What inspires you to travel? Is it visiting and learning about new cultures? Seeing famous sites, architecture or works of art? Viewing breathtaking landscapes or sea views? Or maybe trying new cuisines and local delicacies? Whatever your inspiration to travel, Italy surely can check off at least one if not most of the reasons.

One of the reasons we love to travel is to experience culture. Italy is full of culture, and each region has its own unique traditions and customs. From Carnevale in Venice to the Palio horse race in Siena, each region and season offers new experiences that give you reasons to keep going back. Then there is the overarching warmth and hospitality of the Italian people. We can share so many examples of this; one I will mention is Daniela at Villa Cicolina. He not only provided excellent service, but also shared some unique Italian traditions with us and gave us some places to visit that we might not otherwise have known about. Villa Cicolina is beautiful and we would love to return, but part of that would be to see how Daniela is doing.

If art, architecture, and famous sites are what move you to travel, then Italy has endless possibilities for you. Several millennia of history and 58 UNESCO World Heritage Sites will have your cup overflowing. From the Roman Forum and Colosseum in Rome to Renaissance masterpieces of art and architecture in Florence, or Greek ruins in Sicily you have many options. Gazing up at the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel before the crowds arrive, imagining Michelangelo at work all of those years ago is an unforgettable experience.

 Then seeing his real passion of sculpting in his statues, Moses and of course, David, for example, gives you a new appreciation of the skill it takes to bring a piece of marble (and the marble he used for David was flawed) to life. You really have to see it in person as pictures cannot do the intricate details justice. Jeff was thrilled to see Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus in person; a work of art he learned about in grade school and always wanted to see. (I am even having trouble keeping this section short as I have not mentioned architecture.)

You are surrounded by incredible architecture everywhere. We marveled at the Pantheon in Rome, the Duomo in Florence, and St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice and wondered at the skill, determination, and imagination it took to construct these buildings long before modern equipment. One last thought before moving on to landscapes, always look at the ceilings in Italy. You never know what you might see!

Cuisine. I shouldn’t have to add more here since Italian food is famous worldwide for its rich flavors and fresh ingredients, but I will anyway. If food is your reason to travel, Italy should be a destination of choice. The food and wine are incredible and each region has its own specialties. We enjoyed Caci e pepe in Rome, wild boar pappardelle and steaks in Florence, Tuscan vegetable soup with Pecorino cheese bread in Pienza, baked clams and squid ink risotto in Venice, and so much more. Gelato, tiramisu and panna cotta were among the favorite desserts. Fresh baked rolls, croissants, pastries, jams, honey, cheeses, cold cuts, cappuccinos and more for breakfast. We had pizza everywhere. And the cheese, oh the cheese, cheese, cheese… goat, cow, sheep, sheep, sheep (I will tell that story another time.) I learned and embraced the Italian love of arugula (Jeff did not.) We have tried everything that we can on each visit and there is still more to try. Something else that we enjoy doing is to go to local grocery stores or convenience stores to see what is offered and to try out the snacks. It is great because it is both a cultural and cuisine experience in one. The downside is that we have favorites that we cannot get in the States, although Eataly and other specialty food stores do offer some of them.