Join A Secret Italy

It has everything to offer tourists

by Elvi
(Melbourne Australia)

Italy has everything to offer the tourists from thousand year old history, museums, churches, magnificent vistas and views from every corner.

The cobbled stone alleyways with their laundry airing, flowers and mammas singing while making their pasta lunch to the splendour of the Cinque Terre and the magnificent lakes together with the Dolomites make Italy a place for everyone to find their favourite place to reminisce about.

Not to mention the fabulous food and of course the many varied wines.

Maria's reply: Thank you Elvi, you really did mention a lot of the things Italy can offer.

There are a few others I'd like to add though; how about the magnificent beaches? Take a look at these five beaches for starters.

Then there are the islands, of course the bigger ones like Sicily are beautiful and well known throughout the world but there are many tiny little ones that are absolutely amazing. Here's an incredible little island of the coast of Naples called Procida (click here to see more). There are lots of other similar ones too.

Lastly the cities too are amazing. Venice and Verona are two that I cover a lot on this site but what about the other great cities like Rome and Florence?

Then there are cities that are simply wonderful and yet are not visited by many tourists.

Top of the undiscovered cities list has to be Turin which is an elegant city offering perhaps the very best food in all of Italy and, being on the doorstep of one of Italy's premier wine regions, the wine is amazing.

Not to forget those little medieval villages that seem to have remained unchanged for centuries. Villages where life is still lived at a slower pace and where time is always made to chat to friends and family in the local piazza. Here is a list of some of my favourite ones.

I suppose I had better stop now but when it comes to the beauty of Italy I am inclined to go on and on!

The Reasons I Love Italy

by Gloria
(Tallahassee, FL USA)

Love of Italy

First of all, I spent my Honeymoon in Rome and was there for five days. We stayed at the Excelsior which was fabulous. I have visited in addition to Rome, Venice, Florence, La Spezia, the Isle of Capri ( both upper and lower), Bari, Pisa, Sorrento and have been to all the sights in Rome and Florence and of course Pompeii.

Would go back again in a minute. Love the food and the wine and the ruins are the most fascinating to see.

Maria's reply: Gloria you really must go back - there is still so much to see. Cities like Verona and Torino, the Italian Lakes, the mountains of the north and regions like Umbria, Marche and Piedmont.

The people are so special

by Victor D'Amico
(Syracuse NY)

Italian People

I have traveled extensively throughout Italy and on so many occasions had interactions with people that were so different and memorable.

I have written one book about Italy Bonding with Piedmont which you reviewed. I am considering another book dealing with experiences encountering the generosity and helpfulness of the people I met.

Maria's reply: Victor I really think you should write that book. There are so few books that really capture what the Italian people are all about. They are so different too. Every town, every village seems to have its own character.

Wherever I have been, from the far north to the far south and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia, I have always found the people to be some of the friendliest and most genuine you're likely to discover anywhere on earth.

Some like the Sardinians, and even the people of Piedmont, take a little while to get to know you and trust you but once they do you are likely to make some of the truest friends you'll ever make.

It would be great if you could share some of your experiences on the website - maybe a little preview of what people can expect with the new book.

In case you are wondering who the lady is in the photo, it is a great Sardinian lady. The aunt of my friend Martina who is also an author and shared a little about the people of Sardinia on our other website.