BAMPFA: Marcello Mastroianni at 100
December 15, 2024 - February 27, 2025. BAMPFA, 2155 Center Street, Berkeley, CA. Marcello Mastroianni’s contribution to the history of cinema made an indelible mark. The actor is beloved by filmgoers for his on-screen charisma, charm, and elegance, and his centennial year is being marked by festivals and cinematheques around the world thanks to a p...
The wait for Christmas, emigrants, and nostalgia for home
From Thanksgiving to Christmas, the leap feels almost instantaneous. Time seems to race faster with every passing year, and December feels shorter and shorter. A hundred tasks to juggle, a hundred thoughts swirling. Mornings disappear in a blur, afternoons vanish just as quickly, and days that dragged in November now sprint toward the most dazzling...
The path to Italy’s past runs through its ancient monasteries
David Gagrčić first set eyes on the Italian sanctuary of La Verna on a school trip in 1994. Raised in Croatia to an Italo-Croatian family, Gagrčić was just 14 years old at the time, but it was there at this friary nestled in the mountains of Tuscany that his life changed forever.“It filled my heart,” he says. “The scent of the wood inside has alway...
From Smart Factories to AI Healthcare and Mobility: 46 Italian Startups Head to CES 2025
From autonomous robotaxis to sensor systems that detect wildfires before they spread, AI tools that help doctors with diagnostics, or enable factories to reduce energy consumption. Practical solutions leveraging solid yet underutilized technologies to enhance productivity, improve urban systems, and enrich daily life—this is the spirit behind the I...
Angelo Moriondo and his genial coffee machine
The invention of the modern coffee machine is credited to Angelo Moriondo, an Italian entrepreneur from Turin, who patented the first steam-powered device for brewing coffee in 1884. This revolutionary machine laid the foundation for the espresso machines we know today. Angelo Moriondo came from a family of innovators and entrepreneurs. His grandfa...
Olathe Italian restaurant Toni’s unveils new Shawnee location
A locally-owned Italian restaurant that got its start in Olathe has planted roots further north. Toni’s Italian Restaurant opened its doors in Shawnee last week, in the former home of breakfast eatery Flapjacks ‘n more. The restaurant moved into a space at the Shawnee Crossings shopping center, just off Shawnee Mission Parkway and Kansas Highway 7....
From lakes to mountains: the delicious mosaic of Brescia’s food and wine scene
From the shores of Lake Garda, Lake Iseo, and Lake Idro to the mountains of the Camonica, Sabbia, and Trompia valleys; from the rolling hills of Franciacorta and Valtènesi to the green plains through which the Oglio River gently flows, Brescia’s province (which shared the title of Italian Capital of Culture 2023 with Bergamo) offers an extraordinar...
Students Attend 2024 Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival
During the bustling final weeks of the fall semester, from November 14 to 17, a group of eight students from Meredith College had the opportunity to attend the Nuovo Cinema Italiano Film Festival in Charleston, South Carolina. This annual event, which has been celebrated for 18 years, showcases significant contemporary Italian cinema and is organiz...
Italy kicks off project to develop small nuclear reactors to power moon settlements
Italy has kicked off a new project to start developing small nuclear fission reactors. The project aims to power settlements on the moon using these reactors. Called the Selene project, the initiative by Italy’s national space agency, ASI, focuses on developing the Moon Energy Hub (MEnH), which would provide a stable energy source for future lunar...
The story behind the new LA PORTA in downtown Northport
When he opened his LA PORTA in Northport Village this summer, owner Rob Simmons didn’t need to do any advertising. Just the aroma of burning wood mixed with Italian flavors wafting onto Main Street had people pouring in. They were “flooded” right out of the gate, he said. “Our storefront has folding windows, so it opens up completely,” Simmons expl...
5 Bloody Spectacles at Ancient Rome’s Colosseum
When the Colosseum opened its doors in A.D. 80, tens of thousands of Romans had the opportunity to stand alongside each other and watch a cavalcade of gruesome events. Before then, Roman leaders had avoided building permanent entertainment buildings. Combat events took place at funerals, the Circus Maximus, or bleachers would be put up around the F...
Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival announces scholarship increase
There was a special announcement on Sunday night at the Undo’s Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival’s Annual Christmas Gala. The festival’s board of trustees announced that they will be adding an additional $500 to their scholarship awards. Each year, the festival has awarded two local students a $1,000 scholarship, and now they will increas...