Lazio Archives - Dream of Italy

Italy’s Bellybutton (October/November 2023)

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. Piazza San Rufo in Rieti has an offbeat claim to fame. Locals say that in this square, marked by a round, travertine monument sits the geographical center of Italy. The spot is labeled as “Umbilicus Italiae” or Italy’s bellybutton. Critics of the monument’s style claim it looks like a “caciotta” …

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Travel Chat – April 13 – Lake Garda, Driving in Italy, Best Places to Live

We just completed our first ever Travel Talk Live and what a success it was! Sixty members tuned in for two hours packed of Italy travel tips and best practices. We discussed everything from how to bring your pets abroad to the best places to see in Puglia and Sicily this summer. We also cover citizenship topics, transfer services and …

The Beating Heart of Rome’s Testaccio (February/March 2023)

This article originally appeared in the February/March 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. “This space is an example of a way of life that puts citizens’ needs first. It is, above all, a meeting place.” —Marco Pucci, olive farmer and 30th generation Roman You feel the real Rome in Testaccio. The real Italy. It is just one short bend in the …

Dream Day in Italy: Taste Porchetta in Ariccia (December 2022/January 2023)

This article originally appeared in the December 2022/January 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. Ariccia, 35 minutes by train from Rome in the Castelli Romani, is known for its architectural works by Gian Lorenzo Bernini and the historic palazzo-turned-art-museum of the noble Chigi family. But the main attraction is their roasted pork called porchetta. For decades, I have hyperbolically claimed …

Dream Day in Italy: Flight of the Angel Zipline (February/March 2022)

This article originally appeared in the February/March 2022 issue of Dream of Italy. I’ve had many incredible experiences and breathless adventures here in Italy, but by far the most thrilling and adrenaline pumping was getting strapped into a harness and rocketing across a 1,200-foot-deep gorge at 75 miles an hour. Truly the “flight of the angel,” as it is called. …

The Small But Essential Pleasures of Italy (October/November 2021)

This article originally appeared in the October/November 2021 issue of Dream of Italy. For me, dreaming of Italy—which is all I have done since my last visit there in October 2019—might not be what you would expect. Yes, there is the sublime cuisine and superb wine, but I write Italian cookbooks and can make dishes at home that remind me of la …

Dreaming of Italy Through Atmospheric Paintings

This article originally appeared in the April/May 2021 issue of Dream of Italy. The new TV special Dream of Italy: Travel, Transform and Thrive will also be airing on PBS stations as a pledge special to raise funds for public television. Actor Joe Mantegna joins me to co-host these breaks but because of the pandemic, we had to film virtually in private …

Share Your Dream: Art-Filled Acquapendente (June/July 2020)

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2020 issue of Dream of Italy. When I dream of Italy, I dream of dancing in the streets at midnight to the beat of a DJ in the art town of Acquapendente. It’s a special occasion, the first night of the Festa dei Pugnaloni, which are mosaics made only from floors. A Notte Bianca or …

Share Your Dream: Escape to the Beach in Historic Anzio (June/July 2020)

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2020 issue of Dream of Italy. When I dream of Italy, I dream of escaping from Rome to the beach at Anzio, an hour away by train. Once part of Antium, the capital of the Volsci, an ancient tribe from pre-Roman times, it was named by the son of Olympus. The territory was then …

Share Your Dream: A Book Lead Us to Sutri (June/July 2020)

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2020 issue of Dream of Italy. When I dream of Italy, I dream of Sutri, a tiny town near Viterbo in Lazio, that I discovered in the book Pasquale’s Nose by Michael Rips. He wrote it in the piazza here. Sutri is an Etruscan town with rows of tombs lining the hills and a …

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