Traditions

Every year on the 2nd of June, a wave of green, white, and red sweeps across Italy as the country bursts into vibrant celebrations for the Festa della Repubblica, or Republic Day. This national holiday commemorates one of the most …

There are two words that truly define the essence of Italian Carnevale: the  first is maschera, or mask; the second is — of course — Venezia.  While every corner of the country celebrates this time of the year with parades, …

On the 21st of April, Rome turned 2.773 years old, but this was a very strange birthday indeed. No one was around her streets celebrating, there were neither aperitivi nor strolls at the Pincio with your loved ones, enjoying these …

Ask the average non-Italian to give you a rundown on Italian cuisine and chances are it will sound like this: “Spaghetti…with meatballs, Fettuccini Alfredo, lasagna for sure…and pepperoni pizza…!”  We’ll spare the culinary critique of how…shall we say… deficient” this …

On the 4th of May, the vast majority of Italy’s productive activities will open and almost three million workers will return to work. A first, little step towards normality, ready to be retracted should social distancing not be respected and …

The Festa della Sensa is a traditional Venetian celebration that takes place on the Sunday following the Ascension, which is usually in May or early June. The festival commemorates the historical and spiritual importance of Venice as a maritime power and highlights the city’s …

In Catholicism, the Cult of the Dead is very important. Who isn’t familiar, especially in America, with the traditional Mexican celebrations for El Dia de los Muertos? In Italy, too, religious events and spiritual moments of remembrance hold hands with …

DRINK: NEW POPE (inspired by the TV series ‘The New Pope’, by Paolo Sorrentino, 2019) BARMAN: Simone Mina, bar manager of Ch 18 87, the cocktail bar of the historic restaurant Checchino dal 1887 in Rome, Italy INGREDIENTS: 3 cl VII Hills Italian Dry …

Pecorino Romano: the ancient cheese with the “cappa nera” While they praised the “vigor” of this cheese “made from sheep milk,” which was also part of Roman soldiers’ diet, neither Homer nor Virgil would have thought it could become this …

If you visited Italy in person, you are probably familiar with the fact your caffè al bar is often accompanied by a curious shot glass of water. In Piemonte and Liguria, basically every café will give it to you, while …