Jessica Haden lives in the idyllic countryside near Siena as Education Director for Spannocchia, a farm bringing the ancient breed of Cinta Senese pigs back to the market… How did you end up living on the Spannocchia farm? A few years ago, my love of Italy and food lead me to Slow Food’s University of […]
Italy’s Islands are very distinctive places where traditions, languages, and wildlife have evolved in their own way. Pick your next destination with this regional guide to Sardinia, Sicily and the rest… Italy, as a nation-state, has existed in its current form for about a century and a half – no more. Regular visitors, travellers and […]
From fabulous focaccia to fresh fish dishes, discover five foodie reasons to visit Liguria’s capital, Genoa… The capital of Liguria, Genoa has a lot more to offer than ports and palaces. Discover the unmissable delicacies for any foodie in Genoa. 1. Pesto genovese Starting with the most obvious, Genoa is, of course, famous for its […]
Val Nicastro puts her best foot forward as she walks the Via Peuceta hiking route from Bari to Matera I’ve often wondered what’s so special about walking for days in any weather when you can quickly zip from one place to the other by car or public transportation. So I gave it a try. While […]
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 […]
Discover the best things to do in Bergamo, and where to stay and eat while you’re there in our Bergamo travel guide… What to see and do in Bergamo Explore the Basilica Piazza Duomo Building of the Basilica began in 1137, after the people of Bergamo were spared from the plague. The stunning wooden marquetr […]
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 […]
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 […]
Karen Jensen-Jones jumps into life in Agnone in the heart of Molise to brush up on her Italian language skills and experience a slice of authentic Italian life. In Maria and Giuseppe’s rustic garden in the ancient hilltop town of Agnone, homemade digestivo di clementino and delicious sour cherry torta were generously offered to our […]
In this edition of our bilingual feature, Tom Alberto Bull reports on the rise and – in hindsight at least, inevitable – fall of the Domino’s pizza chain in Italy, home of the handmade pizza KEY WORDS Useful Italian words and phrases to add to your vocabulary Cotta (cotto) alla perfezione Cooked to perfection Prosciutto […]