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Italy Travel
Life in Italy
Val’s tips
Events
About me
Let’s collaborate!

What to see on Procida island

Puglia: things to do in Salento in 4 days

Caltagirone, the ceramic capital of Sicily

Liguria beyond the usual routes

Bobbio, a town wrapped in legend and history

Pavia, a perfect day trip from Milan

A week in Puglia

5 reasons to visit Bergamo

Calabria: 5 days along the Tyrrhenian coast

The ultimate coast to coast adventure in Basilicata

Tag Archives: Vico d’Elsa

Villa San Michele: feeling at home in Tuscany

Villa San Michele: feeling at home in Tuscany

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4 April 2018

During a recent trip to Pisa I made a little detour to explore Certaldo and spent the night in a beautiful bed & breakfast amidst the Tuscan coun...

Ciao! I'm Val, an Italian blogger with a huge passion for my country, its culture and traditions. My Italian Diaries is the online space where I share itineraries, activities and off-the-beaten path places to help you experience the best of Italy like a local!

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Bagno di Romagna

Bagnoli del Trigno

Basilica of St Francis

Battle of the Oranges

Bed & Breakfast

Bussana Vecchia

Camerata Cornello

Cantina Scuropasso

Capitoline Museums

Caprese Micheangelo

Cassinetta di Lugagnano

Castel del Monte

Castell'Arquato

Castelluccio di Norcia

Castelnuovo al Volturno

Castrocaro Terme

Chianciano Terme

Civitacampomarano

Colossale Fagiolata

Conca dei Marini

Conti Vistarino

Cornello dei Tasso

day trips from Milan

Desenzano del Garda

Egyptian Museum

Espresso Martini

Fenestrelle Fortress

Forte di Fenestrelle

Friuli Venezia Giulia

Italian cocktails

Italian Riviera

Italian spirits

Italian traditions

Italian Trans-Siberian

Masone Labyrinth

Mobile photography

Negroni Sbagliato

Oltrepò Pavese

once in a lifetime

Piazza Armerina

PIetrabbondante

Pieve Santo Stefano

Polignano a Mare

Quirinal Palace

Reggia di Colorno

Reggia di Venaria

Reggio Calabria

Rocca d' Giorgi

Rocchetta Nervina

Romagna Toscana

Royal Palace of Caserta

Royal Villa of Monza

Sacro Monte di Varese

Sacromonte di Varese

Saint Michael's Abbey

Sale San Giovanni

San Colombano al Lambro

San Francesco del Deserto

San Pellegrino Terme

Santa Marinella

Savignano Irpino

Shabby Sheep Design

Toscolano Maderno

Trabocchi coast

Trajan's Market

Trentino Alto Adige

Valdichiana Senese

Vatican Museums

Venice Civic Museums

Vietri sul Mare

Villa Bernasconi

Villa del Balbianello

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"Flowers always make people better, happier, and m

"Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul" - Luther Burbank⁣
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📸: the old town of Castell'Arquato, about an hour's drive north of Parma
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#castellarquato #exploreitaly #italylovers #igersemiliaromagna #emiliaromagna
#lifeinitaly ⁣#italianviews
#italia_shotz #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #map_of_italy #bellaitalia #viaggiareinitalia #meraviglieditalia #italy_photolovers #italytravel #italyvacations #italytour #nature_captures #italianescape #italia365 #italia_cartoline #italytips #europetravels #italiadascoprire #italyisalwaysagoodidea #europevacations #mylifeinitaly #myitaliandiaries

[Genoa]⁣ ⁣ Here’s the Ligurian capital as se

[Genoa]⁣
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Here’s the Ligurian capital as seen in all its beauty from Spianata Castelletto, the fabulous balcony over the city’s historic center.
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I really like Genoa because - to quote good, old Charles Dickens - “there seems to be always something to find out in it. There are the most extraordinary alleys and by-ways to walk about in” ❤️⁣ ⁣
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#visitgenova #visitgenoa
#genoaItaly #exploreitaly #genovamorethanthis ⁣#italyviews #italia_cartoline #italia365 #italytravel #italytrip #map_of_italy #italyvacations #lifeinitaly #italy_photolovers #italianplaces #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #italytips #italytour #italylovers #panoramicviews #italia_shotz #europevacations #europetravels #meraviglieditalia #italyisalwaysagoodidea
#italianlandscape ⁣#italylovers #whereinitaly #myitaliandiaries

Night falling over Pavia - pure magic ❤️⁣
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#visitpavia #inlombardia #paviacity #igerslombardia #italygram #exploreitaly #italyviews #italylovers #whereinitaly #bridges #italytrip #italia365 #italia_cartoline #italytips #italy_photolovers #italianplaces #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #lifeinitaly #italyvacations #italytour #map_of_italy #italia_shotz #italianadventure #italianescape #paviacentro #fotopavia #myitaliandiaries

[Lake Como]⁣ ⁣ “Everything I was I carry wit

[Lake Como]⁣
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“Everything I was I carry with me, everything I will be lies waiting on the road ahead” - Ma Jian⁣
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📸: the beautiful path lined with giant plane trees inside the park of Villa Melzi in Bellagio, one of my favorite lakeside walks in Lake Como.
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⁣ #lakecomoitaly #lakecomo #bellagiolakecomo #inlombardia
#comolae #lagodicomo
#italianlakes #italianviews #italytips #italia365 #through_italy #viaggiareinitalia #map_of_italy #bestofitaly #best_italiansites #lifeinitaly #italianescape #ladolcevita #italylovers #whereinitaly #lakesideview #meraviglieditalia #italy_photolovers #italytravel #italyvacations #italytour #nature_captures #bellaitalia #italyisalwaysagoodidea #myitaliandiaries

[Pisa]⁣ ⁣ Are you one of those who think of Pi

[Pisa]⁣
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Are you one of those who think of Pisa just as a quick detour to see the Leaning Tower? ⁣
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I must confess that I thought the same thing for a loooong time, but when I finally decided to spend an entire day exploring the city, my perception totally changed. ⁣
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Pisa is a super interesting city with lots of beautiful things to see and some of the most enchanting views over the Arno river 😍⁣
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Here are some of my favorite:⁣
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📌 searching for the other two leaning towers of Pisa - yep, there are more! ⁣
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📌 strolling around the “lungarni” (as the banks of the Arno river are called) with a gelato in hand, admiring all the beautiful multi-colored palaces⁣
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📌 stumbling upon Piazza delle Vettovaglie, a really cute arched square home to a food market and some interesting trattorias ⁣
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📌 sipping coffee in one of the elegant cafés of Borgo Stretto, a lovely pedestrianized street right in the city centre (look out for the plaque above Caffè Settimelli indicating the house where Galileo was born)⁣
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📸: view of Pisa's Cathedral from a tiny window at the top of the Baptistery of St. John (the largest in Italy and the one where Galileo Galilei was baptized) ⁣
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#pisaitaly #visitpisa
#pisatower ⁣#visittuscany
#tuscanygram #tuscanylovers #exploreitaly #italylovers #italia365 #italia_cartoline #italytips #italy_photolovers #italianplaces #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #through_italy #map_of_italy #italianviews #meraviglieditalia #mylifeinitaly #italianviews #italyvacations #italytour #map_of_italy #italytrip #europevacations #europetravels #europe_ig #italianescape #myitaliandiaries

[Things I liked about Turin]⁣ ⁣ Here are some

[Things I liked about Turin]⁣
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Here are some of the things I particularly liked about Piedmont’s capital:⁣
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✔️ stumbling upon the most romantic bench while wandering through the Valentino Park⁣
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✔️ spending almost an hour browsing the Papyrus of Iuefankh at the Egyptian Museum, the longest and most complete “Book of the Dead” in the world explaining the journey through the afterlife - so fascinating! ⁣
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✔️ stepping into the town’s cathedral and giggling at the sight of ATMs to make donations by credit card (I’ve never seen anything like this before!)⁣
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✔️ reliving a key moment in Italy’s history at the National Museum of Italian Risorgimento⁣
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✔️ riding the glass elevator to the top of the Mole Antonelliana while passing through the fabulous cinema museum⁣
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✔️ bar-hopping from one historic café to the other while learning interesting facts about the city and its illustrious inhabitants⁣ ✔️ channeling my inner Princess Belle as I climbed up the sumptuous staircase of the Royal Palace
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✔️ eating vitello tonnato and cri-cri every day (I’m addicted to them!)⁣
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By the way, l’ve finally published a 4-day itinerary in Turin based on my recent trip 👉 click the link in bio and save it for when the right time comes! ⁣
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📸: view of Turin from Monte dei Cappuccini⁣ #visititaly #visitturin #torinotales #lamiatorino #lifeinitaly #italyvacations #italytour #map_of_italy #exploreitaly #italylovers #italianplaces #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #italytips #italy_photolovers #italia365 #italia_cartoline #italianviews #through_italy #direzioneitalia #viaggiareinitalia #italyisalwaysagoodidea #igerstorino #igerspiemonte #meraviglieditalia #europevacations #europetravels #europe_ig #myitaliandiaries

[6+1 things about me⁣] ⁣ I’ve never done th

[6+1 things about me⁣]
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I’ve never done this before here on Instagram and thought it would be fun to share some random fun facts about me. Ready? ⁣
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📌 I love music, but after a disastrous attempt at learning how to play the clarinet at the age of 8 (I’m still wondering why…), I decided to stick to the listening part only⁣
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📌 I have the words Explore.Dream.Discover. tattooed on my right ribs⁣
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📌 My guilty pleasures are popcorn, olives, peach juice and diet coke with ice and lemon - very rock’n’roll, I know..
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📌 I’m a big fan of old black & white movies (especially those with Italian actor Alberto Sordi) and know pretty much all the lines of the Rocky saga by heart (he's such a motivator, right?!)
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📌 I lived in London and Dublin and had this dream (well, still have…) of moving into a cottage in Ireland - @all_about_rosalilla, that's why I love your account so much! ⁣
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📌 My favorite place in Italy is…nope sorry, there are just too many, I can’t pick only one! Let's just say that most are located south and have a sea element!
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➡️ Ok, now it’s your turn. What’s one interesting fact about you? ⁣
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Look forward to reading you in the comments 😊
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PS The face mask I’m wearing in the picture was #giftedby @shabbysheepdesign as testament to my love for Spritz (my favorite is with Campari, one more fun fact). They have a variety of Italy-themed masks and currently offer 10% off first orders, if you’re interested I’ve added a link in bio⁣ #funfacts #mylifeinitaly
#italians ⁣#italylovers
#facemaskgoals #facemaskstyle #italianstyle🇮🇹 #traintravel #windowseat #italytravel #italytrip #italianescape #lifeinitaly #lifeincolors #italytour #spritztime #italygram #iloveitaly #italiandream #italytips #italiandays #postcardfromitaly #myitaliandiaries

[Genoa]⁣ ⁣ This is the secret garden of Palazz

[Genoa]⁣
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This is the secret garden of Palazzo Nicolosio Lomellino, one of the magnificent buildings lining Genoa’s via Garibaldi.⁣
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The palace was erected in the 16th century for a wealthy local family and later enlisted in the "Rolls of public housing", a unique model of public hospitality that used these noble palaces to provide accommodation for diplomats and aristocratic visitors, since Genoa didn’t have a royal palace of its own.⁣
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Today such palaces are a UNESCO World Heritage and the city of Genoa celebrates them twice a year during the “Rolli days”, with a rich programme of initiatives and events.⁣
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PS: These grandiose palaces were quite a novelty in the 16th century and totally impressed Flemish artist Rubens, who even published a collection of drawings titled “Genoa Palaces” upon returning from his trip to the Ligurian capital!⁣
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Pretty cool, right? 😃⁣
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#visitgenoa #genoaitaly
#genovamorethanthis ⁣#igersliguria #igersgenova
#exploreitaly #italylovers #lifeinitaly #italia_shotz #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #lifeinitaly #italyvacations #italytour #map_of_italy #italianviews #europevacations #eurotrips #postcardfromitaly #italia_cartoline #italia365 #meraviglieditalia #italytips #italyisalwaysagoodidea #beautifulgardens #italianescape #italiangardens #italytrip #myitaliandiaries

[Lake Como]⁣ ⁣ What’s not to love about this

[Lake Como]⁣
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What’s not to love about this view? 😍⁣
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This is the majestic holm oak that dominates one of the lakeside terraces of Villa Balbianello in Lake Como.⁣
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Its unique shape allowed Italian explorer Guido Monzino, the villa’s last owner, to admire the lake and the mountains from his desk - but I can only imagine the acrobatics of the gardeners when this big guy needs its periodic pruning!⁣
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You can reach the villa by water taxi, or by walk like I did. Now, here’s a tip: there are two paths leading to the Villa. The one on the left is the shortest and easiest, while the other on the right, well… do it only if you like a good hike! ⁣
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Guess which one I chose? Yep, the right one of course! Attracted by the idea of walking amid the lush vegetation, I ended up spending over 40 minutes in the woods, mostly uphill, all sweaty and stopping every five minutes with the excuse of admiring the landscape (when all I needed in reality was some oxygen) 🥵⁣
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Not the most glamorous entrance onto a place that used to welcome its guests with the intriguing motto “Fay ce que voudras” (“Do what you want”) 😁⁣
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#villadelbalbianello #visitlakecomo #lakecomoitaly #lakecomovillas #italianlakes
#exploreitaly #italianviews ⁣#meraviglieditalia #italytips #italy_photolovers #italianplaces #best_italiansites #bestofitaly #lifeinitaly #perfect_italia #italia365 #italia_cartoline #map_of_italy #eurotrips
#europevacations #bestintravel #inlombardia #igerslombardia #igerscomo #awesomeitaly #italytrip #italianvilla #mylifeinitaly #italyisalwaysagoodidea #myitaliandiaries

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My Italian Diaries is the place where I share with you stories, photos and useful tips from my travels around Italy. I hope you will enjoy reading it and that my stories will inspire you to organize your next trip to my beautiful country.

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