For many, the most beautiful city in the world. Venice has an eternal and poignant charm, and is today among the world capitals of contemporary art. Timeless and magical, the soul of Venice is made up of 118 islands united together by more than 400 bridges, separated by canals that act as waterways, forever bustling with gondolas and boats in a never-ending back-and-forth. Saying that it is brimming with art treasures is even disrespectful: romantic charm and history are absolutely unique.

One of the oldest cities in the world, nature, history and culture come together in Matera A place rich in scenery, unique architectural works, views of incomparable charm, Matera has captivated many artists, including Carlo Levi and Giovanni Pascoli, and continues to enchant with its Sassi, a World Heritage Site. Worthy of a long visit, it enraptures the heart.

Milan, the metropolis that finds a perfect and dynamic balance between history and modernity. While it is considered one of the world's fashion and design capitals, as well as a financial hub, Milan is also a city of culture and thought. While always looking towards the future, this Lombard capital lovingly preserves its prominent history, boasting spectacular museums and some of the most monumental churches in Italy.

The beating heart of Salento, Lecce enchants visitors with its stunning Baroque historic centre and the splendid sea right on its doorstep. Lecce has an unmistakable style, with monuments dating back to Roman times and, most notably, its extraordinary 17th-century buildings that proudly bare the characteristic blonde colour of the local stone. The atmosphere is vibrant and bustling. During the day, you can while away the hours sunbathing on its beaches, only a few kilometres from the city. In the evening, the city centre will entice you with its elegant, timeless alleyways and delicious local delicacies.

For over a millennium, Florence has been a global icon of beauty. Even its lesser-known neighbourhoods are a delight. The cradle of the Renaissance and the world capital of art in the 15th century, it boasts one of the oldest historic centres and some of the most famous museums in the world, as well as one of the most iconic and distinctive landscapes as far as the eye can see. Everything in Florence is spectacular: from the shops to the streets that lead to the hills overlooking the most touristy areas, from the most authentic and popular neighbourhoods, just outside the historic centre, to the monuments that exhibit its soul.

Explore Lucca and its treasures: from walls to towers, along with fine dining. One of Tuscany regional seats, Lucca is a city with a long history, but also a bustling cultural centre full of major events. Famous for its perfectly preserved 16th century city walls, it is characterised by many precious monuments that reveal its past as the most important city of the Italian Middle Ages.

Scattered across Switzerland, Austria, France, Germany, Italy and Slovenia, these UNESCO World Heritage Sites are valuable evidence of the pile-dwelling settlements of prehistoric communities. There are 19 in Italy, located in the immediate vicinity of lakes or the wetlands in Lombardy, Veneto, Piedmont, Friuli Venezia Giulia and Trentino Alto Adige.

With one of the largest and best-preserved medieval city centres in Europe, Bologna is world-famous for its porticoes, which in 2021 were recognised by UNESCO for their artistic and socio-cultural value.

Thanks to its strategic position, Genoa established close relations with the Greek, Etruscan and Punic worlds, but the city's great expansion began after the year 1000. As a powerful maritime republic, Genoa was the protagonist of a public aristocratic residential project to build a system of new streets and palaces.

Florence is a city that amazes, seduces and stays in your heart. The Tuscan capital is an open-air museum full of architectural masterpieces and unique works of art. At every turn a marvel, so much so that its historic centre enclosed within the ancient medieval walls has been UNESCO World Heritage since 1982.

Amidst the vineyards, wheat fields and ancient villages, it is a worthy representative of the Tuscany of Chianti and Val D'Orcia, where unmistakable flavours and good, traditional cuisine reign supreme. Listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1990, San Gimignano lovingly preserves the atmosphere of a fourteenth-century village and the appearance of one of the best examples of urban organisation since the age of the communes, or city-states. Its unmistakable towers dominate a landscape that deserves more than a visit to discover it.

It is a jewel of Umbria, in the province of Perugia, perched on the slopes of Mount Subasio. Assisi is the city of saints – Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Chiara of Assisi – its peaceful spirit is palpable with every step through its beautiful streets. It is a jewel of Umbria, in the province of Perugia, perched on the slopes of Mount Subasio.

At Castelmola, the eye gets lost in a palette of colours that makes it one of the most distinctive corners of Sicily. It is no coincidence that it is considered among the most beautiful villages in Italy, with breathtaking views, thanks to its altitude of over 500 metres. To complete the picture, several artistic, historical and urban treasures not least the castle and medieval monuments. If you plan a stay in this area, bring comfortable shoes and layered clothing.

Between the Metauro valley and the Foglia valley, in the hills of the Marche region facing the Adriatic Sea, lies the city of Urbino, one of the most important centres of the Italian Renaissance, whose artistic charm and architectural heritage are still preserved today. Embellished with sandstone buildings and surrounded by a long wall of brickwork, Urbino is a city of vast historical and artistic wealth. From a simple village, it became the “cradle of the Renaissance” and, even today, walking through its historical centre you can breathe in the 15th-century air. In 1998, Urbino was honourably included in the UNESCO World Heritage List for being a point of attraction for the most illustrious Renaissance scholars and artists from all over Italy and the world, and for having influenced cultural progress in the rest of Europe, while managing to keep its exceptional urban complex almost intact.

The date is from 2 to 18 September 2022. And the location? In the streets and squares of 100 Marche villages. The villages of the Marche, amidst sea and mountains Every village, from the smallest one perched on the Apennines to the busiest along the coast, is the keeper of a fragment of the identity of the Marche region. This is why the villages have been chosen to tell the heritage of stories, myths and legends of a land that goes from the sea to the mountains, among stone towns, mediaeval fortresses, hilltop villages, churches full of mystery, and palaces brimming with stories. The travelling festival: where and when Promoted by the Marche Region and the Marche Cultura Foundation, the second edition of the festival involves 100 villages with a full calendar of events spanning three weekends, from Friday to Sunday, from 6pm to midnight. The dates to remember are: 2 to 4 September, 9 to 11 September and 16 to 18 September. Each weekend, in each of the participating villages, you can attend a performance that recounts a tradition, a historical event, a legend or a character that belongs to the locality and is part of its identity of the past and present. Museums, libraries, churches, palaces and shops will also be open for the occasion, and there will be displays, exhibitions, handicrafts, costumed re-enactments, guided tours and tastings in the village streets. MArCHESTORIE is an opportunity not to be missed and an opportunity to discover the secret stories of the villages and the many facets of the Marche region. The festival performances Each village tells a local story taken from historical documents or oral tradition and reworked in different ways: through theatre, music, video or contemporary language, stories are told of the Sibyl of the Apennines, or of St George defeating the dragon that dwells in the lake, the spirits of fire or the battles between the lords of the castles, characters from the remote or more recent past, saints and popes, witches and warriors. Storytelling is at the very heart of the festival, and you will once again feel like children listening to their grandparents' fairy tales. So many stories to discover Among the stories to be discovered are the legend of the Angel of Fire in Sarnano, the Brunforte fairy tales in the castle of Massa Fermana, the vicissitudes of the 'tough pope' Sixtus V born in the Marche, the arcane voice of the Sibyl that echoes in the caves of the Apennines, the adventures of the heroes of the Risorgimento, the mystery of a castle that disappeared, and one that was destroyed by demons. Amidst a stroll through the Borgo degli Amanti and the discovery of the brigand-infested Costa dei Guai, there will be time to meet the condottiere Rinaldo da Monteverde, to explore the volcano of Montappone and the Montagna Incantata di Fiastra, to learn about the "battle of the pig" in Offagna and the Insurgents of Falerone. These are almost always stories that you can only discover here and nowhere else. The beauty of the villages Each tale comes to life in the place to which it belongs, and provides an opportunity to walk through the stone streets of the most fascinating villages in the Marche region, enchanted by the hospitality of the communities that reveal all their secrets, knowledge and beauty to visitors. Wander among the crenellated walls of a fortress, walk along the steep streets of a village clinging to the mountain, or enjoy a break in a Renaissance square. While you're there, hunt for artistic and architectural beauties by taking advantage of the special openings of places that are not always accessible. And perhaps treat yourself to a nature walk in the surrounding area to discover peaks, caves, forests and waterfalls.

This is Val d'Orcia, included in 2004 in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A unique encounter of art and nature, rich in evidence of the past, with a natural landscape redesigned during the Renaissance to reflect the ideals of 'good government' in the Italian city-state.

From Murlo to Terni, pedaling across blooming fields and sleepy villages. This is the green heart of Italy: oasis of silence, good food and two wheels. The itinerary of the third stage of Tirreno-Adriatico – starting from Murlo, the Etruscan town, and ending in the city of Terni – implies two paces. High tempo in your saddle, given the slightly undulated course, and a leisurely pace after the shower. After all, here the name of the game is “get lost” in nature, in the art cities or while reading menus that celebrate the local produces, such as truffles, cheese and cold cuts. Ready to set off?

Cycling along the Navigli is the green idea for getting into the surroundings from the heart of Milan: here are five itineraries that also take inspiration from Leonardo da Vinci.

A sinuous promontory designed by the winds that Mount Conero (after which this area in the Marches was named) encounters while overlooking the Adriatic Sea. Tens of beaches surrounded by rocks and luxuriant vegetation that can only be reached by boat or on paths, and numerous cities full of history and tradition: This is the Conero Riviera. A surprising green and occasionally wild nature, unforgettable crystal-clear sea and many beaches - some easier to access than others - characterize the Riviera. Among these is Due Sorelle beach (which can only be reached by boat), named this way due to two large stacks (precisely the due sorelle or two sisters), and Mezzavalle beach.

A trip to Emilia Romagna is a trip to the land of motors. After all, it was here that one of the greatest symbols of Made in Italy was born a legend: the Ferrari brand. This beautiful Region offers car lovers a grand series of pertinent places and events, including the Motor Show, the Imola Circuit, the relatively new Autodromo Marzaglia, the Righini, Panini and Stanguellini Collections, Museo Ferrari and the recently-opened Enzo Ferrari House Museum.

Many know it as the Riviera of Fun, given its expansive and well-maintained beaches and innumerable attractions the Adriatic Riviera (in Emilia Romagna) is one of Italy’s best-known beach resort localities, and no doubt that the Riviera of Fun is a definition that suits this coast very well.

Visiting the typical touristic hubs in the Regions of Lazio or Campania and want to make a quick getaway to an island paradise? You may be surprised to know that not far from Rome and Naples lie six tiny, yet beautiful islands known as the Pontines. Those in the know (and near the Tyrrhenian) make these Islands their spring/summer weekend destination, and who could blame them? The transparent waters, the gracious little ports, and the easy ferry connections make these “fishermen’s isles” an attainable Mediterranean dream: within just a couple hours from the coast, the Pontine Islands will be welcoming you with all their warmth and hospitality. The Pontines make up an archipelago: individually they are Gavi, Zannone, Palmarola, Ventotene, Santo Stefano and, the first among equals, Ponza, from which the island chain takes its name.

Tuscia Viterbese may well be considered among the most beautiful areas of Italy from every standpoint: landscape, history and culture. The ideal solution if you'd like to organize an out of town trip in search of experience made up of history, art, culture and well-being.

Villages, ancient towns, villas, Medieval castles, and archaeological ruins animate the Regional Park of the Castelli Romani, in the Province of Rome. Located in the Alban Hills, in the past the Castelli Romani were a favorite resort for the Capital's noble families as well as for Popes. 9,500 hectares of protected land, many animal species, such as badgers, martens, peregrine falcons, porcupines, and especially the wolf (a key compoment in the local ecosystem) also call this their habitat. Fifteen municipalities make up part of the Park of the Castelli Romani however, for an already-exhaustive window onto the area, organize a tour of just six of them, beginning with Lanuvio, a Medieval village near Velletri.