francesca bezzone

A few years ago, I wrote a brief article for our beloved newspaper, exploring the idea that Italian was considered the “Language of Love.” Despite my own affinity for French – I speak it, love it, and find it irresistible! …

Recently, while browsing the net, I stumbled upon an article by Nick Kampouris in Greek Reporter that tickled my interest about the close ties between Greek and Italian cultures. Mind, that we and the Greeks are culturally close is something we all learn when …

Discovering little-known gems in my own country has become a bit of a hobby: I’ve been making a list, and I am planning to start visiting them this spring. First of all, traveling is fun, and then… who knows, they …

Who says that pasta al pomodoro is boring? The most iconic Italian dish, made with the simplest, cheapest, and most available ingredients you can think of, may not strike for creativity, I give you that. But it remains one of …

A few years ago, a study revealed a significant insight into Italians’ sense of identity, when it discovered they overwhelmingly consider their language as the most crucial factor defining national identity. The essence of this revelation lies in the discovery of of …

I’ll be honest, there aren’t many artists in the world of photography who manage to capture the essence of a moment as evocatively as Marco Secchi. A maestro with the camera, Marco’s journey in photography began when he was a …

Think about Brunelleschi’s cupola, in Florence, think about its color… that rich, beautiful orangey-red, so vibrant and clean, so vivid against the blue skies of a terse winter day. Well, that color is all down to Impruneta terracotta.  Impruneta, set in …

The world of winemaking never fails to surprise. After wines aged under seawater, of which we spoke in these very pages a few months ago, it’s now time to meet heroic wines.  In their name, heroic wines pay tribute to …

La Scala’s premiere of Don Carlo and its alignment with UNESCO’s recognition of Italian opera singing as a cultural treasure perfectly sets the stage to explore the incredible history of opera in Italy: emerging from the artistic fervor of the Renaissance, opera singing …

You say “focaccia” and “Liguria,” and thoughts go immediately to Genova and its olive oil-rich culinary icon, la focaccia genovese. However, Ligurians know well there is also that “other” focaccia, the one from Recco, which is just as lovely and delightful.  Focaccia …