Lasagna: Origins and Varieties of the Beloved Baked Pasta
Lasagna, famed worldwide, has ancient origins and remains an Italian superstar dish. Basically, lasagna is a baked casserole made with wide flat pasta and layered with fillings such as ragú, bechamel, vegetables and various cheeses. Unsurprisingly, every Italian region has its own traditional recipe. Lasagna: History Lasagna – the name and the dis...
A Bit Home, A Bit Hotel: Discover the Albergo Diffuso Hospitality Concept
Albergo diffuso, an accommodation style that originated in Italy in the early 1980s, may become more popular going forward, as travelers look for ever more unique and isolated experiences. What is Albergo Diffuso The ‘Albergo Diffuso’ is a concept of hospitality that was launched in Italy as an attempt to revive small, historic villages at risk of...
Rome's Arch of Septimius Severus to be restored
The Arch of Septimius Severus - one of ancient Rome's most recognised monuments - is to undergo a programme of conservation works in 2021. The restoration will be undertaken by the Parco archeologico del Colosseo which, in addition to the Colosseum, incorporates the Palatine Hill, Domus Aurea and the Roman Forum - where the triumphal arch is locate...
The Sicilian tradition of Pistachio and the variety of Bronte
In Sicily, pistachio is real excellence, as it is the only region that produces it. In Sicilian dialect, the pistachio is called "frastuca", while "frastucara" is the name of the tree that produces it. With their sweet and salty flavor at the same time, the extraordinarily crispy texture, although oily, pistachios are undoubtedly among the most bel...
12 Things Italians Eat (and Drink) in the Winter
In Italy, eating seasonally is a way of life. It's also one of the secrets to Italian cuisine. After all, when you eat seasonally, it means you're eating ingredients when they are fresh and at the height of their flavor! So what do Italians eat in the winter? While you won't find any fresh tomato bruschetta, you can expect to indulge in many other...
Italy Mourns an Immigrant’s Life Cut Short
She was an immigrant who became known as a successful business owner in a remote valley in northern Italy. But most Italians had probably never heard of Agitu Ideo Gudeta until last week, when the Ethiopian-born cheesemaker was found bludgeoned to death in her home. Her killing made her front-page news in Italian newspapers, however, with the death...
EU medicines agency gives green light to second Covid-19 vaccine
On Wednesday the EUropean Medicines Agency (EMA) announced it had approved the Moderna vaccine in the fight against Covid-19. It follows approval last month for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine that is in the process of being rolled out across the EU. The final authorisation for the Moderna vaccine will need to be granted by the EU Commission. Commissio...
Mediterranean diet named best diet for 2021
The gold medal for best 2021 diet went to the Mediterranean diet for the fourth year in a row, according to rankings announced Monday by U.S. News & World Report. Tied for silver was the DASH diet, which stands for dietary approaches to stop hypertension, and the Flexitarian diet, which encourages being a vegetarian most of the time, but is flexibl...
Will We Need An Immunity Passport to Fly? How Will Travel Restart
After nine months of social distancing, mask-wearing, nasal swabs, and quarantining, it seems like hope is finally on the horizon. Yes, there is a record number of new cases and deaths out there particularly in the US and Europe as well as South America, Japan, and India, not to mention a more infectious strain of the virus that’s emerged in the UK...
Aperitivo in lockdown
Throughout Italy, early evenings are as lively a time as any. Clinking glasses, chatter and small plates of delicious food signal aperitivo hour. Aperitivo typically occurs prior to dinner as a time to catch up with friends or as a much-needed shopping break. Either way, the most important component of Italy’s version of happy hour is quality time...
Basilica of San Giorgio in Velabro
THE BASILICA OF SAN GIORGIO in Velabro is a religious building located in Rome, edificated on the former swampy area of Velabro and dedicated to Saint George. The origins of the church are not clear. It’s mentioned in various Early Middle documents, but these could also be a nod to a separate building. The current church was likely constructed in...
What Stellantis means, the name of the automotive group resulting from the merger of FCA and PSA is derived from Latin
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) and Peugeot S.A. (Groupe PSA) announced today that their respective shareholders’ meetings approved the merger of FCA and Groupe PSA to create Stellantis N.V. by an overwhelming majority, with more than 99% of the votes cast in favor of the transaction.STELLANTIS is rooted in the Latin verb “stello” meaning “to...