visiting all the most important Sicilian buildings in more than two hours is an impossible task The island is the largest in the Mediterranean and its historical and art heritage are located in several spots scattered all across its many cities and towns you can admire the beauties of Sicily even in half an hour In Savoca (a medieval town in the province of Messina a theme park where the former bricklayer Giuseppe Lo Conti has realized a long-life dream He has done it thanks to his ability to knead lime cement and marble and turning them inyo miniature buildings of historical significance passing by the saltworks of Trapani and the Ursino Castle in Catania It is a cultural path created in more than 10,000 square metres in a farmland and it has no comparisons in Sicily considering that he is the guardian of a miniature art heritage of inestimable importance which has attracted several tourists and art lovers from all over the world for five years Kontiland is a park where you can admire history and beauty right from the entrance welcomes visitors to whom he explains how he has planned and imitated the masterpieces of Sicilian art beauties “I conceived it when I was 15 years old ‒ told Giuseppe ‒ when my intent of unifying the most prestigious buildings of the island in one place gradually blossomed but I’ve never thought to make it come true in few years” Giuseppe spent many years studying cadastral maps and photos visiting monuments to verify their correct measurement scale by which reproducing the buildings The long-desired project became reality in June 2017 when Kontiland gates opened to the public for the first time “I think that is has probably been the greatest emotion of my bricklayer career ‒ told Lo Conti ‒ It’s a feeling that I have always shared with my co-workers I built miniature buildings with my own hands in a one-hectare terraced land using their proper materials The 1:15 and 1:50 scale miniatures are located in the real geographic position within a Sicily reproduced in the park and bordered by a stone perimeter “I built the buildings of Val Demone Val d’Erice and Val di Noto over the years You can also admire the Ancient Theatre of Taormina The Saints Pietro and Paolo Abbey of Casalvecchio Siculo the Parthenon of Agrigento and the Ursino castle of Catania along the path” along the route you will find also the Ibleo Garden of Ragusa the Chiostro of San Giovanni degli Eremiti of Palermo and other art treasures of the island with their descriptions into Italian and English It is a brilliant and work-in-progress trip along the most beautiful Sicily which will be enriched by other works like the Scala of Santa Maria del Monte (Caltagirone) and the Castle of Ventimiglia in the coming months Italy confirms its blue status with 458 beaches awarded with the Blue Flag for 2023 and 17 new entries compared to last year The 37th edition of the programme that each year awards the world's best seaside resorts with the coveted Blue Flag has rewarded this year Italy with 17 new flags The award-winning seaside resorts are spread across the entire peninsula and include both sea and lake locations Despite its geographically disadvantaged position due to its distance from the sea Piedmont makes a good impression with five lake flags Two of these are new entries in 2023: Verbania defends itself more than well and even advances going from one to 3 flags thanks to Lake Garda The Blue Flags are all in the Brescia area with the reconfirmation of Gardone Riviera and the new entries of Sirmione and Toscolano Maderno Trentino-Alto Adige surprises with 10 flags (unchanged since 2022) for the environmental quality of its lake resorts The beaches of 7 lakes received the recognition: Lake Caldonazzo (with 4 beaches) and Lake Levico in Valsugana Lake Roncone and Lake Idro in the Chiese valley Lake Serraia and Lake delle Piazze on the Piné tableland Lignano Sabbiadoro - Friuli Venezia Giulia the situation remains unchanged compared to 2022 confirming two Blue Flags: Lignano Sabbiadoro in the province of Udine both awarded for the environmental and tourist quality of their coastal resorts Veneto Adriatic coast reconfirms last year's nine Blue Flags The award-winners are the lidos of the Venetian coast - Bibione Sottomarina - and two locations in Polesine - Rosolina and Porto Tolle - in the province of Rovigo The list of Blue Flag awards for Emilia-Romagna still includes 9 beaches but Cattolica leaves the list as the only Italian resort not reconfirmed for this year There is also no shortage of all those long sandy beaches that make Romagna famous: Cervia This year's recognition includes one more resort: Orbetello Castiglione della Pescaia and Grosseto stand out among the others Castagneto Carducci and Cecina were confirmed In Massa-Carrara both Massa and Carrara were awarded and in Marina di Pisa for the province of Pisa The award-winning beaches are well distributed throughout the region's coastal territory among all five provinces There are suggestive beaches starting from the province of Ancona on the Conero Coast with sandy beaches close to rocks and suggestive coves one of the most beautiful villages in Italy Two resorts in Molise have been awarded with the Blue Flag this year: Campomarino Lido and the new entry Termoli Both offer long sandy beaches and a wide range of activities and they are also particularly family-friendly 10 municipalities in Lazio have been awarded with the Blue Flag status for the beauty of their beaches reconfirming the same locations as last year the list includes Anzio and Trevignano Romano besides the city of Latina itself with its Latina Mare beach the best sea in Lazio is to be found along the south coast from the Pontine provinces to the coast of Campania.  with the confirmation of last year's 18 and the new entry of San Mauro Cilento Campania is therefore on the third step of the podium thanks mainly to the contribution of Cilento with 14 beaches including Castellabate Sorrento and Anacapri in Naples are also present Basilicata's Blue Flags are still 5 for 2023 The awards have been confirmed for the Maratea beach in the province of Potenza on the Tyrrhenian Sea and for four beaches in the province of Matera on the Ionian Sea: Metaponto lido in Bernalda In second place for the number of Blue Flags for 2023 in Italy Apulia boasts 22 locations and four new entries: Gallipoli the blue flags of Polignano a Mare and Monopoli are confirmed the 'bluest' sea is that of Salento with six municipalities in the province of Lecce where the famous 'Maldives of Salento' in Marina di Pescoluse are located known worldwide for its beautiful Mediterranean Sea 4 in the Ragusa area and one in the province of Agrigento In the province of Messina the beaches of Furci Siculo Spiaggia Lampare in Tusa and Acquacalda in Lipari are confirmed Ispica and Marina di Ragusa are in the province of Ragusa The most sought-after seaside destination in Italy confirms its 15 Blue Flags thanks to the crystal-clear waters and natural wonders of locations such as Quartu Sant'Elena Torregrande beach is awarded for the Oristano area The province of Sassari obtained the majority of flags with Castelsardo La Maddalena and Badesi could not be missing Subscribe to our weekly Newsletter dedicated to the Italian culture Check your email to confirm your subscription and receive special offers Top Attractions Colosseum Santa Maria Maggiore Vatican Museum Uffizi Gallery Pompeii Ruins Milan Cathedral Pantheon Vesuvius Florence Cathedral Sant'Angelo Castle Doge Palace Verona Arena Experiences Positano,Sorrento&Pompeii Tour Chianti Tour& San Gimignano Lake Como from Milan Romantic Sunset Boat Tour in Naples Capri Private Motorboat Tour Private Electric Cart Tour in Rome Abruzzo Basilicata Calabria Campania Emilia Romagna Friuli Venezia Giulia Lazio Liguria Lombardy Marche Molise Piedmont Apulia Sardinia Sicily Tuscany Trentino-Alto Adige Umbria Aosta Valley Veneto Italy like a local Hidden gems How to go to Attractions and Tours Unesco sites Latest news Best Tours and Experiences Art and culture Food and Flavours Best Places to Visit in Italy Places and Tours Exhibitions, events and shows History and Traditions About us Advertise with us Contact us Work with us .st1{fill-rule:evenodd;clip-rule:evenodd;fill:#2a2a2a}By Staten Island AdvanceMaria Scarcella died Monday in Staten Island University Hospital,in Ocean Breeze she moved to Rosebank in 1961 and settled in Dongan Hills in 2008 She earned her degree in elementary education from Ancelle Riparatrici College in Sicily and also received a bachelor's degree in Italian Studies in Elementary Education from the College of Staten Island Scarcella taught for about 20 years in both Italy and the United States She began her career teaching for two years at an elementary school in Ancelle Riparatrici she taught for nine years at the Staten Island Pre-School in New Dorp and simultaneously taught Italian classes part-time at the Garibaldi-Meucci Museum in Rosebank She taught Italian for a year at Our Lady Queen of Peace School in New Dorp and for five years at the Salvation Army Kiddie Klub Bi-Lingual Pre-School She also was a substitute Italian teacher for a brief time at St and was a college assistant/Italian tutor for a year at the College of Staten Island She then taught Italian to grades four through eight at St Joseph's Elementary School in Rosebank she worked for four years as a private Italian tutor and had also been an interpreter and translator Scarcella was a member of the College of Staten Island Italian Club and had served as a volunteer at CSI's International Festival She was a member of the Parent Involvement Club at St Joseph's Elementary School and often served as a class trip chaperone She enjoyed Italian cooking and her specialties were homemade pizza and zeppole She also was an avid fan of the "I Love Lucy" show on TV Scarcella had battled Parkinson's disease for the last four year of her life Scarcella cherished time spent with her family and friends She had especially loved taking leisurely walks along the beach with her husband She adored her husband and her children and she was proud of her children's accomplishments She loved being a teacher and a teacher of Italian and was especially fond of teaching Italian to her friends," said her daughter The funeral will be Monday from the Martin Hughes Funeral Home Use of and/or registration on any portion of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, (updated 8/1/2024) and acknowledgement of our Privacy Policy, and Your Privacy Choices and Rights (updated 1/1/2025) © 2025 Advance Local Media LLC. All rights reserved (About Us) The material on this site may not be reproduced except with the prior written permission of Advance Local Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site YouTube's privacy policy is available here and YouTube's terms of service is available here Ad Choices The Local Europe ABVästmannagatan 43113 25 StockholmSweden A total of 427 beaches across Italy have been awarded the internationally recognised and coveted bandiera blu (Blue Flag) status for 2022 That’s 11 more beaches than the 416 awarded last year The north-western coastal region of Liguria took the top spot for the number of best beaches again claiming 32 stretches of coastline of Blue Flag quality Beaches only get awarded this status if they meet excellent water quality and environmental standards, assigned by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) According to the latest edition of the list Italy is home to 10 percent of the Blue Flag beaches worldwide Having a clean sea or good water quality standards aren't enough to claim the recognition The criteria for achieving the Blue Flag status comprises 33 areas of environmental the presence of lifeguards and the cleanliness of changing facilities READ ALSO: Is Italy’s west or east coast the best place for a holiday? We looked at the regions with Blue Flag status across Italy you can find where to go for a beautiful and environmentally safe day by the sea Watch out for the specific beach with the classification as some municipalities have been known to put flags across the whole coastline rather than just on the stretch where the award applies READ ALSO: OPINION: How tourism could help save Italy’s coastline – instead of destroying it To find your nearest blue flag beach, you can search the interactive map here Please log in here to leave a comment A light magnitude 0.8 earthquake hit 35 km (21 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 0.6 km (0.4 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 0.9 earthquake hit 35 km (22 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 0.5 km (0.3 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 0.6 earthquake hit 34 km (21 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 0.4 km (0.2 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 0.7 earthquake hit 7.3 km (4.5 mi) away from Giarre, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 3.7 km (2.3 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 1.3 earthquake hit 43 km (26 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 13.9 km (9 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 1.1 earthquake hit 25 km (16 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 13.8 km (9 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 1.0 earthquake hit 11.4 km (7 mi) away from Biancavilla, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 5.2 km (3.2 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 1.2 earthquake hit 14.1 km (9 mi) away from Acireale, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 6.5 km (4 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 0.7 earthquake hit 28 km (17 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 2.8 km (1.7 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 1.7 earthquake hit 14.4 km (9 mi) away from Giarre, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 0.9 km (0.6 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 1.1 earthquake hit 9.4 km (5.8 mi) away from Giarre, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 5.9 km (3.7 mi) and was too small to be felt by people A light magnitude 0.7 earthquake hit 30 km (18 mi) away from Catania, Sicily,  Italy The quake had a very shallow depth of 3.2 km (2 mi) and was too small to be felt by people Switch to the dark mode that's kinder on your eyes at night time Switch to the light mode that's kinder on your eyes at day time 342 Italian Beaches can adorn themselves this year with the Blue Flag The blue flag that is the sign of cleanliness and user-friendliness That is 49 beaches and 11 municipalities more than in 2016 The Italian coasts thus continue a steady trend towards cleaner water and beaches better functioning sewage treatment plants and stricter controls appear to be bearing fruit This is evident from the annual survey of the FEE, the Foundation for Educational Environment. This is a Denmark-based organization with branches in 73 countries. The awarded by FEE Italia Blue Flag is an international recognition and is awarded annually in 49 countries with the support of the United Nations Environment and Tourism Organizations The choice is made on the basis of 32 factors the purity of the water – measured by the regional environmental agencies – and of the beach itself equipment (including the presence of toilets and rubbish bins) the northern and central regions came out on top The absolute winner is the region of Liguria There 27 municipalities on the map got the bolino blu Further south it looks a little less pure. Emilia Romagna has only six Adriatic municipalities that have been approved by the FEE. Rimini boasts two pristine beaches but around Rome this is much less the case Traditional seaside resorts such as Santa Severa and Santa Marinella do not get blue flag where you can be in a jiffy with a local train from the capital and that can usually be seen in the seawater Calabria and Sicily score poorly with only seven each bollini blu. Tourist centers like Cefalù and Taormina where the G7 will be held later this month the beautiful beach of Menfi near Agrigento does Remarkable are the 15 clean beach municipalities in Campania, of which no fewer than thirteen are in the province of Salerno. A sensible waste and environmental policy has been in place there for years. This makes it safe to swim in Sapri, Positano and Capaccio, in the shade the temple complex of Paestum but the FEE has also included the borders of the Italian lakes and thus comes to ten municipalities in Trentino with a total of twelve award-winning beaches Clean fresh water can also be found elsewhere in Italy For example on Lake Garda (Gardone Riviera) and Lake Maggiore (Canobbio) you can swim and sunbathe cleanly throughout Italy but it does not hurt to orient yourself in advance Here you will find the complete list of the cleanest Italian beaches (Pdf) Blue FlagFEEItalian Beachesclean beaches Historian who has lived in Italy for more than 30 years 20 of which as a journalist and 12 as a press and political officer at the Dutch embassy in Rome Has been working as a journalist again since May 2022 the gourmet group of the foreign press association in Rome This is Italy is a web magazine by and for Italy lovers learn the Italian language with free and paid courses be inspired by Italian cuisine and culture Here you will also find everything about Italian regions the landscape of Italy and the famous Italian lakes Read more >> © 2009-2025 This is Italy is published by DYC media