NEWS FROM : ITALY  

Italy marks the Feast of Immaculate Conception, a Catholic holy day, with a national public holiday on 8 December. The fact that the festa falls on a Wednesday this year means that many people will turn the occasion into a "ponte" (bridge) or long weekend, despite the snow forecast in some northern regions. This year more than 10 million people in...

Milan is undoubtedly one of the most popular cities in the world; known for its famous boutiques, luxurious lifestyle and delicious Italian cuisine. You will surely have heard of the Milan’s trademark; the cathedral Duomo church. A stroll downtown will convince you that it is truly the city of style and fashion. But there are some things you may no...

On February 6th 1967, Ferrari pulled off one of the most spectacular feats in its entire history when it took the top three places at the 24 Hours of Daytona in the first round of that year’s International World Sports Car Championship. The three cars that shot past the chequered flag in that legendary side-by-side finish on Ford’s home turf – in f...

“Not only sea, sun and grattatella“, would answer any Sicilian to the question “Christmas in Sicily, really??”. Yes, because, in any season, Sicily offers enchanting views, suggestive places and atmospheres, moments to remember and unique dishes to taste. Yes, really, even at Christmas! The tradition of Christmas here is very strong and you can imm...

The charming hamlet of Asolo, in the province of Treviso, Italy, is only about 50 miles from Venice by car. You might ask why would anyone choose to leave Venice, one of the most alluring tourist destinations in the world, and head to Asolo? Here’s why: An ancient hill town awaits discovery Although there is only one Venice, this tiny medieval town...

Sea-to-table dining in the Cinque Terre isn’t as straightforward as its seaside location might suggest – sometimes a fish's sea of origin can be questionable. Sadly, some restauranteurs opt for the easy, most cost-effective option: buying frozen seafood from abroad to pawn off as, say, “octopus from our gulf.” Conversely, there are plenty of establ...

You may have sliced a few pizzas on Monday's Google Doodle, which features versions of the culinary favorite from all over the world. Google's interactive Doodle allows you to slice pizza using your cursor, with certain rules about the number of slices you get and the toppings that need to go on each slice. The pizzas represent cultures from all ov...

Gourmet is a French term meaning gourmand. Very much in vogue in recent times to describe a particular type of cuisine and eating. A cuisine with manners and for refined palates. Gourmet can be a dish, a chef, a restaurant, an ingredient, a food product, or the person's palate. In general, a way of describing haute cuisine or people and food with a...

When Italy’s Sulmona-Carpinone train opened for service in 1897, it was hailed as an engineering masterpiece for its ability to navigate steep slopes across the Abruzzo region. The 73-mile route remains the second highest in the country—it climbs up to 4,160 feet in the Maiella mountains and traverses areas still without roads today. With the rise...

If you’d told me four years ago that I’d be coming to Rome’s defence, I would have told you: Ma va’. Yeah right, get out of town. And I would have said I’d be long gone myself. And yet, as the latest InterNations survey of expats around the world puts Rome in last place for city life and work, here I am not only still living here but saying out lou...

Every year in November, Turin goes into contemporary art overdrive with a number of exhibitions ranging from Artissima — and its edgier cousin Paratissima — to Luci d’Artista, creative light art installations that are much more than just Christmas lights. Actually, they aren’t Christmas lights at all, so we’re told. It has to be said, the themes ar...

Italian Grappa did well in the pandemic period. According to Istat data relating to 2020, AssoDistil reports that there was a 13% increase in exports. Over 83% of Italian distilleries produce Grappa, an Ig which in 2020 accounted for 69,000 heptanidros, a slight decrease of 4% compared to 2019.  “Despite the pandemic,” writes the association that b...