Italy Travel

The Two Towers in Bologna, Italy, on December 14, 2023

Donations Help Save Bologna's 12th-Century Leaning Tower

Officials recently shut down the area around the increasingly delicate structure

Italian opera singing is now among the hundreds of cultural practices officially recognized by UNESCO.

Italian Opera Singing Is Now Protected by the U.N.

UNESCO announced 55 new additions to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Banksy's Migrant Child has endured damage from the elements since it appeared in 2019. 

Why Restoring a Banksy Mural in Venice Is So Controversial

Critics argue that the street artist may have intended for the work to deteriorate over time

A few small structures and trees dot the Lessinia Plateau, where sunlight casts shadows that accentuate the hilly terrain.

These 15 Photos Capture the Beauty of Italy

Scenes from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest prove there’s always more to love about the bel paese

Venice is struggling to manage an overwhelming number of visitors.

Venice Will Start Charging an Entry Fee Next Year

By charging daytrippers to visit on peak travel days, the city hopes to combat overtourism

Pienza's historic city center, which Pope Pius II redesigned in the 15th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This Italian Town Silenced a Historic Bell That Kept Tourists Awake. Now, Locals Can't Sleep

The bell battle in Pienza, located in Tuscany, is just the latest example of Italy's tourism troubles

The new Orient Express La Dolce Vita train, which is set to launch next year, is one part of Italy's new train tourism strategy.

Grappling With Climate Change and Overtourism, Italy Is Betting Big on Train Travel

New rail routes will help throngs of tourists get around the country in a sustainable way

An aerial view of the city's canal system taken in 2012

UNESCO Recommends Adding Venice to List of World Heritage in Danger

Throngs of tourists and rising water levels are threatening to overwhelm the historic city

Twenty Blues trains are now running—and plans are in the works to bring more than 100 into operation.

Europe's First Battery-Powered Trains Are Here

The tribrid trains now running in Italy can switch between battery power, electricity and diesel

Visited by millions every year, the Colosseum has already been vandalized four times in 2023.

Tourist Carves Girlfriend's Name Into the Colosseum

Video footage shows a man using keys to scratch a message into the 2,000-year-old amphitheater's wall

A walkway for visitors to tour the newly opened site

You Can Now Visit the Site Where Julius Caesar Was Stabbed

Rediscovered in the 1920s, the Roman square is now welcoming visitors for the first time

The dogs receive training that helps enhance their natural swimming abilities and rescue instincts.

Meet the Lifeguard Dogs Watching Over Beachgoers in Maine

Buoy and Beacon are trained to help human lifeguards rescue swimmers at Scarborough Beach State Park

The Classis museum of Ravenna in the northern Italian region of Emilia-Romagna became a shelter for those displaced by last month's severe flooding.

Italy Raises Museum Prices to Help Fund Flood Relief

Recent storms damaged museum collections and turned some cultural institutions into shelters

The water turned green in Venice's Grand Canal near the Rialto Bridge.

Why Did the Water in Venice's Grand Canal Turn Bright Green?

Authorities have determined what substance caused the abnormal hue, but they still don't know who is responsible

The bridge depicted in the backdrop of the Mona Lisa has been a subject of debate for many years.

Has This Historian Identified the Bridge in the 'Mona Lisa'?

Silvano Vinceti argues that the bridge in the backdrop of da Vinci's masterpiece is the Ponte Romito in Laterina

More than 2.9 million people visited the Pompeii Archaeological Park last year.

High-Speed Train Will Connect Rome to Pompeii

The new route will make the ruins of the ancient city more accessible for visitors

Rome's Pantheon was built around 27 B.C.E.

Rome's Pantheon Will Start Charging an Entrance Fee

The 2,000-year-old structure is Italy's most visited cultural site, attracting millions of tourists each year

Ambulance boats and tourist gondolas are having a tough time getting around in Venice.

A Long Low Tide Dries Up Venice's Smaller Canals

A high-pressure anticyclone is driving the situation, making it difficult to get around the carless city

Instead of transitioning between Latin and English, spoken Latin keeps the cognition all in one language.

Spoken Latin Is Making a Comeback

Proponents of the teaching method argue that it encourages engagement with the language and the ancient past

A mosaic decorates a floor in the Baths of Diocletian.

Where to Find Ruins of the Roman Empire’s Last Years

A visit to Ravenna and Rome can take you back to the fifth century, when everything seemed to be in chaos

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