Italy Travel

Excavations underway in the Piazza San Giovanni in Laterano in Rome

Ruins of Centuries-Old Palace That Housed Dozens of Popes Discovered in Rome

Before the papacy relocated in the 1300s, first to Avignon and then to the Vatican, pontiffs lived at the Lateran Palace

Locals and tourists gather in Venice on July 20, 2024.

Is Venice's Controversial Entry Fee Working?

Officials introduced the day-tripper fee to fight overtourism in the historic city, but critics aren't convinced it's helping

Located in southern Italy, Matera is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Parkour Group Damages Building in the Historic Italian City of Matera

Team Phat posted a video showing one of its members breaking a stone protruding from a wall

Archaeologists continue to excavate Herculaneum, a seaside resort town devastated by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 C.E.

An Ancient Beach Buried by Mount Vesuvius' Eruption Is Now Open to the Public

In the seaside resort town of Herculaneum, the beach is the final resting place of more than 330 residents who tried to flee

Pasquino is the most famous of Rome's six talking statues.

Rome's Talking Statues Have Served as Sites of Dissent for Centuries

Beginning in the Renaissance, locals affixed verses protesting various societal ills to six sculptures scattered across the Italian city

This charcoal sketch of gladiators was drawn from memory, not imagination, researchers say.

The Children of Pompeii Saw Gladiators Fight to the Death—and They Drew Graffiti About It

Researchers recently discovered bloodshed-themed stick-figure sketches in a cluster of houses in the doomed ancient city

On April 25, protesters demonstrate against Venice's new day-tripper tax.

Venice's First-of-Its-Kind 'Day-Tripper Tax' Sparks Outrage

Protestors say the entry fee is an ineffective solution to the city’s overtourism challenges

Ada "Bricktop" Smith's clubs attracted high-profile visitors, including Cole Porter, the future Edward VIII and Elizabeth Taylor.

At Her Globe-Spanning Nightclubs, This Black Entertainer Hosted a 'Who’s Who' of the 20th Century

Ada "Bricktop" Smith, who operated venues in Rome, Paris and Mexico City, brushed shoulders with the likes of Langston Hughes, Salvador Dalí and Gertrude Stein

Located nearly 20 feet underground, this unfinished bunker is protected by 13-foot-thick concrete walls.

You Can Now Visit Mussolini's Underground Bunker in Rome

The dictator constructed the shelters below his family's residence after Italy entered World War II

The island's goat population used to be around 100, but it recently ballooned to 600.

This Tiny Italian Island Is Giving Away Goats to Anyone Who Can Catch Them

An estimated 600 of the hoofed intruders are wreaking havoc on the two-square-mile island of Alicudi

Researchers have pieced together a 26-foot-tall statue of Atlas originally built some 2,500 years ago.

A Towering Statue of Atlas Emerges From the Ruins of Sicily's Ancient Temple of Zeus

In the fifth century B.C.E., 38 looming sculptures of the Titan stood guard at the structure

In 18th-century Venice, Carnival masks created a temporary feeling of equality between the ruling class and the lower classes.

A Brief History of How Carnival Is Celebrated Around the World

Here’s how Venice, Rio de Janeiro, Trinidad and Tobago, New Orleans, and Quebec City mark the pre-Lenten season

The Two Towers in Bologna, Italy, on December 14, 2023

Donations Help Save Bologna's 12th-Century Leaning Tower

Officials recently shut down the area around the increasingly delicate structure

Italian opera singing is now among the hundreds of cultural practices officially recognized by UNESCO.

Italian Opera Singing Is Now Protected by the U.N.

UNESCO announced 55 new additions to its list of Intangible Cultural Heritage

Banksy's Migrant Child has endured damage from the elements since it appeared in 2019. 

Why Restoring a Banksy Mural in Venice Is So Controversial

Critics argue that the street artist may have intended for the work to deteriorate over time

A few small structures and trees dot the Lessinia Plateau, where sunlight casts shadows that accentuate the hilly terrain.

These 15 Photos Capture the Beauty of Italy

Scenes from the Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest prove there’s always more to love about the bel paese

Venice is struggling to manage an overwhelming number of visitors.

Venice Will Start Charging an Entry Fee Next Year

By charging daytrippers to visit on peak travel days, the city hopes to combat overtourism

Pienza's historic city center, which Pope Pius II redesigned in the 15th century, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This Italian Town Silenced a Historic Bell That Kept Tourists Awake. Now, Locals Can't Sleep

The bell battle in Pienza, located in Tuscany, is just the latest example of Italy's tourism troubles

The new Orient Express La Dolce Vita train, which is set to launch next year, is one part of Italy's new train tourism strategy.

Grappling With Climate Change and Overtourism, Italy Is Betting Big on Train Travel

New rail routes will help throngs of tourists get around the country in a sustainable way

An aerial view of the city's canal system taken in 2012

UNESCO Recommends Adding Venice to List of World Heritage in Danger

Throngs of tourists and rising water levels are threatening to overwhelm the historic city

Page 1 of 6