For years I have had a lovehate  relationship with the city of Milano.  In the past I have told clients, if you only have 9 days, thenk skip Milano and get right to the lakes, but now  my sentiment  has changed and that something happened with the preparation for The Worlds Fair of Food- Expo 2015- Feeding the planet which is now   in full swing at the Milano Fair grounds -October 31, 2015 . The city has removed her  dull dusty 1940's gray mask and has replaced it with new look, which is  fresh,  and reflective of her position as #1 ( move over Paris) in art and style.  The city's new identity is encouraged by the numerous  publications which  have been flashing her new look under our nose. You can't read Savour, Architectural Digest, Departures , Travel + Leisure or Conde` Nast Traveler without seeing even  a mention of something  happening that is very Milanese.  

Italy has been know to be a  socially conservative  country given  it is the seat of the Catholic church, and is the ony country remaining  in Europe that does not recognize same sex  marriages or civil unions.  With the church's anti - same sex relationship stance it is no surprise that any change to the current position  regarding man-women, women- women, man-man would take great debate. 

The Tuscan mines that provided the marble for Michaelangelo’s David is at risk of being over mined, fueling dangerous levels of erosion. The mines located near the town of Carrara were the source of marble for Michaelangelo’s masterpiece, the David, his depiction of the Madonna and Child (Pietà), as well as other sculpted masterpieces in Italy’s rich artistic history.

Image by Flickr user TorreBarolo

When I think of Piedmont, this is what I see. Rolling hills, covered with vineyards. Perfect for a stroll between wine tastings.

Many travelers love Piedmont for its food (and wine) due to the rich culture that gave rise to and has grown around the Slow Food movement, which is based in Bra, Piedmont. But Piedmont is also home rich Renaissance architectural landmarks, several of which have been inscribed in the UNESCO World Heritage list.

Sacri Monti

Shared with Lombardia, the Sacri Monti UNESCO World Heritage Site consists of nine historic sites throughout the two provinces that range in origin from 1486 to 1712.

When the expansion of Muslim territories made it more difficult for pilgrims to visit Jerusalem and Palestine in person to pray at the Catholic holy sights, the guardians of Jerusalem’s Church of the Holy Sepulchre sanctioned the creation of sacri monti (sacred mountains) to mirror the layout and shrines of the main holy places and offer alternative prayer and pilgrimage sites.

UNESCO included these sites as much for their beauty as their historical significance, as you can clearly see when visiting them. Located outside major cities, built into the side of mountains, and incorporating forests, streams, and lakes whenever possible, the sacri monti represent a type of architecture that unites natural and made made elements that spawnded many offshoots throughout Europe.

Residences of the Royal House of Savoy

Walking the streets of Torino, it’s easy to imagine that the stately, elegant town was developed with a cohesive town plan in mind. Interestingly, that plan revolved around connected the various regular, working, hunting, and leisure homes of the Savoy family more so than any main Renaissance or Baroque city-planning scheme.

When the Savoys first moved their capital to Torino, it was a relatively plain provincial village, so they had a clean urban slate to start from. Using the “command center,” which is what we think of today as the palace, as a nucleus, radiating roads were built outward, to connect to the river Po, where the Villa della Regina was built in the foothills and the Royal Theater and State Secretariat soon followed.

From command center to the nearby banks of the Po and to lodges further afield in wood areas, the palaces, villas, and lodges of the Savoys—naturally in the most scenic locations around the city—straight, tree-lined royal roads created a framework for the city to grow around.

As the Savoy kings were consistent and constant in their growth and reorganization of the city, UNESCO chose to include the site in its World Heritage list because it provides a comprehensive overview of European monarchical and monumental architecture from the 16th to 18th centuries.

Image © Italian Concierge

If you’ve seen the flyer for our upcoming Puglia and Basilicata tour in May 2014, you know that in addition to custom travel planning, the Italian Concierge also runs luxury walking tours.

With fall and la vendemmia (the harvest), nearly upon us, I’ve been reminiscing about visiting my favorite wineries in Italy.

One of the best ways to do that is to walk through Piedmont, stopping in castles for lunch, visiting the wine archives, and tasting the other rich bounties of Piedmont’s famous soil, like truffles.