Love, legends, and roses: Venice's Festa del Bòcolo
The term bòcolo in Venetian dialect refers to a rosebud and, on this day, it’s customary for men to present a red rosebud to the significant women in their lives — be it wives, fiancées, mothers, or sisters — as a symbol of enduring love and admiration. The origins of the tradition are quite enigmatic: an early 9th century legend says that Maria, t...
Ambra Gains Recognition as a Premier Neighborhood Restaurant in West Village for Date Nights and Group Dining
Ambra, an Italian restaurant in NYC’s West Village, is receiving increased recognition as a reliable destination for couples, small groups, and private functions. Since opening in late 2023, the restaurant has built a steady following by focusing on consistent food preparation, professional service, and a low-key setting suited to various dining oc...
5 Just-Reopened Attractions in 5 Major Italian Destinations
Italy is no stranger to scaffolding. The need for infrastructural and aesthetic upgrades to the country’s cultural attractions is near-constant; necessary maintenance as well as all-out renovations can keep many places off limits to visitors for extended periods of time. When sites of interest reopen, it’s arguably even better news for the host tow...
It's a Sopranos Reunion in Sanpellegrino's Nostalgic Ads for a New Drink
The Sopranos co-stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa have come together for one last job. In a remote container yard, they find a mysterious note: “With love, Italy,” it reads. A dubious Schirripa asks Imperioli, “You think this is some kind of message?” But despite their gangster characters’ nefarious pasts, there’s nothing sinister about t...
Policoro is one of Italy’s best-kept seaside secrets
Although Italy is the fourth most visited country in the world, the southern Italian region of Basilicata remains largely unexplored, even by Italians. Unlike its vacation hotspot neighbour Puglia to the east, or Campania’s bucket-list stops such as Amalfi and Pompeii tothe west, Basilicata is quite easy to bypass. Even for me, a self-proclaimed It...
Vocelli Pizza to open first Texas restaurant in 2025
Vocelli Pizza has announced its expansion into the US state of Texas with the first restaurant there set to open in late 2025. The new franchise agreement with entrepreneur Gary Nichols, who has 25 years of business experience and a passion for pizza, will introduce Vocelli’s offerings to the Texan market. The upcoming Vocelli Pizza outlet will be...
‘We made everything bear-proof’: the Italian village that learned to love its bears
Pettorano sul Gizio is a medieval mountain town full of alleys, watchful cats and wooden doors locked sometime in the last century. In the lower parts of town, rustic charm turns into abandonment – branches grow out of walls and roofs have fallen in. The only bar closed at Christmas, after the owner died. Some “For Sale” signs have been up so long...
Author Maria Laurino Presents Her Book on an Adoption Program from Italy to the US after WWII
Born in New Jersey to an Italian American family, journalist and writer Maria Laurino has published several books about the identity and experience of Italian immigrants and their descendants in the U.S. (most notably the companion volume to theThe Italian Americans, the PBS documentary series directed by John Maggio), with specific attention to th...
Growth of consumer credit in Italy and its implications on the economy
Consumer credit is growing in Italy, with the volume of loans seeing a new increase of 5.3% last year, rising from a total of 160.7 billion euros at the end of 2023 to 169.3 billion euros in 2024. During the same period, there was also a modest recovery in total loans granted to families (+0.5%). Our country remains among the top in Europe for the...
The growth of Airbnb rentals in Italy and its impact on the real estate market
At the end of 2024, there were 754,000 rental properties on Airbnb in Italy, with a total of over 3 million beds. Forgetting about the pandemic, last year closed with a record number of active properties for tourists: 52% more than in 2017. However, signals of a slowdown are coming from cities like Venice and Milan, which owners attribute to bureau...
Jac Caglianone Named Ambassador of the Italian American Baseball Foundation
The Italian American Baseball Foundation (IABF) proudly announces that Jac Caglianone has been named the organization’s official ambassador. This partnership highlights Caglianone’s commitment to growing the game of baseball within the Italian American community and supporting the IABF’s mission to provide opportunities for players of Italian herit...
In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY Announces Venues and Performance Schedule for 2025 Festival, 5/5-5/19
The New York City-based Kairos Italy Theater along with the Italy-based KIT Italia and Casa Italiana Zerilli-Marimò at NYU will present the 12th season of the In Scena! Italian Theater Festival NY, New York City’s premiere festival of Italian theater taking place in all five boroughs of NYC, May 5-19. Admission to all shows and events in the festiv...
