Italy from the Inside

Many Italian churches are in fact historical monuments

Church in Venice- Italy from the Inside

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

According to UNESCO, more than half of the world’s historical and artistic heritage can be found in Italy. In Italy art is everywhere: in small towns, castles, villas, cathedrals and of course museums and churches. Many Italian churches can indeed be considered historical monuments and, because of that, they are expensive to maintain and to restore. Nowadays more and more churches require the payment of a ticket to visit them. Investigate about which churches fall into this category, since you may be able to buy the tickets online beforehand and skip the, sometimes long, line.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 7 “Churches and Museums” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”}

The Italian restaurants and the art of eating. Slowly.

Italian restaurant- Italy from the Inside

Photo by Francesca Tosolini

Italians enjoy their meals in a very relaxed way, with no rush at all. As a result, the waiter will come to you only if you call him, because he/she considers it impolite to “interrupt” your meal (pasto) every few minutes to check on your status. When you are ready to go, you must ask for the check (conto), as it is never assumed by the waiter when your lunch or dinner is over. Also, always have some cash with you, because some restaurants don’t take credit cards.

{This is an excerpt from chapter 3 “Italian cuisine” of the eBook “Italy from the Inside. A native Italian reveals the secrets of traveling in Italy”}

Italian highways

Italian highway

Italian highways are certainly a place where your adrenaline level increases considerably. Italians like high speed and hate slow cars blocking their way. They use horns and flashing headlights to show their “driver’s feelings” in a very explicit way. Also, Italian highways are not free. If you plan to rent a car and drive around, be prepared to budget some expenses for highway tolls.

{This is an excerpt from the eBook “Italy from the Inside: the definitive survival guide for travelers”}