Festa Americana: Celebrating American Culture and History in Italy
This summer, service members and their families, Department of Defense civilians and local Italians flocked to Festa Americana to celebrate America’s Independence Day at U.S. Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples’ Support Site in Gricignano di Aversa, July 2.The midsummer Festa Americana festival, organized by NSA Naples Morale, Welfare and Recreatio...
This Popular Italian Destination Is Home to Scenic Small Towns — and You Can Hike Between Them All
Cinque Terre comprises five villages (hence the name, which translates to "Five Lands") on the northwestern coast of Italy in the region of Liguria. A national park, it is characterized by terraced agricultural land and colorful houses tumbling down cliffsides into the Mediterranean Sea. The area is home to some 4,000 inhabitants, but attracts arou...
Six villas for sale in Italy, designed by great architects
Even though Shakespeare's Mercutio said that "dreams are the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy", everyone has dreamt of a "house of wonders": a villa, perhaps perched on soft green hills, in a bucolic and unspoilt countryside, or caressed by the breeze and scents of the Mediterranean maquis with a spectacular sea view. An...
Venice sets date for introduction of ticketing and entry fees - here's what you need to know
Venice authorities have announced when visitors will have to book their slot to see the canal city and pay an entry fee, three years after the system was first proposed. The entry fee will apply to daytrippers but not to those staying the night in Venice, who already pay a tourist tax. The city has also confirmed how visitors can book their ticket,...
When in Rome, Drink Like A Roman
Like all major European capitals, Rome’s touristy neighborhoods are hard to avoid or, sometimes, resist. After a journey of missed connections, jumbled travel directions and mangled language if you’re not an Italian speaker, it’s tempting to fall into a neighborhood like Trastevere, where English is widely spoken and familiar menu items can entice...
Unknown pizzas of Italy
Napoletana, Romana and al taglio. Margherita, capricciosa and quattro stagioni: of course, we are talking about pizza. But while these varieties are known across the globe, they are far from being the only ones, and I am not only speaking about toppings. If it’s true that pizza is a quintessentially Neapolitan dish – so much so that Neapolitan pizz...
Off the slopes: a day in Valle d’Aosta
Villeneuve, castello di Aymavilles, Maison Anselmet, Petite Arvine, Chalet La Meridiana, Jambon de Bosses, Lard d’Arnad, fondue. Based on these things, where do you think I am? Anyone who thinks they know Italy might assume I’m not even in il bel paese. But where I am is evident to anyone who really knows Italy: the Valle d’Aosta. Nestled in the Al...
How the Ferrari Modulo Was Born
It all began in 1968. Ferrari had sent Pininfarina two chassis of the 25 built for the type approval of the Ferrari 512 S. The chassis had remained unsold, and were sent to Turin to be used to develop a couple of prototypes for a possible future production. One was handed over to Filippo Sapino, my colleague from the style team who at the time was...
Florence with children: what to do with the whole family
Florence is a magnificent city that tourists from all over the world, but what we are attracting to offer you today is a family-friendly Florence where children of all ages can feel comfortable and have fun. A walking tour through the streets of Florence to discover one of the most beautiful art cities in Italy. Florence is a city within everyone's...
Italy's cuisine - Delicious from North to South
Italy from north to south, we eat our way through. Welcome to our new series: This is how delicious Italy eats. The theme Mangiare is elementary in Italy, but actually looks quite different in each region. Italian cuisine - enjoy it, from the Aosta Valley to Sicily. Everything nicely bite-sized and in small bites. With buon appetito in any case. We...
Autographed Baseball donated to Joe Di Maggio house museum in Sicily
On the occasion of the visit to Isola delle Femmine, in the province of Palermo, Sicily, of a delegation of Italian-American citizens from Pittsburg and Martinez (California), led by the vice president of Italian American Club of Pittsburg, CA, Vince Ferrante, the Scala - Aiello family, through their little niece Ysabel Scala, donated to the Joe Di...
Rare Wines. The acrobat's wine: Sciacchetrà
Increasingly rare, less and less produced. Sciacchetrà is a marvel among meditation wines, a unique passito made from Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino grapes left to dry away from the sun, in airy places, even for 70 days. After November 1st, the bunches are carefully de-stemmed, hand-selecting the grapes that are then pressed and vinified in steel...