Lippi's "Madonna in adorazione del Bambino" is one of the 40 pieces on display during the current Lippi and Botticelli exhibit in Rome.

The current exhibit at Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome showcases two of Italy’s premier artists of the 15^th Century: Filippino Lippi and Sandro Botticelli.  While the exhibit mainly focuses on the career and artistic style of Lippi, it also highlights the ways in which the two artistic geniuses’ lives overlapped: after being a student of Lippi’s father, Botticelli then mentored Lippi.  As the younger Lippi rose to fame, a rivalry between student and teacher emerged.

“Filippino Lippi and Sandro Botticelli in Florence in the 1400s,” which runs through January 15, features more than 40 of Lippi’s works compared with those of other artists—namely Botticelli.  Among the pieces are the Lippi/Botticelli collaboration “La Derellita,” which is rarely shown to the public; “Madonna in adorazione del Bambino,” one of Lippi’s earlier works that seemingly jumps off of the canvas with its vibrant colors; and Botticelli’s “Adorazione dei Magi.”

If you can’t make it to the Rome exhibit, there are plenty of other Lippi and Botticelli works on permanent display at Florence’s Uffizi and Accademia galleries, as well as at multiple churches around the country, including Santo Spirito in Florence, Basilica di San Domenico in Bologna, and the Sistine Chapel.

Traveling by train is one of the best ways to see Italy—rolling through the vast countryside and right into the city of your choosing.  Depending on if you take a local train or the sleek Frecciarossa or Frecciargento express trains, you can get from Rome to Florence in 1½ hours and Florence to Venice in under two.  Whether you ride first class or coach, train travel in Italy is generally comfortable, easy on the wallet and the itinerary, and, unless you’re faced with a sciopero (strike), stress-free.

Riding the rails is particularly helpful to our independent travelers creating itineraries or opting for one of our carefully-planned independent tours.  It’s also great for daytrippers looking to get out of the big city and into a smaller nearby town.  For example, riding the train from Florence can easily get you to Pisa, Bologna, Lucca, Viareggio, or Perugia for the day.

Train travel is even sweeter over the next few weeks as Trenitalia, Italy’s main train operator, is running promotions that deeply slash train prices.  Here’s a quick rundown:

Daytrippers can take advantage of flat “andata e ritorno in giornata” fares (one-day roundtrip) on the Frecciarossa and Frecciargento trains (109€ for second class, 149€ for first class).

Saturday travelers get two-for-one fares through December 10 using the “Sabato Italiano 2×1” promotion.

Families always save 50% on tickets for children under 12 while children under 4 travel for free, but the “Offerta Familia” promotion can get those discounts plus 20% off on the adults traveling in the group.

“MINI fares” offer seats at up to 60% off on nearly every route on every class of train.

In order to take advantage of these great promotions, be sure to buys your tickets at least two days in advance—of course, the earlier you purchase, the better!  Of course, we can help you purchase the tickets and plan your journey through Italy!

Leonardo da Vinci's self-portrait will be on display for the first time ever this fall in Turin. (photo via wikimedia)

Leonardo da Vinci: We all know his name and have seen his face through images of a self-portrait, but few have had the chance to see that infamous work in person.  Until now.  For the first time ever, the Renaissance genius’s self-portrait will be on display at Reggia di Venaria Reale, just outside of Turin.  From November 18 to January 29, see the maestro up close while learning more about him and the artists, writers, and filmmakers he inspired.

Broken down into three sections, the exhibit features 30 original da Vinci drawings mainly focusing on his precision in replicating facial expressions, human anatomy, nature, and machines.  The first section offers a biographical look at the artist through his drawings, including the world-renowned Codex on the Flight of the Birds and the featured self-portrait.  The next section shows da Vinci’s transformation into Renaissance icon through 15^th and 16^th century works by artists who tried to emulate the master’s style.  In the final section, da Vinci is seen through the lens of contemporary art with works by Warhol, Spoerri, Nitsch, and Recalcati.  The section opens with a tribute by French artist Marcel Duchamp, who notably put a goatee and mustache on a replica of da Vinci’s Mona Lisa.  Closing out the exhibition is a multimedia area featuring a full-size digital reproduction of The Last Supper, allowing visitors to study the gestures and facial features of the masterpiece.

Normally the self-portrait and Codex on the Flight of the Birds are kept our of the spotlight in Turin’s Biblioteca Reale, and while seeing The Last Supper high on the wall of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan is an unforgettable and truly awe-inspiring experience, getting an up-close look at some of the most prized works by Italian Renaissance hero Leonardo da Vinci is a chance too good to pass up.

What is you favorite da Vinci work?

See how Audrey Hepburn really lived her life in Rome at the new exhibit "Audrey in Rome." (photo via wikimedia)

Watching the classic romantic comedy Roman Holiday is a great way to get a quick fix and feel like you’re in Italy.  As Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn whiz through the streets of Rome on their Vespa, it’s easy to let go and imagine yourself roaming down glamorous Via Condotti or strolling next to the Coliseum.  Now, while you’re in Rome, you can check out some of the props used in the classic film—and see some of Audrey Hepburn’s personal effects and candid photos.

The new exhibit “Audrey in Rome” lets fans get a sneak peek into the starlet’s life, some of which she spent living in the Eternal City with her husband and son.  The show, which coincides with the 50^th anniversary of another classic Hepburn film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, is housed at the Ara Pacis until December 4.  Some of the proceeds from the exhibit will benefit UNICEF, an organization to which Helpburn served as goodwill ambassador.

Among the items on display are 150 photos of the British actress in Rome—including some from movie sets and others of Hepburn going about her daily life—videos, costumes, and clothing.  The star’s trademark oversized sunglasses, billowing scarves, and petite dresses are on display alongside metallic pumps, fashionable coats, and her passport—all of which she needed during her time in Rome.

And as you admire the classic green Vespa from the film, let go once again and enjoy your own Roman holiday.

We’ve been writing a lot about Turin lately, and since it’s considered the birthplace of the Italian unification, there have been plenty of activities going on there.  Add one more to the list with a tribute to Italian fashion over the past 150 years.

Moda in Italia is running through January 8 at Turin’s royal palace Reggia di Venaria Reale, showcasing 200 dresses most representative of each decade of Italy’s fashion journey from 1861 to today.  Starworthy glitz and glam from the great Italian designers will be on display, including Ferragamo shoes worn by Marilyn Monroe and a dress worn by Anita Ekberg in La Dolce Vita. 

The exhibit, broken down into two main sections, is set up in grand scenes, including a runway show reenactment and a lavish parlor from the 1800s.  Classic gowns from in first section will tell the story of the birth of a county and its fashion, showing pieces from the Kingdomof Italydays (1861 – 1946), as well as some from the two decades that followed.  The next section will spotlight the cutting-edge pieces from the 70s until today that helped Italian fashion make its mark on the world.

There is no better way to learn about the birth of Italian fashion than in the birthplace of Italy’s unification—so check out Moda in Italia in Turin.

Autumn in Asti is beautiful and an afternoon of wine tasting during San Martino in Cantine is a great way to enjoy it! (photo by angelocesare via flickr)

There are a handful of days left to enjoy warm autumn afternoons, and the Feast of Saint Martin on November 11 tends to be one of those savored days. Marking the end of field work and the beginning of the harvest, Saint Martin’s Day is celebrated with feasting all across Italy.  People enjoy the plethora of seasonal products like truffles, pumpkin, zucchini—all of which get sliced and diced into Italian cuisine.

While all of that delicious produce is available at markets and on restaurant menus, a different crop takes the spotlight on Saint Marks Day: the grape.  It’s on this day that the bottling of the year’s new wine, or Vino Novello, takes place and that samples from last year’s vintage are uncorked.

Wineries across the country from Chianti to Campania, Amalfi to Abruzzo, capitalize on this seasonal sensation and open up for San Martino in Cantina (this year on Sunday, November 13).  Pairing up last year’s wine with local, seasonal food, San Martino in Cantina is one of the biggest wine festivals in the country, particularly aimed toward those who want to learn more about wine and wine tasting.  So enjoy the last few days of fall, the crop of seasonal food, and the first taste of last year’s Vino Novello during San Martino in Cantina.

Rebecca Horn’s calming “Piccoli Spiriti Blu” at Monte dei Cappuccini is one of the many highlights of Turin's Luci d'Artista 2011. (photo via Torino & Piemonte Contemporary Art)

This fall, Turin’s streets and galleries will be aglow with bright-colored lights spanning across piazzas, scaling landmarks, and polka-dotting the night sky.  One of the city’s most anticipated annual art installations, Luci d’Artista, turns on November 1 and stays lit through January 15, bringing a bit of neon contemporary art to the country’s first capital city.

Eighteen artists will put their electric works on display against Turin’s Baroque backdrop, the two newest presenters being Tobias Rehberger and Richi Ferrero, whose “My Noon” at Piazza Carignano and “Bwindi Light Masks” at Palazzo dell’Università, respectively, will become a permanent part of the yearly light show.

Other highlights of the Turin installation include Daniel Buren’s “Tappeto Volante,” a ceiling of the colors of the Italian flag across Piazza Palazzo di Città; “Amare le Differenze” by Michelangelo Pistoletto, in which the words “love difference” are illuminated in different languages across the façade of Porta Palazzo; Rebecca Horn’s calming “Piccoli Spiriti Blu” with blue circles floating through the air around Monte dei Cappuccini; and “Luì e l’arte di andare nel bosco,” neon poetry by Luigi Mainolfi across Via Lagrange.

While other cities in Italy have similar light shows throughout the holiday season, none is as long, impressive, or famous as Luci d’Artista in Turin.

Italy is known for its enormous collection of art masterpieces, with most of the biggest names to have put paint to canvas calling the country home.  But Italy’s art world extends far beyond those still lifes and portraits and the Lucca Comics and Games Festival is a fun way to explore some artistic alternatives.

From October 28 to November 1, take part in one of the biggest comics festivals after Comic-Con.  This year, Lucca will host special Guest Scott Farrar, Oscar-winning American animator, will present Transformers 3.

There will be plenty of video games available to play and test, as well as many sneak previews of animated films coming out in the near future.

The Comics and Games Festival is a fun way to spend an afternoon in Lucca in between strolling along the tops of its famous tree-lined city walls and checking out the newly-reopened Puccini Museum.  And being just a quick train ride away from both Florence and Pisa, Lucca makes for a stopover while exploring Tuscany.

If opera isn’t really your thing—or if you’ve just never been able to score tickets to La Scala in Milan—the Milan Music Festival is a great way to experience one of the world’s most esteemed music venues.

After opening earlier this week, the festival will run until November 17, featuring solo musicians as well as orchestras performing contemporary music.  Every year, a different composer is spotlighted, and this time the works of Hemlut Lachenmann will be brought to the forefront.  Also tied in with the festival are author/artist lectures and film screenings.

Tickets are just 20 Euro—a great price for a great seat at Milan’s famed La Scala opera house.

Piedmont, tucked in the northwest corner of Italy’s boot, is a region for all seasons, offering a smorgasboard of the best that the Bel Paese has to offer.  The second largest of Italy’s 20 regions, after Sicily, Piedmont has a population of about 4.4 million and is the home to some of the country’s most iconic exports: Fiat, Asti-Spumante, and Ferrero chocolate, to name a few.  Half of the region’s population lives in the Baroque city of Turin, a breaking ground for Italian unification 150 years ago, the country’s former capital, and host of the 2006 Olympic winter games.

With an appropriate name meaning “at the foot of the mountains,” Piedmont is surrounded by the Alps on three sides, making for plenty of skiing and winter sport activity.  That mountainous soil is also ideal for agriculture: rice, fruit, corn, grapes for wine, and the highly sought-after delicacy truffles all grow abundantly.  The region is spotted with 56 national parks, including Gran Paradiso, home to ibex, eagles, and chamois, in addition to rare flowers.  Italians and foreigners alike enjoy visiting the Piedmont Lake District and traveling the long-distance trail Grande Traversata delle Alpi, which links many remote, picturesque mountain valleys, each one home to their own treasures and secret villages.

Because of its proximity to France and Switzerland, which are both accessible through tunnels and mountain passes, the cuisine in Piedmont varies greatly from the rest of Italy.  Expect heavy dishes like risotto and fondue and rich, cream-based sauces laden with butter instead of olive oil.  Food is so revered in Piedmont that it became the seat of Italy’s Slow Food movement.  And it is rightfully revered—Piedmont, especially in the Langhe region, produces over 10 DOCG wines, including the bold red wines Barolo and Barbaresco.  And with truffle season upon us, the Langhe is also bustling to find those earthy gastronomic treasures.

No matter the season, there’s always plenty to do at the foot of the mountains in Piedmont.  How do you like to spend your time there?