Culture

The images and stories out of Syria that stem from the Arab Spring uprising in 2011 are both heart wrenching and painfully disturbing. Men, women and children have been displaced and forced into overcrowded refugee camps. The victims of the …

Dear Readers, Christmas Sing-Alongs are always fun be they in Italian, English or a little bit of both. Here are some lyrics to help you get started: Christmas Sing-alongs in Italian TU SCENDI DALLE STELLE Tu scendi dalle stelle, O Re del …

Dear Readers,   The 126th Tournament of Roses Parade, held on the first day of each New Year in Pasadena, California, had its theme this year “Inspiring Stories”. Featured was a “riderless horse” that represented Grand Marshall Louis Zamperini, a …

With seven churches in one, it’s easy to get lost in Bologna’s Church of Santo Stefano, commonly called the “New Jerusalem”. Modeled after the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem, the seven churches that make up Santo Stefano are …

On December 24, 1914, a dejected Pope Benedict XV cel- ebrated midnight mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. His efforts to secure a Christmas truce had failed. A 400-mile trench stretched from the Belgian coast to the Swiss border. Some British …

The galleries of the Accademia Museum in Venice have recently been re-opened to the public, following a radical restoration by Venetian architect Tobia Scarpa, begun in 2001, which has doubled the exhibition space from 6,000 to 12,000 square metres. This …

Angelina Jolie, born in L.A. 39 years ago, was recently nominated the highest-income actress three times by Forbes, but also “Special Envoy” and former “Goodwill Ambassador” for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).   Upon meeting with Queen …

Dear Readers, January is named after Janus, the Roman god of doorways, beginnings and endings. According to Roman mythology, Janus, an ancient king of Italy, was the son of Apollo and Creusa. Husband of Jana, father of Iberius by Camasena, …

After eighteen books of poems, two national book awards, and an outstanding Community Service in Literature award, Maria Gillan has reinvented herself as a painter. The Girls in the Chartreuse Jackets is a collection of her poems accompanied by her …

More than a cafe, better than a bookstore: the Caffè Letterario tradition started four centuries ago in Europe when artists and writers used to meet in a public place, to exchange experiences, comments, and ideas on their work. The “Caffè …