Archive for 'Southern Italy'

The picturesque town of Sorrento is one of the most beloved, iconic, and photographed holiday destinations in all of Italy. Perched on cliffs overlooking the stunning blue waters and pretty coastline of the Bay of Naples, made up of pretty little cobbled streets and sun-drenched piazze, abounding in lush greenery, serving up delicious food paired with sea views, and allowing easy access to the Amalfi Coast, the stunning island of Capri, and the fascinating historical site of Pompeii, Sorrento has it all. Luckily, we have a wonderful selection of villas in Sorrento to choose from, allowing you to easily plan a dream Italian getaway in this scenic part of Campania.

Here at Italy Villas, we believe in making your holiday as seamless and stress-free as possible so once you have found your vacation rental in Sorrento or your holiday rental in Campania and you are looking to start exploring the area, you might be looking into how to get around. Well, never fear, we’re here to helping you find all the information you need to know about this vital, albeit often overlooked aspect of your vacation: transportation.

We’ve recently been thinking (and dreaming!) a lot about vacations in Apulia especially as our range of villas in Apulia here on Italy Villas is so incredible and includes some wonderful traditional trulli structures. Recently, we did a deep dive on the trullo, a type of traditional stone house that is unique to the region of Apulia and is characterised by a conical roof and distinctive construction, built without the use of any mortar by carefully stacking limestone blocks to form sturdy walls. 

Many different towns and regions and areas of Italy are famous for specific food products due to tradition or climate or landscape or a combination of all three. From complex wines and balsamic vinegars, to hearty pasta dishes based in peasant tradition, to unbelievably rich chocolates, to street food favourites that perfectly hit the spot, and more, there are all sorts of incredible culinary treats and experiences to be had if you book a villa in Italy.

For really serious foodies looking to plan a holiday in Italy, it can be a great place to really go back to the basics, find the best ingredients, and learn to really appreciate everything that you are tasting. You can learn so much by studying the key products and examples of produce that are used commonly in Italian cooking. Take, for example, the humble but essential ingredient that is mozzarella. With its delicate flavour and creamy consistency, this versatile ingredient is used in lots of ways. It is eaten with tomatoes, basil, and olive oil (and often balsamic vinegar) as the simple but delicious appetiser that is the Caprese salad, in a starring role on the Margherita pizza, and added to all sorts of pasta dishes like lasagna, stuffed cannelloni, and baked pasta, to make them heartier and bring richness and creaminess to every bite.

The stunning southern region of Apulia in Italy is known for its amazing beaches, incredible food and wine, its rich cultural heritage, and its picturesque landscapes and towns but, in particular, it is a region that boasts some truly extraordinary architectural gems from astonishing fortresses, to elegant churches, to charming traditional houses. Among these and among the latter category, especially, the fairytale-like trulli of Alberobello stand out as something extra-special and, as we have some villas in Apulia that are located inside trulli or that have trulli as part of the property, they can be experienced in a totally unique way during your holiday. Live inside the cultural heritage of Italy for a little while on your next vacation with Italy Villas!

Ostuni, known as the, "White City," or, "Città Bianca," in Italian, is located in the heart of Apulia. Comparable to Greece’s Santorini, it features distinctive white buildings stacked on a hilltop overlooking the region and the coast a short distance away. While the town is wonderful in many ways and boasts lots of incredible attractions, its visual appeal and iconic architecture is one of the primary elements that attracts visitors from all around the world. Book one of our villas in Ostuni today and you will have the opportunity to explore and appreciate the city's striking architecture up close for yourself on your next getaway.

The town's impressive white buildings are truly stunning, especially when viewed from afar, but it isn’t just about visuals. The caustic limestone that was used in the construction of the Old Town and then whitewashed was considered an important health measure used during the Middle Ages to help combat plagues by, “reflecting,” the, “bad airs,” that people of the time believed caused the illness. While our understanding of disease has become more advanced, the whitewashing does actually have antibacterial properties and really is thought to have helped reduce illness in the city to a degree.