The imposing cylindrical Castel Sant’Angelo, situated along the Tiber River in Rome, was built between 123 and 129 AD.  It was first known as the Mausoleum of Hadrian, serving as the resting grounds for the ashes of the Roman emperor.  Ashes of Hadrian’s family, as well as subsequent emperors, joined him there.
The tomb was ransacked [...]

The Coliseum in Rome is the largest remaining monument of Imperial Rome, and is the top landmark in a city that’s full of landmarks.
Built between AD 72-80, the Coliseum was originally called the Flavian Amphitheater and was the center of the city of Rome.  It was the first and the largest (it covers about six [...]

Ttoday’s post harkens back to my summer vacation in Italy.
Lake Maggiore, with its low key atmosphere, has an extensive network of ferry service around and across the lake.  In fact, ferries have landing stages in nearly every town along the lake, making it quite easy to get most places by boat.  In addition to the [...]

Ancona is probably not one of the cities that would have been on my to-visit list were it not for its deep water port.  Located on Italy’s eastern coast,, smack dab on the Adriatic Sea, it is both an industrial port (cargo and commercial shipping) and a visitor port (ferries and cruise lines).  You’ll see [...]

Isola Madre, the largest of the Borromeo Islands in Lake Maggiore, may not be as visited as nearby (and showy) Isola Bella, but I thought the villa and surrounding gardens were quite beautiful.
The villa is full of art and other historical pieces that belonged to the family, and a half hour walk through will give [...]

Italy has become an annual event for me.  I fell in love the very first moment that I came up from the metro station and saw the Coliseum in front of me.  Since then, no matter when in the country I am, or what I may be looking at, I still have that sense of [...]