Culture

It’s not even up for debate. Italy is one of the grandest places on earth. Period. What then would we expect during the Christmas season in Italy but the best of ways to celebrate it!   One day? How about …

Those familiar with the Christmas presents’ delivery business know there is more than one person in charge. Santa may be the most popular, but kids from the northern regions of Europe do get early parcels from Saint Nicholas, and Italian …

Saint Peter’s is Rome and  Rome is Saint Peter’s: the connection between the city and the most famous church in Italy is so deeply rooted we tend to forget that, technically, the basilica and its cupolone are not in Rome …

Even the most diehard self-professing Scrooges out there probably succumb to at least a few of the joyful traditions of the Christmas season. Whether it’s scrumptious baked goods or carols sung loudly or the odd family tradition that no one …

In the 21st century, protecting our homes means, more often than not, installing a top notch alarm system, one of those we regularly set off by mistake in the morning when, before our first coffee, we open the kitchen door …

Italians love cooking and eating: this is a truth as scientific as water boiling at 100C and gravity keeping us anchored to the earth. Each one of us has a favorite dish and a favorite recipe, and I am sure …

Many believe that scaramanzia is a thing of the  South, but nothing is further from the  truth. I am from the North-West and I, too, grew up knowing that opening an  umbrella inside the  house porta sfortuna and that a …

Blessed with one of the most beautiful languages, Italy is also home to a plethora of linguistic minorities, twelve to be precise, across fourteen regions, with almost three million speakers. The Occitan linguistic minority of the Alpine valleys of Piedmont …

If there is one thing Italy has been missing since lockdown orders were enforced again , it’s aperitivo. Whether it was a quick one after the  office, a weekly way to catch up with friends, or just a weekend occurrence …

Undoubtedly, this isn’t the best moment to use public transports in Italy, but that doesn’t mean we can’t talk about it. When it comes to romantic transport, fit for literature and movies,  trains are  king, but we Italians are attached …