La vita italiana

Each Christmas season brings with it the telling and retelling of a familiar tale portraying the nativity of Jesus Christ.  Camouflaged within the story are vague and obscure words, concealed in the rhetoric of Christmas tradition which we allow to …

When I first heard about Stendhal’s Syndrome I thought it was a joke. It is not. This illness has been scientifically researched and documented; it is also listed in the Zingarelli, the best Italian dictionary. And now you can even …

I have always had a secret fantasy to dress like Eleonora de’ Medici. This desire is played out in a new book I have written called “Dreaming Sophia”. Have you seen the painting by Agnolo di Cosimo Bronzino of Eleonora? …

Christmas time. Children love it: as the days go by and the 25th approaches they can hardly wait to see what Santa is going to leave underneath the tree. Most adults, whether they like to admit it or not, are …

Endless row upon row of cotton fields, shimmery white as far as the eye can see. A frosty glass of Southern sweet tea offers companionship to a plate of piping hot fried chicken. The wail of an old blues tune …

The influence of the powerful Medici dynasty can be seen everywhere in Florence. Palazzo Vecchio was once the home of the Medici; the Uffizi Gallery began as a collection of Medici art; the churches of Florence are filled with famous …

In Italy you know Winter has finally arrived when, upon entering a café in the mid-afternoon, the comforting scent of hot chocolate and whipped cream embraces you like an old friend. Now, hot chocolate in Italy is a serious thing: …

Fiat 500 Restoration: You, Me and Sicily 

The “classic” Tiramisù is considered one of the best Italian desserts, everyone knows its taste and its deliciousness, but not many do know who created it and how. Here you will find what you need to know about it. (An …

Even if the “classic” Tiramisù is considered one of the best known and delicious Italian desserts, in the recent years many styles of the original recipe have been served in many restaurants all around Italy. Here you will find a …