La vita italiana

On May 9th the vibrant city of Ravenna, located in the Piadina region of Northeast Italy famous for its gastronomy and wines, marked the annual Europe Day celebrations with concerts, exhibitions, and more.   Europe Day commemorates the presentation in …

It has been over ninety years since the death of the man known as the “greatest tenor of the century:” and to this day, fourteen years into the next century, the title still invokes the name Enrico Caruso. Every tenor …

In a month, the European Parliament Elections will be held in all member states, including Italy. Europe is going to vote in a climate of economic crisis which has especially gripped the Mediterranean states, but that could involve the idea …

Rome’s Nativity. April 21st in the year 753 B.C. The legend tells of a founding at the hands of Romulus and Remus, sons of Rhea Silvia and Mars, belonging to the dynasty of Alba Longa, founded by Ascanio son of …

When Lorenzo II de Medici’s only child, Catherine, was born in Florence in 1519, he had no idea she would someday be France’s greatest queen.  Both he and her mother died shortly after, and she was raised by relatives, who …

Two of the most popular and beloved Popes in the history of Roman Catholicism, Blessed John XXIII and John Paul II, were declared Saints on April 27, 2014. Such a crucial moment in the spiritual life of millions couldn’t but …

Ever since the Burger King opened on Via Nazionale, teenagers have come to Piazza Pasquino to eat French fries and to place paper crowns on my head. These coronations never last long. A stray breeze or a conscientious tour guide …

The United States have football, baseball, basketball. Italy has soccer. Not merely a game, but a symbol of our country worldwide, despite the natural ups and downs in major competitions. In Italy, soccer is one of the most common subjects …

Today, most Western names consist of one or more given names combined with a family name, or surname. Surnames are a relatively recent phenomenon in human history.  Nobility and landowners may have had identifying names besides their given names, but ordinary …

Ironically, the most well-loved manufactured two-wheeled object of Italian pride takes its name from one of the most hated and petulant insects, a wasp, vespa in Italian.   While the new Vespa campaign aims to target people who follow their …