Europe – Italy

‘The Creator made Italy from designs by Michelangelo!’ Thus did the humorist Mark Twain sum up a country that, to this day, seems to have been divinely wrought from the imagination of the greatest Renaissance artist.

Italy’s landscape and its cities and towns feel like an impossibly monumental artwork which mere humans have the rare blessing to explore, from the alpine lakes and Venetian canals of the north; through the fertile foothills of Tuscany and Umbria at the nation’s heart; to venerable Rome and Naples; to the sunny, rugged, incredibly fertile island of Sicily at the toe of Italy’s boot. Each region possesses its own robust yet refined cuisine, complemented by Italy’s legendary wines. What all of these diverse places have in common is a shared culture and history stretching back two millennia to the Roman Empire and beyond, a heritage that feels still alive today in the very air you breathe while visiting Italy.

Yet, Italy is as much a way of life as it is any collection of landscapes, cities, towns, cuisines, or cultures, and a wise visitor will aim to spend some time living there as the Italians do. Only then will you experience the divine design that is Italy down to the very depths of its soul.