History & culture
Giovanni da Verrazzano and the Naming of the Bridge
April 2024 | Janice Therese Mancuso
Five hundred years ago, on April 17, Giovanni da Verrazzano and his crew were the first Europeans to sail into the estuary of what is now New York Harbor. Under Verrazzano’s command, they first landed at Cape Fear in North Carolina in March of 1524...
Umbria Jazz Winter Festival
April 2024 | Anne Robichaud
For the past 30 years in late December, the Umbria Jazz Winter festival livens up the medieval hill town of Orvieto, bringing in the New Year with a musical blast of jazz, rock, and country western.
Musical events abound in the medieval...
Dante, Canto II: A Canto of Contrasts
April 2024 | William Giovinazzo
In many ways, the second canto (chapter) of Dante’s “Divine Comedy” is one of contrasts: light versus dark, slavery versus freedom, and courage versus fear.
Toward the end of the first canto, Dante meets Virgil, who tells him the only way out of...
Letters from Veneto: Moonlight Oil and LoVivo
April 2024 | Myra Robinson
by Myra Robinson
I have yet to hear my first cuckoo of the year, but in other respects everything is slowly coming back to life. The almond trees are in blossom on my favorite walk along the ridge of Monte Fasolo, and there are small green buds...
On the Cover: The Processione dei Misteri di Trapani: A Sacred Spectacle of Faith and Tradition
March 2024 | La Gazzetta Italiana
Italy is renowned for its rich cultural heritage, and one of the most captivating religious events that unfolds in the heart of Sicily is the Processione dei Misteri di Trapani. This annual procession is a profound manifestation of faith,...
Ferrari: The Car, the Man, the Passion
March 2024 | Joanna Lucarino
Owning this iconic Italian luxury sports car with its long and illustrious racing heritage is a dream for most of us car lovers. The car company was founded in 1939 by Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari in Modena, Italy. The Ferrari brand is...
Dante, Canto 1: Lost in the Dark Wood
March 2024 | William Giovinazzo
“In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself in a dark wood where the straight way was lost.” So begins Dante’s journey through the afterlife.
As we see from the above quote, Dante begins by waking. Midway through his life, he...
A Second Language is a Gift Worth Sharing
March 2024 | Patrick Tunno
“Piovono Polpette”, the Italian dub of “It’s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” is playing in the living room. It’s an exclusive viewing party for an audience of one – my seven-year-old son. He’s sprawled out across our chenille indigo sofa in...
A Book Review: “Christ Stopped at Eboli”
March 2024 | William Giovinazzo
When I was a boy, movies and television shows depicted Italy as a lush land with happy, though somewhat simple, peasants. Their homes were quaint, kitchens festooned with braids of garlic and herbs. There was always plenty of bread,...
- You are here:
-
Home
- History & culture
