Culture

The culture of good food is as central to the heart and soul of Italy as practically any other facet of the Dolce Vita. Each of Italy’s regions is renowned for distinctive food and wine specialties, all lovingly produced with pride …

Volcanic ash rained down, followed by a fiery flood of pyroclastic rock and toxic gas; the noonday was cast into darkness. Where only moments before a normal August afternoon had been underway, now lay mayhem and devastation. The opulent villas, …

Every year on April 21st, the streets of Rome come alive to celebrate the birthday of the Eternal City, which tradition says was founded on the 21st of April 753 BC by the first of its seven kings,  Romulus. According to the …

In an era where the concepts of multiethnicity and multiculturalism are pervasive and dominate conversations in our highly connected and globalized world, it’s important to remember that this isn’t a new phenomenon in the annals of history. Indeed, our very …

The Battaglia delle Arance, or the Battle of the Oranges, is a unique and lively tradition held annually in Ivrea, a town in Italy’s Piedmont region. This event is part of the town’s historical carnival and takes place over three …

Chiacchiere, bugie, frappe, and cenci. No matter the name, they are a similar Carnival snack—thin, deep-fried strips of a liqueur-enriched dough that are tossed in sugar and munched upon during the festivities. In Venice, arguably home to Italy’s most famous …

Last weekend Italy, along with many other countries, transitioned to daylight saving time, a practice aimed at maximizing daylight hours during the evening by setting clocks 60 minutes forward. This annual adjustment is a modern solution to optimize energy usage and …

Orvieto is a charming town located in the Umbria region of central Italy, built atop a volcanic tuff cliff overlooking the countryside. Its strategic position along the ancient Via Cassia, one of the main roads of the Roman Empire, made it …

Italy is, by definition, a land of differences. From north to south, from east to west, landscapes, habits, food, climate, flora, and fauna: they all change.  But perhaps nothing says as much about the country’s multifaceted, at times complex, reality …

Wherever you are, Sunday lunch means, traditionally, two things: good food and family. In the old days, when activities were still largely organized around Sunday morning mass, the family cook would attend the earliest function and then go back home to get …