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Cinque Terre
The region of the Cinque Terre is recovering well from the flooding that occurred towards the end of last year. The villages of Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore were largely unaffected by the flooding from the start, whilst Monterosso has made a full recovery. The only one of the five villages still affected is Vernazza.
The region of Cinque Terre is a UNESCO world heritage site with beautiful walking paths under the olive trees between each of the villages providing the best way to discover the magnificent panoramic views and picturesque village clinging to the steep cliff edges.
Currently the only path open connecting Vernazza to the other vilages is the Via dell’amore, linking Vernazza with Maranola, though the paths to Monterosso and Corniglia are well on the way to recovery and should be open within the next few weeks.
All visitors to this area at this time will help aid a full economic recovery and ensure this wonderful region flourishes for years to come. Please contact us for more information.
New Chef at Castiglion del Bosco
New Chef Elio Sironi has just joined the team in the kitchens at Castiglion del Bosco. Elio Sironi is well known in Italian cuisine. His most recent post was Executive Chef at Bulgari Hotel in Milan.
Guests will experience the the best of the Tuscan cuisine with the special touch of the Chef, in a relaxed but refined setting. A unique Tuscan dining experience. Please contact us for more information.
Sinking Venice
New research by U.S. scientists suggests the beautiful Italian city is sinking more than five times faster than experts first thought. It also suggests that its famous waters are now taking over, as it looks like the historic city may actually be heading out to sea.
According to measurements taken over 10 years, Venice is also tilting a bit, about a millimetre or two eastward per year. While this doesn’t mean any immediate threat for the city, it raises concern that not enough is being done to save it. Please contact us to find out more.
The Vatican's Secret Archive to go on display
The archive will be open to the public for the first time,
with an exhibition showing off 100 documents at Rome's
Capitoline Museum. It will contain more than 50 miles of shelves packed with an unknown number of papal documents spanning 12 centuries, including correspondence with Genghis Khan's grandson, Wolfgang Mozart
and Adolf Hitler,
The archive also boasts such treasures as a letter, complete with 81 wax seals, sent by English nobles to Pope Clement VII in 1530 demanding Henry VIII be allowed to divorce Catherine of Aragon, a request the pope turned down, helping prompt the formation of the Church of England. For more information please do contact us.
The Rome Marathon
Join the Rome Marathon and you will run past historic sights
such as the Trevi Fountain, Piazza Navona, Piazza di Populo,
the Spanish Steps and even Saint Peter’s Basilica. The start
of the race was recently moved to Saint Peter’s Square, and
the pope himself wished the runners good luck before the race.
A particularly difficult course of cobblestones and hills
in the gruelling last kilometres, however don’t worry about
finishing the race as the time limit is 8 hours. Non-marathoners can enjoy the special and romantic atmosphere that this historic city has to offer, not just on Marathon day. For more information please do contact us.
Verdura won Best hotel Spa in Europe
Verdura Golf & Spa Resort in Sicily won Best Hotel Spa
in Europe in Conde Nast Traveller's Readers' Spa Awards 2012, and was also voted 6th Best Spa in the World! For more information on this hotel and it's outstanding facilities, please contact us
A New Ferrari……..On the Rails
March sees the launch of an entirely new high speed rail service, Italo, which will run throughout the country. Spearheaded by the boss of Ferrari, the service promises the luxury, finesse and speed of a Ferrari with brand new trains slicing through the country at up to 300kph / 185 mph.
Club Class guests will benefit from luxury carriages with just 19 leather seats, 9” personal live TV‟s and complimentary wi-fi. For that extra touch of privacy, private compartments comprised of 4 seats are available, with a personal wardrobe. For more information, please do contact us.
Venice's 13th Architecture Biennale
Venice's 13th Architecture Biennale will take place between August 29th and November 25th 2012 under the curator David Chipperfield, the first British curator of the event, and latest winner of the Mies van der Rohe award for his reinvention of the Neues Museum in Berlin. The exhibition will focus on relationships between architects as well as those who refer to their works. To find out more about including a visit to the biennale in your clients' Venice itinerary, please contact us.
Fascinating Events and Exhibitions at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence
Home to the Center for Contemporary Culture Strozzia, Palazzo Strozzi is set to host a number of fascinating new events. Notably in the next few months, the venue will play host to the exhibition: "Americans in Florence: Sargent and the American Impressionists" which opens in March. The exhiition will explore the American impressionists' relationship with Italy in the 19th and 20th centuries and the ties between the old and new worlds. If your clients are interested, we can easily incorporate a visit to the exhibition into any Florence itinerary. Why not take a look at our sample itinerary "Florence and Tuscany" for some inspiration and contact us for further information.
Verdura Resort to host Sicilian Golf Open
Rocco Forte's Verdura resort is delighted to be hosting the 2012 Sicilian Open Golf Tournament. The tournament will take place between 29th March and 1st April 2012 and is a great accolade for the hotel. The announcement follows the high scores granted to the resort's golf courses in the Rolex World's Top 1000 Golf Courses Guide. If your clients are interested in staying at the Verdura or would like to discuss a tailor-made golf itinerary, please do contact us.
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