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Jakob Philipp  Hackert (1737-1807) non ha bisogno di presentazioni nel contesto dei massimi artisti pittori europei del 1700. Nel 1793 intraprese un lungo viaggio nell’Abruzzo dell’epoca, provincia del Regno di Napoli, e più esattamente nel cosiddetto Abruzzo Ulteriore II tra …

It doesn’t matter if you’re from the North or the South: a colomba will find its way on your Easter table. This sweet and fragrant “lievitato” is very reminiscent of another traditional Italian cake, panettone, and there are plenty of …

In the outskirts of Capannori, a quaint village in the Tuscan countryside not far from Lucca, in the beautiful park surrounding Villa Carrara, there is a 600 years old oak, so famous and so distinctive that it is officially recognized …

Pasticcio (pah-stee-tchoh) comes from the vulgar Latin pasticium, in turn related to another late Latin word we know much better, pasta. It is attested in our beautiful language for the first time in 1525, a tad too late for our …

We Italians love our beautiful markets, how characteristic and traditional they are and we still consider them central part of our weekly routine. Truth is, markets are common across Europe, from north to south, and we aren’t the only nation …

In the US Capitol building, there is a marble bust of Giuseppe Garibaldi, the popular hero of the Italian Risorgimento, signed Giuseppe Martegana, 1888. The official catalogue “Art in the United States Capitol” lists the bust as the  gift of …

Today’s word is wonderful, because just saying it cheers you up. Buffo (boof-foh) means funny or silly, in a nice, good-hearted way. Something is “buffo” when it makes you smile because of its awkwardness, clumsiness or because it’s just curious, …

Oh Romeo, Romeo, wherefore are thou Romeo? Who doesn’t know these heartfelt, love-filled words and the person who spoke them? It’s Juliet, of course, perhaps the most well known of all Shakespearian heroines, unfortunate lover and misunderstood child.  Her relationship …

The combination of great food, fine wines, heritage and history, culture and climate continue to make Italy a firm favorite with travelers from around the globe. Many visitors to Italy return time and time again for romantic breaks, family holidays, …

I think I must use the word parecchio (pah-rai-keeoh) at least a dozen times every day and, like me, every Italian does. Parecchio means “a lot,” “in large quantity,” “very” and can be used in all contexts you can think …