Lifestyle in Italy

Late October in Italy can feel quietly different.

There is one record that none of Italy’s more than 7,800 municipalities can match. The Italian municipality with the longest name is San Valentino in Abruzzo Citeriore, a small hill village in the province of Pescara. Its name contains 34 characters, including spaces.

Living with other people works best when there are a few clear rules, agreed together and put in writing. A cleaning rota, transparent shared costs, respect for personal space and quiet hours are the foundations of a harmonious shared home. Living with friends, strangers or fellow students involves a mix of contractual obligations and common sense. These are the main housemate rules to keep in mind.

If you’re looking for things to do this Halloween in Italy, 2026 brings witchy festivals in medieval villages, grand-villa masquerades, lantern-lit ghost walks and plenty of costume parties. Halloween falls on Saturday, 31 October, followed by All Saints’ Day on Sunday, 1 November.

A barrel cellar carved into rock 50 metres underground, a dome resembling a shell, a “Grape” overlooking the vine rows, and a pop-art façade shaped like two stacked wine crates. With the grape harvest behind them and vineyards turning autumnal shades, these wineries provide a full experience of design, scenery and wine tasting.

Many people see monumental cemeteries as museums in their own right. Tree-lined avenues, marble sculptures and the tombs of notable figures tell the story, art and sensibilities of entire cities. For anyone looking for an unusual cultural destination, Italy’s most beautiful monumental cemeteries include Staglieno in Genoa, Verano in Rome, and the Certosa in Bologna. Pick one and pay the cemetery a visit during Halloween.

Puglia has become Italy’s most sought-after destination for those looking for a luxury home overlooking the Mediterranean. Restored historic masserie with high-quality finishes, villas with infinity pools among centuries-old olive trees, and trulli converted into exclusive homes: Puglia’s high-end property market has seen growth. What sets the region apart is its combination of dramatic coastal scenery, well-preserved towns and villages, a food culture that needs little introduction, and a climate that stretches the usable season well into mid-October.

Italy is often associated with well-kept, lived-in villages, but there is another side to the country: places emptied of their residents and seemingly frozen on the day they were left behind. There are more than a thousand abandoned villages across Italy.

In the Ampezzo Dolomites, there's a body of water that appears mint-colored, a milky blue that surprises even those who've seen it a thousand times in photos. It's Lake Sorapis, one of the most photographed glacial basins in the Veneto region, suspended just below 2,000 metres and enclosed in an amphitheatre of bare rock faces. Its colour isn't an illusion: it's the result of suspended mineral dust that uniquely refracts light.

Italy’s late-autumn sweets have far deeper roots than costume parties and pumpkin carving.

Italy is one of the countries with the world’s richest cultural and natural heritage, with 62 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.Its art cities and natural settings tell stories of centuries of history, traditions and biodiversity.

Halloween may be increasingly visible in Italian shops, schools and city nightlife, but the country’s most meaningful dates at the start of November fall just afterwards. All Saints’ Day, or Ognissanti, is celebrated on 1 November, followed by All Souls’ Day on 2 November, known as the Commemor

Halloween brings to mind Ireland and Scottish castles, but Italy also offers settings that make you accelerate your pace after dark. Between the Alps, the Apennines, and the South, there are manors, ruins, and abandoned villages where official history has fueled centuries-old folk tales. The key is to distinguish: the apparitions are folklore; the stones, however, are real and can be visited. This is where the charm lies: you can enter frescoed courtyards, walk along crenellated walkways, pause in deserted squares, and let memory do the rest.

Some places leave an impression before the curtain has even risen. They are buildings where architecture, history and music come together in something unforgettable: spaces designed to lift the spirit and stay in the memory. The great opera houses are living monuments to human culture, holding legendary premières and bearing witness to centuries of artistic life. Europe, the Americas, Australia and Asia each have at least one theatre that could contend for the title of the world’s most important. But which are the 10 most important theatres in the world?

Alba, with its International Truffle Fair, Vigasio, with the Polenta Fair, and Castelfranco di Sotto, with its Porcino Mushroom Festival, are among the places that have seen an increase in Airbnb searches compared with last year. It reflects growing interest in these autumn food events, which a

In a former quarry in Naples, thousands of anonymous skulls and bones sit in the cool half-light of a vast chamber carved from volcanic rock. Cimitero delle Fontanelle can look unsettling at first glance, particularly around Halloween, but its real story is one of care rather than fear.For gene

The Serio Falls are a sight you don't always see: they're seen at full flow only five times a year, for just half an hour, when the upstream dam opens its gates. Located in Valbondione, in the Upper Seriana Valley, they can only be reached on foot. Their triple drop of 315 meters makes them among the highest waterfalls in Italy.

Halloween in Italy has little in common with the usual costume-party template.

Travel is changing pace. Rather than rushing between must-see stops, many trips now leave room to breathe. Wellbeing is setting the rhythm and reshaping what matters most during a break. Against this backdrop, Italy has been named World’s Best Spa Destination 2026 at the World Spa Awards, while one place in the Dolomites has received the World’s Best Resort Spa 2026 title. The two awards point to a wider shift. Wellness is no longer simply an extra service at a hotel. It has become a reason to plan a trip, influencing the way a restorative break is organised and experienced.

The image of Etna puffing away reminds us of how vibrant Italy's subsoil is. But the surprise lies in the numbers: there are around seventy volcanoes across the peninsula and its islands, and many can be reached on foot. Not all, however, are within hiking distance: some lie at prohibitive depths, others have appeared and disappeared in the space of a few weeks, leaving behind disputes and legends.

Chestnut festivals take place throughout Italy from early October to mid-November, from the Trentino Alps to Sicily. The most anticipated events are in Castel del Rio, Marradi, and Soriano nel Cimino (all in October), Centa San Nicolò and Aritzo (late October), and Montella (between late October and November). Here's where to find the most popular Chestnut Festivals in Italy in 2026.

Halloween in Italy in 2026 lands over a long weekend, with 31 October followed by Ognissanti on 1 November and All Souls’ Day on 2 November.

Every year, between late October and early November, the avenues of Italian cemeteries fill with flowers, vases of chrysanthemums, and small lights. Yet the day dedicated to the deceased falls on November 2nd, while the lines at the gates almost always form the day before. So, why do we go to the cemetery on November 1st?

From restless ghosts to tragic love stories and dank dungeons, the most beautiful castles to visit for Halloween in Italy undoubtedly include the Castles of the Duchy between Parma and Piacenza, Montebello Castle with the legend of Azzurrina, the Gradara Fortress of Paolo and Francesca, the Lonato del Garda Fortress, and the San Giorgio Canavese Castle. Some are perfect for children, others are designed for those seeking a spooky experience.

With a millennia-old tradition and one of Europe’s largest thermal spa heritages, Italy is particularly appealing at this time of year, as temperatures drop and the countryside turns autumnal. San Pellegrino thermal baths, the free pools at Bagni San Filippo in Tuscany and elegant resorts combining history with modern facilities all provide very different experiences.