Heritage

Rome is a city famous for its fountains. The largest and most celebrated one is the Fountain of Trevi, so called because it is situated at the center of three converging streets (tre vie). Some say that the Trevi fountain …

The wheel has been around for at least 6000 years… from Mesopotamia in the Middle East all the way to central Europe. No one really knows when it was “invented”. Wheels move people, wood for making fires and the construction …

In the first half of this two-part discussion, we left off with the question, “How did St. Nicholas become Santa Claus?” I must answer by first explaining that the custom of gift-giving, especially to children during the Christmas Season, is …

One of the many unique features/characteristics of Lecce is its dramatic architecture.  Every where you look–and you must look every where–your gaze will be met with rich Baroque ornamentation.   Lecce is often referred to as the “Florence of the …

2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Giovanni Meli, Sicily’s most celebrated poet, who died of pneumonia on December 20, 1815. Prof. Giovanni Ruffino, director of the Centro di Studi Filologici e Linguistici Siciliani, in collaboration with Sicily’s …

Rick Geary è un fumettista con l’anima di uno storico, uno di quegli artisti che con il passare degli anni non smette di amare l’arte per cui ha dedicato tutta la sua vita. E il suo lavoro artistico non smentisce …

Growing up in the suburbs of New York City among a big Italian-American community, Professor Vincent J. Cannato has respect for his Italian origins. “My grandfather was born in Sicily and grew up in Calabria and came to America when …

Legend says that, on a cold and rainy day, a soldier from Rome named Martino, while riding his horse, saw a man on the road almost freezing because of the low temperature. Martino really wanted to help the man, but …

On 13 December, Italians celebrate Santa Lucia, a very important feast in the North as well as in Sicily. The name Lucia comes from Latin and means Lux (light): it dates back to the pagan celebration of winter solstice before …

If it were not for her nonna, Mary Tedesco would not be doing the work she is doing today: helping people from around the world find their Italian roots. A professional genealogist, Mary established ORIGINS ITALY, an Italian genealogy research …