
Roberta Bianchi
Cultural & Design Specialist
Latest from Roberta Bianchi
20 Articles
Villa Adriana: Walking Through an Emperor’s Mind in Tivoli
Tivoli, at the gates of Rome, holds two true masterpieces, so the real question is never whether to visit, but where to begin. People can either associate Tivol

One Day in the Cotswolds: Choosing the Right Villages
Having limited time in the Cotswolds forces a very specific kind of decision-making. On paper, many villages sound interchangeable: warm-toned stone houses, pos

How to See the Phi Phi Islands Without (Completely) Losing Your Mind
The Phi Phi Islands are one of those places that live permanently in our collective imagination. Turquoise water, limestone cliffs, beaches so perfect they look

Star Wars Destinations in Europe: Skellig Michael, Ireland
Skellig Michael is, quite literally, a rock in the middle of the Atlantic. Nothing but ocean around, seabirds cutting through the wind, and the very real sensat

Two Weeks in the Azores: the Atlantic Rhythm of São Jorge and Terceira
I moved on for the final stretch of my two-week journey through the Azores, first to São Jorge and then to Terceira. As anticipated, it felt like stepping into

Iona Island: Crystal Waters, Stone Abbeys, and the Quiet End of Europe
I’ll admit it: I’m irresistibly drawn to solitary natural places of striking beauty, so I may be a little biased when I say that Iona, a tiny island in the Inne

Carsulae: The Roman City Nobody Knows About (and That’s Exactly the Point)
There are Roman ruins that come with ticket queues, audio guides, and a steady hum of background noise. And then there’s Carsulae—a place so quietly spectacular

Two Weeks in the Azores: Volcan-Lovers’ Dreams Faial and Pico
After several days immersed in the geothermal intensity of São Miguel, I headed west on my Azores journey. Faial and Pico, separated by just five miles of ocean

Skiing Beneath Piz Palù at Bernina Ski Resort, Italy
“I’m from the Piz Palü region,” the British officer explains, trying to justify his peculiar German accent in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds. The char

Drinks and Dinner at Opposite Ends, Hanoi Edition
Hanoi has a special talent for throwing you from one extreme into another without warning—and somehow making both feel perfectly normal. One minute you’re sitti

What to Expect When Visiting Highclere Castle, Downton Abbey’s Iconic Set
I visited Highclere Castle on a gray, overcast English day—the kind of sky that photographers complain about. Low clouds softened the outline of the house, the

Inside Thailand’s Most Beautiful House: Art, Silk, and Cultural Dialogue at Jim Thompson House
In Bangkok, Thailand’s vibrant capital, there’s certainly no shortage of attractions — from food-driven experiences to cultural landmarks — yet there is one des

Corfe Castle: Steam Trains, Stone Drama, and a Beautiful Hilltop Ruin
Corfe Castle clings to its hilltop like a bird’s nest made of stone, all angles and confidence, as if gravity were optional. You spot it from miles away while d

Star Wars Destinations in Italy: Reggia di Caserta
Italy has an almost unfair concentration of palaces, but Reggia di Caserta plays in a category of its own. Vast, theatrical, and unapologetically ambitious, it

Star Wars Destinations in Italy: Villa del Balbianello, Beauty Suspended on Lake Como
When in 2002 George Lucas chose Villa del Balbianello, on Lake Como, as the setting for a scene in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, framing the rom

The Town That Refuses to Disappear: Visiting Civita di Bagnoregio, Italy
In that part of Italy where every hilltop and every valley seems to hold a hidden wonder, there is a village as extraordinary as it is fragile. We are about 120

Why One Day in Val d’Orcia Is Never Enough
Spending just one day in Val d’Orcia feels both like a privilege and a small frustration, considering how much there is to see and do in this beautiful corner o

Skiathos: My One-Week Itinerary in Search of a Quintessential Greece
I chose Skiathos with a very specific idea of Greece in mind. I was looking for something quintessential Greek —clear water, recognizable beaches, strong Medite

Chesil Beach: Walking the Edge of Time on England’s Jurassic Coast
Chesil Beach is the heart of the Jurassic Coast, and without question my favorite place in this extraordinary corner of southern England. Here, the sea meets so

Crossing from Cambodia to Vietnam by Boat down the Mekong: a Cinematic Experience
If your travels in Southeast Asia ever take you from Cambodia to Vietnam, you have three options to cross the border: by plane, by car, or by the method that, f
