francesca bezzone

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 …

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 …

As a student, I used to live with a girl from Merano, Alto Adige: two Italians abroad, both from the mountains — one from those of Piemonte, the other from the Dolomites — we had a lot of things in …

If you have been to Rome, you likely enjoyed a coffee in one of the many elegant, old-fashioned cafés of Piazza Navona: yes, that coffee probably cost you twice as much as anywhere else, but man, was it worth it! …

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 …

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! …

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 …

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 …

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 …