Back when Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel, Galileo was discovering the moons of Jupiter and Leonardo da Vinci was dreaming of the future, kings and queens all over Europe fell in love with the soft, luscious and very expensive velvet produced in Venice.

Venetian velvet was the perfect fabric to show off their power and wealth. Its deep, rich colours were difficult to produce, and therefore even more precious — everyone knew how much you paid for it. Kings lined their crowns with it, insisted their kingly robes be woven from it, and upholstered their thrones with it.

Table manners in Italy evolved around the cultural idea that a shared meal is a vital social occasion. You’re meant to sit, linger and savour not only the food, but the company your with. Even in many restaurants, you’ll be treated like family.

Ordering gelato in Italy has a particular kind of romance to it. You’re on holiday, exploring a foreign city on a hot day, and you stop at one of the local gelaterias for a refreshing break. Fortunately, you’re already aware that Italian gelato has its own etiquette, traditions, and vocabulary. Here are a few tips to  help you order in comfort and confidence. 

To make the most out of the Italian restaurant experience, a little knowledge can go a long way. You don’t need to speak Italian, but knowing a bit about Italian dining etiquette can help. 

When you're looking for things to do in Venice, there's nothing quite like connecting to the great history that the city has to offer. Take a break from the hustle and bustle of The Floating City to pop into Caffè Florian, one of the world's oldest cafes. In continuous operation since 1720, it holds the honor of being the oldest cafe in Italy and the second oldest in the world.

Many of us enjoy a cup of coffee first thing in the morning or in the middle of our workday. We may not be aware of the cultural rituals that exist around our daily cup, but they’re there nonetheless. 

Italian cafe culture is a whole different animal, much older than the North American tradition, with its own unique set of quirks and particularities. 

So how should you order coffee in Italy? Let’s find out. 

Vacations can be the focus of so many different areas of interest, but there’s one thing that nobody can miss when they visit — remarkably delicious traditional Italian food. In Italy, vacations taste great. Culinary tours in Italy are one of the most popular reasons to visit, whether they’re cooking classes in Tuscany or sampling the best risotto in Milan. Let’s stop by a few different regions to find some of the very best traditional foods to sample during your visit.

Meatballs in Naples

Sitting right in the center of the city, just east of the Piazza di Spagna, the Borghese Gardens are the Roman equivalent of Central Park. This remarkable green space truly has something for everyone: art for the art lover, fun for the kids, all the trappings of a very romantic destination. Most of all, the vast green space provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of Rome’s busy streets.

Culinary history is full of twists and turns, a place where myth can become fact. The story of Italian gelato is no different, offering a fine line between history and legend. 

We know the earliest origins of gelato date back to the 11th century when Arab culture invented shrb, a sugar syrup used to make fruit sorbets. Often containing a mix of herbs, flowers, and spices, shrb became widespread in Sicily when the island was under Arab rule. At the time, more than 400 different kinds of flowers were incorporated into the local sorbets.

Whether you’re a history buff, an avid hiker or a beach aficionado, there’s no shortage of world-class experiences awaiting you on Italy’s Amalfi Coast. 

Get ready for colorful fishing villages, so quaint they look like they’ve been plucked straight out of a fairy tale. Ascend the coast’s majestic, rugged cliffs and gaze at the clear blue sea below. And follow paths that take you straight up through forests, vineyards and lemon groves to reach the medieval ruins of a monastery or castle.