Traditions

As big as a Robin’s egg, mildly tart with a hint of sweetness, and just-perfect chewy only begins to describe an Ascolana olive. Biting into one is a much finer manner of introduction to this enticing little fruit…and I was …

Confetti, what a delicious word. The Italian confetti, that is.  Confetto comes from the Latin for preparing (conficere) especially when talking about food. What’s delicious about a Latin word, you may ask? Of course, a confetto in today’s Italy is …

The term quinto quarto, “the fifth quarter,” refers to a type of cuisine born from poor, peasant kitchens, and the term itself originates from Rome.The fifth quarter refers to everything that is not included in the four quarters in which …

The iconic FIAT 500, symbol of Italy’s post war economic renaissance, became part of MoMA’s permanent collection last year, but 2019 brings even more lustre to the tiny Italian four-wheels, as it will be one of the centrepieces of The …

Today, I feel like to write about Rome and Italian heritage, but for once – our regular readers may be aware of my penchant for classical history – I won’t delve into the depths and beauties of the Empire, but …

A masked parade on the waters of Venice’s canals. The Doge’s ball. Thousands of masks walking around the city. From the party on the Rio del Cannaregio to the parade in Piazza San Marco, where one can see the most …

Rome, caput mundi and glorious mother of western civilization, wasn’t the first power to rule over the peninsula. Naturally enough, a lot happened before that faithful April 21, 753 BC, the date selected by Latin historian Varro as the beginning …

The beautiful walled city of Volterra, an ancient Etruscan town some 45 miles southwest of Florence, is famous for its well-preserved medieval ramparts, museums and archeological sites, and atmospheric cobblestone streets. Fans of American author Stephanie Meyer know it as …

A beautiful article appeared a while back on the renowned pages of the New York Times. It was an incredibly entertaining and informative account of the author’s voyage to one of Italy least known corner, Basilicata, a region mostly associated …

When your grandparents bring you up, getting cured with peculiar medical remedies is as natural as getting double portions on your dinner plate because you’re the youngest. We all got warm milk, honey and a drop of rum when we …