The Italian Connection

Dear Readers,   June jottings with an Italian connection: Barilla, the world’s biggest pasta maker, recently invested 400 million euros to develop new types of pasta and boost sales in North America.   ***   Bologna University, in 1776, hired …

Dear Readers,   July is a month with many Italian connections:   July 4, 1776, the signing in Philadelphia of the Declaration of Independence just formalized a quarrel with England that had been going on over ten years.  As you …

Dear Readers,   August, the eighth month of the modern year was named for the Roman Emperor Augustus.  It was connected with some happenings in his career, which were fortunate.  The month was earlier called Sextilius, the 6th month when …