Culture

January is my favorite month in Rome. Consecrated to the god of beginnings, it is the best time to recapture the magic those British lords on the Grand Tour must have felt, when they arrived from the grey north to …

When I heard the news of Mario Cuomo’s death this past month, I reflected on a moment that I had with the former New York State Governor.  He had retired from public office after he was defeated for a fourth …

In the historical Maritime Republic of Venice, Carnival represents a very special festivity, dedicated to artistic traditions and creativity. Over the last few years, people’s participation has increased, adding popular and folkloristic touches to the lavish celebrations and shows held …

On September 17th 1515, Cardinal Ippolito d’Este wrote a letter to the Marquis of Mantova announcing that Ludovico Ariosto had just finished writing “Orlando Furioso” (Mad Orlando). The epic poem was published in 1516, and soon became the first best …

Two years after the election to his second mandate – something unprecedented in Italy’s history -, the President of the Republic Giorgio Napolitano resigned from his role as leader of the Country due to old age. His successor and 12th …

La Calabria ha beni di immenso valore che tutto il mondo ci invidia. Sono una grossa componente culturale, turistica e anche economica della vita regionale. Ma molti di questi beni rischiano di essere persi irrimediabilmente. Preziose testimonianze della storia dell’umanità. …

Due giorni prima del Giorno della Memoria, Alessandra Di Castro, direttrice del Museo Ebraico di Roma, è arrivata al Memoriale dell’Olocausto di New York City per rilanciare il progetto per il ritrovamento di oltre 5.000 volumi su 7.000 trafugati dai …

The name Aldo Manuzio is unfamiliar to most of us, though he deeply influenced history and, surprisingly, our everyday lives. Aldo Manuzio is considered to be one of the greats of the publishing and printing trades. To mention just a …

“In Italy the most important person who, thanks to his genial intuition, managed to change the archaic organetto into the more powerful and complex accordion instrument, the fisarmonica, is Mariano Dallapè”. This is how, in a few words, the Italian …

S.F. Vanni, the oldest running Italian bookstore in the United States, has released news of its end-of-January reopening in New York City.  The bookstore was first founded in 1884 by the Sicilian (Caltagirone) Sante Fortunato Vanni in Greenwich Village at …