La vita italiana

Long before the romantic, peaceful “flower power” movement of the 1960s in which hippies decorated their cars and homes with flowers, cities in Italy were decorating their streets and alleyways with pretty, intricate flower petal designs. Since the 1600s, certain …

The Greek colonization in South Italy left an immense cultural heritage: besides an influence on the language, traditions, and cuisine, there is also a relevant trace when it comes to art, in particular on the working of gold. This is …

One of my favorite  aspects of the Italian lifestyle is the late afternoon and early evening ritual known as la passeggiata, or the evening stroll. Each evening, between the hours of 5pm and 8pm, Italians take to the streets, to …

For the next 27 years, slave uprisings seemed to be a thing of the past.  During this time, however, gladiator games had become one of the more popular forms of entertainment in Rome.  So much so, that a number of …

Artistic director of the New Museum in New York since 2007 and of the Nicola Trussardi Foundation in Milan since 2003, among other professional experiences and projects, Massimiliano Gioni was the youngest curator ever of the 55th Venice Biennale in …

While she is travelling to Italy, Margie tells us more about her love for the Bel Paese. People usually asks her: “Why do you like Italy so much?” and “What is so special about Italy?” Let’s check her answers. I have …

A giant Moloch, seen in Cabiria, a silent movie filmed in Turin in 1914, opens his jaw as you pass through his huge mouth. It’s the entrance to the new Cinecittà World, a theme park where you’ll be seduced by …

  Susan spent a few days in Rome and tells us why the Eternal city is a not-to-miss destination in Italy.   Amazing Rome. There is no one like you….Sounds like the beginnings of a song. But Rome demands its …

Lino Tagliapietra answered the phone from his apartment, in Venice at 8PM, local time and immediately begins the conversation by describing the colors of the sunset over the Laguna from his apartment window. “There is another place in the world …

Aristotle once said, “Politicians also have no leisure, because they are always aiming at something beyond political life itself, power and glory, or happiness.”  Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio are two political leaders on opposite sides of …