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Vietri sul Mare is a small town in southern Italy, along the Amalfi Coast. Located just about three miles to the east of Salerno, it is considered the gateway to one of the most famous stretches of coastline in the …

Chances are that, if you watched a movie set in Sicily, you unknowingly heard the unmistakable, twangy sound of the scacciapensieri.  Small and unassuming, it is known as “jaw harp” or “Jew’s harp” in English, and produces a metallic vibration …

A new initiative is in motion to have Italian comedy recognized as part of UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage, a move that aims to celebrate a tradition deeply rooted in the country’s artistic and social fabric. The idea, spearheaded by the …

Walk into Seattle’s Casa Italiana on any weekend and you’ll likely find the Italian Cultural Center abuzz with Italians, Italian-Americans, and those who simply love Italian culture. From the large first-floor hall come excited cries of “Scopa!” A beginner Italian-language …

The Italian expression senz’altro (sehn-tzal-troh) is a widely used phrase that translates to “certainly,” “of course,” or “without a doubt” in English. It is a way to affirm something with confidence and conviction, often implying an immediate or unquestionable response. …

If Termini Imerese, in the metropolitan area of Palermo, and Sciacca, in the province of Agrigento, compete for the title of the oldest Carnival in Sicily” while Aci Reale, in the metropolitan area of Catania, claims to host “he most …

You know you’re dealing with something special when a company has been around for over six centuries. That’s the case with Camuffo, the world’s oldest shipyard, making boats since 1438. It all began under the Venetian Republic, when the Camuffo …

You know that faint image or pattern that appears when you hold an expensive sheet of paper up to the light? That’s a watermark, a centuries-old invention that started in Italy. Originally a way for papermakers to brand their work, …

Hollywood, the factory of dreams, has always been a place where art and storytelling feel at home, and this award season, there is an undeniable gusto Italiano in the air. We have, of course, the annual celebration of Italian filmmaking …

The Carneval di Mat, or Carnival of the Fools, is one of the most distinctive historical celebrations of Carnevale in Italy, but it has many colorful European connections.  Carnevale is commonly associated with a temporary suspension of the established social …