La vita italiana

We’ve been living in a new decade for almost two weeks, and so many things have already happened. Yet, the month of January is, more often than not, a time when we look back at what  we did and  set …

Winter is such a fantastic time of the year. It’s my favorite season and I just love it. The snow, the chilly air, the color of the sky. Everything is just perfect.  Winter is also a season that lends itself …

There is a bit of Giovanni della Casa in every Italian, you know. What do you mean, who’s he? Della Casa, that dude who wrote the Galateo, in 1558. Not because we’re more courteous and well educated than others, but …

During a recent visit to the Museo Teatrale della Scala I admired many antique prints of commedia dell’arte situations. Commedia dell’arte was a theatrical genre that evolved in the latter part of the sixteenth century. It was a popular  reaction …

You don’t need to be a music expert to know the name “Stradivari”  (or Stradivarius, its latinized version). Along with his lesser known, but just as talented, Cremonese luthiers colleagues, Amati and Guarneri, he wrote a considerable piece of the …

The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci is undoubtedly one of the most iconic, most famous works of art of all times. As such, it has always attracted crowds to the Refectory of the Dominican church of Santa Maria delle …

An American called Harry The Cipriani family has been serving drinks at Harry’s Bar on Venice’s iconic Grand Canal since 1931. Over the years it has attracted many society clientele. The Italian Ministry for Cultural Affairs even declared it a …

After all the fabulous exhibits one can see in the heart of Florence, it is possible that a little fresh air in the countryside might just be the ticket to take a breather and relax a bit? After all, how …

Cervia, the ancient city along Italy’s Adriatic coastline was once called Ficolce, and as legend has it, the name derived from Ficol, the mighty Etruscan leader who was eager to overthrow the tyranny of Ravenna. Its thousand year history has …

“Napule è mille culure, Napule è mille paure, Napule è a voce d’ ‘e creature che  saglie chiano chianu e tu saje ca nun si sulo:” Naples is a thousand colors, Naples is a thousand fears, Naples is the voice …