The Italian film director Federico Fellini once said, "Life is a combination of magic and pasta." Start your travels with a sip of limoncello, a lemon-infused liquor best enjoyed in Sorrento. Alongside delicious meats and vegetables, there is the Italian tour de force: pasta. Each region of Italy offers a different form and flavour, with more than 400 shapes available. In northern Italy, soft wheat flour and eggs are used to produce bigoli, trofie, and ravioli, while southern Italy is dominated by pasta made using durum wheat flour without eggs, such as orechiette, lagane, and paccheri. Accompanying these are local sauces: pesto in Genoa; cacio e pepe in Rome; ragu alla Bolognese in Bologna. To finish off, enjoy some silken gelato, tiramisu, rum-soaked baba, fresh fruit – or a couple of cream-laden cannoli. 

The chattering of nonnas kneading fresh dough; operatic melodies of Pavarotti, Vivaldi and Morricone; scooters scurrying around cobblestone streets: the sounds of Italy are tied up in the nation's heritage and culture. The regions of Abruzzo, Tuscany, Puglia and Calabria offer a low-frequency escape from city life, while the metropolises of Rome, Milan and Naples present an energising cacophony of sound.

Accompanying the sounds of Italy are, of course, the scents. Beside the coast, the sweet scents of orange blossom and citrus fruits linger in salty air during summer months. Wafting through Italian homes are notes of olive oil, basil, bubbling vats of ragu and cooked meats. Come autumn, the fragrance of simmering pomodoro fills Italian homes as the sweet juices are stewed, strained and stored for the winter.

Smooth leatherwork and tailoring; cathedral walls, pews and frescoes softened with time: Italy’s materials and sights are a combination of innovation and preservation. We suggest visiting the clifftop homes of Cinque Terre and the Venice canals, as well as the Dolomites, Lake Como, the Amalfi Coast and Pompeii. Alternatively, events such as Salone de Mobile, Milan Fashion Week, and the Venice Biennale showcase the beauty of Italian design, alongside the work of Fellini, Argento, Visconti, Rossellini, Da Vinci and Michaelangelo. Currently, the Vatican is flooded with the red, white and black cloths of the Conclave in response to The Pope’s passing – a poignant yet stunning visual display of traditional customs. 

To absorb the Italian landscape in all its glory, we recommend travelling via train from Rome to Florence and Naples or along the coast from the south of France through to Turin, Genoa and Milan. Enjoy a laidback yet luxurious stay at 7Pines Sardinia, Palazzo Seneca, The Place Firenze, or Palazzo Manfredi. Of course, you can explore our full hotel offering on ASMALLWORLD Collection, where you can receive VIP benefits such as room upgrades, hotel credit, late checkout and more.