La vita italiana

I  was having  my first coffee watching the early morning news today and guess what:  Rome was in it, again for the wrong reasons. Apparently, the area around the Colosseum is chocking in litter and street vendors — operating more …

Few scents evoke an emotional response like that of bread as it rises to perfection in a hot oven. Taste buds awaken, eyes widen, stomachs rumble, voices cry out – “When will it be ready?”  Each civilization since anyone’s kept …

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 …

“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 …

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 …

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 …

There are two words that truly define the essence of Italian Carnevale: the  first is maschera, or mask; the second is — of course — Venezia.  While every corner of the country celebrates this time of the year with parades, …

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 …