Traditions

Masked balls. Fried sweets. Colorful costumes. In the weeks before Fat Tuesday (martedì grasso), Venice revels in Carnevale. Dating back to the 1200s, Carnival marks the start of the period of Lent – or, the 40 days that lead up …

“Fatta l’Italia, bisogna fare gli Italiani,” famously said Massimo D’Azeglio shortly after the unification of Italy. And he was right: in those faithful last decades of the 19th century, when Risorgimento reached its apogee and political ideas of unity and …

In Italy, he became TV popular only in very recent months, after news and gossip outlets alike made known he custom made the shirt POTUS Donald Trump wore on inauguration day, but the much criticized American first citizen is far …

I have lived for fifteen years outside of Italy and had to endure the oh-so-harsh reality my beloved adoptive country knew next to nothing about aperitivo: the ritual, the food and, crucially, the drinks. Honed by years of aperitivo practice …

Let’s start with a definition of “industrial design,” by Argentinian-born, Milan-based, painter, designer and philosopher, Tomás Maldonado: “Industrial design is a creative activity whose aim is to determine the formal qualities of objects produced by industry. These formal qualities are …

For centuries they were the only way to travel, criss-crossing the shallow lagoon and navigating the city’s iconic canals. Today, whilst Venice’s gondolas still glide silently through the waterways few visitors know their history, happy to just enjoy the view …

Representing the variety and beauty of Italian music in different ages and in different fields was the goal of “Music and culture: an Italian Perspective” held at the Musco Center for the Art at Chapman University of Orange.  It is …

After three eventful days in Naples, we rented a car and drove over the mountain pass to the Amalfi Coast, the iconic site of southern affluence and prosperity. The Amalfi Coast is another of those iconic, idealized images of the …

We all know the legend of King Arthur and the Sword in the stone. But what you might not know is that Italy has its own version. And you can find it in the small chapel of Montesiepi, a few …

It’s noon in Florence, and you find a spot on the steps of the Duomo. After a bitterly cold winter, you feel your skin gladly soak up the sun shining down on you. You watch passersby marvel at Brunelleschi’s masterpiece. …