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3 weeks ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
I had planned to send out something completely different for today’s newsletter, but given the sad news of the death of Pope Francis on Monday, I decided it would be more appropriate to dedicate today’s issue to him. I certainly won’t attempt to eulogize him, as it isn’t my place to do so, but as a Rome resident, I am deeply saddened by his death, which represents a profound loss not just for the city and not just for Italy but for the world.
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4 weeks ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
Located in the arch of the boot, between Puglia and Calabria, Basilicata is one of Italy’s least touristy regions—and while Matera grabbed the spotlight a few years ago when it became Italy’s 2019 Capital of Culture, Maratea remains under-the-radar. Basilicata’s only town on the Tyrrhenian Coast, Maratea has a charm all its own, as I discovered last summer when my husband Marco and I stopped there on our way to Sicily.
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1 month ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
Welcome to the New Roman Times’ neighborhood guide series! Every now and then, I’ll spotlight a specific neighborhood that I think is worth a deeper exploration for paid subscribers. Have a neighborhood you’d like a guide to? Email [email protected] or leave a comment here!One of Rome’s most famous landmarks, the Spanish Steps have been a gathering place for centuries.
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1 month ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
On a recent trip to Milan, I had the chance to revisit Villa Necchi Campiglio, which is definitely a must for architecture fans, so today I’m giving you a look inside. If it looks familiar, that might be because it was used as the setting in Luca Guadagnino’s 2009 movie I Am Love starring Tilda Swinton and in Ridley Scott’s 2021 film House of Gucci.
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1 month ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
Last week I shared a chance to enter a giveaway to win a signed copy of my friend Maria Pasquale’s new book, Mangia: How to Eat Your Way Through Italy published by Smith Street Books. In the meantime, I have received my own copy of the book, so believe me when I say it's a hefty tome packed with useful information, tips, and inspiration that’s well worth referencing when you’re planning your next culinary adventure in Italy.
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1 month ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz |Elizabeth Minchilli
When it comes to Rome’s food and markets, there are few people who can claim to be more knowledgeable than Sophie Minchilli. With an Italian father and an American mother, Sophie was born and raised in Rome and is passionate about Italian cuisine and culture. You may have seen her book, The Sweetness of Doing Nothing: Living Life the Italian Way with Dolce Far Niente, in bookshops around Rome and beyond. Or perhaps you saw her in the Puglia episode of Stanley Tucci’s CNN show, Searching for Italy.
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2 months ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
Welcome to the New Roman Times’ 72 Hours series! Why 72 hours? Because the New York Times publishes a “36 Hours” series, but in my opinion, 36 hours isn’t nearly enough time to spend in Italy’s greatest cities and most compelling regions. From time to time, I’ll spotlight popular destinations like Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, the Amalfi Coast and Capri for paid subscribers. Have a place you’d like a 72 hours guide to?
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2 months ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
I think Sicily is one of Italy’s most beautiful, fascinating, and misunderstood places—and based on the reactions to last month’s issue dedicated to the island, it seems that many of you agree. So this week, I’m delving a bit deeper into one of my favorite places on the island: Ortigia. A tiny island itself, Ortigia is connected to Siracusa, a city in southeastern Sicily, by a couple of bridges.
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2 months ago | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
If you’ve been reading the New Roman Times for a while, you might have gathered that I have a bit of a thing for palaces. I especially love the aristocratic palaces in Rome because from the outside they tend to blend in so well with the cityscape that you could easily walk past them without ever knowing what was inside. But if you do go inside, you’ll discover treasures that have been hidden away behind closed doors for centuries.
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Feb 13, 2025 | 
newromantimes.substack.com | Laura Itzkowitz
Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, so naturally romance is on the mind, but really these restaurants are good choices for any special occasion. (And by the way, I hope you made your V Day plans already because I can tell you from first-hand experience that last-minute reservations are nearly impossible to come by in Rome.) As you might expect, this list skews toward elegant, pricey places rather than affordable trattorias.