Italian culture and history: Nuoro
The Province of Nuoro is situated in east-central Sardinia. Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea on its east, it is bordered by the Provinces of Sassari and Olbia-Tempio on its north, by the Province of Oristano in the west, and the Provinces of Cagliari and Ogliastra to its south. It spreads out for 1,519 square miles (16.3% of Sardinian territory) and...
Italian handcrafts: The Art of Goldsmithery in Crotone
The tradition of the art of goldsmithery in Crotone is certainly not as ancient as the city, which was founded by Greek settlers in 710 B.C., but it can still boast of roots that extend far back into history. It also draws its inspiration from Magna Graecia, as demonstrated by the typical filigree and gold work that still bears traces of the style...
Italian little Italies: Castiglione del Lago, A rock on a silver veil
“I write to you from an enchanting place. Our house is in front of the Trasimeno Lake, all surrounded by thick hills and on the lake three green little dream islands, lying down abandoned as in a state of ectasy”. These are the words written by a poetess of the early twentieth century, Vittoria Aganoor, who describes to a friend a landscape of ench...
Italian flavors: Piacenza Salami
In Europe, the tradition of eating pork meat stretches far back into antiquity, as pigs were an animal that was easy to rear in a domestic environment, they were rich in fat and delicious meats and reproduced quickly. In the second half of the nineteenth century, some pig bones excavated from archaeological sites in the Po Valley corroborated the h...
Italian traditions: Ferragosto in Italy
They were originally called feriae Augusti, or "the rest of Augustus" (as the Roman emperor), and are a millenary history custom. They were to indicate those holidays established in the year 8 BC by the first Roman emperor in history to celebrate the end of the main works of the agricultural season and thus constitute a period of rest able to resto...
IT and US: When the generational shift works and looks to the USA
Imagine visiting a family business and being welcomed and accompanied tothe owner, grandson of the founder, by the grandson of one of the employees of the person who laid the foundations of the company. This is what has been happening in Palermo, from 1925 to the present day, in one of the leading industries in the production of paints and varnishe...
ICA: Italian Citizenship by Descent. Jure Sanguinis
In our article last month, we covered Italian citizenship by marriage and in this month’s article, we will go over Italian citizenship by descent also known as Jure Sanguinis. First, let's talk about who can apply for citizenship in this way. The answer is that anyone of Italian descent who can demonstrate an unbroken chain of citizenship back to...
Italian art: Luigi Valadier
Two important acquisitions made by the Frick Collection in New York concerning the Roman silversmith and sculptor Luigi Valadier, namely the handwritten register containing the description of the works existing in the Valadier workshop compiled in 1810 and a vase in red marble mounted in gilded silver, gave the idea to the director of the Museum, I...
Italian language: Italian is Musical
Italian is known as a melodic and musical language all around the world: to foreign ears, Italians seem to sing what they are saying instead of speaking. Well, today I am here to tell you just how right you are, but not as you would imagine. Today, we are here to talk about how much music influenced the Italian way of speaking and expressions. Whe...
Italian report: I.T.A.L.I.A. geographies of the new Made in Italy
In these first years of the millennium, when fake news (real or presumed) have become one of the hot topics of the public debate, Italy also pays its price, mainly because of the lack of awareness and lack of pride. The good news about the country, and in particular the results achieved on a global range, have never been very well known at home. Bu...
Italian land and nature: The Island of Elba and Its History
The Island of Elba is the largest in the Tuscan Island chain, and by itself it contains a secluded charm, yet is rich in history, civilization and nature life. It is thanks to its geological structure and its particular geographic position that this island is considered an open-air laboratory for geologists, naturalists and botanists. One can admir...
Italian cuisine: Focaccia cooked in a skillet
Focaccia can be eaten many ways: plain, seasoned, filled with vegetables, prosciutto or cheese, or even sweet with chocolate cream. Do you know that you can prepare focaccia without baking it? Yes you can! Here is my recipe for focaccia cooked in a skillet...like pancakes! You can make focaccia in a skillet when you don't feel like turning on the o...