In the vanguard of world tourism, Italy is always changing but, like the city of Rome itself, the country remains eternal. Here are some of the latest developments.
Emilia-Romagna
Two restaurants in Bologna, the gastronomic capital of the region, are so old they're new again. Local food critics are hailing the re-emergence of De Cesari, Via de' Carbonesi 8 (tel. 051-237710), which has actually been on the scene since 1956. Those in the know say the trattoria is better than ever, as Bolognese flock here once again to sample the old-fashioned dishes that put Bologna on the culinary map in the first place. The same case could also be made for the newly rediscovered Rostaria Antico Brunetti, Via Caduti di Cefaloni (tel. 051-234441), off the landmark Piazza Maggiore. In business since 1873, the owners claim, "We've survived two world wars and nouvelle cuisine, and now diners are flocking back to traditional favorites."
Florence
Since all the grande dame hotels of Florence have long ago opened in restored palazzo, the media search today is for little-known or relatively undiscovered small pensiones or little hotels. Recently discovered is the Pensione Maria Luisa de' Medici, Via del Corso (tel. 055-280048), which escapes from the drabness of most pensiones with the likes of bedrooms graced with frescoed portraits of the various Medici. A family has restored Hotel Annabella, Via Fiume 17 (tel. 055-281877; www.hotelannabella.it ), near Santa Maria Novella rail station, and welcomes guests into their comfortably and nicely furnished 20th-century palazzo.
Diners get some of the best food and the friendliest welcome from Prince Dimitri Kunz d'Asburgo Lorena, at his La Giostra, Borgo Pinto 12R (tel. 055-281877). The Austro-Hungarian Empire lives on at this citadel of fine Tuscan cuisine served in a setting of old-world charm. A young chef on the rise, Francesco Berardinelli, used to cook at new York's swank Le Cirque, but today he's back in Florence with his superb Mediterranean and international cuisine at Beccofino, Piazza degli Scarlatti (tel. 055-290076). Such magazines as Wine Spectator have predicted that Berardinelli is "going to the top of the cooking world," and we concur.
Italian Riviera
In the chic resort of Rapallo, Excelsior Palace, Via San Michele di Pagana 8 (tel. 0185-230666), is reigning once again as the queen of the Italian Riviera. Rapallo's most historic and elegant hotel, once the stamping ground of world celebrities, but forced to close in 1974, is fully and beautifully restored to receive the high-rollers of the 21st century.
Milan
A hot new hotel address, Antica Locanda Leonardo, Corso Magenta 78 (tel. 02-463317; www.leoloc.com), is now being sought out by some of the most discerning visitors to Milan, including fashion photographers and models. The building itself dates from the 1890s and has been sensitively restored, with tastefully decorated bedrooms opening onto balconies. Also recently renovated is Hotel Rovello, Via Rovello 18 (tel. 02-86464654; www.hotel-rovello.it), near La Scala. With its tasteful but minimalist decor, it charges affordable prices in a high-rent district. Also in Milan, a fashionable, hip crowd flocks nightly to the appropriately named Grand Café Fashion, Corso di Porta Ticinese 60 (tel. 02-89400709), with a chic bar upstairs and a dance floor downstairs where some of the most beautiful bodies in Milan gyrate nightly.
Naples
You don't normally associate Naples with B&B type accommodations. But there are a few charming ones here, especially the newly opened Alloggio dei Vassalli, via Donnalbina 56 (tel. 081-5515118; www.bandbnapoli.it), on the second floor of an 18th-century palazzo in the heart of Naples. Many of the original architectural details have been retained. In the city's swankiest hotel, Grande Hotel Vesuvio, Caruso Roof Garden Restaurant, Via Partenope 45 (tel. 081-760044), is now the hotel dining room of choice in Naples. Named after the opera singer and former resident, it gives you the most panoramic view of the Bay of Naples at night and a first-class Italian and Neapolitan cuisine that's among the finest in the area.
Piedmont
In the far northwestern city of Turin, Mole Antonelliana & Museo Nazionale del Cinema, Via Montebello 20 (tel. 011-8125658; www.museonazionaledelcinema.it), is generating more excitement than the Shroud of Turin. First, the film museum is housed in what in the 19th century was the tallest brick-built structure on earth. Even today the views from its "needle" at 168m (552 ft.) rising over the city are among the most panoramic cityscape in Piedmont. Not only that, but you get the added treat of one of the finest film museums on the continent.
Rome
No grand palace hotels have opened. It's the newly opened or newly discovered small hotel deep in the heart of Rome that's generating all the press. Locations are often offbeat, with one exception. Amazingly, an 18th-century building has been acquired in the very historic but overcrowded core of Rome at the Spanish Steps. La Lumière di Piazza Spagna, Via Belsiana 72 (tel. 06-69380806; www.lalumieredipiazzadispagna.com) is a charmer with spacious rooms, classic styling, and Jacuzzi spa showers. Right off the chic Piazza del Popolo, Piranesi, Via del Babuino (tel. 06-328041; www.hotelpiranesi.com), has opened to become one of Rome's chicest boutique hotels, with its Directoire-style bedrooms and bare pine-wood floors.
If Guy Ritchie and his madam, Ms. Madonna, are in Rome, chances are you'll find them dining at the hot new restaurant, F.I.S.H., Via dei Serpentini 16 (tel. 06-47824962). Its initials stand for "Fine International Seafood House," and here's one eatery that truly lives up to its self-styled billing. Once hailed as Rome's grandest and best restaurant, Sans Souci has faded into history like the Italian lire. Now the good news. The staff has reincarnated the restaurant. It's now called Antico Bottaro, Passegiata di Ripetta 15 (tel. 06-3236763). If anything, its classic Franco/Italian cuisine is better than ever.
Sicily
Suddenly, this island with its long standing, traditional -- and provincial -- cuisine has emerged on the culinary maps of Italy. That's in large part because of such great chefs as Austrian-born Andreas Zangerl, holding forth nightly at Casa Grugno, Vico la Floresta 1 (tel. 0942-23360), in the chic resort of Taormina, stamping ground of celebrities. His take on modern Sicilian cookery and his international specialties are sublime, ranking among the top restaurants in Italy.
Inns of charm and grace are appearing at various places on the island, many just outside major tourist meccas. One of the best of these is Foresteria Baglio della Luna, Contrada da Maddelusa, Valle de' Templi (tel. 0922-511061 ), which has been around for a while but only now is being discovered. A local antiques dealer has beautifully restored this inn, a former aristocratic manor house with a pedigree going back to the Emperor Charles V.
Tuscany
In the ancient city of Siena, south of Florence, there's a buzz spinning around Osteria Castelvecchio, Via Castelvecchio 65 (tel. 0577-49586), with its refined Tuscan cuisine. It's also the best choice in Tuscany for diners who "just love vegetables." Its vegetable-studded minestrone, made fresh daily, sets the pace for the rest of the superb meal.
Venice
In the city of the canals, Venice, Palazzo Sant'Angelo, San Marco 3488-3489 (tel. 041-2411452; www.sinahotels.it), is the first hotel with its main entrance on the Grand Canal to open in more than a century. Formerly a private palazzo, this discovery is awash in all those lush Venetian trappings such as silk fabrics and antiques. The rooms are sumptuous, especially the suites. A glorified B&B, and a real discovery, is Locanda Armizo, Campo San Silvestro-San Polo 1104 (tel. 041-5206473; www.armizo.com), the former home of a Venetian merchant, which has been successfully converted into a small inn of charm and grace.
At Pensione La Calcina, Dorsoduro 780 (tel. 041-5206466; www.lacalcina.com), where John Ruskin stayed when he wrote the classic The Stones of Venice, the owners have reopened a coffee bar and tea room, Caffè la Piscina, in this historic setting. The cafe was once the gathering place of the literati, and now it's back.