sunflower Farmhouse wellness oasis close to Como and Lake Como.
21 guestrooms and suites and a penchant for wellness
Just 20 minutes by car from the historic centre of Como and the shores of Lake Como, and less than an hour from Milan and Lugano airports, the Tenuta de l'Annunziata is surrounded by the largest bio-energy forest in Europe. A true benchmark for high-profile wellness tourism, it perfectly balances comfort, nature and sustainability. Classified as a 5-Sunflower Farmhouse, the highest recognition in the sector in Italy, the historic complex has been meticulously restored and has 21 guestrooms and suites in natural colours and materials, designed to blend in with the natural environment.
The Quercus Restaurant has a Michelin-starred chef
The gastronomic experience is helmed by Michelin-starred Chef Domenico Ruberto who champions local culinary traditions in the Quercus Restaurant, while the Tree Cocktail Bar & Bistrot is another culinary gem. However, the jewel in the Estate's crown is the new wellness area of over 1,500 square metres, which recently underwent a major restyling. “In little more than a year, we built the new outdoor infinity pool and renovated the wet area inside our wellness centre,” says the owner Guffanti-Pezzoli family who strongly desired a project expressing authentic wellness in tune with nature.
An indoor and an outdoor infinity pool
The wellness centre has a sensorial path with an indoor swimming pool and an outdoor infinity pool, a Kneipp path, hammam, Turkish bath, two saunas (one Finnish and one herbal), emotional showers and an ice fountain. Guests can enjoy the relaxation room and herbal tearoom where they are offered infusions with flowers and plants gathered from the estate's grounds. Particularly innovative are the facial and body treatments based on flowers, fruits and wild herbs gathered in the estate's woodland. For couples, the private Spa Suite allows for a personalized experience with Turkish baths, hydromassage and treatments in a private setting. For information: www.tenutadelannunziata.it
Published in Hospitality
Florence is not only one of Italy’s trifecta of great art cities together with Rome and Venice, it also stands out as a city of arts and crafts
The old centre has many artisan workshops
The streets of Florence’s historic centre have many historical workshops in which artisans produce unique crafts and the FH55 Grand Hotel Mediterraneo is the ideal starting point for a stay dedicated to traditions like the production of prestigious fabrics, unique jewellery, perfumes, leather and high-quality ceramics.
One of the richest craft cultures in the world.
Among the most original workshops in Florence, the Officina Profumo-Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella is one of the oldest pharmacies in the world, having opened over 800 years ago. It is here that the famous Acqua della Regina was produced for Catherine de' Medici, and this bergamot-based fragrance is still on sale today.
The production of precious silks
Don't miss the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, founded in 1786 and still active. One of the world’s most renowned textile workshops, it produces fine silk on 18th-century looms, including one based on a design attributed to Leonardo da Vinci.
A master goldsmith who creates unique pieces
In a historic building overlooking the Arno, jewellery becomes sculptural art in the atelier of Alessandro Dari. An internationally renowned master goldsmith, Dari creates unique pieces inspired by Gothic and Renaissance pieces as well as alchemy, with many of his works on display in leading museums.
Published in Cities & Regions
W Hotels has announced the opening of W Florence, a luxury hotel in the centre of Florence.
“W Florence is a bold, immersive hospitality experience”
W Hotels is part of the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio of more than 30 brands. W Hotels stands out for its cosmopolitan lifestyle, hospitality, meticulous design, distinctive gastronomic offerings and Whatever-Whenever service. “Following the recent opening of W Rome, the opening of W Florence marks the arrival of a bold, immersive hospitality experience in one of Italy's most vibrant art cities,” says Helen Leighton, Vice President, Luxury Brands, EMEA.
The Presidential Suite has a private terrace
Located in the centre of Florence, the hotel is within walking distance of the Duomo, the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella and the shopping district. The hotel has 119 elegantly designed rooms, including 16 suites and a Penthouse, W Firenze's presidential suite with a 140 sqm private terrace and panoramic views. There are several indoor and outdoor dining areas, including a partially covered central courtyard and a rooftop garden with panoramic views over the city.
Two restaurants and a Rooftop Garden
W Lounge is the venue for live music and DJ sets and the partially covered courtyard with an “aperitivo table” offers Italian-style gourmet snacks. The cuisine of W Florence is a fusion of contemporary Italian and international flavours. The Tratto Restaurant proposes a bold but informal contemporary Italian menu from Trattoria Contemporanea, a former starred restaurant in Lomazzo, near Lake Como. Tratto will be the main restaurant and there will also be a bar on the ground floor in addition to the W Lounge, the courtyard and room service. By the end of summer, two openings are planned: Zefiro Rooftop, with panoramic views over the city and a full programme of events, and the Akira Back Restaurant, with a starred menu of Japanese and Korean specialties.
Published in Hospitality
For 60 years Leohotels Ischia has owned a collection of thermal wellness and leisure 4--star and 5-star hotels on the island of Ischia.
The 4-star Continental Terme opened in 1966
Ischia is the largest volcanic island in the Gulf of Naples and a favourite destination for leisure and wellness holidays. The Continental Terme, which opened in 1966, is a 4-star property set in a large park with 220 rooms in low Mediterranean-style buildings, 5 thermal pools fed by the Tifeo spring, and a Thermal Centre with specialist treatments and therapies. There are also 12 conference rooms seating up to 400 people, equipped with advanced technology as well as two bars and the Sapori Restaurant which serves typical Ischian cuisine.
The 4-star Continental Mare overlooks the sea at Cafiero Bay
The Continental Mare is a 4-star hotel overlooking the sea at Cafiero Bay, and has 55 Mediterranean-style rooms and suites. The hotel has two thermal pools: the Bio Pool at 30°C and the Panoramic Pool. A small spa is also available for guests, as well as the possibility of sea-view massages on the hotel’s terraces. The culinary proposals bring to the table local specialties made with fresh, healthy and genuine ingredients.
Moresco Hotel&Spa
The Moresco Hotel&Spa, the group's first 5-star
The Moresco Hotel&Spa, the group's first 5-star, has 63 rooms and suites, and is located in the most exclusive area of the island. In addition to patios, gardens and thermal water pools, the hotel's spa offers a wide range of treatments ranging from mud and thermal baths to vinotherapy and holistic and therapeutic massages and guests can enjoy the cuisine in the La Pergola Restaurant.
Excelsior Belvedere Hotel & Spa
The Excelsior Belvedere Hotel & Spa has a private beach
The Excelsior Belvedere Hotel & Spa, with all the charm of a noble Mediterranean residence faces the sea and has gardens and terraces in a centuries-old park and 78 rooms and suites with sea and hill views. Guests have access to a fully equipped private beach, several thermal pools and the Oil + Spa, which offers treatments combining the mineral salts of thermal waters with the benefits of essential oils. The hotel boasts three bars, including the Americano which is the island's first American bar. The Belvedere Restaurant offers a refined menu based on local ingredients, as well as local wines and it is also open to non-residents. For information: www.excelsiorbelvedere.it
Published in Hospitality
Orecchiette pasta is a tradition made in Puglia, and will be celebrated in Grottaglie in August.
Eleven chefs will prepare the famous pasta
Orecchiette nelle 'nchiosce (Orecchiette On the Road) returns on 11 and 12 August for its eleventh edition in the little town of Grottaglie to pay homage to this culinary and historical Apulian tradition. The star of the open-air gastronomic itinerary is orecchiette, a typical Apulian pasta format resembling little ears. Throughout the town’s historic centre eleven chefs will blend tradition and creativity, and visitors will be able to vote via QR code for their favourite orecchiette dish. To accompany each dish, local wineries and craft breweries will offer selected labels. 
Pizzica dancing and a ceramics competition
In addition to orecchiette tastings, visitors will be able to try dancing the pizzica, a traditional Apulian dance, or model clay on a potter's wheel thanks to the Torniamo workshops, and on 11 August the Drum Fest will bring drummers from all over Italy. From 12 July to 12 October, Grottaglie's Episcopio Castle will host the XXXII edition of the Mediterraneo Contemporary Ceramics Competition, with 73 works on show from all over the world. The official opening will be held on Saturday 12 July at 7 p.m. at the Castello Episcopio. Grottaglie is the only Italian town with an entire urban settlement dedicated to ceramic production and its characteristic Ceramics Quarter it is a living workshop with ceramists working at kilns
The town owns it names to thousands of caves
Just a few kilometres from Taranto, in Salento, Grottaglie owes its name to the thousands of caves inhabited since prehistoric times that populate it. With a historical centre entirely dug out of tuff, the village has a great historical heritage including the Mother Church and the Episcopio Castle, the Church of San Francesco De Geronimo, the Gravina del Fullonese and the Sanctuary of the Madonna di Mutata.
Published in Food&Wine
On 12 and 13 July, Gubbio will once again host the Wonderlast Music Festival.
Two days of great music and good fun
Now in its fourth edition, the Wonderlast Music Festival is a music event inspired by the great northern European festivals, with different musical genres over two days of music, interactive activities and good food in the Wonderlast Park, a 2-hectare area surrounded by greenery in Gubbio, Umbria.
Good food and a beauty area
In addition to the Wonderlast Stage, the Wonderlast Forest hosts interactive installations with technologies and products dedicated to sustainability. This is a real simulated forest with plants and floral compositions in which the public can enjoy an aperitif, a spritz, a glass of wine or a platter of cold meats and cheeses in a unique setting. Completing the experience is the Beauty Area, where professional hairstylists and make-up artists are on hand for make-up and hairstyling. “The Wonderlast Festival was created to definitively break away from the concept of a festival as a series of concerts. We created a true festival atmosphere that goes far beyond the mere musical aspect. Every sector is taken care of down to the smallest detail,” says Giordano Babucci, the festival's artistic director.
Gubbio is linked to St Francis of Assisi
Gubbio is a medieval town in the province of Perugia, located in Umbria, in the centre of Italy. The lovely old town is famous for its limestone architecture and narrow cobbled streets. Among the major attractions are the Palazzo dei Consoli, the Cathedral and the striking Roman Theatre. Gubbio is also closely linked to the figure of St. Francis of Assisi. In particular to the famous episode of the wolf, according to which, when St. Francis arrived he found the town empty because the inhabitants lived in fear of a wolf that had been threatening them for some time. St Francis went into the woods to meet him and told him: ‘Brother Wolf, in the name of God I command you not to harm me and all men.”
Published in MICE & Events
From July to October Assisi is offering a summer of free excursions on Mount Subasio.
A summer with 25 outdoors events for all ages
Walks, trekking, yoga, food and wine tastings, stargazing, music, spirituality and family activities: from July to October 2025, the municipality of Assisi has an exciting calendar of free events in the heart of the Mount Subasio Park, “Alla Scoperta del Monte Subasio” (Discovering Mount Subasio ) consists of 25 events each with a different theme and different itinerary, each aimed at exploring the territory in an authentic and immersive way.
Nature walks, and games for adults and children
The programme, which propose slow, sustainable and accessible tourism of great environmental and cultural value. gives ample space to wellbeing with sensorial walks combined with yoga. Several dates and locations for these walks are planned and one not to be missed is on Saturday 2 August, in one of the most iconic parts of the park: Mortaro Grande, a karst dolina of great geological fascination. There are also lots of events aimed at families with children: on Sunday 27 July, adults and children will be involved in Umbrian legends and fairy tales, told by special animators, with games organized in natural suroundings. On Sunday 3 August the focus will be on food with the Mulino Buccilli mill, a few kilometres from Assisi, which will host a nature excursion with a cooking workshop and tastings of typical products, thanks to the collaboration with the ancient Forno del Mulino bakery.
An 8.5-kilometre walk themed on San Benedict
A particularly significant event is scheduled for Sunday 17 August, with a walk to discover the historic Abbey of Saint Benedict, starting from the village of Collepino. Situated in the heart of Subasio, the Abbey - built before the year 1000 and depicted by Giotto in the Upper Basilica of San Francesco - is an unmissable stop for those who wish to combine nature, art and spirituality. The 8.5- kilometre circular route, with a 250 metre difference in altitude, will offer extraordinary views of the valley and the city of Assisi and it will end with a tasting of Birra delle Monache beer.
Walks with time to enjoy aperitifs and concerts
On Saturday 9 August the walk among Fiorenzo Bacci's bronze sculptures will be inspired by the Canticle of the Creatures, in the places dear to St. Francis. On Saturday 23 August it will be time to explore the Bosco di San Francesco, the FAI nature park where participants will be able to enjoy an aperitif; and on Sunday 7 September, the excursion will end with a concert by the Ensemble Micrologus and the observation of the total eclipse of the moon. “Alla Scoperta del Monte Subasio” (Discovering Mount Subasio) is a strategic project aimed at boosting the tourist appeal of the area, based on the quality of the experience, slow tourism and respect for the environment. All events are free of charge, with compulsory booking. For information: www.visit-assisi.it/eventi/serie/estate-2025/
Published in Experiences & Tips
The Caracalla Festival, Rome’s outdoor opera festival returns with a programme of opera, ballet and concerts up to 7 August.
Works by Verdi, Mozart and Bernstein
Set in of the old Roman Baths of Caracalla and, for the first time, in the Basilica of Maxentius, the 2025 edition is a blend of past and present, spirituality and humanity. In addition to the Baths, one of the largest and best preserved thermal complexes of antiquity, this year the Basilica of Maxentius, located along the Via dei Fori Imperiali, is also involved in the event. The programme includes Verdi’s La Traviata’ (Terme di Caracalla, 19, 23, 27 July and 1, 2, 3 August), ‘Don Giovanni’ (Basilica di Massenzio, 20, 22, 24 and 25 July) and the musical ‘West Side Story’ (Terme di Caracalla 9, 13 and 17 July).
Two evenings dedicated to ballet
On 15 and 16 July the Terme di Caracalla baths will host the traditional dance performance “Roberto Bolle and Friends,”, while on 30 and 31 July the corps de ballet of the Rome Opera, directed by Eleonora Abbagnato, will perform “The Rite of Spring” by Stravinsky, “Bolero” by Ravel and ‘Within the Golden Hour’ by Christopher Wheeldon. The festival will end with Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, a cantata based on 24 poetic texts from a medieval collection.
The Basilica of Maxentius was a Roman wellness centre
The Thermae Antonianae, built by Emperor Caracalla between 212 and 216 A.D., were a vast wellness, sport and cultural hub in ancient Rome. They still impress with their architectural grandeur and are only a stone's throw from the Circus Maximus. The Basilica of Maxentius, in the Roman Forum, is an imposing building dating back to the 4th century, once a seat of public and judicial functions. Today only the north aisle remains, where there was a colossal statue originally depicting Maxentius and some fragments of the statue are now on display in the courtyard of the Capitoline Museums.
Published in MICE & Events
Borgo Petrarca is a small relais in the heart of the Euganean Hills Regional Park in Veneto.
For travellers seeking a reserved environment
With six rooms, a garden and a swimming pool overlooking the hills, the warm welcome at Borgo Petrarca is matched by the tranquillity and quality of the property, which is aimed at travellers interested in staying in reserved environments and in contact with nature.
Bicycle trails and visits to wineries
Among the suggested activities, the Euganean Hills ring bike tour is one of the most complete itineraries. This 64-kilometre loop route passes through vineyards, along canals, and past historic villages and thermal resorts. Points of historical and natural interest are encountered along the route, with the possibility of stopping in areas equipped for bikers. Bicycles, including pedal-assisted bicycles, can be reserved at the property. A prized wine-producing area, the Veneto plain produces red and white wines, and many wineries offer guided tours of the cellars as well as wine tastings combined with local products such as salami and typical cheeses. 
The charming little village of Arquà Petrarca
The area is served by the seasonal Colli Euganei Link service, operating until 9 September 2025, which with the new Busitalia Veneto line, in collaboration with Trenitalia, connects Arquà Petrarca to the Terme Euganee station, facilitating travel in the area. Arquà Petrarca is a medieval village in the province of Padua inside the Euganean Hills Regional Park. It is one of the most characteristic towns in the area and is part of “The Most Beautiful Villages of Italy” circuit. The name of the town is linked to the famous poet Francesco Petrarca, who spent the last years of his life there. His house is now a museum that can be visited. For information: www.borgopetrarca.com
Published in On the road
Many high-altitude trails in the Piedmont and Valle d'Aosta mountqains are served by the Monterosa Ski lifts which is open.until September.
Access to the mountain range is from three Italian valleys
Access to the mountain range is possible from three Italian valleys: the Val d'Ayas and Valle di Gressoney in Valle d'Aosta, and the Valsesia, in Piedmont, offering beginners, outdoor sports enthusiasts and experienced trekkers routes suitable for all levels.
Half-price weekly passes for the ski lifts
Happy Trekking Monterosa is the half-price weekly pass that allows those who stay for a minimum of 6 nights at one of the affiliated accommodation facilities in the Ayas and Gressoney valleys to take advantage of a 50% discount on the purchase of the weekly pass for the ski lifts in the area. The offer is valid until 14 September and is equivalent to: € 60.00 for the weekly Monterosa Ski pass, without access to the Indren lift, and € 88.00 for the weekly Monterosa Ski pass with the Indren lift included.
The trail is particularly picturesque in summer
The Corno del Camoscio Botanical Trail is an easy 2.3-kilometre trail with an uphill difference in altitude of 53 metres and a duration of two hours. The start is from the Passo dei Salati, at an altitude of 2,936 metres, which can be reached via the ski lifts of Alagna and Gressoney-La-Trinité. The initial part of the route takes you to the summit of the Corno del Camoscio (3,026 metres), while continuing towards the Col d'Olen you come to the Angelo Mosso Research Institute, where there are free guided tours. Along the way, from the end of June to the end of August, one can admire the flowering of numerous species, which can be identified with the help of the cards placed along the path.
A historical valley with the Savoy Castle
The Valley of the Princes is a 7.8-kilometre route of intermediate difficulty starting from an altitude of 1401 meters and with an ascent of 766 metres that takes about 4 hours.The Gressoney valley was one of the favourite destinations of the Italian Royal Household between the 19th and 20th centuries and in particular of Queen Margherita, who had her summer residence, the Savoy Castle, built here, which can be visited today.
An intermediate route for trained trekkers
The Lakes and Colle Pinter is another intermediate route. With an altitude difference of 788 metres and a length of 9.3 kilometres for a 4-hour trek, the trail requires a minimum of training, as there are some steep sections and a short passage equipped with steps and ropes. Starting from the arrival point of the Champoluc-Crest cable car (1,935 metres), the route climbs up the Vallone di Cunéaz to the Piano dei Laghi to the Colle Pinter at 2,777 metres. The descent can continue towards the Gressoney Valley, arriving at the Alpenzu Grande refuge, one of the refuges that is part of the Tour des Six circuit.
Magnificent views from the summit
The ascent to Mount Zerbion is a route suitable for experienced trekkers. It is some 9 kilometres long and can be covered in about 5 hours, with an altitude difference of 824 metres to reach an altitude of 2772 metres. The Zerbion is the peak that separates Saint-Vincent and Ayas. There are several ascent routes, but the most common is the one that starts from Barmasc. At the summit the mountain's privileged position allows a 360° view that includes all the great massifs of the region, from Mount Rosa to Mount Cervino and Mont Blanc. For information: www.visitmonterosa.com
Published in Experiences & Tips
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