Culture

The Romans are known for their ingenuity: aqueducts, road systems, daily newspapers, cement, sanitation, elements of social care, welfare and our modern legal system all come from them. That’s without even taking into account their military and tactical know-how. However, …

Not many are familiar with the name “Greccio,” and perhaps not even with the place. This pretty hamlet of 1,500 is located on the Apennines, in the Rieti province of Lazio, and is one of the Borghi più Belli d’Italia. …

Pangiallo, which literally means “yellow bread,” is a traditional Christmas dessert in our capital and in the region of Lazio. In fact, this flavorsome bun is heir to a recipe known already by the ancient Romans, so there is nothing …

The Petruzzelli Theater in Bari is the fourth-largest opera house in Italy and one of the most important, with La Scala in Milan, La Fenice in Venice, the Regio in Turin, the San Carlo in Naples and the Massimo in …

Stereotypes are hard to die and they are more complex than we may think. Because if it’s very easy to dismiss them as superficial nonsense, sometimes they do hold a grain of truth, under all that silly fluff.  I don’t …

Food on New Year’s Eve rhymes with tradition. In Italy, everyone knows, lentils and cotechino, a type of sausage popular especially in the northern regions of the country, are ubiquitous. This is especially because lentils have been considered a symbol …

On the 17th of January, Italians celebrate Sant’Antonio Abate, known in English as Saint Anthony of Egypt or Saint Anthony the Great. Anthony is a saint of the early Church and he is considered the first saint hermit, as well …

In the English-speaking world, it is known as Yule Log, in Italy, we know it as il ceppo di Natale.  It is so popular that it even made it into our translation of Harry Potter and it has inspired one …

The 13th of December is a special day across the country, where the cult and worship of Santa Lucia is very alive. It is a day that feels a lot like Christmas already: the bright blue skies of December, the …

We bet you didn’t know that there is such a thing as a clock that goes backward in Florence, did you? Well, we admit it took us by surprise, too. If you want to see it, you just need to …