Glimpses of Christmas Past: Photos from Rome 2017

7 Acts of mercy presepe

Joe and Patricia Gartman have spent the Christmas seasons from 2017 to 2019 in Italy. Here are photos from their time in Rome in 2017. When the City of Rome’s official Christmas tree – a72-foot Norway spruce from Trentino – was erected in Piazza Venezia on the 8th of November, it was shockingly bare of […]

How to apply for Italian citizenship by descent

Italian citizenship, passports on Italian flag

Discovering that you can claim Italian citizenship by descent through your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and in some cases even great-great-grandparents can be very exciting. But what is the process of acquiring Italian citizenship like? Is it easy to get Italian citizenship? Compared to other countries, Italian citizenship by descent is one of the simplest to […]

Gazzetta Italia: A tale of two women

Pedestrians look at a mural painting made by Italian artist and activist aleXsandro Palombo, depicting Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni (R) and Democratic Party (PD) Secretary Elly Schlein (L) naked and pregnant in reference to the ongoing debate over surrogacy in the country

In this edition of our bilingual feature, Tom Alberto Bull reports on the two women who now face each other in the Italian parliament KEY WORDS Useful Italian words and phrases to add to your vocabulary. Anni di turbolenza Years of turbulence Una fase nuova A new era Una vittoria travolgente A landslide victory Già […]

Speak Italia: Foreign athletes living ‘the good life’

Chris Smalling playing football

In this edition of our bilingual feature, Tom Alberto Bull looks at the current crop of foreign sports stars enjoying their new lives in Italy… KEY WORDS Useful Italian words and phrases to add to your vocabulary Cibo meraviglioso Wonderful food Clima caldo Warm climate Gente simpatica Friendly people Imparare la lingua To learn the […]

Discover Campobasso’s Festival of the Mysteries

Dressing the ingegni

Every June, locals stage a mesmerising event that’s become a cultural staple for the town of Campobasso in Molise, writes Val Nicastro… Here I am sitting at a table with complete strangers I only met five minutes ago while looking out of the window of my B&B. They gestured for me to join their little […]

Italia! Women: Matilda of Canossa

Matilda of Canossa

Matilda of Canossa, Countess of Tuscany, left a legacy of church-building that has lasted a thousand years… Italia! Women #1: Matilda of Canossa (1046-1115) Revered as La Gran Contessa, Matilda of Canossa was one of the most powerful nobles in Italy and her legacy is built in stone – quite literally. But under normal circumstances […]

Speak Italia! The boom of Burraco in Italy

Shuffling a deck of cards for Burraco

In this edition of our bilingual feature, Tom Alberto Bull invites you to a hand of Burraco, the card game that’s become all the rage in Italy KEY WORDS Useful Italian words and phrases to add to your vocabulary Fare il quarto/la quarta To make up a foursome Un gioco di carte A card game […]

The A-Z of Florence

A-Z of Florence Landscape

The capital of Italy’s Tuscany region is home to many interesting secrets… Florence has so much history and culture to offer. Here’s our A-Z of all things Florence. ARNO The river that flows through central Florence begins at Monte Falterona in the Apennines and flows 241km from there to the Ligurian Sea. BOTTICELLI The prolific […]

How to apply for Italian citizenship by descent

Italian citizenship, passports on Italian flag

Get insights into the process of applying for Italian citizenship by descent, and the differences between applying at a consulate and applying in Italy. Applications for Italian citizenship have risen sharply in the past two years, especially among U.S. citizens with Italian Ancestry. The benefits of holding an Italian passport range from travelling to anywhere […]

An Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa

We go behind the scenes of an Italian Christmas with Mario Matassa as he explores the rich and austere festive food and traditions of Italy… To describe a celebration of food as both ‘rich and austere’ might seem something of a contradiction. Yet I can think of no more apt a description of this, the […]