Going Through Hell with Dante
The National Gallery of Art in Washington DC presents Going through Hell: The Divine Dante, a look at how the poet’s masterwork has influenced artists down the ages. Drawing from the Gallery’s own collection, this intimate exhibition opens with a large allegorical portrait of the artist sitting at the edge of a landscape, gazing back at souls ascen...
Italian diaspora has helped shape the world | Opinion
While preparing a global outreach for my foundation’s WorldCast 23 environmental studies broadcast for high school students, I pondered the vast settlement of Italians worldwide, the Italian diaspora. Americans, particularly Italian Americans, are barely aware of the dimensions of the Italian diaspora. People of Italian heritage have played major r...
An incredible Italian deli market sits in Mt. Laurel, NJ
What happens when two guys from a neighborhood in Philadelphia open an Italian Deli? You get "Abburzzi's and Giunta's" on Route 38 in Mt. Laurel. Ryan Bussell, who's one of my producers, and I set out to see just how good they are. They are incredible! They started us out with their famous homemade, hand-rolled stromboli, which owner Joe Abbruzzi...
The landmarks that define our culture
There is a text about classical works that, in turn, has become a classic of literary studies. In his Western Canon, published in 1994, the great American critic Harold Bloom collected a series of texts offering a portrait of the culture on which generations of students have been formed: a list of masterpieces standing at the very heart of our civi...
Member of Auburn Italian group to be honored at annual feast
The Cultural Italian American Organization will host its annual St. Joseph the Worker Feast on Sunday, April 30, and honor a dedicated member at the event. The annual event at St. Francis of Assisi Church celebrates St. Joseph's Day on March 19. It will include a small procession in St. Joseph's honor with old Sicilian narration, and a feast table...
The 20 Best Italian Restaurants In The US
Based on the beauty and simplicity of fresh, seasonal ingredients, and the joys of sharing food with others, Italian food is almost universally known and beloved. Its history can be traced back to the Roman Empire with a cookbook from the first century B.C. Over the centuries, the country's regions have developed their own cuisines, based on the gi...
A Gear of Rome: A Roman Senator’s Day in Ancient Rome
The Roman Senate was one of the most enduring institutions in the ancient world. It was established at the dawn of Rome, and it survived the fall of the Roman Monarchy, the fall of the Roman Republic, the division of the empire, and the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476. It achieved its ascent to power during the Republic and it was finally w...
Opera Meets Film: The Story of Natalina Cavalieri in ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Woman’
What happens when you mix incredible beauty with a knack for theatrical allure, a stellar work ethic, as well as a drive to succeed? Of course, you produce someone who’s situation can never get the best of them. Within the annals of operatic history are many figures for whom their upbringing did not promise them anything that was afforded them late...
Cetona: The Hidden Gem of Tuscany
Tuscany is known for its picturesque towns, rolling hills, and delicious food. However, there’s a little town that often gets overlooked by tourists, and that is Cetona. Located in the province of Siena, Cetona is a medieval town with a rich history and stunning scenery. In this article, we’ll explore what makes Cetona so special and why you should...
Milano’s Italian Grill coming to downtown Vicksburg
Milano’s Italian restaurant is coming to downtown Vicksburg. It will be in the 1300 block of Washington Street across from 10 South and the Key City Brewery. Owner Ylli Makolli (pronounced U-Lee Ma-ko-lee) believes he will be open in about six weeks. Makolli operates restaurants in Louisiana including Milano’s Italian Grill in West Monroe along wit...
The Preserved Beauty of Italian Island Traditions
The first two figures in Alys Tomlinson’s photo book Gli Isolani (The Islanders) (GOST Books, 2023) offer us something between a greeting and a warning. Covered in shaggy animal skins and wearing enigmatic wooden masks, the figures seem ancient and insular. Their confrontational stances and curved staffs suggest that the rocky landscape around them...
Small Town Little Italy
Back in the day Italian immigrants established enclaves in cities big and small across the U.S., and the Keystone State was no exception. Smaller cities in Western Pennsylvania, like Jeanette and New Castle, were heavily populated by Italian families. I grew up in New Castle in the 1950s and ‘60s where about half the city’s residents were of Italia...