Heritage

Not many may think of it, but the 15th of March, the Ides of March, to say it with the Romans, marks the millenary anniversary of one of history’s most notorious murders, that  of Caius Julius Caesar. Legendary Roman leader …

When Niccolo Machiavelli penned his masterpiece, The Prince, Italy was a land divided and besieged by many foreign forces.  In his last chapter, “An Exhortation to free Italy from the Hands of the Barbarians,” he calls for new weapons and …

When modern bikini hit the shelves in Paris in the summer of 1946, Mediterranean women quickly snatched up it. One year later the world’s smallest bathing suit was introduced to the United States. Unleashed on the world, it conquered both …

The first memories I have of Fabriano paper are of the A5 notebooks we used in elementary school: each page was heavier and thicker than average, making it perfect for the daily wear and tear imposed by the hands – …

Magic, mystery, a thirst for wonders and for the unknown, and a pagan sun-religion. Naples metabolizes three thousand years of culture and civilization, spread out over a corner of the Mediterranean that tells the story of Greeks, Romans, Carthaginians, Normans, …

“The moment of arrival was euphoric, and then silence fell upon them. They were afraid they wouldn’t be let in. The question on everyone’s mind was ‘Will we enter or not? Will they let us pass?’” This is the scene …

For centuries they were the only way to travel, criss-crossing the shallow lagoon and navigating the city’s iconic canals. Today, whilst Venice’s gondolas still glide silently through the waterways few visitors know their history, happy to just enjoy the view …

Family: the essence of our being, the root of our ideals and the place we go back to when everything fails us. It does not really matter if it is  large or small, extended or nuclear, family is the first …

Why is it that Italian America is better known for its wise-guys then for its wise men and women?     In 1927, after the United States had severely restricted immigration from southern European countries, Antonio Gramsci published “The Southern …

Whatever I have learned about Italian American literature was on my own; no teacher suggested I read what I have read, and what I have learned has saved my life in many ways. In Mario Puzo’s novel, The Fortunate Pilgrim (1964), I …