chiara dalessio

If you’ve been to Tuscany, you may be familiar with pizzicagnoli and their stores, which are pretty much the equivalent of a good deli, but also double as a local corner store in small villages. Pizzicagnoli stores are common all over …

My dearest friends, I am writing to you on the day of San Giovanni, the 24th of June. I know that, when you read, we’ll have left this sunny day behind us, but I thought it was worth talking about it anyway. …

In Italy, as in many other parts of the world, churches are traditionally built with their main altar facing East. In Rome, San Pietro, San Giovanni in Laterano, and Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri all face East. In Florence, the …

If you love Italian sagre and fairs, then you must have tried panino con la porchetta at least once. Indeed, the slowly-roasted, then-sliced delicacy is a staple of Italy’s most traditional street gatherings, so much so it has become almost synonymous with them. And …

When we think of the remnants of the ancient Romans, our minds tend to wander to the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, or the majestic Pantheon, all situated in modern Italy. However, the vestiges of this great civilization are not confined …

If you grew up in an Italian home, you definitely had a bunch of them hidden in some drawer or, if they were particularly pretty, making a good display of themselves somewhere in the sitting room. Yes, I’m talking about the bomboniera. …

 Among the olive groves and vineyards of sun-drenched Southern Italy, you can find a touch of the New World and, no, I’m not talking about tomatoes… Amid warm, rocky terrains, adorned by the sun’s brilliant touch, we find a plant that seems …

At the heart of Italian cuisine lies an art form that stood the test of time: the art of preserving food. This tradition, deeply rooted in the past, is celebrated as a symbol of respect for nature, seasons, and even as …

When you’re on vacation, it’s easy to get caught up in tourist traps and buy generic souvenirs that don’t hold much meaning. We’ve all been guilty of it. Fake, made-in-China Venetian mask? Check. Plastic copy of the Colosseum? Check. Anything …

Cocullo is a small, picturesque village located in the heart of the Apennine Mountains in the L’Aquila province of Abruzzo. Usually, life goes on quietly, following the gentle and ancient rhythm of nature all year, but things get more exciting every …