As commonly known, Milan is considered the capital of Italian fashion and style and is one of the most important cities – fashionably speaking – with Paris, New York and London.

Nowadays, Italian fashion brands are a symbol of style and elegance around the world, that’s why the many tourists who come every year in Milan don’t want to go back home without some branded clothing bought directly in the capital of Italian fashion.

Every year, the so-called “fashion quadrilateral” (a group of four streets – Via Montenapoleone, Via della Spiga, Via Manzoni and Corso Venezia – where the most fashionable and high-class fashion stores are placed) hosts the Milan Fashion Week and has become the symbol, recognized all

From last March, 17th – a very important date for Italy – at Reggia di Venaria (province of Turin) it is possible to marvel at sculptural and artistic treasures gathered for the exhibition La bella Italia. Arte e identità delle città capitali (The beautiful Italy. Art and identity of Italian capital Cities).

Until September, 11th 2011, the greatest masters of Italian art with over 350 works which go form antiquity to the Italian Unity will be put on display in the wonderful scenarios of Citroniera and Scuderia Grande of Filippo Juvarra of the Reggia di Venaria.

The organization of such an exhibition was made by Luca Ronconi, Margherita Palli e Valentina Dellavia and with A.J. Weissbard (Lighting Design), in collaboration with Massimo Venegoni (Studio Dedalo).

An itinerary of 350 works coming from museums of Italy, all over the world and private collections, which goes from antiquity until 1861 – the year of Italian Unity – passing through the main “cultural capitals” before Unity: Turin, Florence, Rome, Milan, Venice, Genoa, Bologna, Parma, Modena, Naples and Palermo.

So, different traditions and cultures confront each other together with those artists who in the past represented them through their talent and natural genius: Giotto, Beato Angelico, Donatello, Botticelli, Leonardo, Raffaello, Michelangelo, Correggio, Bronzino, Tiziano, Veronese, Rubens, Tiepolo, Canova, Hayez, Parmigianino, Velazquez, Bernini and many others.

The exhibition portrays the various “Italies” that were called upon by history to turn into one. Italy is a country of “differences” and this must be seen as a further resource, an energy which join people.

Therefore, each capital has been represented by art works, documents and objects which are emblems able to tell and retrace the history of such different realities.

SECTIONS

The section dedicated to Rome presents about 50 works portraying the myths of archaic Rome, symbolized in the famous painting by Rubens “Romulus and Remus” and , to the protagonists of classical Rome with the portraits and the busts of Emperors and the reliefs of Trajan’s Column. In addition, works by Bernini and Antonio Canova.

Florence is the emblem of Italian language of Dante, Petrarch, Boccaccio, it is the collections of the Medici family, the enlightened court of Lorenzo the Magnificent, it is the cradle of Renaissance with Brunelleschi, Masaccio and Donatello, the new astronomic science of Galileo and much more…Just come and see with your eyes!

The section devoted to Turin hosts works showing the long historic happenings of the dynasty of Savoy, religion, policy and the image of power, great printing projects and collections, and majestic architecture that celebrated, with Juvarra’s genius, the passage from Dukedom to Kingdom in 1713. The last canvasses are by Bossoli and Tetar van Elven and portray Turin as the protagonist of Renaissance.

Genoa, beautiful and rich city, retraces its golden age as the financial and artistic capital through about 30 works, among which we find canvasses by Rubens, Strozzi, Van Dyck and Veronese.

Artistic testimony of the various cultures of Palermo, between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era, with reference to the studies carried out during the Risorgimento by the local historian Michele Amari and with precious local artifacts and imported Islamic items, and the 19th century painting by Giacomo Conti depicting the court of Frederick II. The section ends on the theme of the Sicilian Vespers in a painting by Michele Rapisardi.

Naples, in the vivid images of the common people in the works by Cerquozzi, Giordano, Traversi, and Miola.

Bologna, the second seat of the Papal State, presents here the remarkable painting tradition of the Courts along the Po river in the works by Correggio and Dossi, together with works by Guercino, Fontana, Bagnocavallo, Ludovico e Annibale Carracci.

From the area of the Emilia region, a specific section of the exhibition focuses on important works of art that exemplify the prestigious collections of the ancient duchies of Parma and Modena.

Milan, its great role in history and a widely recognized artistic, political, and economic center. Here we find an important selection of works illustrating the main events in Lombard history, highlighting its two-fold vocation as a center for intellectual as well as entrepreneurial fervor: Leonardo da Vinci and Donato Bramante; in addition, the world-famous famous Kiss by Francesco Hayez, symbol of the heroism of the Five Days that marked the start of the Risorgimento.

Finally, Venice is presented through the mirror image of its myth, celebrated in art across the centuries. The section represents the icons of the Republic, with portraits by Titian and the Lion of Saint Mark by Carpaccio, alternate with famous views of the city by Canaletto and nostalgic paintings by Guardi, and re-emerge in the hues of Tiepolo and the sculptures by Canova.

You can’t miss such a great exhibition, you have time until September, 11th 2011. Reggia di Venaria waits for you near Turin!

Further information about events in Turin are available on the guide About Turin.

The Milan event dedicated to design is just around the corner.

The International Furniture Exhibition and Fuori Salone come back in Milan and this year celebrate a special event: the 50th anniversary of Salone del Mobile di Milano.

Together with the International Furnishing Accessories Exhibition presents a wide and varied range of proposals showcasing 360° of domestic furnishing solutions both in terms of typology – from stand-alone pieces to coordinates – and in terms of style – from classical to design to modern – not to mention the trendsetters of tomorrow.

The city and its habitants, especially in hotels and restaurants, are preparing for welcoming guests from all over the world.

The side events scheduled are

Spring has just arrived, temperature is rising and Italy is celebrating its 150 years of Unity. What better way to celebrate than tasting delicious chocolate and having a walk along the feasting streets discovering places ever visited but few kilometers or maybe meters far from our hotel?

In Turin, CioccolaTò has come back: the  famous chocolate fair, this year a cut above. The city, center of celebrations for 150th of Italian Unity together with Rome, throws a double charge of events dedicated to Gods’ Food, a gourmand and funny occasion both for tourists and for the ones well-knowing Turin.

Turin XIX century cafés with a great historical importance played a first line role in the spread of chocolate all along the Region and the country and they contribute in building Made in Italy chocolate tradition. That’s the reason why the event will involve not only the historical center fo Turin, but also

We’re nearly arrived to the 150 years of Italian Unity eve and we’re all waiting curiously and quite impatiently for the celebrations in Italian cities to come.

Lots of exhibitions, events, lessons and many kinds of initiatives are already ongoing for a few days, in some cases also for months, dedicated to patriotism and to Risorgimento, a whole Italian riot movement against foreign oppressors and against devided Italian States for the unification of the country.

In January a list, available in full version in the celebrations official web site, has also been drawn with “Luoghi della memoria” (Memorial sites), monuments, squares and streets, often in state of neglect and forgetfulness, calling back the memory to the facts that led to the Unity. Amog them there are the Monumento alla Difesa in Venice, Parco del Gianicolo in Rome, Monumento a Garibaldi and Lungomare di Quarto dei Mille, Santa Croce in Firenze, Monumento alle Cinque Giornate in Milan, the Primo Parlamento Italiano in Palazzo Carignano , Turin,

About Milan now has a new look. Yes, the original, practical tourist guide to Milan is just a click away and now has a brand new style.

Besides being a rich source of information and useful tips about the history, culture, museums and monuments in Milan, it is also possible finding many information about events, markets and traditions of the city, telephone numbers and addresses of services such as restaurants, cafes, pubs, etc.

About Milan now presents the total restyling of the website’s section dedicated to Accommodation and Hotels in Milan in order to help users

On March, 2nd, Sterling and Francine Clark Institute Collection will arrive in Milan, at Palazzo Reale, from America, travelling all around the world.

Thanks to a special agreement between city government and the Institute, Milan will have the honor to be the first one to host 73 artworks by famous French artists strongly contributed to Realism, Impressionism and Post-Impressionism development in 19th century.

The show will be organized with 10 sections dividing it in as many thematic strands, from Light to Nature, from Travel to Society.

Studies on light and new reality reproducion of great masters as Monet, Renoir, Degas, Manet are clearly

In February, Milan turns into an international pole of attraction hosting once again two long-expected events that will surely fill up the city with famous faces and visitors from all over the world.

The Milan Tattoo Convention gathers every year hundreds of body artists coming from every continent for three days of events, meetings and interchanges involving all participants. For followers, professionals and novices it represents a unique occasion to glance at the worldwide view of body art, piercing and tattoo, and to attend several shows scheduled for the event.

The elected base is confirmed to be the Quark Hotel, due steps away from Milan old town center:

The new and original website “Outlets in Italy” is now online. As the name already indicates, the website offers many useful information and tips about all the outlets in Italy.

This website gives users the opportunity to search for their favorite Italian brands in Italy and discover where to find it in one of the thousands shopping centers and fashion malls placed throughout the country. It is also possible – and very easy indeed – to search by location, region, city, or category of products (accessories, clothing, home, sport, underwear, perfumery, shoes, kids).

In this way, it is possible to find the best outlet shopping centers in Italy in a very simple and quick way: at home, with your pc and with

After waiting for presents on Christmas Eve, Christmas lunches and dinners here it comes the end of year 2010 and everyone wants to start in a good mood, in a way or another.

Every year, lots of traditions are performed in Italy to ensure a happy and lucky new year: wearing red underwear, Ancient Romans’ symbol of blood and war used to exorcize fears, eating lentils, grapes or pomegranate to assure money as much as the number of grains you are able to eat, and, of course, shooting fireworks, originally coming from Ancient China where they used to shoot them to fear evil.

In recent years, besides private