La vita italiana

Just about everyone has a favorite toy they remember from their childhood, be it a backyard tree swing, an old rag doll, or that homemade slingshot that dangled precariously from a hip pocket. For me, it was an old, beat-up …

Home of Parmigiano cheese aims for recognition as a World Heritage Site   Reggio Emilia – The Italian region of Emilia, homeland of the world-renowned Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, is aiming to obtain recognition of its “Intangible World Heritage” by the …

Italian Cowboys at the greatest celebration of the American West – The 29th National Cowboy Poetry Gathering Elko, Nevada – The 29th National Poetry Gathering was a week-long celebration of culture, tradition, and life of the rural West in the …

Nestled deep in the rolling hills of Tuscany with dramatic views of the 1,000-year-old Pierle castle and surrounding olive groves, fruit trees and ancient oaks, Borgo di Vagli is an award winning authentically and fully restored 14th century Tuscan Hamlet …

Who is this man credited with promoting love and passion and sales in the billions of dollars, world-wide, of flowers, candy and skimpy garments of a diaphanous nature?  My search to know more about the saint who came to be …

In the 4th century AD, a man called Calpornius and his wife Conchessa were sent by Rome to Britain to serve as deacon, civil official, town councilor and generally to oversee Roman interests. Information about this couple is very sparse, …

Who was this man called Joseph?  Scripture tells us very little about him except to say that he was the husband of Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ and that he worked as a carpenter.  Saint Joseph’s Day …

Growing up an ardent baseball fan in New York City during the seventies and eighties meant rooting for either the New York Yankees or Mets.  If you were “truly” a Yankees or Mets fan there was an unwritten rule (like …

Requiem for a Filmmaker: Sergio Leone, His Life, Work, and Legacy (Part two)   Sergio Leone’s first directing job in the United States was said to be a work of art.  The film, Once Upon a Time in the West …

The survival of most media organizations is to obtain that exclusive interview or story.  Publishers and editors attempt to separate their media group from the rest, in order to get the exclusive rights to a story even if this implies …