Travel Italy: Vacation Packages, Tips, Tours of Italy

The Holy Shroud will be exposed in Turin from April 10 through May 23, 2010.

The visits — reservations are required — to this rare public display of the Shroud can be booked by internet or by phone.
The tickets will be delivered by mail directly to your house.

Details on how to reserve, schedule and any other information you need about the Holy Shroud exhibition are available at sindone.org.

When: Apr 10 - May 23, 2010
Where: Turin (Duomo di San Giovanni)

The annual chocolate festival of Turin, “CioccolaTÒ“, will be held from February 22 until March 3, 2010.

Chocolate tasting as well as a number of cultural events and initiatives based on the theme of cocoa are to take place in the historic piazza Vittorio Veneto.
The Turin’s historic cafes host many of the events scheduled at CioccolaTÒ.

when: from Feb. 22 to Mar. 3, 2010 (annual)
where: Turin

A major annual International White Truffle Fair is taking place in Alba, Piedmont (Oct 3 - Nov 8, 2009).

This truffle festival includes a truffle market and a truffle fair (in the weekends), a truffle auction (Nov. 8), a historic festival and many other culinary and cultural events.

The truffle market, centered on the famous white truffle of Alba, (the Tuber Magnatum Pico, also so called “White diamond”), also features a whole host of truffle-related produce and excellent Piedmontese speciality foods.

This area — The Langhe, Piedmont — is well-known as one of the most appreciated destinations for wine and gourmet tours.

When: Oct. 3 - Nov. 8, 2009 (annual)
Where: Alba, Piedmont
For more info on Alba International White Truffle Fair, please visit http://www.fieradeltartufo.org/en/.

Turin offers visitors tours allowing the public to experience first-hand the making of exclusive objects.

This special series of tours, named “Thrill of Luxury“, offers visitors the chance to see, for example, scents being bottled, yachts being built and dresses being designed.

Top manufacturing companies open their doors to the public for the event.

The Thrill of Luxury tour series, held only on selected Fridays and Saturdays, is ending next week-end. Info can be found at Turin Tourist Board Website or contacting contact@turismotorino.org .

The “Palio di Asti” is more than just a famous historic race.
It’s a historic festival offering visitors also the chance to enjoy excellent wines and food in one of the most important wine-making areas in Italy.

Asti is a center as famous for its wines as it is for its fine food.
It is located in one of the most important areas for the white truffle hunting. So a trip there is the occasion for tasting truffle-based recipes and many other specialties that go hand in hand with centuries of history. A fine example is the “bagna caôda”, a rich sauce with anchovies, garlic and oil.

In the days preceding the race visitors may enjoy the historic district of Asti with visits to museums, medieval palaces, and antique shops as well as the many collateral and preparatory events such like the Palio of the Flag-wavers, the flea-market, the trials of owner-jockeys on the field.

One of the most fascinating part of the festival is the historic procession, taking place on Sunday a couple of hours prior to the race, with over twelve hundred characters wearing medieval costumes parading through the alleys of the town.

where: Asti (Piedmont)
when: September 18-20 (annual, third week-end of Sep.)
Festival’s details and programme at http://www.palio.asti.it .