Italy – The Perfect Love Affair
Home to many of the world’s greatest works of art, architecture and gastronomy, Italy inspires and moves you like no other. It’s hard not to feel a little envious sometimes, but it’s even harder not to fall madly in love with this gorgeous country and its passionate people.
Cultural riches – Epicentre of the Roman Empire and birthplace of the Renaissance, this European gem groans under the weight of its cultural cachet: it’s here that you can stand in the presence of Michelangelo’s David and Sistine Chapel frescoes, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera and da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Walk in the footsteps of ancient Romans in Pompeii, revel in Ravenna’s glittering Byzantine treasures or get breathless over Giotto’s revolutionary frescoes in Padua.
Spectacular landscapes – Italy is one of Mother Nature’s masterpieces, with extraordinary natural diversity ranging from the north’s icy Alps and glacial lakes to the south’s fiery craters and turquoise grottoes. One day you could be skiing down Courmayeur’s powdery slopes, the next you could be galloping across the marshes of the Maremma, or diving in coral-studded Campanian waters.
Endless feasts – On a map food-obsessed Italy might look like a “boot” but it feels more like a decadently stuffed Christmas stocking. Every bite can feel like a revelation and the secret: superlative ingredients and finely tuned know-how. While Italy’s culinary soul might prefer simplicity, it’s equally ingenious and sophisticated. So whether you’re on a degustation odyssey in Modena, truffle hunting in Piedmont or swilling vino rosso in the Valpolicella wine region, prepare to loosen that belt.
Inimitable style – In very few places around the world do art and life intermingle so effortlessly as they do in Italy. Beauty, style and flair invade every aspect of daily life from those perfect espressos to the flirtatious smiles of passing strangers. Italian life is devoted to living life well…. so slow down, style up and indulge in a little vita all’italiana (life, Italian style).