ItalyUpdate

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  

The town of Ariccia, in the Castelli hills near Rome, has produced some of this season's most unusual Christmas trees. The three trees, erected in the main piazza, are entirely composed of recycled materials, such as plastic bottles, old tyres, tin cans and even an old propeller that serves as a cross on the top and whirls around in the wind, catching the rays of the sun.

 The Umbria city of Orvieto, famed for its splendid Cathedral and Etruscan tuffo rock galleries, is set to welcome in the coming New Year with a lively six-day Winter Festival between the 27^th December 2014 - 1^st January 2015.

Tourists to Italy will rejoice to hear that Italian railways have inaugurated the long-awaited rail service between Fiumicino Airport, Rome, and Venice, with stops at Florence, Bologna and Padua. Operated by the fast train Frecciargento (Silver Arrow), the new line offers air passengers direct connections with the above five major Italian cities. Hitherto, travellers had to change trains at Rome Termini station in order to proceed to any of the other destinations.

The famous winter sports resort of Merano (Trentino-Alto Adige) has commissioned twenty world-famous creatives to design the Christmas trees that embellish its most important and attractive squares and streets. Entitled Merano Christmas Trees Collection 2014

Italy abounds in imaginative and tasteful conversions of historic buildings and the Palazzo del Gusto (Palace of Taste) of Orvieto (Umbria) is an outstanding example of a renaissance convent transformed into a modern temple of wine, food and culture. The building has a long history. Formerly the Monastery of St. John, it was a Roman sanctuary dedicated to Jove prior to that and also a Roman theatre.