La vita italiana

Sturdy yet light, with its typical red color it made the cupola of Firenze’s duomo unique in the world: this is the terracotta dell’Impruneta, a small village only a stone throw away from Tuscany’s capital. Jars, vases, tiles, shingles, all …

Even though present-day hospitals all around the world are basically centers providing medical assistance and rehabilitation of the sick, the forerunners to these institutions were originally conceived in a broader sense as “places of hospitality:” hence the similarity between the …

For a little town just off the A16 autostrada, east of Naples, Nola has some big claims to fame. Spartacus once conquered it, Hadrian tried and the first Roman Emperor Caesar Augustus died here. Nola also famously introduced bells to …

Indeed, it can happen to the best of us. It can be genetics or simple love, but when Italy gets into you, it shows. Here are ten easy-to-spot signs demonstrating to the world il Bel Paese is not only in …

The news arrived just a handful of days ago, but it was barely noticed in Italy. Perhaps it’s because we are busy trying to understand who is going to become our Prime Minister, or just distracted by the early signs …

As your eyes acclimatize to the soft ambient light, sacred statues begin to peek out from shaded alcoves. A single shaft of dazzling sunlight hits the floor, drawing your gaze up to the heavens. And the smell of incense assails …

Domenico Di Salvo arrived on Ellis Island on September 5, 1907. He had left on the 23 rd of August on the Koenig Albert steamer, which had  been used only for a few years on the profitable Genoa-Naples-New York route. …

Some decades have passed, but the memory of almond trees fields is still very much alive in my mind. Fields that filled our land with many, old trees, with their heady perfume and many colors. Indeed, the unmistakable scent coming …

Only naming them brings to mind mystery and divination, the magic aura of the unknown surrounds them: but are tarot cards really that difficult to decipher? They may be – for those who believe in such things – at least …

Sicilian photographer Giuseppe Leone has earned the distinguished title of maestro after six decades of documenting the culture, traditions and everyday life of Sicily. Like an accomplished musician,  his work documents the Mediterranean island’s journey in a beautifully eloquent visual …