La vita italiana

On June 2nd, 1946, Italians expressed their preference, through the institutional referendum held by universal suffrage. Republic won over Monarchy, with about two million differential in the ballots. 70 years later, at the Petersen Automotive Museum (along the so-called “Museum …

Venice’s iconic Rialto Bridge is on everyone’s Top 10 must-see list. But apart from taking a selfie at the top or a beautiful panoramic photo down the Grand Canal, few stop to consider the history behind the bridge. Fewer still …

Let’s say you are a curious traveler who finds him or herself dawdling under the ever-present portici of Bologna on a sunny Sunday afternoon. Let’s also say that you are passionate about Italian art and culture and that you want …

Perugia is famous for two things: jazz and chocolate. In July its music festival turns the city into an enormous jazz club, drawing musicians and aficionados from around the globe. In October a sweet veil of chocolate covers the city …

In 16th century Italy, Italians played a sport called Calcio Fiorentino. It is an extremely violent game, and combines elements of soccer, rugby and bare-knuckle fighting into one brutal and bloody event. Some history books say it was played by …

On June 11th 2002 the United States House of Representatives righted a wrong that had persisted for over 130 years. They passed a resolution honoring Antonio Meucci, an Italian migrant who lived in Staten Island, for his key contribution to …

There are three things that I find most Italians are happy to talk about: food, wine, and sports! Not unlike wine, the sport of cycling has a great heritage in Italy, with its own larger than life heroes such as …

From a 1926 Model T to an ice-blue 1951 Studebaker to the Flintmobile made for the 1994 Flintstones movie, all sorts of automotive rarities can be found at the LeMay-America’s Car Museum in Tacoma, Wash. The collection of 255 vehicles …

Years ago I awoke in a hotel in Rome on a sunny morning to the sound of bands  playing and troops marching through the city. When I turned on the television, I saw crowds massed along the streets, flags fluttering …

You might assume that all the greatest sculptures in Italy are by Michelangelo or Bernini, and that you’ll find them in the galleries of Rome and Florence. But you’d be wrong. One of the most beautiful, moving works of art …