Culture

This year, La Serenissima turned 1600, and she carries her age well. According to tradition and historical sources, Venice was founded in 421 AD: it’s the Chronicon Altinate,  a chronicle dating from the 11th century, that tells us. Of course, …

Filled pasta is a tradition in Italy, but how many varieties do we have? Tortellini, cappelletti, ravioli. Tortelli, tortelloni and agnolotti… Every region seems to use different names and has different varieties, so let’s make some order in this inextricable …

“Would you like fries with that?” may not be as modern a phrase as we think. You’ve probably seen the recent headlines extolling the full excavation of a gloriously intact fast-food joint, or thermopolium, in Pompeii. Virtually undisturbed save for …

“I was raised in a home with my Italian immigrant grandparents: they had a very important impact on my life. Neither of them had formal education, but they taught me more about what was important in life than any school …

Seeing the words “Michelangelo” and “forgery” in the same sentence isn’t perhaps that surprising: in 500 years, there have definitely been people who tried to imitate the masterful hand of Italy’s most celebrated artist. Picturing Michelangelo as a forger, however, …

Every time I read about Rome’s underground archeological world, I always think about what Romans often say: “Wherever you dig in the city, you’ll find something interesting.” It’s true: there’s a whole city under the city, in Rome: catacombs, ancient …

A glass of Italian red: who hasn’t relaxed after a long day at work with one? Italian wines are the epitome of quality and versatility, of tradition and elegance: this is not only because of the work and skills of …

Twenty-four hours: that’s how long it took to Mount Vesuvius to obliterate Pompeii, Herculaneum, Stabiae, and Oplontis from the face of the Earth. Twenty-four hours and two devastating phases: the first buried Pompeii under meters of ashes; the second, some …

Even during the hardest times, there is something that never changes in Italy: we have plenty of pasta in the larder: it’s cheap, versatile, and makes everyone happy. When the country went into lockdown for the first time, in March …

What a beautiful day to write. Despite being the first month that truly brings cold to the country – September seems to be every year more summery – October still has some spectacularly bright days, with colors and scents so …