Rome's Colosseum sparkles after magnate-funded restoration
by Frances D'Emilio The Colosseum has emerged more imposing than ever after its most extensive restoration, a multimillion-euro cleaning to remove a dreary, undignified patina of soot and grime from the ancient arena, which has been assailed for decades by pollution in traffic-clogged Rome. Footing the bill is shoe-and-luxury goods ma...
9th annual Festa della Repubblica at Pompeii
Comitato Tricolore Italiani nel Mondo has been organizing Festa della Repubblica at the Shrine of Our Lady of Pompeii since 2008. We did it to bring the entire community together, similar to Columbus Day, which is a celebration that every Italian American should support. Unlike Columbus Day, which is a celebration of our contributions to A...
Ischia Comes to Brooklyn
By Becky Cooper Ischia: Capri's forgotten sibling, the Cinderella of the islands off the coast of Naples, long lay quiet in the Tyrrhenian Sea, home to therapeutic thermal springs and sunbathing Italians. But now, thanks to Elena Ferrante, the author and patron saint of many a contemporary bibliophile, Ischia conjures mythic promises of rejuvenati...
Orchestra Performs Italian Music at Free Concert at Madison Public Library Aug. 17
by Cameron Luttrell The New Jersey Symphony Orchestra Chamber Players will perform a free concert in the Chase Room auditorium at the Madison Public Library on Aug. 17. The event is called a "Una Festa Musicale Italiana." The orchestra will play a variety of Italian music of all different styles, such as traditional, baroque, classica...
Italy’s coastal cuisine
There are a lot of new restaurants opening up in D.C. these days and many are focused on Italian cuisine.It's a no-brainer, in some ways, because Italy offers a wide array of options, from the northeastern part of the country near Austria and Hungary, where dishes can include sauerkraut and spicy sausages, to the wild boar dishes of Sardinia, to po...
St. Padre Pio relic coming to Boston in September
"I'm very excited to announce that the Capuchin Friars who run the Shrine of St. Padre Pio have offered to come to Boston with the heart of Padre Pio for his feast day this year," Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley said in the Sept. 2 post of his weekly blog, CardinalSeansBlog.org. "This is the first time any major relic of Padre Pio has left Italy, and we...
After Columbus Day revision, City Council votes to recognize Italian American heritage
Christopher Columbus' holiday is gone from the Spokane calendar, but the City Council is suggesting another way to celebrate Italian heritage. City Councilwoman Amber Waldref will forward a proposal Monday to proclaim Oct. 1 each year as "Italian-American Heritage Day" following the contentious decision in August to rename the second Monday of...
Auguri! San Diego Italian Film Festival Turns 10
By Beth Accomando, Rebecca Romani San Diego Italian Film Festival (SDIFF) throws a 10th anniversary birthday bash with some intriguing new films. There's always something to cheer about when a film festival hits its 10-year mark. One has a sense the festival is here to stay and a hope that it is settling into what promises to be a vib...
Florence's famous panini shop opens New York City outpost
The scene: Florence is the cradle of the Renaissance, the place where artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo got their start. But Italy's most famously creative city does not limit its artistry to canvas and marble — Florence has fantastic food, from Tuscan specialties to gelato to the city's sandwich obsession, the panini. And for...
Fried Meatballs, Prosecco Italian Ice and Other Delicious Curiosities
Bar Lupo, a new neighborhood Italian spot from the man behind Maple & Ash and the talented barwoman behind the Drifter, is now open in River North. It is not like other neighborhood Italian spots. For starters, it's probably the only place in the city where you can watch the World Series and eat fried cheesy meatballs at the same...
Search for Grandfather Takes Bentonville Man to an Italian Farm Field
A local man on a quest with his family embarking on a 5,200 mile journey that was a decade in the making. It was a discovery that crossed continents, bridged generations and united two nations. It was the quest to find Lt. Loren Hintz that stretched from Northwest Arkansas to Italy. It was a hazy morning on April 21, 1945 when First Lt....
Cristina Bowerman, The Pink-Haired Chef Fusing Italian and American Cooking
by Sirine Azouaoui A liver burger on a licorice bun, accompanied with chips, sweet wine mayonnaise and mango ketchup. That's what Cristina Bowerman served up during the culinary expo "Taste of Rome" in mid-September. The 49-year-old chef doesn't seem to be afraid of anything, especially not of serving a small, industrial-looking sandwich to hundre...