ItalyUpdate

CINGOLI 2026 WINNER ITALY'S MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGE

Cingoli, a small town known as “the Balcony overlooking the Marche Region” near the city of Macerata, has been voted “Italy's most beautiful Borgo 2026”. Points in its favour were its unspoiled historic centre, its sweeping views over the surrounding hills, its mirror-like Lake Cingoli (a reservoir) below, two Nature reserves in its territory and a rare signed masterpiece by Lorenzo Lotto: “The Madonna of the Rosaries” in the Church of St. Domenico.

Every year, a committee appointed by the “I Borghi piu Belli d'Italia” non-profit Association, selects a winner out of some 380 candidates from all over Italy. A “Borgo” is a small historic town often far off the usual tourist tracks. The organization, in fact, was founded in 2001 by the Italian Tourism Council and ANCI (National Association of Italian Municipalities) to promote tourism to lesser known destinations in Italy and revive local economies.

Info: Tel. +39.33602877 (Tourist Info Office) https://www.comunecingoli.mc.it

CHEAP EASTER TRAVEL FOR HOMEWARD ITALIANS

Following the success of bargain rail travel offered at Christmas to help families reunite for the holidays, the “Sicilia Express” has launched cheap tickets for travel at Easter from the north of Italy to Sicily, with the support of the Sicilia Regional Council.

Operated by Treni Turistici Italiani, a subsiduary of Ferrovie dello Stato (State Railways) and in collaboration with Grandi Navi Veloci (ferries across the Straits of Messina) and the private rail company Italo, the initiative links major cities like Turin, Milan, Parma, Bologna and other northern cities with Palermo, Siracuse and Catania at bargain ticket prices.

The two special departures are programmed for the 17^th April 2026 with return on either April 21^st or April 26^th.

With ticket costs as low as 30 euros, the initiative was an instant sell-out for homing Italians undaunted by the prospect of a journey of 18-20 hours between Italy's northernmost cities and Palermo, Catania and Siracusa.

The Sicilia Express, however, promises to ease the monotony with various entertainments, music and food availability.

Info: https://www.fstrenituristici.it

MONTECASSINO ABBEY'S NEW PEACE PRIZE

The first beneficiary of the new International Peace Prize, the “Pax Nuntius” (Apostle of Peace) instituted by the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino (Lazio), is the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, for his efforts to promote dialogue and understanding between the three monotheistic religions in the Holy Land. The Cardinal will receive the prize at an official ceremony on the 10^th June 2026.

The Abbey, where Benedict perfected his celebrated Rule governing monastic life, personified in the “Ora et Labora” (Work and Pray) adage, has also restyled its Museum, with new display arrangements of its many treasures that include archaeological remains found on site, papal tiaras and vestments, jewelled chalices and a tondo of the Sacred Family attributed to Botticelli. An additional new room chronicles the disastrous bombing and destruction of the Abbey in 1944 during World War II.

In February, a special four-day tribute was paid to Benedict's sister, Santa Scolastica, focussing on the importance of her role and that of women in general in the history of the Christian Church.

Info: Tel. +39.0776311529 (for guided tours: museo@abbaziamontecassino.org )

WINNING CHEESE FROM AIR-RAID REFUGE

Italy scored in third place at the 2025 edition of World Cheese Awards, organized by the UK based Guild of Fine Food representing over 12,000 professional cheese-makers worldwide.

Top Italian winner was, as expected, the Parmigiano Reggiano PDO (Protected Designation of Origin certification) Consortium that scooped a tot al of 103 medals – 3 super Golds, 27 Golds, 34 Silvers and 40 Bronzes.

An outsider Gold Medal winner was the Latteria Vicentina for its Brenta Oro, a semi cooked cheese aged in a 500 sqm cave in Schio (Vicenza), a former air raid shelter during WWII.

Next World Cheese Award will be in held in Cordova, Spain in November 2026

Info: https://internationalcheesefestival.com

TOWER OF THE STARS REOPENS

The Torre delle Stelle (Tower of the Stars) in the village of Aielli near L'Aquila, Abruzzo, has announced its eminent reopening, complete with its updated planetarium, inaugurated at the beginning of this year on January 3^rd, 2026 and with a new 4K projector to enhance visitor experience.

The Tower of the Stars observatory, created inside a 10m high cylindrical medieval watch tower built in 1356, crowns the hill overlooking Aielli. It is the brainchild of astronomer Paolo Maria Ruscitti, who created this landmark attraction with the help of a team of experts in the astronomical field. The Observatory also hopes to welcome many visitors this summer to observe the eclipse of the sun on the 12^th August.

The small town of Aielli is also known for its murals – brightly decorated walls created by numerous Italian and foreign artists.

Info: https://www.torredellestelleaielli.it

NEW TRENDS IN MOVING TO ITALY

According to a recent report, published by the estate agency Gate-Away.com, more and more British citizens are interested in moving to live in Italy. The agency claims that enquiries regarding property purchase have increased steadily, year on year, by 23.27% over the past five years.

“The British buyer of 2025” the report says, “is an experienced traveller who has moved beyond the 'classic postcard' phase to seek a closer connection with the territory” and “they are no longer searching solely for a 'holiday home' in a well-known destination, but for a life project: where they can live for extended periods, work remotely, integrate into the local community and benefit from a more sustainable cost of living compared with the UK.”

British buyers, continues the report, are looking for “an authentic life style made of local markets, the silence of the afternoon contr'ora and the ritual of the aperitif in the square.”

Clients favour houses with gardens, rather than apartments in cities and are showing steadily increasing interest in the quieter and less famous locations in areas like Salento and the Valle d'Itria, the Langhe hills, Monferrato and certain Alpine and Dolomite zones.

However, locations in Italy's deep south are also arousing interest, with properties in Sicily and Puglia high on the enquiries list, followed by Abruzzo and Calabria.

Info: gate-away.com

FOOD FOR THOUGHT AT UMBRIA'S ANCIENT FESTIVAL

This year's edition of the Umbria Ancient Festival has the alluring theme of “The Taste of History”.

The three-day yearly Festival at Todi continues to acquire prestige and popularity with its captivating themes and the prestige of its speakers and lecturers and the coming edition, programmed for the 27^th- 29^th March 2026 promises to keep its public happy.

Held in the Council Hall of the historic Palazzo del Capitano (Captain's Palace) , themes covered include culinary traditions of Pompeii and ancient Roman markets, food as a vehicle of power and control, the history of olive oil and spices, traditional food preservation processes, the origin and development of wines, food traditions in religions and various other themes.

As always, the Festival includes theatrical and musical performances as well as a Book Fair.

Info: info@festivalumbriantica.it

L'ANNURCA, ITALY'S ANCIENT “QUEEN OF APPLES”

Italy is on the way to becoming one of Europe's most important apple growers, with over 2.317 million tons harvested in 2025, and coming second to Poland, the EU's biggest apple exporter (between 3 to 4 million tons).

The greatest part of apple production in Italy is concentrated in the northern Trentino-Alto Adige regions which alone harvest 2 million tons of the popular world-wide known brands like Golden and Red Delicious, Granny Smiths, Fuji , Melinda and so on, cultivated by family cooperatives.

Just beginning to make a debut abroad is the native Italian apple: the ancient Annurca Campania, which has been cultivated in southern Italy for over 3000 years and is mentioned in Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia as well as featuring in a fresco at the earthquake-destroyed town of Herculaneum. The Ancients believed it originated at the “Gates of the Underworld” at Lake Avernus near Naples.

The Annurca has many virtues. It is water-resistant and can be stored for long periods.

Picked from the trees while still green and turned regularly towards the sunlight, it ripens slowly and naturally over the autumn months in cool surroundings. Smaller than modern cultivated brands, it is sweet and crunchy and can lower cholesterol levels. It is also believed to help hair grow!

1000. STENHOUSE

Info: www.assomela.com www.maiolifruttantica.it

CATS' SPECIAL STATUS IN ROME

Recently, on the 17^th February, Italy celebrated the annual Day of the Cat, complete with the animal's special patron saint, the medieval mystic, Saint Gertrude de Nivelles, who recognized the importance of the presence of cats in her convent in controlling the spread of the plague. Cats have always had special protected status in Italy, especially in Rome where an estimated 300,000 feline “friends” have made their home – 170,000 registered as domestic pets and another 130,000 or so living in cat colonies, where they are looked after and fed by local volunteers. The cat, in fact, enjoys protected citizen status in Rome where the city council has declared it part of the “city's bio-cultural heritage”.An incalculable number of cats, however, prefer a free and footloose existence hidden among the ancient ruins and gardens scattered round the historic centre.

Italy's annual International Super Cat Show was held in November, with some 600 cats of various breeds competing for the title of Super Cat and won by Mila, a young British shorthair blue tabby. An important part of the event is the Adoption Corner, where stray cats chosen from the 600 cat sanctuaries dotted round the city centre and suburbs are available for adoption, complete with vaccination certificates and health checks.

The typical Italian cat is the European Shorthair, which comes in variations of white, black, grey and ginger, with the all ginger colouring predominant in males.

M.STENHOUSE

Info: https://supercatshow.com

FLAMINGO WATCH IN TUSCANY

According to the Italian branch of WWF (World Wildlife Fund for Nature), the end of winter is the best time to see flamingos at Lake Burano in Tuscany. Lake Burano (Grosseto) was the first WWF natural oasis to be established in Italy in 1967. Extending over 2 ½ acres plus a further 1,500 acres of no-hunting land, and flanking a 12 km stretch of protected coast, the shallow lake and surrounding wetlands provide refuge each year to thousands of migrating birds as well as wild animals like badgers, foxes, rabbits, weasels, wild boar, the occasional wolf and other once common species of European fauna.

The first flamingos were spotted on the lake in 1994 and ever since their noisy presence and bright pink plumage has dominated the waterways of the park during the winter months. Numbers have steadily increased with around 4000 birds registered at the last count (end 2024-beginning 2025) (Green Report.it)

Access to the protected area is reserved exclusively for tours accompanied by park guides.

Info: Tel. +39.3834231098 (for guided tours) lagodiburano@wwf.it