Traditions

Jewish populations have called Italy home since Judas Maccabee sent a contingent to Rome in 161 B.C.  Although their history is wrought with strife, Jewish communities have established deeply planted roots throughout Italy. Their distinct culture has interwoven with the …

The Pasquetta day has historical and religious significance: indeed, Italian Catholics call it Lunedì dell’ Angelo which is meant to remember the women of the sepulcher, including Mary Magdalene, who were comforted by an angel when they returned to Jesus’ …

Chocolate eggs are stacked high in supermercati, Colomba dove cakes decorate pasticcerie windows and lambs are being made ready for the dining table. But away from the well-known traditions of an Italian Easter there are many different ways to celebrate. …

It is all manner of libation which has been delivered to my table after having asked for “Spritz, please,” still white wine mixed with sparkling soda water; red wine with still mineral water and fruit slices (something more akin, perhaps, …

A vigorous thrust with a fork resolutely imposes on the icing to reach the body of soft ricotta cream in perfect symbiosis with the sponge cake. The bitter chocolate morsels explode in your mouth in contrast with the sweetness of …

It is nice — and unsurprising — to know that in this period of reflection and prayer, Italians have never quite forgotten about their kitchens. And so, we learn that the  first Easter chocolate eggs were created in Turin in …

A solitary woman dressed in dark regal hues, her fingers adorned with  topazes and opals,  a voice as deep and smooth as the softest of velvets. She sits in a room scented like opium and incense, twilight cloaking everything in …

Let’s be honest, it’s not only kids who love chocolate eggs: we all do! Indeed, the egg has a very ancient symbolism: it always represented life, the fulcrum of universal elements, both in pagan and Christian traditions.   Easter egg tradition …

For Christian Catholics, Holy Week is the most spiritually pregnant moment of the year, even more than Christmastime. But in Italy, this is a time resonant with meaning among people who don’t believe, too: Holy Week is a time of …

The Etruscans are one of the most fascinating pre-Roman civilizations but, puzzlingly, also one of those we know the least about: the real Etruscan mystery is that of their origin and of their language,  both  of which remain largely unknown, …