Love is in the Air: Valentines in Italy

Wherever you go in Italy, it seems that is love in the air! With Venice and its gondola rides and Verona with Romeo and Juliet, Italy is known as one of the most romantic travel spots in the world. But Italy isn’t only for lovers. There’s something for everyone! And especially at Valentine’s time!! Italy almost seems made for the holiday!

Something for everyone to love!

1. A fascinating trail of history

Italy is a historian’s treasure trove. But did you know that it has 55 UNESCO World Heritage sites, tying with China for having the highest number of them in the world? History buffs can trace the path of time, from the Etruscan civilization, through the Magna Grecia and Roman Empire, on into the Middle Ages and beyond.

2. A bountiful fête for creative souls

Italy is so chock full of Renaissance era treasures from literature, philosophy, art, architecture, and science – that creative and intellectual souls are sure to find inspiration galore! Artists, scholars, and musicians can feast to their heart’s content in Italy’s countless museums, galleries, and churches.

3. Unlimited adventure for athletes and trekkers

From endless sun-drenched beaches to quaint Alpine villages and hilltop medieval towns – Italy delights the athletic heart! With skiing and rock climbing, water sports, soccer, cycling, and even Formula One – Italy offers a sportive bonanza for even the most adventurous!

4. An endless odyssey for tourists

Sightseers can weary themselves to their heart’s content! Traipsing from Rome to Pisa, Venice, Florence, the Amalfi coast, Sicily, and back to Rome again. Stopping at every historic city and quaint village along the way. With sights like snow-capped Alpine peaks, silvery sundrenched beaches, and artistic towns – Italy is sure to satisify the wanderlust of any traveler!

5. An unending banquet for connoisseurs

Food and wine connoisseurs can literally pull up to a veritable feast. In this land of slow food and fine wines, hunger is one thing you surely won’t suffer! Banquet tables overflow with (according to many) the world’s best antipasti, soups, fish, pasta, pizza, breads, cheeses, and garden-fresh fruits and vegetables. Followed by such luscious treats as gelato, biscotti, tiramisu, Sicilian cannoli, and Trentino apple strudel! All topped off by (according to me) the best coffee in the world! It’s all so good that a diet might be in order at the journey’s end!

6. Fun for even the young or young at heart!

Italians love bambini, which they love to show unabashedly. Expect people to gush over your children and (at least in pre-Covid days) to touch and kiss them, or even pick them up. Italians have a long-standing love affair with bambini; they simply dote on them.

So not unexpectedly, you’ll also find some kid-friendly attractions along your way. First of all, what kid wouldn’t love Italy’s sun-drenched sandy beaches? But if you’d rather not spend your whole holiday on the beach, there are plenty of fun and educational things for kids too! Interactive and multimedia museums, Children’s museums, a sea museum with life-size galley ships, a huge sea park with marine aquarium, amusement parks, gondola rides, Pinocchio park, and even a gladiator training school!

Yes, love is in the air – and there’s something for everyone to love. But perhaps never as much as on Valentine’s Day! Romantic Italy just seems made for it! Couples strolling arm in arm down cobble-stoned streets. Romantic dining on outdoor terraces. And the ever-present boxes of the Perugina company’s famous Baci, or chocolate kisses. Each bacio wrapped in its own multilingual love note!

SImple and heart-warming things

But for me, it’s the simple, homey things that most warm my heart. When I think of Italy, they come to mind.

• Olive trees in blossom and red-leaved vineyards in the crisp autumn air.
• Freshly baked pizza, frothy cappuccinos, and hot red peppers drying in the sun.
• Chubby-cheeked babies that “never eat.”
• Old folks dozing in the shade of a summer’s afternoon.
• Outdoor markets, tiny shops, and hot fresh bread delivered right to the door.
• And kind neighbors always ready with cups of espresso or a helping hand.

Oh yes, love is in the air! And in the food, the places, and the smiles on people’s faces! But now before you go, take a brief Italian lesson with this Baci video: Maestro!

Happy San Valentino from Italy!

Images: Wine by Clarence Alford | Vatican museum artwork byDEZALB | Others are ©SignoraSheila | SignorMario.