A bit of history… The Jewish community in Rome dates as far back as 161 BC, making it one of the oldest Jewish communities in Europe. It is thought that trade links, coupled with the harmonious way in which many communities coexisted in the city at the time,...
When visiting countries in the so-called ‘developed world’, we often assume that ancient traditional crafts are a thing of the past and that they no longer exist in the modern world. However, this is not always true. At local level, many still preserve the vocation...
Interest in the Marche region is on the rise – and this is no surprise. A combination for history, influence, nature and experience makes the Marche one of the most culturally interesting regions in Italy. Just to mention a few figures: there are approximately 100...
Imagine yourself wandering in Venice with your family or friends: the elegant buildings reflect in the water, posters around the lagoon city promote cultural events and theater shows, the gondola boats peacefully float by the canals. You have a unique opportunity to...
Off to the eastern side of northern Italy, Veneto is not all about Venice and Verona. The town of Vicenza is generally considered the cultural capital of this region, and this is largely because of its extremely rich architectural heritage endowed by 16th-century...
Friuli Venezia Giulia is a land of frontiers and intersections, of emigrants and immigrants, of a complex history with different ruling powers. The result is a region that has an extremely rich and mixed heritage. In today’s post, we will explore some of its...
The Cinque Terre (literally, “five lands”) is an enchanting destination that stretches for 18 km along the rocky coast of Liguria, in northwestern Italy. The five ‘borghi’ (villages or hamlets) after which the area is named, are Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza,...
“To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to not have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything”. – Johann Wolfgang von Goethe German writer, philosopher and statesman von Goethe had got right already in...
Have you ever watched Hollywood’s movie Roman Holiday (1953)? If you have, and even if you have not, you probably associate it with the iconic image of Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck exploring the Italian Capital while riding a Vespa. The Vespa is an Italian brand of...
The town of Putignano, near Bari in Apulia, is currently celebrating the 620th edition of its historic Carnival. It is not only the oldest but also the longest event of the kind in Italy: it starts the day after Christmas and ends around Ash Wednesday. The Carnival of...
For some reason it is not one of Italy’s most famous regions, but the Marche (or Marches) surely deserves a top spot among the most rewarding areas to visit in the boot! Here are just a couple of jaw-dropping and interesting facts about the Marche: its historic towns...
Some time ago we published a post on Common Mistakes about Italian Cuisine, in which we explained that the ‘Fettuccine Alfredo’ never became as popular in Italy as they were (and still are) abroad. We also said that it is not that easy to find this dish in...
Umbria is a region where art, food, wine and history are protagonists. Its artists excelled particularly at painting, for example Renaissance painter Pinturicchio. Delicious food includes strangozzi pasta with local black truffle from Norcia, while the red Montefalco...
The Tuscia is a historical region located between Tuscany, Umbria, Lazio and the Tyrrhenian Sea. Since prehistoric times, this beautiful land has welcomed many different people that have left obvious signs of their presence. In particular, the Etruscan civilization...