Traditions

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 …

La Quintana di Ascoli Piceno is a historical reenactment event that takes place in the city of Ascoli Piceno, in the Marche region of Italy. The event is named after the Quintana, an ancient Roman equestrian game, and its first attestation dates to 1377. …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

There is something, in the beautiful and history-rich Tuscan town of Siena that, for centuries, brought its people together in shared anticipation, communal joy, and friendly rivalry. It’s a spectacle of beating drums, vibrant banners, and the rhythmical, thundering sound …