La vita italiana

          For centuries travelers have visited La Piazza della Bocca Della Verità located just south of Rome’s busy center. The significance of this piazza is that the traveler can see in one-stop Rome’s many layers: from the Roman temples, Temple …

Holidays are all about sharing and making memories if you ask me. Sharing, because we end up spending a lot of time in the company of our family, definitely more than the rest of the year,  and that means sharing …

This year, La Serenissima turned 1600, and she carries her age well. According to tradition and historical sources, Venice was founded in 421 AD: it’s the Chronicon Altinate,  a chronicle dating from the 11th century, that tells us. Of course, …

Tutte le strade portano a Roma,  we say in Italian, “all roads lead to Rome.” Of course, that was the case in ancient Roman times, when the capital was the heart of the known world. Having a well-conceived, well-built road …

Did my use of “rules” and “Italian” in one sentence cause a second glance? Other than keeping that left lane on the Autostrada open for high-speed designer cars, or maybe dutifully respecting the ZTL signs (Zona Traffico Limitato) that come …

Every time I read about Rome’s underground archeological world, I always think about what Romans often say: “Wherever you dig in the city, you’ll find something interesting.” It’s true: there’s a whole city under the city, in Rome: catacombs, ancient …

There is a place in Tuscany’s Mount Amiata region, where Christmas is synonym with fire. In truth, the connection between the two is quite common across the country, with ritual fire celebrations like those in Nemoli (Basilicata), Agnone (Molise), and …

Just like panettone, torrone is a classic of Italy at Christmas, that you’ll find in every household. But while panettone is almost a synonym of Milan, torrone is more ubiquitous, even if many associates it especially with Cremona. As we …

The Romans certainly knew a thing or two about beautiful yet sturdy, long-lasting architecture: I remember thinking just that the first time I visited the majestic Pont du Gard, in the South of France – closer to where I am …

Some things are definitely best left in the past, like shoulder pads. Well, this is my opinion, at least. But there are others we still think of fondly: mixed tapes, rotary phones, buying a CD in a store, or the …