Culture

Relics and reliquaries were really a thing of the Middle Ages. A saint’s bone or two could put your tiny village on the map and quickly transform it into a pilgrimage destination, which also meant something else: money. Hang on, you may …

There’s a plethora of articles out there on what not to do to avoid self-proclamation of “I’m a tourist!” when visiting Italy. Much of it is worthy advice…unless you prefer sticking out. However, many of these eye-openers for the stranieri …

The Colosseum is a symbol of Rome and Italy, with which everyone is familiar, even those who’ve never visited us. It is majestic and grandiose, as its name suggests, but also reassuring in a way: just like an old friend or a …

Of course, we love being lazy and soaking up the sun by the sea. Of course, there is nothing more refreshing and “zen” than a walk up our incredible Alps. And I am not even going to get started with …

Italy is famous for its saints: don’t they say we are a people of saints, sailors and poets? When you think of it, medieval pilgrims were the first tourists, you could almost say they inaugurated the long, successful era of Italian tourism …

Aceto Balsamico di Modena is one of the most popular Italian products around the world. When I used to live abroad, in Northern Europe, I’d find it as an ingredient in a bit of everything from salad to sandwiches, and in …

You may have read that opera lirica has recently become a candidate to enter the UNESCO intangible world heritage: another great achievement for our beautiful country and for the world of music. Yes, for our country, because opera as we know it today was …

Venezia is a jewel the entire world envies us. And while there may be other cities that live on water, there isn’t a place on Earth quite like her. Venezia doesn’t only strike for her beauty and her history, but also …

For decades Tessitura Luigi Bevilacqua has collaborated with iconic fashion designers, such as Valentino, Dior and Dolce & Gabbana. A venerable Venetian institution, the small family-run business inspired interior designers and decorators, including legendary Iris Apfel, who had furnished her New York …

Coral is a mesmerizing material: it is alive, it belongs to the sea and, just like everything that comes from water – like pearls, sea shells, and Venus, the goddess of Beauty and Love – it has something ancestral and magical. …