The Royal Villa of Monza: three centuries of history behind a single racing weekend
An eighteenth century Habsburg summer retreat that later hosted a Napoleonic viceroy and Savoy kings, watching in silence over the finish line each September.
Plan Your Tour
A season that moves through Italy for two months: from the first alpine larches above Cogne to the last Japanese maples on the pre-alpine lakes, where to find fall foliage and why it never arrives everywhere at once.
Editor's Choice
Vedi tutti →Plan Your Tour
Lake Como in autumn
Foliage on the Triangolo Lariano, villas down to their last weeks and lake traffic thinning toward the off season, from late September through the first weeks of November.
San Francesco 800
2026, the year of Francis: a guide to his 800th anniversary
Eight centuries after his death, the institutions, events and open questions behind Italy's yearlong commemoration of Francis of Assisi.
Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix
Monza circuit history: speed walled inside an imperial park
Inside the Parco di Monza, a nineteenth century royal estate has shared its silence with the Autodromo Nazionale for more than a century.
Newsletter
Italy, Privately Yours. A monthly dispatch from the editors. The country off-script, in your inbox.
Subscribe — it's free →
Membership
Members-only stories, bespoke itineraries, and the places we visit but don't write about.
Become a member →
Address Book
Our curated directory of stays, tables, experiences and makers across Italy.
Browse the directory →
An eighteenth century Habsburg summer retreat that later hosted a Napoleonic viceroy and Savoy kings, watching in silence over the finish line each September.
Along the coast between Noto and the Vendicari Nature Reserve, the last week of August trades a crowd for its residents.
Uncover the epic history of the Giro d'Italia and the legendary maglia rosa: a deep dive into Italian cycling culture, dramatic mountain passes, and authentic local traditions. Discover the soul of the pink race to inspire your ultimate journey to Italy.
Uncover the dramatic history of the Olympic Games in Italy, where athletic feats blend with la dolce vita. From the ancient ruins of Rome to the snow-capped Dolomites and the industrial heart of Turin, discover the iconic landmarks and find inspiration for your next Italian itinerary.
Discover the most beautiful ski resorts in Italy: from the jagged peaks of the Dolomites to the snowy heights of the Aosta Valley, this definitive guide offers the cultural depth and technical detail required to curate an authentic winter escape in the heart of the Italian mountains.
On the evening of October 3, 1226, a dying man asked to be laid naked on the bare earth of a small chapel near Assisi. Eight centuries later, the hillside paths he once walked through Umbria are being cleared and signposted again, and the basilica that holds his tomb still draws pilgrims along the same routes. A year of commemoration built around one date and the region that shaped it.
All in San Francesco 800
This is the early life of Francis of Assisi, in the two decades before he founded a religious order. The son of a wealthy Assisi cloth merchant became a soldier, a prisoner of war in Perugia, and finally, in a public square, the man who returned to his father every coin and garment he owned.