That Italy is timeless almost goes without saying. But what exactly is timelessness and why does Italy practically define it?

Timelessness transcends the past, present and future; it carries a sense of permanence. Timelessness is both a state of being and a state of mind.

Italy, more than any other country, has bequeathed the world a treasure trove of art and architecture with these very qualities.

And Mother Nature has bestowed some of her most glorious gifts on this little boot-shaped peninsula that is barely the size of Arizona.

Less poetically, Italy possesses a human culture and natural allures with no expiration date

But more than this, Italy possesses a special alchemy that has attracted dreamers and travelers alike for centuries.

I sense it most in the quiet—a paradox since Italians are the most expressive and exuberant of people. They’re people who just seem to know how to live.

Including, most especially, how to revel in the joy and wonder of small things.

And what could be more timeless than wonder!

Carla Gambescia author of La Dolce Vita University