If you need some weekend trip inspiration, look no further than the I Borghi più belli d'Italia ('the most beautiful villages in Italy'). It’s a prestigious ranking of small, lesser-known towns rich in cultural, gastronomic, environmental and artistic heritage.
The list is updated annually – new this year are seven belli borghi, ranging from a lakeside hamlet in Lombardy to a medieval mountain town in Basilicata.
A non-profit of the same name started showcasing these hidden corners of the country in 2002, aiming to diversify tourism and bring attention (and economic benefits) to less-visited places.
The initiative is as relevant now as it was then, with tourist numbers still rising in hotspots like Venice.
If you, like many others, want to swap crowded city piazzas for idyllic scenery in tiny villages, you know where to start your search.
Seven villages added to Italy's ‘most beautiful’ list
Though overtourism is certainly not a new issue in Italy, Cuban-American-Italian artist Anita Guerra artist hopes her work could make people reconsider the narrative around it.
Her solo exhibition opening in Rome this Friday, February 13th, features more than 100 works exploring the mixed feelings Italian and international residents often have about the tour groups that increasingly crowd Italy's cities.
“I know what it feels to be a visitor. I know what it feels to feel like a foreigner and to want to feel accepted," she tells The Local.
First arriving in Rome as an art student in 1977, now Professor of Fine Arts at Temple University, Guerra has spent the past half-century navigating the complexities of life abroad.
She shared some of her insights with us in the interview below.
'Redeeming the hordes': New exhibition reframes Italy's mass tourism debate
This weekend is set to be a big one in Italy, adding Valentine’s Day into the mix of Olympic Games in the north and Carnevale celebrations in full swing across the country.
Before you say that Valentine’s Day was an opportunistic invention by Hallmark, take a moment to learn about the Italian origins of Valentine’s Day (or should we say La Festa di San Valentino).
Not just an excuse for excessive consumption of heart-shaped chocolates, celebrating San Valentino goes much deeper in Italy – perhaps even to ancient Rome.
Appropriately, Valentine’s Day is celebrated widely in Italy, and not just in its modern form of a romantic candlelit dinner (though there is increasingly more of that too, with restaurants and spas offering special San Valentino menus and packages).
Whether your idea of fun is a chocolate festival and festive lights in St Valentine's hometown or checking out Saint Valentine’s skull in Rome, there’s plenty to do on February 14th in Italy.
Valentine's Day in Italy: How and where it's celebrated
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Is there an aspect of the Italian way of life you’d like to read more about? Please email us at news@thelocal.it.
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