chiara dalessio

The Sistine Chapel is probably one of the most celebrated works of the Renaissance era. Built in the 15th century under Pope Sixtus IV and named in his honor, the chapel forms part of the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace and serves …

A newly discovered manuscript of Il Milione, Marco Polo’s famous account of his travels, has been found in the Biblioteca Diocesana Ludovico Jacobilli in Foligno, a historic town in the Umbria region of central Italy. The discovery is significant also due to …

Have you ever heard your parents or grandparents saying that something they cooked was meglio il giorno dopo,  “better the day after they had made it?” Just like me, I am sure you did and, if you like cooking, you …

Italy has a number of old traditions tied to autumn, particularly around All Saints’ Day (Ognissanti) on November 1st and All Souls’ Day (Commemorazione dei Defunti) on November 2nd. Many of them share similarities with traditional Halloween festivities and also …

Tipping is a straightforward process in many countries, but in Italy, it’s less so. For Italians visiting the US, where tipping is customary and expected, the experience can be uncomfortable and unfamiliar because Italy, and much of Europe, tipping has …

While names like Antonio Meucci, Alexander Graham Bell and Thomas Edison dominate the pages of technological history, not many know Innocenzo Manzetti, an Italian inventor whose remarkable innovations included one of the earliest prototypes of the telephone and, very importantly …

Palazzo Ducale, or the Doge’s Palace, is one of Venice’s most prominent landmarks, a symbol of the city’s immense power and prestige during the height of the Venetian Republic. For centuries, it served as the residence of the Doge — the …

2023 was an incredible year for Italian museums, which recorded nearly 58 million visitors and generated over 313 million euros in revenue. A significant achievement, also reached thanks to the strategic efforts by the Ministry of Culture to implement paid …

One of Rome’s most famous landmarks, the Spanish Steps (Scalinata di Trinità dei Monti), has become the subject of a recent ownership dispute between Italy and France. While this iconic site has long been associated with Italian culture and history, …

The Domus Aurea, or “Golden House,” is perhaps the most recognizable and widely known symbol of Emperor Nero’s extravagant ambitions; built between 65 and 68 AD after the Great Fire of Rome — remembered because of the (fictitious) image of …