Italy elates, inspires, and moves like no other, as it is home to many of the world’s greatest works of art, architecture, and gastronomy. Only a few places in the world are art and life so seamlessly intertwined. This is the home of Prada, Massimo Bottura, and Renzo Piano, as well as Dante, Titian, and Verdi. From neatly tied ties and smooth espressos to the flirty grins of stunning strangers, beauty, elegance, and flair pervade every facet of daily life.
The foundation of Italian psychology is a commitment to live life well, and as simple as it may appear, an appreciation for the better things drives that commitment. So take it easy, dress up, and enjoy a little vida all’italiana (life, Italian style). Italy’s food-obsessed culture makes it feel more like a decadently stuffed Christmas stocking than a boot. Every taste may seem like a discovery, from delicate tagliatelle al ragù (pasta ribbons in a meat-based sauce) to velvety cannoli (crisp pastry shells filled with creamy ricotta).
Superb components and well-calibrated know-how are the key. While the culinary essence of Italy prefers simplicity, it is also inventive and creative. From San Pellegrino’s ‘World’s Best 50’ hotspots to Michelin-starred musts, expect some of the world’s best fine-dining venues. Prepare to loosen your belt whether you’re on a degustation trip in Modena, truffle hunting in Piedmont, or swilling strong reds in the Valpolicella wine area.
Beyond its galleries, wardrobes, and dining rooms, Italy’s strengths are numerous. The nation is one of nature’s masterpieces, with a natural variety that few other countries can equal. From the frigid Alps and glacial lakes in the north to the fiery craters and turquoise grottoes in the south, this is a place where you can do as well as see. You may be ripping down the snowy slopes of Courmayeur one day and galloping over the Maremma marshes the next, or diving in coral-studded Campanian seas the next. That’s not terrible for a country the size of Arizona.
This European powerhouse aches under the weight of its cultural cachet: you’ll be standing in the sight of Michelangelo’s David and Sistine Chapel murals, Botticelli’s Birth of Venus and Primavera, and da Vinci’s The Last Supper here. Italy, in fact, has the most Unesco World Heritage cultural sites of any country on the planet. Should you follow in the footsteps of the ancient Romans at Pompeii, marvel at Ravenna’s gleaming Byzantine treasures, or gasp in awe at Giotto’s revolutionary frescoes in Padua? It’s an enthralling as well as a befuddling cultural issue.