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This article originally appeared in the August/September 2024 issue of Dream of Italy. About four miles southeast of Parma in the middle of nowhere – “Culonia,” as the Italians might say (roughly translated, “the ass end of nowhere”) – there’s a small trattoria facing the countryside that might catch your eye if you happen to be driving by (it’s a …

This article originally appeared in the August/September 2024 issue of Dream of Italy. Hidden in the province of Parma, the Labirinto della Masone is a place to get lost. And then found. The art collector and designer Franco Maria Ricci created the park consisting of a museum, a publishing house, exhibition places and halls for parties, surrounded by bamboo mazes. …

This article originally appeared in the December 2023/January 2024 issue of Dream of Italy. Read about what else is new in 2024 here! Massimo Bottura’s Francescana Family welcomed a new member in Fall of 2023- Al Gatto Verde at Casa Maria Luigia. Truly green, in name and in its sustainable practices, Al Gatto Verde relies heavily on solar panels for energy …

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. View the main article, Made in Modena, here.  Speed into the world of fast cars, traditional flavors and opera with guided tours from those who know best. Modenatur (39 059 220022; www.modenatur.it) lets the stars of Emilia-Romagna — from test drives to tortellini making — shine on center …

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. View the main article, Made in Modena, here.  Modena does many things well, but food is at the top of the list. Prepare to gorge on famed regional icons like tagliatelle al ragù (meat sauce), spinach and ricotta-stuffed tortelloni in butter and sage and gnocco fritto, a …

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. View the main article, Made in Modena, here.  Modena‘s hotel landscape isn’t quite as wondrous as its restaurant scene, but there are a handful of options that offer an olive branch to more discerning clientele than the business and/or convention crowd. However, nothing in the city center …

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. If you read supermarket labels closely, you might realize that Modena has been a household name for centuries — its famed vinegar, of the balsamic variety, hails from here. The name “balsamic” first appeared in the 18th century, but evidence of ancient civilizations making vinegar and using …

This article originally appeared in the June/July 2023 issue of Dream of Italy. The sun never sets on Chef Massimo Bottura’s empire. He has opened restaurants in Dubai, Miami, and Los Angeles, to name some of his outposts, but Modena is different; Modena is home. If you are ever going to taste and experience the Bottura magic, worth every penny …