Toni DeBella

1 week ago | italymagazine.com | Toni DeBella

From Rihanna’s Pope-inspired gown at the 2018 Met Gala to the internet rumor that Pope Benedict’s ruby-red satin loafers were made by Prada to the costume design in the Oscar-winning film Conclave, sacramental vestments have long been a source of sartorial fascination. With the conclave underway in Vatican City for the selection of a new pope, you’re probably seeing unprecedented levels of divine regalia on your news feed. Here’s a quick look at these theological threads.

2 weeks ago | italymagazine.com | Toni DeBella

The World’s 50 Best Beaches were just announced for 2025 in a new report pulled from the input of over 1,000 travel industry professionals, with two stunning places in Sardinia bookending the list at spots #1 and #50.  In the top slot is Cala Goloritzé on the Gulf of Orosei, along a stretch of the Baunei coastline where sea and mountains meet. It’s famous for its intensely turquoise blue waters and above all for Punta Caroddi, a dramatic limestone pinnacle that rises above the beach.

4 weeks ago | italymagazine.com | Toni DeBella

Easter weekend has long been the unofficial kickoff of the high travel season in Italy, and 2025 is no different: The Italian National Tourist Board (ENIT) reported that six in 10 hotel rooms across the country are booked for the holiday. Of the estimated seven million travelers from abroad who will touch down in Italian airports this spring, 28.5% will land in Rome — some specifically for the Vatican’s Jubilee Year, but plenty of others just for garden-variety vacation time.

1 month ago | italymagazine.com | Toni DeBella

When I’m stateside, there’s no weekend pastime I enjoy quite like rifling through a good rummage sale. But the garage, yard, tag or “car boot” sales of secondhand items that are so beloved in the United States and United Kingdom aren’t the norm here in Italy. It’s not that Italians don’t appreciate old things, of course.

1 month ago | wetheitalians.com | Toni DeBella

BY: Toni DeBella |Italy is no stranger to scaffolding. The need for infrastructural and aesthetic upgrades to the country's cultural attractions is near-constant; necessary maintenance as well as all-out renovations can keep many places off limits to visitors for extended periods of time. When sites of interest reopen, it's arguably even better news for the host towns than it is for travelers.