Italy Archives ⋆ The Passenger

July 17, 2026July 17, 2026

India or Italy?

Our journey did not begin in Italy, at least not in spirit. It was meant to take us far beyond Europe, across continents, towards Sri Lanka via India – a trip we had carefully planned and eagerly anticipated. Yet, as so often happens in travel, events beyond our control intervened. Air India abruptly cancelled our return flight to Europe, citing kerosene shortages and price surges linked to escalating geopolitical tensions following Donald Trump’s confrontation with Iran. The airline’s decision was shrewd: by cancelling only the return leg into the EU, they avoided compensation obligations, while effectively forcing us to abandon the entire itinerary.

July 11, 2026July 11, 2026

Three languages

Alto Adige, or South Tyrol, is a fascinating region where languages and cultures overlap in a way that feels both Alpine and distinctly Mediterranean. Three languages are officially recognised: German, Italian, and Ladin. German is by far the most widely spoken in everyday life, especially in towns and rural areas, while Italian tends to dominate in the larger cities such as Bolzano. Ladin, a Rhaeto-Romance language, survives in a few Dolomite valleys and adds another layer to the region’s cultural richness.

January 4, 2026January 5, 2026

Lavorare a Milano

Last year my employer introduced a scheme that allows me to work twenty days mostly anywhere in the world. Something which feels like being made for me, but I decided to try it out first in an easy location and at a time when workload isn’t soaring high. That’s why I decided to work the week after Christmas at Milano, a city I had only briefly explored so far. It also gave me the chance to finally see the L’Ultima Cena (I always failed to get tickets) and the chance to explore the surroundings, including Bergamo, Brescia, Torino and a long-awaited return to Como.

January 4, 2026

Linate

Aeroporto di Milano Linate Enrico Forlanini (LIN) is one of the three major airports serving the Milano metropolitan area, alongside Malpensa (MXP) and Bergamo Orio al Serio (BGY, far away from the city). Located just about seven kilometres east of the city centre of Milano, Linate primarily handles domestic and short-haul European flights, making it the most convenient option for travellers heading directly into Milano. Its proximity to the city allows for a quick transfer – usually less than half an hour – which has long appealed to business passengers and locals alike. Despite its compact layout compared to Malpensa, Linate is known for its efficiency, modern facilities, and rather civilised atmosphere, balancing practicality with understated Italian elegance.

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026

Brunate

The Funicolare Como-Brunate is one of those engineering marvels that beautifully blends practical transportation with scenic delight. Opened in 1894, it was conceived as a way to connect the bustling lakeside city of Como with the hillside village of Brunate, perched some 700 metres above. Initially powered by steam and later electrified, the funicular became a symbol of 19th-century ingenuity, offering both locals and visitors a reliable and fascinating ascent up the steep incline. Its red carriages, gently swaying as they climb, feel like a journey back through time – a reminder of how elegantly the past solved challenges of geography.

January 3, 2026January 3, 2026

L’Ultima Cena

The church of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milano is one of the finest examples of Renaissance architecture in northern Italy. Built initially for the Dominican order during the late 15th century, it occupies a quiet corner of the Corso Magenta district, offering a striking contrast to the city’s modern elegance. Its brick façade, modelled in the Lombard Gothic style, conceals a luminous interior remodelled under the patronage of Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan, who sought to turn this monastery into both a religious house and a dynastic mausoleum. Donato Bramante, one of the early masters of the High Renaissance, transformed the apse into a harmonious ensemble of light, colour, and proportion that typifies the transition from Gothic to humanist design.

January 2, 2026January 2, 2026

Pinacoteca di Brera

The Pinacoteca di Brera stands as one of Milano’s great cultural treasures, housed in a former Jesuit college that became a key site in the city’s artistic and intellectual life. Its origins trace back to the late 18th century, during the Napoleonic era, when artworks confiscated from churches and noble collections across northern Italy were brought together to form a public gallery. This was part of a broader Enlightenment vision, seeking to make art accessible to citizens and scholars. Over time, the collection grew under the direction of major curators and benefactors, transforming Brera into the artistic heart of Milano.

January 1, 2026January 1, 2026

Torino

The city of Torino, or Turin in German and English, lies elegantly at the foot of the Alps where the Po river flows through the wide plains of northern Italy. It was the first capital of unified Italy in the 19th century and long before that, the seat of the powerful House of Savoy. The city carries itself with a regal grace, visible in its Baroque palaces, arcaded boulevards, and grand piazzas that reflect both French and Italian influences. Its grid-like street layout, unusual for an Italian city, owes much to 17th-century urban planning, which lends Torino a sense of order and grandeur reminiscent of Paris rather than Roma.

January 1, 2026January 1, 2026

Automobile

The Museo Nazionale dell’Automobile in Torino is one of Italy’s most fascinating and thoughtfully curated museums, offering a deep dive into the evolution of the car as both a technological marvel and a cultural symbol. Founded in 1932 by Carlo Biscaretti di Ruffia, a passionate pioneer of Italian motoring culture, it stands as one of the world’s oldest automobile museums. The building itself, redesigned in the early 21st century, presents an elegant, modern structure along the river Po. Its architecture mirrors the spirit of the exhibits within – combining history, innovation, and motion into a seamless narrative that reflects Torino’s enduring connection to the automobile industry.

January 1, 2026January 1, 2026

Museo Egizio

The Museo Egizio in Torino ranks among the most remarkable collections of Egyptian antiquities outside of Egypt itself. It was founded in the early 19th century, stemming from the Savoy family’s fascination with the ancient world and their patronage of archaeological study. Over time, it grew under the direction of notable Egyptologists such as Ernesto Schiaparelli, whose early 20th-century expeditions brought back an extraordinary wealth of artefacts. The museum’s link to the intellectual and collecting culture of Enlightenment Europe, alongside its pioneering role in Egyptology, gives it a distinctly historical depth that few other museums can match.