RomaPolacchi

San Pellegrino World's 50 Best Restaurants have been chosen and six restaurants in Italy have made the list. The restaurants are innovative, experimental, and break the bonds of tradition all the while being the most chic in the city and country. The Italian restaurant ranked highest on the list is Osteria Francescana in Modena with the Michelin-starred Ristorante Cracco in Milan not far behind. The famous Gambero Rosso in Livorno has made the list again. Combal.Zero in the Museum of Contemporary Art in Piedmont presents dishes that will surprise you in every way. Dal Pescatore in Mantua has one of Italy's most celebrated women chefs. La Calandre in Rubino is traditional and hearty and has a pastry shop and food shop that you can order from on-line! These restaurants are worth leaving the beaten track for-and not easy to get into. Make sure you call ahead.

Almost 550 years ago, the great painter Fra Angelico died and left a prolific body of paintings to the Renaissance world. These paintings have since been scattered to the four winds but the Capitoline Museum in Rome has gathered many of them together again for a special exhibition entitled Beato Angelico (The Blessed Angelico). On display will be triptychs, miniatures and even workshop pieces never before seen by the public. The exhibit runs through July 5th, so don't miss your chance to experience this early Renaissance artist's work.

National Geographic Traveler's list of 50 Tours of a Lifetime includes a biking tour of the Italian countryside. The Tuscany and Umbria Insider tour will take you to Cortona, Todi, Assisi and Siena -cycling all the while. And you'll have cooking lessons, chocolate-making demonstrations, wine-tastings and picnics along the way. Backroads hosts the trip and offers 100 hiking, backpacking and cycling trips throughout Italy, many of them family-friendly.

Right in the center of Capri town, just steps from the Funicular, is Da Georgio. A Caprese original, Da Giorgio has been serving fresh seafood and local treats since 1948. The view of the Bay of Naples is beyond comparison and the tomato, mozzarella and arugula pizza is to die for. Buon Gusto! Via Roma 34.

In a 14th century palazzo in the heart of Florence is Trattoria Garga . Colorful rooms, operatic atmosphere and a menu filled with fresh ingredients from Tuscany will inspire you to learn more about Florentine cooking-and you can spend a day at their cooking school (or enroll in an extended cooking tour of the region). It's a favorite of Gucci's Frida Giannini! Via del Moro 48.

Giada invites some of her family members to help her cook some of her favorite recipes from growing up in Rome . Giada and her aunt debate the finer points of pancetta and wine sauce in Bucatini all'Amatriciana while enjoying Fritto Misto with a lemon mayonnaise as they cook. The classic Roman dishes turn out superbly and the cooks have a great time. See more episodes from her new show on Saturdays at 1 pm and Mondays at 4:30 on the Food Network .

June 19th marks the beginning of the famous Verona Opera Festival . For 87 years, the city of Verona has been hosting some of the world's most famous operas in an ancient Roman arena. On the calendar this year are Carmen , Aida , Tosca and a special tribute to the famous tenor, Placido Domingo . Verona, the birthplace of the poet Catullus and the setting for Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, is the perfect venue for these spectacular shows. You may be so inspired that you'll want to run off and get married in the House of Juliet , which will soon be open for public marriages!

Italian pottery is famous for its unique designs and lively color combinations. Nowhere in Italy is the production of pottery more integral to the life of a community than in Caltagirone , Sicily . The hilltop town, not too far from Siracusa , is almost entirely devoted to ceramics. In fact, the streets are paved with pottery! Well, almost. The monumental staircase (142 steps) leading from the main piazza to the cathedral is covered with handmade ceramic tiles in every color and pattern imaginable. And there are dozens of pottery shops as you make your way to the top. It is truly one of the most charming sights of Sicily-and you can shop until you drop!

The 500th birthday of the 16th century architect Andrea Palladio recently took place and the city of Vicenza, his primary residence, celebrated with an exhibition of his architectural masterpieces . The exhibition has since closed, but the architect's buildings are still in Italy and should be visited. Palladio, who can truly be considered the first neo-classical architect, designed and constructed villas and palazzos all over the Veneto for Italian noblemen. Scores of them still stand today and are open to the public. See the Centro Internazionale di Studi Architettura (CISA) Andrea Palladio for a complete list of the sites , their locations, and how to visit them.

There is no doubt that the recent earthquake in Abruzzo was a disaster. But Silvio Berlusconi's response was swift and efficient, prompting hopes that Abruzzo's recovery will be possible. But past earthquakes in Italy have proven the country's government to be ineffective in keeping its promises and making sure that relief funds get to into the right hands. One of the reasons for this may be that Italy's government usually changes before anything serious can get done. Berlusconi's government is supposed to be in power for the next four years-hopefully that will be enough time to see some real results-and rebuilding in Abruzzo. Read more about it in the Economist .

Hard to believe it, but summer is almost here. And summer in Rome means the festival of Estate Romana -music, performances, exhibitions and special events all over the city from the beginning of June through the end of August and even into September. Already on the calendar are Lenny Kravitz (June 5), The Killers (July 14), and opera performances in the Baths of Caracalla ( Carmen and Tosca !). The official calendar has not yet been published, but check out some of the preliminary engagements at romeguide.it (you can purchase tickets there too). Stay tuned for the official Estate Romana 2009 calendar and all the exciting details!

See the New York Times Travel Q&A section for some great Italian cooking school ideas . Check out cooking schools in Sorrento, Bologna, Sicily and Tuscany. Some of the schools even offer accommodations in nearby villas!

Reasonable hotels in Italy abound. Nice hotels in Italy are also numerous. But finding a reasonably priced nice hotel in Italy is pretty rare, especially when you are in Florence . The Hotel Albani is one of those uncommon finds-an elegantly decorated, spacious hotel with excellent service at a great price. It's located just steps from Florence's open-air market and Piazza Santa Maria Novella. It even has its own courtyards and gardens for strolling and relaxing. The proprietors are very accommodating and the European breakfast is fantastic. And if walking all day in Florence isn't enough, there's also a fitness room. Doubles start at 110 Euros in April, a real bargain for Florence. Via Fiume, 12.

Travel and Leisure recently featured a walking tour website that will customize a day of sightseeing and eating in Rome for you. WalksInsideRome.com will take you to the open-air markets, bakeries, pizzerias and wine bars to sample the culinary delights of Rome-and see how the Romans make them. WalksInsideRome has dozens of customizable private and semi-private tours for art and antiquities connoisseurs, fans of opera, Angels and Demons and La Dolce Vita , and special itineraries designed for kids. The tours are not cheap, but take it from me-having a guided tour of Rome is always worth it. You will never regret a penny spent on your own private Rome. If you like the tours of Rome, they also offer guided walks in Venice , Florence , Trieste and Friuli .

National Geographic is hosting a free concert in Piazza del Popolo tomorrow in honor of Earth Day. Ben Harper and the Relentless 7 will be rocking out in Rome at 8 p.m. You can watch the concert online on National Geographic's World Music site from 2-6 p.m. EST. If you are in Rome tomorrow, be sure to take advantage of the chance to see this great singer in an even greater venue!

Want to rent a vacation villa in Tuscany? What about an apartment in Rome? The logistics can be overwhelming and the choices are too numerous to count. But there's no question that when you are traveling with family or a group, private residences are the more affordable and authentic way to travel. Your Own Private Tuscany can help you figure out where to go, agencies to use, how to rent a car and shop in family-run stores for your superb home-cooked Italian meals. See the website for more details on how this book can help you plan your perfect vacation.

Admit it-you have always dreamed of getting married in a villa in Tuscany . Who hasn't? Well, you can make that dream come true. Go to GettingMarriedInItaly.com and the Italian wedding of a lifetime can be yours. The website will take care of the Italian bureaucracy, the venue, the flowers, the music, the food (yum) and will help your guests with accommodations. They have resources for every region in Italy, so if you want a vineyard in Umbria or an ancient chapel on the Amalfi Coast , you can have it. The website has tons of great ideas and photos to inspire you. It makes me want to get married all over again!

Recent interviews with Silvia Fendi in Elle and Valentino Garavani in Departures detail the designers' favorite places to eat and shop. On both of their lists was Trattoria Al Moro near the Trevi Fountain in Rome . Established in 1929, it has long been the favorite of Rome's literary, cinematic and fashionable crowd. Valentino recommends the pasta carbonara and of course you must have the Roman traditional antipasto, fried artichokes. Vicolo delle Bollette, 13.

April 18-April 26 is Settimana della Cultura (Italian Culture Week) and all state museums in Italy are free of admission! That means countless museums, palazzi, villas and cultural sites will be open to the public and many venues that are normally closed will have special tours, showings and performances. See beniculturali.it for an extensive list of events by region (only in Italian). Diverti te !

See Kate Appleton's "First Report" upon her return from Rome. Many Budget Travel readers asked questions about lodging, transport, and dining. Her answers are here, along with many readers' comments. Read all about her pasta all'amatriciana at Da Augusto in Trastevere -a simple but real Roman experience.

Bon Appetit interviewed television star and self-proclaimed foodie Mariska Hargitay about her favorite meals. At the top of her list was a simple meal of caprese salad and seafood at La Conca del Sogno in the little hamlet of Nerano near Positano. To quote Ms. Hargitay: "I took a bite of tomato and suddenly I was eating Italy." The family-owned restaurant is on the beach and has gorgeous views of the sea and nearby islands. It's the perfect spot for a leisurely lunch. Via San Marciano, 9.