Culture

Nero, a  madman! Popular belief — and many a “sword-and-sandal” classics — convinced us all the red-haired son of Agrippina the Younger and last Emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty was far from sane,  but is this the historical truth? Born …

Elephants, the gentle giants of the animal kingdom, are today found only in two places in the world, Africa and South-East Asia. But did you know that, a long time ago during prehistory, there were elephants in Sicily, too? Yes, …

Located on the westernmost corner of the country, the region of Piedmont is mostly known for its wines and food. Motherland to internationally known Barolo, Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, and of some of Italy’s most delicious cheeses — especially if …

The country has taken yet another small step towards normality, with the celebration of the Carnevale di Viareggio, after the cancellation of the 2020 edition because of Covid-19. While times are still difficult across the globe, the rise in the …

The Poor Clare Sisters of the Monastery of Turi – beautiful, with its cloister and annexed Saint Clare Church – have considered prayer and work a holy blessing, living in full harmony with Saint Clare rule and Saint Benedict’s Ora …

Look, if you really want to insult an Italian man, look no further than the word cornuto. While it sounds pretty innocuous in English, where it means “horned,” it is the ultimate swear word to throw at your male enemies …

Some things are definitely best left in the past, like shoulder pads. Well, this is my opinion, at least. But there are others we still think of fondly: mixed tapes, rotary phones, buying a CD in a store, or the …

Silver and slight, anchovies belong to the Engraulidae family and are common in the seas surrounding Italy, which means they are common also on our tables, regardless of where we are: from North to South, anchovies are perhaps the most …

Calabria is known for many reasons: its history and natural beauty, but also its food and the fertility of its soil. Some of the fruits traditionally associated with the region, including those we’re about to discover, developed almost a cult …

We are between 1547 and 1555. Michelangelo sculpts the Pietà in a single large block of white marble. It depicts the Virgin and Mary Magdalene receiving the body of Christ, deposed from the cross by the elderly Nicodemus. Buonarroti, in …