Culture

Dear Readers, An August assortment of Italian connections for you:   Swiss Guards have been protecting the Pope for centuries. When I first visited Italy in the 1950’s, I wondered aloud why, with all those Italians around, the Vatican was …

On a hot Summer day in 1972 Stefano Mariottini, close to the end of his vacation in Monasterace, decided to go snorkeling before returning to his regular life as a chemist in Rome. While diving 200 meters from the coast …

It happened 1,935 years ago this August 24.  The year was 79 AD, and at the base of Mount Vesuvius sat the city of Pompeii, home to about 12,000 people. The area was known for its black fertile soil, from …

Italy is heading into a critical period of change this fall. The reform of the Senate went through a first reading in Parliament in the summer and will now have to face three more readings in both the Senate and …

Rome would not have been the same “Eternal City” or “Caput Mundi” without its first emperor. August 19 marks the 2,000th anniversary of the death of Emperor Augustus. Many exciting exhibitions will be available to the public for the very …

While perusing individual census listings, note the township, county and state where the census was taken.  You can contact churches, courthouses or public offices in those localities for other records: naturalization, birth, death or marriage records, etc.   Questions varied …

What is the secret of longevity? Sometimes it may be a life full of passion, adventure, and dedication to family and work, as it was Licia Albanese’s. On August 15, 2014, the Italian-born operatic soprano Felicia Albanese peacefully passed away …

In the beginning was the tractor. Surprisingly enough, farm machinery is the forefather of an icon of automotive Made in Italy that has also become a symbol of elegance and strength worldwide: Lamborghini. The history of one of the most …

When I last saw Garibaldi, he was a broken old man. White streaked his beard. Cataracts clouded and rheum encrusted his eyes. Arthritis crippled his limbs. Propped on crutches in the lobby of the Hotel Costanzi, he was a rust-eaten …

Famous Italian aviator Italo Balbo played an integral part in influencing Italy’s progress in aeronautics. During Fascism, he became an air marshal in the Italian air force, and his efforts to improve the air force are still recognized today. Proponent …