ItalyUpdate

For over three hundred years, the palace overlooking Lake Albano in the little hillside town of Castelgandolfo has been the summer refuge of the Popes. Pope Francis, however, shows little inclination to take an August break and the 55 hectare estate has lain virtually empty since he ascended the throne of Peter.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has added the Zibibbo grape of Pantelleria Island to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list. The inclusion is a first for Italy as to date no other method of agricultural cultivation has received the prestigious recognition.

A wall of magical images, a chorus chanting rituals of the remote past and a soon-to-be-open cafeteria on a panoramic terrace are only some of the innovations introduced to stimulate the imagination and enhance the experience of visitors to the Museo Nazionale Romano inside the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian.

The museum, near Rome's Termini station, occupies a portion of the original 13 hectares of the Baths, built by the Emperor Diocletian between 298 and 306 AD.

The unexpected snowfalls this winter transformed many of the Italy's most beautiful gardens into authentic winter wonderlands, even in areas where snow is a rare event.

The historic Magazzini del Sale (Salt Ware Houses) in Siena (Tuscany) are hosting the 4^th edition of contemporary art until the end of January 2016.  The exhibition A Cavallo dell'Anno which translates as meaning having one foot in the past and the other in the future, concentrates on forerunners of modern art,

Abruzzo and its mountains were virtually unknown as a tourist destination until the early part of last century, when they began to be discovered thanks to the Italian Touring Club (TCI). An exhibition at L'Aquila, entitled Italiani Viaggiatori alla Scoperta dell'Abruzzo (Italian Travellers Discover Abruzzo) sets out to illustrate the important role played by the TCI, which has just celebrated its 120^th anniversary.

Cerveteri, the town north of Rome that was once an important Etruscan settlement, is enjoying a boom in visitors. The crowds have been drawn in thousands over the Christmas holidays to see the famous Crater of Euphonios, a 5^th century BC Greek masterpiece, returned to its rightful home.

The glasses raised to salute the New Year were very likely filled with prosecco, which has now overtaken champagne in popularity, according to the latest wine export figures. During the past year, 307 million bottles of prosecco were sold, compared with the 304 million bottles of French champagne.

Despite the recession, 2015 came in with its usual bang. Strangers hugged and embraced in the piazzas, restaurants and homes. Tables groaned once more with food, with little time to recover from the Christmas binge.

 WITH EVERY GOOD WISH FOR

 A SERENE CHRISTMAS

AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

From Italyupdate