The country has decided to tackle the problem created by the fact that, as our phones have become appendages of our bodies and our attention has shifted from the world around us to our screens, a momentary lack of attention on the road can now have deadly consequences.

While pedestrians have traditionally been considered the most vulnerable road users, with drivers bearing most of the responsibility in the event of an accident, the new rules recognise that this isn’t always fair. A driver cannot be blamed when a distracted pedestrian, unaware of the traffic around them, suddenly steps into the road, leaving the driver no time to react.

The proposed legislation follows a series of Italian court rulings in which pedestrians were found to be at fault due to their own inattention, whether they were looking at a phone, a tablet, a laptop or a camera.

The new code would not ban phone use outright. It would simply require pedestrians to be aware of their surroundings when entering or crossing a road.

Earphones would still be permitted, provided they do not drown out traffic noise and pedestrians remain aware of and able to hear what is happening around them.

This, of course, raises the question of whether, following that same logic, electric cars and bikes should have their volume adjusted too.

@intriestemagazine

The neighboring region of Veneto, however, is rolling out an experiment designed to educate phone-glued pedestrians. The city of Padova recently installed a brand-new anti-smartphone warning system at a particularly busy local crosswalk, alerting distracted walkers of oncoming traffic. It’s reportedly the first of its kind in the world. We wandered downtown Trieste to see what our city’s dwellers thought about the idea.

♬ original sound – intriestemagazine

The proposed rules, which seem logical and basic, require pedestrians to ensure they have made eye contact with the driver of an approaching vehicle and that the driver intends to stop, whether they are crossing at a designated crossing or not. Pedestrians should avoid dawdling once they have started crossing, so no selfies in the middle of the crossing.

Hands-free calls would, however, remain allowed, as would emergency calls.

The new rule would apply only where vehicles are involved. Pedestrians simply walking on pavements would not be affected.

Italy is not the first place to try to tackle this problem. In 2017, Honolulu became one of the first cities in the world to introduce fines for pedestrians using electronic devices while crossing the road. Lithuania followed a year later with similar legislation. In contrast, Japan took a softer approach in Yamato City, Kanagawa, where its 2020 ban on walking while using a phone was not paired with any fines.

The proposed changes in Italy are part of a much wider overhaul of the country’s highway code, which is currently being drawn up by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport. Under the proposed legislation, motorists will face tougher rules.

Using a mobile phone while driving is already illegal in Italy, with first-time offenders facing fines of up to €1,000. Under the proposed code, repeat offenders could face fines of up to €2,588 and have their licence suspended for between one and three months.

Initially, restrictions had been proposed for drivers aged 85 and over, limiting them to driving within a radius of 100 km from their homes and banning them completely from motorways. However, these proposals have been dropped following an outcry, at the request of Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, who has called for more thorough medical checks for older drivers instead.

The new code is still being finalised. A definitive text is expected by mid-October.

L’article Travelling to Italy? Pedestrians distracted by phones could face €75 fines est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

The bridge can reportedly be seen particularly well from Ponte Sant’Angelo, which crosses the Tiber beside Castel Sant’Angelo. Tourist boats are still passing close to the exposed stones, but the changing water level means the sight could be temporary. The ruins have not been newly discovered, although their reappearance gives archaeologists another opportunity to examine them. At the same time, the conditions that revealed the bridge point to a serious water shortage affecting Rome and other parts of Italy.

The bridge is traditionally called Pons Neronis or Pons Neronianus, both meaning Nero’s Bridge. However, archaeologists believe it may have been built before Emperor Nero came to power in 54 AD. One theory dates it to the reign of his uncle, Emperor Caligula, around 39 AD. This would make the famous name slightly misleading, even though Nero remains the Roman ruler most closely associated with the surrounding area.

Antonella Bonini, an archaeologist at Rome’s cultural heritage superintendence, said scholars believe Caligula may have ordered the bridge’s construction. It appears to have created a route towards the villa of Agrippina the Elder, Caligula’s mother. The bridge also passed near the circus first associated with Caligula and later with Nero. These links may help explain why the structure eventually became known by Nero’s name.

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The crossing connected the ancient Campus Martius area on one side of the river with the area that later became Vatican City. The Circus of Nero once stood near the site of today’s St Peter’s Basilica. According to Christian tradition, Saint Peter was martyred in this area during Nero’s reign. The bridge would therefore have formed part of an important route between central Rome and a district that later became one of Christianity’s most significant locations.

By the end of the third or beginning of the fourth century, the bridge was probably no longer in use. It was no longer included in Roman registers listing the city’s main monuments from that period. Those records instead referred to Pons Aelius, the bridge now known as Ponte Sant’Angelo. Emperor Hadrian had built that crossing to connect his mausoleum, today’s Castel Sant’Angelo, with the centre of Rome.

A cool tidbit of information…the bridge just left of Bernini’s “Ponte Sant’Angelo” overlooks the ruins of the Emperor Nero’s bridge (yes, the guy who “fiddled while Rome burned”)!

You can see the ruins at the left bottom corner in this photo.

Nero’s bridge led to his circus,… pic.twitter.com/bLfdLBTEfw

— Bree A Dail (@breeadail) October 5, 2023

The bridge has become visible because the Tiber is going through an unusually severe period of low water. Its flow through Rome has dropped below 80 cubic metres per second. The historical average is around 150 cubic metres per second, according to Giovanni Giganti, Rome’s civil protection coordinator for water management. This means that less water is currently moving through the city than would normally be expected.

The shortage has been linked to scorching temperatures and long periods without rain during the summer. Italy received considerable rainfall during the previous winter, but this was followed by extended dry spells. Limited snowfall in the Apennine Mountains has also contributed to the problem. Snow normally stores water during winter before melting and feeding rivers and underground water supplies during the warmer months.

The low water has exposed more than ancient remains. E-bikes, scooters, refrigerators and even a car have reportedly appeared in or around parts of the river further upstream. The objects create a striking contrast with the Roman stones near the Vatican. While archaeologists can study a piece of the city’s past, the modern waste highlights the continuing pressure placed on the Tiber today.

L’article Drought exposes ancient bridge linked to Nero beneath Rome’s Tiber est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

It’s a dream many have nurtured, but few have dared to pursue: finding a romantic, rundown house in a scenic landscape and buying it cheaply enough to transform it into a charming home or holiday retreat. Rural Italy features prominently in influencer content promoting this type of “one-euro renovation project”, as depopulation and the large number of abandoned properties have pushed municipal authorities to take drastic measures.

@ericaanicotraaaa il mio paese è un gioiellino #sicilia #naro #siciliabedda #agrigento ♬ Sicilian Vibes – Brosky TSW

In Sicily alone, the western and central towns of Mussomeli, Salemi and Sambuca di Sicilia have launched similar house purchase schemes aimed at reversing the rural exodus and attracting new residents (and taxpayers) to their communities. Now, Naro, further south than the others, is creating its own framework to do the same.

Naro is close to one of Sicily’s prime archaeological sites, the Valle dei Templi, or Valley of the Temples, an outstanding example of ancient Greek art and architecture included on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The wider Agrigento region offers centuries of cultural influences, stunning views over the Mediterranean and, of course, plenty of authentic Sicilian cuisine.

The town is competing with pioneering schemes in Mussomeli, Salemi and Sambuca, which have garnered significant media coverage and have largely been seen as successes. Incoming participants there now benefit from relatively well-established expat networks. Prospective buyers in Naro, in contrast, will be more reliant, at least at first, on developing language skills, local contacts and their own support networks.

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There is not much to separate the four towns when it comes to the conditions for buying one of the one-euro properties. Buyers are required to supply a refundable deposit of approximately €5,000 and undertake to complete the works within three years. All the structural surveys, preparation, restoration, renovation, certification and legal costs, usually estimated at between €15,000 and €30,000, must be borne by the buyer.

To even begin the process, interested buyers need to submit a formal application to municipal authorities, laying out their plans and finances. Despite recent controversies over Italian immigration and citizenship rules, the scheme is open to both Italian and international investors, and US, UK and other European buyers are reportedly being encouraged by the local administration to apply.

Meanwhile, if the financial commitment is too much for now, it could be worth waiting for another scheme with built-in incentives, such as Presicce-Acquarica’s scheme in southern Puglia, which in 2022 began offering house purchasers €30,000 to relocate there.

L’article Naro becomes latest Sicilian town to offer homes for €1 est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Palermo is famous not only for its artistic heritage, but also for its outstanding pastries, whose flavours often reveal the influence of the Middle East and the many cultures that have shaped Sicily.

Those who love desserts more than anything else should definitely try these five Sicilian specialities that are not to be missed.

1. The Sicilian “Cannolo”

The “cannolo” is one of the ultimate symbols of Sicilian pastry. There are several variants, but the classic version consists of a crisp, fried pastry shell filled with sweet sheep’s milk ricotta and often finished with chopped pistachios.

Its origins are debated, but one popular theory traces the cannolo back to Sicily’s period under Arab rule, between the 9th and 11th centuries. According to tradition, an early version was prepared by women in Caltanissetta, possibly within the harems of local emirs, combining ricotta with ingredients such as almonds and honey. Following the end of Arab rule, the recipe is believed to have been preserved and developed in convents, eventually becoming the Sicilian classic known today.

Cannoli can be found in pastry shops throughout Palermo, but for the best experience, look for those that are filled with ricotta only when ordered, keeping the shell perfectly crisp.

2. The “Minne di Vergine” or Saint Agatha’s tits 

The shape of this dessert resembles a small breast. Traditionally made from sponge cake, ricotta and marzipan or icing, different versions can include chocolate chips, candied fruit and a bright red candied cherry on top.

The breast-shaped pastries are closely associated with Saint Agatha, the patron saint of Catania, whose martyrdom has made them one of Sicily’s most distinctive religious sweets. According to Christian tradition, the young Agatha was tortured after refusing the advances of a Roman prefect and had her breasts cut off. The pastries subsequently became associated with the saint and are particularly prominent during celebrations surrounding her feast day in February.

Small, rich and unmistakably Sicilian, they make an ideal sweet break during a day of sightseeing.

3. The “Trionfo di gola” (Triumph of gluttony)

The name says it all: this elaborate Sicilian dessert is an unapologetic celebration of sweetness.

Recipes vary, but the Trionfo di gola typically combines layers of sponge cake, ricotta cream, custard, marzipan, jam, pistachios and candied fruit. The result is colourful, extravagant and intensely rich, bringing together many of the ingredients that define traditional Sicilian pastry-making.

The “Trionfo di gola” is a complex dessert that takes time and skill to make. It is closely associated with Sicily’s historic convents and aristocratic culinary tradition, when elaborate desserts were prepared for wealthy families and special occasions.

It may not be the lightest option on the menu, but that is precisely the point.

4. The “Genovesi”

Genoa or Palermo? The name of this dessert might suggest a Ligurian origin, but the genovese is firmly rooted in western Sicily. This simple but delicious pastry consists of a shortcrust shell traditionally filled with custard or ricotta and baked until golden.

The pastry is particularly associated with the hilltop town of Erice, near Trapani, where it has become one of the area’s best-known specialities. Several theories attempt to explain its curious name, including one linking its shape to the hats once worn by Genoese sailors who traded along Sicily’s western coast.

Whatever the origin of the name, eaten warm with a dusting of icing sugar, the genovese is one of Sicily’s simplest pleasures.

5. The Sicilian “Cassata”

Together with the “cannolo”, cassata is one of the undisputed icons of Sicilian pastry. Its origins are generally linked to Sicily’s period under Arab rule, when ingredients such as sugar cane, citrus fruits and almonds became increasingly important in the island’s cuisine. An early version is thought to have combined sweetened sheep’s milk ricotta with pastry or dough.

Over the centuries, the dessert continued to evolve. By the 18th and 19th centuries, Palermo’s pastry-making tradition had transformed cassata into the colourful creation recognisable today, combining sponge cake, sweetened ricotta, marzipan, icing and elaborate decorations of candied fruit.

The result is one of Sicily’s most spectacular desserts: colourful, intensely sweet and almost too beautiful to cut.

And there is one particularly atmospheric place in Palermo where visitors can discover several of these traditional flavours: the Monastery of Santa Caterina d’Alessandria, right in the historic centre.

Its former convent houses I Segreti del Chiostro, a pastry shop dedicated to preserving Sicily’s historic confectionery traditions. Cannoli, cassata and other traditional sweets are prepared following recipes associated with the island’s convents, offering visitors the chance to taste a centuries-old side of Sicilian culture.

Between its cloisters, churches, bustling streets and irresistible pastries, Palermo is a destination where discovering the city’s history can be as simple as ordering dessert.

L’article 5 sweet reasons to visit Palermo est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

But powered by social media, the delicacy and the refuge have become so famous that hundreds of people have hiked the 2,300-metre trail, queuing down the mountain and even camping overnight – to the ire of locals.

@takemyhearteverywhere Starting your morning with a Krapfen in the Dolomites hits different Rifugio Friedrich August, on Col Rodella. Here’s how to get there (summer only): From Passo Sella → 15–30 min easy hike (also kid-friendly!) Or take the cable car from Campitello di Fassa to Col Rodella + 5 min walk – but note: it’s closed in summer 2025 Go early – the Krapfen sell out fast! Tag someone who’d wake up at sunrise for this #dolomites #breakfastwithaview ♬ original sound – Italy

The pastries, also known as bombolone in Italian thanks to their bomb-like shape and the way the cream filling explodes in the mouth, sell for up to €4 each at the refuge where they have been made and sold for over three decades. Their recent fame stems from food bloggers and influencers who have posted about eating the treats against the stunning mountain backdrop, tapping directly into emerging travel preferences for off-the-beaten path destinations, cultural immersion, nature, and gastronomy.

Francesco Abbruscato, president of the Veneto branch of the Italian Alpine Club, told Vita.it that social media sites like Instagram and TikTok are bringing an atypical kind of attention and tourist to the region, changing people’s relationship with the landscape.

@graces__adventures breakfast spot of dreams info + my top tips: location is Rifugio Friedrich August Krapfen donuts are €3 each and there are different toppings/fillings to choose from the 20min hike starts from Passo Sella, I’d start as early as poss as it gets busy (I got there at 7:30 and by the time I left at 8:30 there were queues) I slept overnight in my campervan at the carpark on Passo Sella and it was €50 – not cheap but amazing views car parking is €20 for the day unless you find a free layby further away and walk up if you want to make a big day of it, have breakfast and then do the Sassolungo Loop hike #dolomitesitaly #krapfen #soloadventures #solofemaletravel #dolomitesunesco ♬ son original – katdzhan3000

“The main problem is those who visit the mountains without knowing or respecting them,” Abbruscato said. “Until five or six years ago we did not witness overtourism in precise points or at certain moments in the Dolomites. Now there are iconic places where it is no longer possible to appreciate the beauty as we’re surrounded by dozens of people who take selfies and are only there for that.”

The Dolomites comprise a mountain range in the northern Italian Alps, including 18 peaks above 3,000 metres and inscribed by the UN as World Heritage among “the most beautiful mountain landscapes anywhere, with vertical walls, sheer cliffs and a high density of narrow, deep and long valleys.”

Attracting at least 10 million visitors a year, tourism in the Dolomites (and sports events such as the 2026 Olympics) represent a high threat for some areas the UN says, with the large number of visitors causing a “negative impact” on the alpine natural environment and the quality of life of residents.

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Those impacts are being felt at the Friedrich August. Despite the influx of paying customers, a worker there told local media the refuge team there does not like the “chaotic” situation. Meanwhile, Marco Bussone, president of the national union of mountain communities warned Fanpage news outlet that, “The mountains are not a playground.”

Mountain communities plagued by tourists after finding online fame include Vlkolínec, at the heart of Slovakia and the Carpathians, an idyllic hamlet of 43 dwellings whose residents are outnumbered 7000-to-one by visitors. Some have demanded the village be removed from UNESCO’s World Heritage list, to relieve the tourism pressure. Elsewhere in the Dolomites, a group of Italian farmers have imposed paying turnstiles on walking trails in what they termed a “cry for help” from authorities to manage tourist numbers.

L’article Trending Dolomites doughnut brings unwanted fame to rural mountain refuge est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Located in the hills near Lake Garda, outside Verona, the attraction is situated below the vineyards and not far from the world’s most famous and romantic balcony. It occupies a former nuclear bunker codenamed West Star, hinting at the Soviet Union’s five-pointed red star.

Spanning 13,000 square metres and connected by a kilometre-long network of tunnels, the underground complex was constructed between 1960 and 1966 near the town of Affi, at the height of the Cold War. It served as a key NATO command-and-control centre until 2004, coordinating military operations across southern Europe and hosting exercises.

The bunker was designed to withstand nuclear, chemical and biological attacks, and it has all the facilities needed to survive a nuclear war for a month. Its 100 rooms were designed to accommodate 300 personnel and were equipped with kitchens, water tanks, filtration systems and protected showers, as well as an infirmary.

In addition to the war room and communications centre, the complex featured a gym, a bar and a mechanics’ workshop. The latter contained everything one would expect in such a space, including erotic posters put up by the military staff, which will continue to work their “magic” on visitors as they will be left untouched. 

West Star was decommissioned in 2007 and ownership of the complex was transferred from Italy’s Ministry of Defence to the municipality of Affi in 2018. Plans to transform the site into a museum began to take shape in 2022, when a team of researchers from the University of Florence started to map it.

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The bunker’s history was investigated by researchers, who spoke to former employees who shared their experiences while West Star was still a military facility. They also digitised technical documents about the bunker’s construction.

The Italian parliament has now approved €7 million to transform the site into a museum by 2029, although part of it is expected to open to the public as early as next summer.

Once the work is complete, 70 to 80 per cent of the site will be accessible to visitors, including the original war room, infirmary, canteen and kitchen.

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Michelangelo Pivetta, the University of Florence architecture professor who led the research project, told the The Art Newspaper (TAN), the museum would offer “an opportunity to start speaking again about the Cold War – which is not spoken about enough today – in a historical sense.”

Beyond the military history, the museum will showcase some ingenious Cold War technology, including huge electricity generators and evaporation towers that collected humidity and recycled it into water. It will also display some of the most advanced computers of the ’60s and ’70s, such as Europe’s earliest ARPANET system, the pioneering computer network that preceded the modern internet, according to Pivetta.

Original maps will also be on display. “They are special because they don’t make them like that anymore. They tell the story of a world that no longer exists”, Pivetta added. 

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The site is expected to eventually attract 100,000 visitors a year. Marco Sega, the mayor of Affi, called the approval of the funding a historic moment for the community.  

“We now have a great responsibility: to make the best use of these resources and reopen the NATO base as soon as possible,” he said.

Besides West Star, Italy has a number of smaller Cold War museums. The Bunker Museum in Dobbiaco, in the far north of the country, is one of them. Opened in 2023, it was part of a network of bunkers that operated between 1951 and 1993 to counter a potential Soviet invasion.

Once open, West Star will add a very different attraction to a region better known for Lake Garda, Valpolicella wines and Verona’s Romeo and Juliet.

L’article Verona’s hidden Cold War bunker to become new tourist attraction est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

CCTV images show a Fiat Panda appearing to accelerate across the path of a Hawker Beechcraft 400A bearing the registration I-AERB as it moved from a stand, before coming to a halt after the contact. A person exited the vehicle immediately. The aircraft had been “in service for a handling company,” said a summary of the incident by the Aviation Safety Network.

According to Flightradar24, the 33-year-old jet is operated by the Italian air charter company Slam Lavori Aerei. Like the car, it is reported to have sustained considerable damage.

An airport spokesperson told press: “Airport emergency services responded immediately to inspect the aircraft and secure the apron, allowing normal flight operations to resume safely with minimal delay to passengers.”

Two planes due to land at the Milan hub had to be diverted as a result of the crash, while authorities undertook around half an hour of safety checks. The affected flights included an inbound KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport which had been due to touch down at midday but flew instead to nearby Malpensa before eventually landing in Linate at 1:29 pm. A domestic ITA flight arriving from Rome Fiumicino was also diverted to Bergamo, and arrived in Milan over an hour and a half late.

Despite the disruption, airport operations at Milan Linate have now been fully restored, and flights are operating normally at the time of writing.

Based on data from 2023, global loss-adjusting company McLarens has estimated that 64% of worldwide aviation incidents (excluding light aircraft) occurred on the ground, while an analysis by underwriters Global Aerospace found that “ground claims are becoming more prevalent” due to a combination of factors including workforce shortages, climate change and extreme weather events, increased passenger volume, congestion, and outdated infrastructure.

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In March 2026, a copilot and pilot of an Air Canada flight from Montreal to New York’s LaGuardia were killed in a collision with a fire engine which had been given permission by controllers to cross runways to reach an incident on a different arriving flight.

That incident came just a month after two KLM Boeings collided during a taxiing manoeuvre at Amsterdam Schiphol, with no injuries to passengers or crew. Also in February 2026, a disaster was narrowly avoided at Brussels Airport after a pilot attempted to take off from a taxiway and had to abort the operation, coming to a halt near a series of fuel storage tanks. No passengers were reported to be injured, but the aircraft was attended by emergency responders, police, and fire crews, and passengers had to wait several hours before being deplaned since no stairs were available.

Some aircraft are fitted with a Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS), a non-mandatory software that helps guide crew with ground manoeuvring. 

L’article Fiat Panda crashes into private jet at Milan Linate Airport est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Since 1958, Hotel Cipriani has occupied a special place on Venice’s Giudecca island, as founder Giuseppe Cipriani wanted it to be the city’s most private sanctuary. Over the years, the luxury hotel has attracted A-listers such as Julia Roberts, George Clooney and Sophia Loren.

Hotel Cipriani was purchased by Orient-Express Hotels in 1976, a company which later became known as Belmond. In 2019, Belmond was bought by French luxury conglomerate LVMH, which also happens to be the company behind Dior.

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“Christian Dior discovered Venice in the dazzling cultural revival of the 1950s, when the city once again became the stage for the world’s most spectacular celebrations. His Venetian story truly began with Le Bal du Siècle, the legendary masquerade hosted by Charles de Beistegui in 1951, a night of opulence, imagination, and artistic brilliance that marked Dior profoundly. From that moment on, Venice revealed itself to him as a place where beauty is not merely seen but performed. The palaces rising from the lagoon, the chandeliers glittering above grand ballrooms, the masks, brocades, and golden mosaics all formed a living theatre of elegance and enchantment,” Dior writes about the relationship between the brand’s founder and the city of Venice.

Since the summer of 2025, LVMH has been coupling the hospitality universe of Hotel Cipriani with the fashion world of Dior. The on-site Dioriviera pop-up boutique and Il Bacaro Dior bar first opened their doors last year, and thanks to their success, both have returned for a second season in 2026.

On 15 July 2026, a third Dior instalment has been launched at Hotel Cipriani: the Dior Spa. Designed by architect and interior designer Peter Marino, who was also in charge of the hotel’s integral refurbishment, the spa is the first of its kind in Venice.

Visitors now enter the spa via Hotel Cipriani’s Casanova Gardens and swimming pool area, adding to the idea of taking a break from everyday life. Inside, five treatment cabins and a Dior boutique feature a mix of natural materials, Venetian terrazzo, and 1950s glamour.

On the treatment menu, guests can find a number of classic Dior treatments such as the New Look, D–Tissue, Constellation, Kobi–Dior, Golden Aura, and Dior Powered by Hydrafacial. Moreover, three exclusive treatments were named after the love of Christian Dior for the Venetian masked balls: the Théâtre Corporel body treatment, the Mascarade facial, and the Grand Bal.

“In this city of fêtes and fantasy, Dior rediscovered everything he loved: craftsmanship elevated to art, the exuberance of celebration, and the irresistible power of dreams. Venice became his muse, a realm where fashion met spectacle, and every reflection on the water seemed to promise a new creation. For Christian Dior, Venice was never just a destination. It was a stage, a source of wonder, and a shimmering dialogue between heritage and imagination, an eternal invitation to celebrate beauty in all its forms,” Dior writes.

Prices for the spa are in line with the hotel’s luxury reputation. For example, the Théâtre Corporel will set customers back €650 for 90 minutes, while a 60-minute yoga lesson costs €250.

L’article Dior opens new spa at Venice’s Hotel Cipriani est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

For the “modest” sum of between €1.2 million and €1.4 million, you could become the proud owner of a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in the prestigious Villa La Gaeta, which overlooks one of Italy’s finest lakes.

The villa provided the spectacular setting for the final scene of the 2006 film, marking Daniel Craig’s debut as 007. After tracking down the mysterious Mr White, Bond shoots him in the leg before walking up the steps of the front porch and delivering the now iconic, “The name’s Bond. James Bond.”

Built in 1921, Villa La Gaeta was designed by the Coppedè brothers, Florentine architects and designers from a family of decorators and woodcarvers. The result is a blend of Gothic Revival and Art Nouveau styles, complete with a turret.

The apartment is not in the turreted main building seen in the film, but in the south-facing annexe, itself the original 19th-century villa on the estate. Spanning 121 square metres across two levels, it is sun-soaked and bright.

Upstairs, the living room opens onto a terrace and there is also a kitchen, a double bedroom and a bathroom. Downstairs there is a second double bedroom with its own en-suite, as well as an additional room that could be used as a study or dressing room, which opens directly onto the villa’s marina basin. One can only hope the bedrooms come with the enormous, immaculately made beds that seem to be another staple of the Bond universe.

@thisonesnice 2 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms | 121 sq m Villa "La Gaeta", Lake Como, Italy You know you want this already. Can you imagine the outfits you would wear here? You would probably have to treat yourself to an entirely new wardrobe for this life I reckon. The Italians don't play around when it comes to fashion after all. It goes without saying that you'll also need one of those old fashioned speed boats. The wooden ones with a little wind screen. You know the sort. And once you've got that sorted, you can get stuck in to the finest wines available to humanity and several metric tonnes of olives. Tell me you don't want that life. #lakecomo #jamesbond ♬ original sound – Tom Fitzgerald

In true Bond style, the property comes with two storage cellars, two parking spaces – enough to start an Aston Martin collection – and its own designated boat mooring. Owners also have access to the villa’s park, swimming pool and private beach, where they can take a dip in Lake Como.

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Glamorous surroundings, boats, fast cars, casinos and a hint of espionage are all integral to the world Fleming created, some of which has its roots in his own experience at another casino.

In 1941, while working for British Naval Intelligence, Ian Fleming stayed at the Hotel Palácio in Estoril, Portugal, and frequented the nearby casino. Wartime Estoril was a playground for spies from both Allied and Axis powers, and the intrigue Fleming encountered there, combined with his own adventures at the tables, is believed to have helped inspire the world of Casino Royale and its pivotal gambling scene.

So, you may not get a licence to kill for €1.2–1.4 million, but you can at least own a piece of Bond history.

L’article James Bond fans can now own a piece of Casino Royale history est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.

Airport operator SAC initially restricted inbound traffic before suspending all arrivals until 5:00 pm local time. The measure followed the closure of a section of airspace southwest of the volcano due to the presence of volcanic ash. Departing flights were not included in the suspension.

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“As the situation is significantly affecting operations, passengers are kindly advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before heading to the airport,” SAC said, adding that conditions were being continuously monitored and further measures would depend on the evolution of the eruption and weather conditions.

Dozens of flights operated by airlines including Ryanair, easyJet, ITA Airways and Wizz Air had been scheduled at Catania on Monday. Before arrivals were fully suspended, inbound traffic had been limited to a maximum of five landings per hour.

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The latest eruptive phase was continuing from vents at altitudes of around 2,750 metres and 2,360 metres, according to Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV). Several lava flows were feeding extensive lava fields, while volcanic ash represented the main concern for aviation.

INGV’s Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation remained at red, the highest aviation colour code, indicating an ongoing hazard to aircraft from volcanic emissions. Volcanic ash can pose a serious risk to aircraft by reducing visibility and potentially damaging engines and other components.

Catania is Sicily’s busiest airport and Italy’s fifth busiest by passenger traffic, making disruption caused by Mount Etna particularly significant during the summer travel season. Located on Sicily’s east coast, Etna is one of the world’s most active volcanoes and its eruptions have repeatedly affected flights serving the region.

@toni.palermo.unde #catania #etna #vulcano #eruption #sicily ♬ Hey You – Pink Floyd

The latest disruption comes just over a month after another eruption forced Catania Airport to suspend operations. On 6 July, all arriving and departing flights were halted after ash entered the airspace, leading to cancellations and diversions across Sicily. Travel Tomorrow reported at the time that around 130 flights had been cancelled and approximately 50 diverted, with Palermo, Comiso and Trapani among the airports receiving redirected aircraft.

Palermo Airport, on Sicily’s northwestern coast, appeared to be operating normally during Monday’s latest disruption.

Passengers travelling through Catania are advised to check directly with their airline before travelling to the airport, as flight schedules can change quickly depending on volcanic activity, the movement of the ash cloud and weather conditions.

L’article Mount Etna eruption disrupts Catania Airport flights again est apparu en premier sur Travel Tomorrow.