Welcome to Italy

The lure of Italy is strong: centuries of great culture and art; timeless beauty in the ancient cities and countryside; a warm, generous people; a wonderful sense of style and fashion; spectacular food and a certain joy in living the good life. Many simply called the Italian way of life La Dolce Vita, or the “sweet life.” But like a fine Italian wine, La Dolce Vita must be absorbed slowly, over time! A Season Away’s goal is to make you feel like a local not a tourist on your extended holiday and there is no place like Italy to make this happen!

Tuscany

What is it about Tuscany that keeps drawing us back, season–after-season? Is it the exquisite cities filled to Renaissance art? Perhaps it’s the simple preparation of farm-fresh food and world-class wines that are the lure. Of course we don’t want to forget the fashion forward clothing designs and shopping and the spectacular pastoral scenery. But at its core the main draw is probably the friendliness of the Tuscan people, the infectious passion of their part of the world and their love of life in general, La Dolce Vita.

Chianti

Chianti

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Lucca

Lucca

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Florence

Florence

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Cortona

Cortona

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Southern Tuscany

Southern Tuscany

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Lakes District

Most visitors to the Italian Lakes report their heart skips a beat when they see the magnificence of the different lakes bordered by the majestic Italian and Swiss Alps. These rugged mountains shelter the lakes against cold winter winds to create a mild climate almost year-round. Lake Como is stylish, Lake Maggiore is relaxed, and Lake Orta is romantic and unknown by most tourists, making it a wonderful region for A Season Away: The sophistication and fashion of Milan is close by; Lugano and Switzerland is just over the ridge and even swanky St. Moritz is a possible lunch spot from parts of Lake Como.

Lake Como

Lake Como

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Lake Maggiore

Lake Maggiore

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Bellagio

Bellagio

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Southern Italy

There is a saying that if you like Italy as far south as Rome, then keep going further south. It gets better. The Campania region is in many ways the most eerie, memorable and beautiful region of Italy. Though mostly made of rocky limestone, it nonetheless boasts crowded Naples, historic and tragic Pompeii and Herculaneum, beautiful bays, idyllic Sorrento, the island of Capri and the spectacular seaside drive to perched villages of Positano, Amalfi, Ravello and more along the Amalfi Coast.

Amalfi

Amalfi

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Umbria

Umbria is known as Italy’s “green heart” for good reason; it is a rich agricultural area to the east of Tuscany. Though not as famous as Tuscany, Umbria offers stunning landscapes and many smaller towns that are not overrun with tourists, giving the area an unhurried and honest feel to it. Called Tuscany without the crowds, it’s slower pace is a perfect antidote to a hectic pace back home. Though Umbria is about 2 hours from Rome or Florence, be sure to uncover Perugia, Assisi, Gubbio, Todi, Deruta (world-class ceramics), Spoleto (famous music festival), Orvieto, Montefalco, Lake Trasimeno among others. Umbria is a hidden gem!

Orvieto-Todi

Orvieto-Todi

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