Unfamiliar territory even to many Italians, this multilingual border town and seaport proves both distinctive and distinguished.

Rising into the blue, the high-altitude slopes, après ski lodges and hot springs of alta Valtellina offer a life above the clouds.

As night falls in Milan, the locals take to the bars. By luring them in with cocktails of myriad colors and the promise of gratis buffets, the city’s barrooms have created a steadfast social custom. A tour inside these pre-dinner hot spots finds eight not to miss.

With sweeping mountains and spotless beaches, this Italian island makes a perfect summer getaway. 

Piedmont’s stately capital has been derided as the “Detroit of Italy” because of its industrial roots and automotive manufacturers. Yet JOHN MARIANI discovers a modern, sophisticated and elegant city hiding in plain sight, with graceful arcades, grand piazzas, and, best of all, distinguished cuisine.

Photos by John Anthony Rizzo

The tourists gone, photographers Judith Goodman and Frank Van Riper discover a less-traveled Venice and capture its beauty, stillness, and alluring melancholia with their prose and images.

Amid the towering Dolomites, Italy’s northernmost region blends the best from its Austrian and Italian neighbors into a sophisticated culture that’s simultaneously rooted in its rustic surroundings. This nuance is evident in Alto Adige’s food scene, where local chefs still harvest the area’s wild herbs, alpine cheeses and game to create a unique style of contemporary cuisine.

This Renaissance treasure tucked into northern Emilia-Romagna packs plenty of history, art and local food specialties for a short sojourn.

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A new day has dawned for Italian beer, as a unique class of artisans drastically changes the landscape of the country’s brews.

Chef and author Faith Willinger moved to Florence more than 25 years ago. Since then she has been traveling back-roads of Italy in seach of artisans making the best food, wine, and goods. She writes about these people and their products. Among her cookbooks is the best selling guidebook Eating in Italy, the cookbook Red, White, and Greens, and the recipe and travel compilation, Adventures of An Italian Food Lover

Read: I Love Campania, Part 1