City notes, stories from home.

The Kolors at Rocca Maggiore: Assisi Summer Festival, 16-18 July 2026

Three evenings, three artists, one location that has no equal. From 16 to 18 July 2026, the Rocca Maggiore in Assisi becomes the most spectacular stage of the Umbrian summer for the fourth edition of Assisi Summer Festival, and the closing night brings one of Italy’s most popular acts to the city: The Kolors….

Rome rediscovers its past: the Via Botteghe Oscure archaeological area reopens

Beneath the palaces of central Rome, hidden for decades under the cellars of Via Celsa, stands a Roman temple that no one could see. Until now. Thanks to the PNRR – Caput Mundi programme, the archaeological area of Via Botteghe Oscure has reopened to the public after years of closure, a site of extraordinary…

Helidon Xhixha in Assisi: six mirror sculptures across the city’s squares

From 24 June to 31 August 2026, the historic centre of Assisi becomes an open-air gallery. Helidon Xhixha, one of the most celebrated names in contemporary international sculpture, brings “Un Fiat…Dialoghi di Luce” to the city: six monumental works in mirror-polished stainless steel that enter into dialogue with medieval architecture, the Umbrian landscape and Franciscan…

Assisi Summer 2026: art, music and tradition in the year of St Francis

There are years when Assisi is more than a place, it becomes an event in itself. 2026 marks the eighth centenary of St Francis’s death, and the city is celebrating with a summer season unlike any other: contemporary art, medieval festivals, open-air concerts at the Rocca Maggiore, hikes on Mount Subasio and live music…

Underground Rome: the Circus Maximus opens its secrets thanks to PNRR

Beneath the feet of those strolling between the Palatine and Aventine hills lies a world Rome has kept secret for centuries. Thanks to the PNRR Caput Mundi programme, that world is finally accessible: Rome’s most extraordinary archaeological sites are opening their doors with free guided tours, and the results are breathtaking. The Circus Maximus you’ve…

Julia 2.5: Rome’s new AI assistant that makes city life easier for visitors

Rome has always had something overwhelming about it for first-time visitors. Not because it’s hard to understand, quite the opposite, it’s one of the most legible cities in the world, but because it’s dense: every alley hides something, every service has its own logic, every administrative process requires a little navigation. Since yesterday,…

The Mille Miglia returns to Assisi: on June 12 vintage cars parade through the city of Saint Francis

On June 12, 2026, the 1000 Miglia vintage car parade will cross Piazza del Comune in Assisi. A unique experience to enjoy from the town itself, in the year of the 800th anniversary of Saint Francis.

Dawn at Jesolo: what happens on the beach before 8am (and why it’s worth setting an alarm)

There is a version of Jesolo that only exists before eight in the morning: an open beach, golden light, fishermen coming back in. One alarm, a walk, ninety minutes to bring home the best memory of the week.

Rome Turns Pink on 31 May: A Practical Guide to the 2026 Giro d’Italia Grande Arrivo

On Sunday 31 May, Rome closes the Giro d’Italia for the fourth year in a row. Route EUR-Ostia-Circo Massimo, eight laps under the Colosseum, practical times, the best free spots to watch the peloton pass, and the morning Family Ride.

Bosco di San Francesco: the other half of Assisi few visitors ever see

Everyone comes to Assisi for the Basilica. Few know that just below it lies an unspoiled stretch of Umbrian landscape that’s every bit as worth your time as Giotto’s frescoed walls. Bosco di San Francesco is a 64-hectare nature reserve managed by the FAI, Italy’s National Trust, restored in 2008 from what was,…

A Rare Caravaggio in Rome: the Portrait of Maffeo Barberini on Free Display until 21 June

For a few weeks, in the heart of Rome, you can see up close a painting that until recently almost no one had been able to admire. It is the Portrait of Monsignor Maffeo Barberini, one of the extremely rare portraits to have come from Caravaggio’s brush, recently acquired by the Italian State for thirty…

MasterChef in Assisi: TV Cooking Comes to Piazza Chiesa Nuova

On Tuesday morning, those who made their way up to Assisi were met with an unusual scene: two white gazebos erected in the small square of Chiesa Nuova, counters bearing the red-and-blue logo, lights, a crew in full swing, and the piazza closed to traffic. The Council’s notice spoke vaguely of “television filming”, but…

Behind the Scenes: the Little Concierge That Lives in Your Phone

It is 23:47 on a Tuesday in May. One of our guests, who has just arrived in Rome on a delayed flight, is standing at the front door of the apartment and cannot remember the entry code. She had received it days earlier by email, but that email is somewhere in an inbox that refuses…

What to Do in Jesolo in Summer 2026: the Complete Guide

Fifteen kilometres of golden sand, a seafront promenade that becomes a pedestrian zone at sunset, some of Italy’s largest amusement parks, and Venice forty minutes away by ferry. Jesolo is not a discovery, it is a certainty that finds a way to surprise returning visitors every summer. This guide brings together everything you need…

Pistoletto Meets Saint Francis: “Franciscus” at Rocca Maggiore

3-Day Rome Itinerary Near the Vatican: What to Do When It Rains in September

Day 1: Discovering the Vatican and Rome’s Wonders Begin your itinerary with a visit to the Vatican . We recommend arriving early to avoid the crowds. Don’t miss the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel , where you can admire the masterpieces of Michelangelo. If the weather isn’t on your side, don’t worry: the indoor…

Budget Rome: Where to Eat Near the Vatican Without Compromising on Taste

Visiting Rome on a budget doesn’t mean ending up in the usual fast-food chains. In fact, just a short walk from the Vatican there are trattorias and osterie serving authentic Roman dishes at prices that are still reasonable. Here are 4 unmissable addresses: from the rustic osteria where there’s no printed menu, to the creative…

Restoration of the Quattro Cancelli Sculptures: Rediscovering History

The Vatican Museums and the Quattro Cancelli Sculptures The Vatican Museums, custodians of countless works of art, recently completed a restoration project on a group of fourteen sculptures and sarcophagi known as the “quattro cancelli” (four gates). This corpus of statues stands in the Atrium of the Four Gates and represents an important record of…

In Umbria You Cry Three Times…

Anyone who has been to Umbria knows it well: here you cry three times. The first time, when you arrive and are swept away by the beauty of the landscapes, the medieval villages and that authentic stillness that feels as though it comes from another era. The second time, when it is time to leave:…

Italian Open Tennis: Foro Italico is Rome’s Living Room in May

In Rome, May means one thing: the Internazionali. For two weeks, the Foro Italico, the sports complex built by Mussolini, with sixty marble athlete statues lining the banks of the Tiber, becomes something that New York, Paris and London can only dream of. Stadio Pietrangeli Court number two is considered the most beautiful…

Calendimaggio: When Assisi Steps Back into the Middle Ages

There is a moment when Assisi stops being the city of Saint Francis and becomes something else entirely. It happens every year on the first Thursday after 1 May, when the bells call everyone to the “Cerimonia delle Corti” and for three days history rewinds. The two Parti On one side the Parte de Sopra,…