The Veil of Veronica

Did you know you can learn about The Veil of Veronica, its history and story

Learn More here: http://www.italy4real.com/VeilofVeronica

Rome's Teatro Dell'Opera releases 2013 opera season

Italy Trip Planning, Trip to Italy, Italy Travel Packages. Italy4Real has been planning great trips to Italy since 1995. Are you ready for a better travel experience? TEATRO DELLfOPERA DI ROMA PROGRAMMA STAGIONE 2012-2013 SIMON BOCCANEGRA Melodramma in un prologo e tre atti Libretto di Francesco Maria Piave e Arrigo Boito dal dramma di Antonio Garcia Gutierrez Musica di Giuseppe Verdi Direttore Riccardo Muti Regia Adrian Noble George Petean / Dario Solari, Maria Agresta / Eleonora Buratto, Dmitry Beloselskiy/ Riccardo Zanellato, Fabio Sartori, Dario Solari / Mario Caria, Riccardo Zanellato / Luca DallfAmico Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Scene Dante Ferretti Arredamento Francesca Lo Schiavo Costumi Maurizio Millenotti ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Nuovo allestimento Martedi 27 novembre, ore 19.00 (turno A) Giovedi 29 novembre, ore 20.00 (turno B) Sabato 1 dicembre, ore 18.00 (turno D) Martedi 4 dicembre, ore 20.00 (turno C) Giovedi 6 dicembre, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Domenica 9 dicembre, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 11 dicembre, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) DON CHISCIOTTE Balletto in un prologo e tre atti Musica di Ludwig Minkus Direttore Nir Kabaretti Coreografia di Marius Petipa e Alexander Gorsky ripresa da Mikhail Messerer Venus Villa / Alessandra Amato, Rolando Sarabia / Vito Mazzeo Scene Francesco Zito e Antonella Conte Costumi Francesco Zito ORCHESTRA E CORPO DI BALLO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Allestimento del Teatro dellfOpera Sabato 22 dicembre, ore 20.00 Domenica 23 dicembre, ore 16.30 Giovedi 27 dicembre, ore 20.00 Venerdi 28 dicembre, ore 20.00 Sabato 29 dicembre, ore 18.00 Domenica 30 dicembre, ore 16.30 Mercoledi 2 gennaio, ore 20.00 Giovedi 3 gennaio, ore 17.00 Venerdi 4 gennaio, ore 20.00 Sabato 5 gennaio, ore 18.00 IL NASO Opera in tre atti e un epilogo Libretto di Evgenij Zamjatin, Georgij Jonin, Aleksandr Preis e Dmitrij .ostakovi. tratto dalla novella di Nikolaj Gogolf Musica di Dmitrij .ostakovi. Direttore Alejo Perez Regia Peter Stein Paulo Szot, Alexander Teliga, Alexey Sulimov, Andrey Popov, Leonid Bomstein, Elena Galitskaya, Elena Zilio, Pavel Daniluk, Saverio Fiore, Andrey Borisenko, Mikhail Korobeynikov, Ruslan Rozyev, Pietro Picone Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Scene Ferdinand Wogerbauer Costumi Anna Maria Heinreich Coreografia Lia Tsolaki ORCHESTRA, CORO E CORPO DI BALLO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Allestimento dellfOpera di Zurigo In lingua originale con sovratitoli in italiano Domenica 27 gennaio, ore 20.00 (turno A) Martedi 29 gennaio, ore 20.00 (turno B) Giovedi 31 gennaio, ore 20.00 (turno C) Sabato 2 febbraio, ore 18.00 (turno D) Domenica 3 febbraio, ore 16.30 (turno E) GISELLE Balletto in due atti su soggetto di Theophile Gautier e Vernoy de Saint-Georges Musica di Adolphe Adam Direttore David Garforth Coreografia e messa in scena Patrice Bart da Jean Coralli e Jules Perrot Costumi Anna Anni Svetlana Zakharova / Gaia Straccamore, Friedemann Vogel / Giuseppe Schiavone ORCHESTRA E CORPO DI BALLO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Allestimento del Teatro dellfOpera Sabato 9 febbraio, ore 20.00 (turno A) Domenica 10 febbraio, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 12 febbraio, ore 20.00 (turno B) Mercoledi 13 febbraio, ore 20.00 (turno C) Giovedi 14 febbraio, ore 18.00 (turno D) I DUE FOSCARI Tragedia lirica in tre atti Libretto di Francesco Maria Piave Musica di Giuseppe Verdi Direttore Riccardo Muti Regia Werner Herzog Luca Salsi / Dario Solari, Francesco Meli, Tatiana Serjan / Csilla Boross, Luca DallfAmico, Antonello Ceron, Saverio Fiore Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Scene e Costumi Maurizio Balo ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Nuovo allestimento Mercoledi 6 marzo, ore 20.00 (turno A) Venerdi 8 marzo, ore 20.00 (turno B) Domenica 10 marzo, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 12 marzo, ore 20.00 (turno C) Giovedi 14 marzo, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Sabato 16 marzo, ore 18.00 (turno D) 19 e 21 marzo a San Pietroburgo in forma di concerto SAMSON ET DALILA Opera in tre atti Libretto di Ferdinand Lemaire Musica di Camille Saint-Saens Direttore Charles Dutoit Regia, Scene e Costumi Carlus Padrissa / La Fura dels Baus Olga Borodina / Ekaterina Semenchuk, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Elchin Azizov, Luca DallfAmico Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Nuovo allestimento In lingua originale con sovratitoli in italiano Venerdi 5 aprile, ore 20.00 (turno A) Domenica 7 aprile, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 9 aprile, ore 20.00 (turno B) Giovedi 11 aprile, ore 20.00 (turno C) Sabato 13 aprile, ore 18.00 (turno D) NOTES DE LA NUIT In the Night Musica di Frederic Chopin Coreografia di Jerome Robbins Quartetto Musica di Steve Reich e Philip Glass Coreografia di Francesco Nappa creazione Aria Tango Musica di Luis Bacalov Coreografia di Micha van Hoecke creazione Eleonora Abbagnato, Alessio Carbone Gaia Straccamore, Alessandra Amato, Roberta Paparella, Manuel Paruccini, Damiano Mongelli CORPO DI BALLO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Venerdi 12 aprile, ore 20.00 Domenica 14 aprile, ore 16.30 Martedi 16 aprile, ore 20.00 Mercoledi 17 aprile, ore 20.00 RIENZI LfULTIMO DEI TRIBUNI Opera tragica in cinque atti Libretto di Richard Wagner dal romanzo di Edward Bulwer Lytton Musica di Richard Wagner Direttore Stefan Soltesz Regia, Scene e Costumi Hugo de Ana Andreas Schager / Jason Collins, Manuela Uhl, Roman Astakhov, Angela Denoke / Chariklia Mavropulos, Ljubomir Puskaric, Stanislas de Barbeyrac Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Nuovo allestimento In lingua originale con sovratitoli in italiano Venerdi 10 maggio, ore 19.00 (turno A) Domenica 12 maggio, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 14 maggio, ore 19.00 (turno B) Giovedi 16 maggio, ore 19.00 (turno C) Sabato 18 maggio, ore 18.00 (turno D) LA SYLPHIDE Balletto in due atti Musica di Hermann Severin von Lovenskjold Direttore David Garforth Coreografia di Erik Bruhn da August Bournonville ripresa da Maina Gielgud Olesya Novikova / Gaia Straccamore, Leonid Sarafanov / Alessio Rezza ORCHESTRA E CORPO DI BALLO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Martedi 28 maggio, ore 20.00 (turno A) Mercoledi 29 maggio, ore 20.00 (turno B) Giovedi 30 maggio, ore 20.00 (turno C) Venerdi 31 maggio, ore 18.00 (turno D) Sabato 1 giugno, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 4 giugno, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Mercoledi 5 giugno, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) DON PASQUALE Opera comica in tre atti Libretto di Giovanni Ruffini Musica di Gaetano Donizetti Direttore Bruno Campanella Regia Ruggero Cappuccio Nicola Alaimo, Mario Cassi / Alessandro Luongo, Joel Prieto, Eleonora Buratto / Rosa Feola Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Scene Carlo Savi Costumi Carlo Poggioli ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Nuovo allestimento Martedi 18 giugno, ore 20.00 (turno A) Mercoledi 19 giugno, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Giovedi 20 giugno, ore 20.00 (turno B) Venerdi 21 giugno, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Sabato 22 giugno, ore 18.00 (turno D) domenica 23 giugno, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 25 giugno, ore 20.00 (turno C) BASILICA DI SANTA MARIA IN ARACOELI CURLEW RIVER A Parable for Church Perfomance Libretto di William Plomer adattato dal n.-drama medioevale giapponese Sumidagawa di Juro Motomasa Direttore James Conlon Regia Mario Martone Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Giovedi 27 giugno, ore 21.00 NABUCONODONOSOR Dramma lirico in quattro parti Libretto di Temistocle Solera Musica di Giuseppe Verdi Direttore Riccardo Muti Regia e Scene Jean-Paul Scarpitta Luca Salsi / Dario Solari, Francesco Meli, Riccardo Zanellato, Tatiana Serjan, Sonia Ganassi / Anna Malavasi, Luca DallfAmico, Saverio Fiore Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Costumi Maurizio Millenotti ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Allestimento del Teatro dellfOpera Martedi 16 luglio, ore 20.30 Giovedi 18 luglio, ore 20.30 Sabato 20 luglio, ore 20.30 Martedi 23 luglio, 20.00 29, 31 agosto, 1 settembre al Festival di Salisburgo in forma di concerto COPPELIA Balletto in due atti Libretto di Roland Petit Musica di Leo Delibes Direttore Koen Kessels Coreografia di Roland Petit ripresa da Luigi Bonino Luigi Bonino / Denis Ganio, Mathieu Ganio Scene e Costumi Ezio Frigerio ORCHESTRA E CORPO DI BALLO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA Sabato 28 settembre, ore 20.00 (turno A) Domenica 29 settembre, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 1 ottobre, ore 20.00 (turno B) Mercoledi 2 ottobre, ore 20.00 (turno C) Giovedi 3 ottobre, ore 17.00 (fuori abb.) Venerdi 4 ottobre, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Sabato 5 ottobre, ore 18.00 (turno D) Domenica 6 ottobre, ore 16.30 (fuori abb.) TURANDOT Dramma lirico in tre atti e cinque quadri Libretto di Giuseppe Adami e Renato Simoni dalla fiaba di Carlo Gozzi Musica di Giacomo Puccini Direttore Pinchas Steinberg Regia Garnett Bruce Evelyn Herlitzius / Marcello Giordani / Carmen Giannattasio, Mario Cassi, Saverio Fiore, Gianluca Floris Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Scene David Hockney Costumi Ian Falconer ORCHESTRA E CORPO DI BALLO DELLfOPERA Allestimento dellfOpera di San Francisco e della Lyric Opera di Chicago Mercoledi 23 ottobre, ore 20.00 (turno A) Giovedi 24 ottobre, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Venerdi 25 ottobre, ore 20.00 (turno B) Sabato 26 ottobre, ore 18.00 (turno D) Domenica 27 ottobre, ore 16.30 (turno E) Martedi 29 ottobre, ore 20.00 (turno C) Mercoledi 30 ottobre, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) Giovedi 31 ottobre, ore 20.00 (fuori abb.) TOURNEE 19, 21 marzo 2013 SAN PIETROBURGO Teatro Mikhailovskij ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA DI ROMA Direttore Riccardo Muti Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Giuseppe Verdi I DUE FOSCARI 29, 31 agosto, 1 settembre 2013 FESTIVAL DI SALISBURGO ORCHESTRA E CORO DEL TEATRO DELLfOPERA DI ROMA Direttore Riccardo Muti Maestro del Coro Roberto Gabbiani Giuseppe Verdi NABUCODONOSOR

Great photos of the Island of Capri in Italy, you can get ideas for a great Italy Travel Package

see more Italy Travel Packages and Italy Photography here: Italy Travel Photography http://www.italy4real.com/italy_photography Italy Travel Packages http://www.italy4real.com/all-italy-tours

Fine Art Photography of Italy

With over 20 years of traveling to and from Italy; Rem Malloy has compiled a collection of thousands of unique images of Italy that are suitable for framing in your home or office. See a sample of his collection. Visit the online Gallery

Weather Trends in Italy

Weather Trends in Italy When to visit Italy – Weather Trends – Italy’s Seasons Historically we recommend a trip from late April to Early October which is considered travel season for tourists. The summer months of July and August can be incredibly hot and many Italians take the month of August off from work to holiday at the beaches throughout the country. The further south you go the warmer the weather trends. Sicily can have lovely weather in the winter and it’s a great place to go during the off season. The experts at Italy 4 Real have come up with a basic monthly guide of weather and tourists load for the year. January and February are cold, wet or snowy. Tourism is very low, as are hotel and flight prices. March and April are rainy and still much chillier than visitors often expect. Tourism surges briefly during Easter week, seeing many traditional Catholic festivities, including pilgrimages. May and June are pleasantly warm throughout most of the country, attracting large amounts of tourists. Expect long lines and crowds, so consider booking a private guide or sightseeing tour to avoid lines. Reservations for hotels, train travel, and museum entrances are a must. July is about the same as May and June, with continued heat, prices, and lines August is likely the hottest month, especially in cities. Visiting in August can be challenging, because it is high season, but also the time many Italians leave work to go to the beaches. You will see signs chiuso per ferie ("closed for holiday") the week of Ferragosto, an important Italian holiday that falls on August 15. Attractions remain open in August, but often operating under limited hours. Reservations still highly recommended. September's climate is much better and the heat breaks about the first week of the month. Businesses re-open, Italians return to work from their August holidays, and there are fewer tourists than in prior summer months. October sees fewer tourists, low season prices, cooling temperatures and lovely fall landscapes - reasons, all, to make this month more attractive to visitors who can swing an off season vacation (more difficult if you have school-aged children). November in Italy is cold and virtually empty of tourists. Count on low season pricing. December is low season up until the period encompassing Christmas through the Feast of the Epiphany (January 6). As early as the week after Christmas, many Italians begin the popular settimana bianca, or "white week" of ski breaks, thus sending Alpine resorts into full swing. Christmas in Italy is an exciting, tradition-rich time to visit, worth considering for your second or third trip. Get your customized tour quote for any time of year with the experts at Italy 4 Real!

The 7 Hills of Rome, Italy

The 7 Hills of Rome Rome is the city of the 7 hills. Seven Hills, this is what we always read. Some of them are quite popular, others not so much: Capitol Hill, with Michelangelo’s Piazza (square) designed in 1537, where the second most important art collection in Romei is located, the wonderful Capitoline Museums (the first most important art collection is the Vatican Museums) Palatine Hill: it’s right by the Colosseum and the Roman Forum. The archeilogical ruins of the Imperial Palace are spread out here among beautiful pinecone trees. Celius Hill, worth an half day tour to the magnificent churches of St Clemen’s, St Gregory; St Giovanni e Paolo. Aventine Hill: today a quiet and rich residential neiborhood, one of the places where I would love to live, if I was millionaire… The best sunset in Rome is from the Giardino degli Aranci (Orange Garden), by the Church of Santa Sabina. So romantic… Esquiline Hill: the China Town of Rome is here, precisely around Piazza Vittorio. The Basilica of Saint Mary the Major with its unique Medieval mosaiques is on top of this hill. And also Michelangelo’s Moses is displayed in the Church of St Peter’s in Chains… Quirinal Hill: the highest hill of Rome, precisely 160 feet. Famous because of the Presiden’t House, the largest Palace of Italy (only 800 rooms…) Viminal Hill, the less popular one, with nothing interesting up there, apart from the Ministry of Interior… In reality the Hills of Rome are not seven, as we keep on reading in all the books. The Hills are precisely 18! Vatican Hill is the most famous one, where the Vatican Museums are located, and at the foot of which stands St Peter’s Basilica. Moreover the Pincio Hill, on top of the Spanish Steps; Gianicolo Hill, by Trastevere neibourhood. Italy4Real can help you plan your next Italy Travel Package to Rome so you can see our famous hills! http://www.italy4real.com

Italy Travel Video from my Trip to Italy to see Vatican City, St. Peters and the Vatican Museums

My last Italy Travel experience took me to Rome and to Vatican City. I took the HD Vatican video of the highlights of the Vatican Museums and Saint Peters Dome during my trip to Italy. my friends over at http://www.italy4real.com just loved it. I hope you do too.
 

Italy Travel Holiday Traditions in Italy

Track Santa this year and learn about the holiday season in Italy. http://www.italy4real.com/track_santa_holiday_in_italy The holiday season in Italy is a big deal! As you can imagine, the Italians really love their Christmas. Italians celebrate the holiday between December 24th and January 6th They also celebrate “Saturnalia” which is a winter solstice festival that goes until New Years Day when the Roman New Year known as “Calends” begins. For visitors to Italy during this time of the year, there are so many wonderful things to see and experience many weeks before Christmas Day. Festivities throughout the country begin in late November and continue into January. Some of the more notable celebrations in Italy are… In ROME during the holiday season there is a large Christmas market, nativity display and many large Christmas trees lit throughout the city. The biggest event is in Saint Peters Square in Vatican City where the midnight mass is given by the Pope inside St. Peters Basilica. On Christmas day at noon the Pope comes out onto his balcony to give his Christmas message. In NAPLES there is a huge celebration featuring Nativity Cribs and amazing nativity displays. In the homes of the Bay of Naples, families celebrate Christmas Eve with seven fish recipes. Eat up! In TORNIO they celebrate Christmas with professional lighting artists that travel to Torino from all over Europe to put up over 10 miles of lights! In MONTE INGINO they have a tree that won The World’s Tallest Christmas Tree in 1991. Each year they have a tree that is over 650 meters tall and has nearly 1000 lights. The star on top of the tree can be see from over 25 miles away! Haunkkah is celebrated in Italy as well. In Rome they have a wonderful part of the city near Campo dei Fiori. The area is a thriving Jewish community that celebrates the holiday with large, cantle lit Menorrah that is lit every night during the holiday period in Rome. Tracking Santa Starts Each December 24th at 12 Noon PST. Here is the link: NORAD SANTA TRACKER (http://www.noradsanta.org/en/)

BLACK FRIDAY ONLY

24 HOURS EXTENDED! Until Monday, Nov. 28th at 10:30 pm!

You must submit your request by 10:30 pm on Monday, November 28th, 2011

http://www.italy4real.com/black_friday_italy_travel

Black Friday Italy Travel Specials

BLACK FRIDAY ITALY TRAVEL DEALS ONLY UNTIL 10:30 PM, FRIDAY NOVEMBER 25TH, 2011

http://www.italy4real.com/black_friday_italy_travel

Italy Travel: Trip to Italy, Travel Packages, Italy Sightseeing, Escorted & Group Tours

Italy Travel: Trip to Italy, Travel Packages, Italy Sightseeing, Escorted & Group Tours

Italy Travel Video of Herculaneum

The Vatican, Sistine Chapel, St. Peters Square and the Vatican Museums are the major points to see when visiting Vatican City. http://www.italy4real.com can book NO LINE VATICAN TICKETS with or without guide.

The inside of the Vatican Museums is amazing and something each traveler to Rome should see.

Photo Tour of Bergamo, Italy

Bergamo is at the foothills of the Alps and an easy trip from Milan. The pros at http://www.italy4real.com can send you on an amazing vacation. send them an email at info@italy4real.com

Are you concerned about travel to Greece?

Are you concerned about travel to Greece because of their economic problems?


“ Strikes and demonstrations are a regular occurrence. Greece is a stable democracy and these activities for the most part are orderly and lawful ”
Bureau of Consular Affairs – U.S. Department of State, dated May 2011 Travel.state.gov


by Rem Malloy

Protests gone bad, tear gas, riot police are all images of Greece we have all seen on the evening news as the Greek government tries to bail itself out of debt.

Does the current economic situation in Greece make it a good time or a bad time to travel?

Travel to Greece is alive and well in 2011; and the savvy traveler knows that when a country is in economic distress, the luxury destinations, hotels, services and all things travel become big bargains.
While people protest; all for a good reason; they tend to do it around the government buildings in several square blocks of Athens and Thessaloniki. I would recommend checking with your hotels front desk to see if there are any issues when visiting Syntagma Square, also known as "Constitution Square” since it has the Parliament Building along one side of the square; and may be a hot spot for protests.


People who are protesting their governments, typically are not doing it at tourist spots; they tend to protest where the government offices are located.


What that means for you is a relatively normal sightseeing experience as long as you keep “see all the government buildings” off your must see list.


In 2011; Greece 4 Real sent a 12 family member group from Virginia to Athens and the Greek Islands Touring during the most turbulent times.


Their report was surprisingly positive…


TripAdvisor Review - Jun 28, 2011, 7:47 AM
“We used Italy 4 Real back in 2008 to schedule a trip to Italy for 8 people. They did a fabulous job; consequently, when I started planning out a trip to Greece in 2011 for 12 people, I immediately called Italy 4 Real. We worked with Rem Malloy and he was great. He was able to give me valuable advice as I worked to set our itinerary and the accommodations and activities he suggested couldn't have been better. Everyone on the trip absolutely loved our hotels, and the individuals at the hotels treated us like family. Rem also suggested we take a boat ride around Santorini with Captain George ---- which was a highlight for everyone. The transfers from the airports/hotels all made the trip so easy, which given the large size of our group was really important in keeping everyone happy. As we were leaving the Islands, everyone in our group kept telling me what a great job I did planning the trip, and I had to keep telling them that it was all Rem. When we plan our next trip to Europe, I will definitely call Italy 4 Real to see if they can help us plan that trip!!” Our TripAdvisor Page


As you can see no mention of riots, danger or chaos. One of the key factors in a successful Greek vacation is spending the most of your time Greek island hopping; where you spend just enough time in Athens to see the Acropolis and the Parthenon, the New Acropolis Museum and the Plaka which is full of winding streets; in and around the Acropolis. The Plaka is known for its boutique shops, local restaurants, and some great historic architecture.


Once you see the basics of Athens; get out to the islands. Protests are not going on in the Greek Islands; The locals on the islands are tending to their normal busines of catering to the tourists. Naxos , Paros and of course Santorini are strong bets that won’t disappoint . You can reach Santorini easily by air from Athens in just about an hour and be sipping Ouzo (an anise-flavored aperitif) overlooking the Aegean Sea while the locals in Athens hash out all the problems.


The Greek Islands are on sale; and you as the traveler should be looking at this opportunity like you would a 50% off sale at Macy’s .. so go out there and plan your Greek vacation now.

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THINKING OF TRAVELING TO EUROPE? NEW TRAVEL WEBSITE PUTS YOU IN CONTROL OF YOUR VACATION PLANNING

Pacific Northwest-based travel company Italy 4 Real’s new site provides improved navigation, direct access to maps, enhanced searching, and rich content

Visit the site now http://www.italy4real.com


SEATTLE – June 17, 2011 – Italy 4 Real, a Pacific Northwest-based travel company specializing in tours to Italy and Europe, today launched its new website at www.italy4real.com.The dramatically redesigned site embodies the company’s forward–thinking vision and commitment to the growing needs of its customers.



“With this new website, Italy 4 Real can provide memorable travel services to Italy as well as assist travelers in their research with our online Italy research material,” said Rem Malloy, president and co-founder at Italy 4 Real. “The site uses the latest security, advanced web technologies and social networking connectivity in an easy to use platform which is welcome in today’s mega site playing field.”



Out of a global total of 880 million tourists, Italy ranks fifth with more than 43 million visitors per year. The new Italy 4 Real website will allow the company to easily update its product line with the latest trends in travel to Italy while also streamlining operating costs.



The website is packed with useful information such as shopping advice, Venice sightseeing, trips to Tuscany, car rental in Italy and travel tips.



Registered users of italy4real.com will have exclusive subscriber-only access to maps, guidebooks, city guides, articles and more; all written by local experts and guides.



“The Italy 4 Real philosophy is to provide our customers with the most personalized travel experiences possible through research, local knowledge and the development of customized vacation packages and small group tours that appeal to a broad range of new and experienced travelers,” said Malloy.



From cooking classes to romantic boutique hotels and farmhouse stays, Italy 4 Real’s custom trip planning services provide travelers a wide array of unique trip packages and experiences.



About Italy 4 Real

Mother and son team, Deborah de Maio and Rem Malloy, launched Italy 4 Real in 1995 because they saw a need for a boutique tour operator that understood the hesitations and concerns of travelers going abroad. With extensive on-the-ground knowledge and understanding of culture differences, Italy 4 Real specializes in creating trips from beginning to end sending travelers on their way with the confidence and resources they need to travel solo. For more information, please call (425) 355-3711 or go to www.italy4real.com







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A day in Rome..

A great video of a day in rome.. let http://www.italy4real.com plan your next trip to Rome!

Ski Vacations Ski Holidays with Italy4Real

Plan a great ski vacation to Italy this year with one of the most attentive and professional companies out there for Italy ski vacations. One thing you must know about planning your Italy ski holiday is which area of Italy to go. Some of the best European ski prices can be found in Italy as well as some of the best skiing in Europe can be found in Italy.

Get a free quote on a trip to Italy here

Siena, Tuscany & San Gimignano by Italy4Real

The tour will begin with a beautiful excursion through the delightful hills of the Chianti countryside, with an ever-changing scenery of vineyards and olive trees. Upon arrival in Siena you will be guided through the old city centre. Walk along the small medieval streets, admire the splendid palaces and find yourself at the Cathedral where you can visit the splendid interior that includes the Libreria Piccolomini and the Museo dell'Opera Metropolitana. The guided tour will conclude in the Piazza del Campo, one of the world’s most famous and beautiful squares, there you will see the Palazzo del Comune. After the tour you will have free time to eat and refresh yourself before leaving for San Gimignano.
San Gimignano is situated on a hilltop, and has remained intact through the centuries. It is famous for its numerous towers, frescoes and other art treasures. You will have free time in order to explore this tiny yet extraordinary city. On your way back, don’t forget to behold the ancient medieval hamlet of Monteriggioni enclosed by its famous walls, which have remained intact since the thirteenth century.

Book online at http://www.italy4real.com

TRAVEL 4 REAL CEO MEETS WITH UNITED STATES SENATOR PATTY MURRAY IN EFFORT TO HELP WOMEN IN SMALL BUSINESSES CREATE JOBS

SEATTLE – March 24, 2011– Travel 4 Real CEO, Deborah de Maio joined a small group of select women small business owners as they talked with United States Senator Patty Murray concerning increasing access to the marketplace for women and minority owned businesses.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted in 2010 to pass legislation to boost lending for and provide targeted tax relief to small businesses. The legislation addresses the needs of small businesses with the Small Business Lending Fund Act and the Small Business Jobs Tax Relief Act.

These two bills, which are fully paid for, will now move together as one for consideration by the U.S. Senate.

“One issue in the past has been that large banks are only lending to larger businesses or ‘sure bets’ and are not looking at established small, women and minority owned businesses that have been impacted and need the funding,” explained de Maio.

“I have pressed the Small Business Administration to further its professional contacts with women and minority owned businesses, and I will continue to push the SBA to follow through on directives from Congress to help women and minority business owners have a fair shot at receiving government contracts,” said U.S. Senator Patty Murray recently.

The Small Business Lending Fund Act that was passed by President Obama in September, 2010 will increase lending to small businesses by creating a small business loan fund designed to boost lending to small businesses by providing additional capital to community banks with a requirement that the money be lent out and a penalty provision on those banks that do not make the loans. The fund will save taxpayers $1 billion over the next 10 years.



Travel 4 Real was awarded the Top 50 Diversity Owned Businesses in Washington in 2011 and the 2010 and 2011 Top 50 Woman Owned Businesses in Washington State by DiversityBusiness.com.

Business owners can access information on the program by visiting: http://www.sba.gov/ and Murray’s website, http://murray.senate.gov/public/

About Travel 4 Real
Mother and son team, Deborah de Maio and Rem Malloy, launched Travel 4 Real in 1995 because they saw a need for a boutique tour operator that understood the hesitations and concerns of travelers going abroad. With extensive on-the-ground knowledge and understanding of culture differences, Travel 4 Real specializes in creating trips from beginning to end sending travelers on their way with the confidence and resources they need to travel solo. For more information, please call (425) 355-3711 or go to www.travel4real.com www.italy4real.com

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