Culture

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, …

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 …

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 …

Christmas is in the air. In the U.S. as well as in Italy, decorated trees and nativity scenes show up everywhere, inside the houses and in the streets. In Altadena, California, the Christmas Tree Lane – Santa Rosa Avenue – …

The Roman Empire was the largest empire in classical antiquity, and among the most powerful economic, cultural, political and military forces of its time. At its zenith in 117 AD, it covered 6.8 million square kilometers and held sway over …

Spending the holidays with your group of Italian friends, you should be aware of the fact that they’ve most likely started planning New Year’s Eve celebrations at least a month in advance. In fact, Capodanno – the Italian word for …

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 …

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 …

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 portrait of “La Bella Principessa” (“The Beautiful Princess”), also known as “A Young Fiancée”, is an extraordinary portrait in colored chalks and ink on vellum paper, representing a young lady from Milano in fashionable costume and hairstyle of the …