Artist Alan Reed talks about what particularly attracted him to Italy and why he chooses it more than any other country for his paintings… THE ARTIST’S ADVENTURE Q. You have chosen different settings around the world for your paintings. As an artist, what is it that particularly attracted you to Italy? A. It was my […]
With such a multitude of classic pestos adorning the supermarket shelves, it’s important to choose the best for your store cupboard. Here are our favourites… Simple and versatile, the humble jar of pesto is a staple ingredient of Italian cooking. It originated in Genoa, the capital city of Liguria in northern Italy, and has since […]
Guanciale is a Roman speciality of cured, peppered pig’s jowl. James Gingell tells us how to use it in everyday cooking… There are eight cuts taken from in Lazio. Originally a dish claimed and a pig, and guanciale is one that celebrated by the Abruzzesi, it was ‘stolen’ the Italians do particularly well. by the […]
Decaying, flood-prone, overcrowded and expensive, Venice still manages to be the world’s most beautiful city. Perhaps even lovelier in gloom than sun, this is the capital of paradoxes, says Fleur Kinson… Coming in to land, the aeroplane window frames views of a sodden, misty-grey landscape that fragments into the Adriatic Sea. It’s a world half […]
Emilia-Romagna has a reputation for food which is unsurpassed in all of Italy. Mario Matassa looks at the excellent produce that comes from Parma, with plenty of ideas on how best to enjoy its famous prosciutto… The range and quality of products that stem from the region of Emilia-Romagna is staggering and it is little […]
Emerald blue water, luscious green grass on the Tyrol hillside, and white snowy mountains – nature at its very best. But what’s the bell tower got to do with it?… This fabulous vista on the Italian border with Austria has a past hidden underwater. The only giveaway is the top half of the bell tower […]
The name Pantheon means dedicated to all gods, ‘pan’ means all and ‘theos’ means gods. This most spectacular ancient temple, located in the centre of Rome, inspires awe now, but it would have been truly worthy as a gift to all gods if seen during the classical period… The emperor Hadrian (76-138AD) rebuilt the almost […]
Heather Crombie shares her selection of ‘don’t miss’ tips for eating, staying and sight-seeing in Pavia… UNIVERSITY MUSEUMS The museums associated with the university are scattered throughout the city and are all packed with fascinating exhibits and information. If you’re pressed for time simply focus on the Museo per la Storia dell’Università. This amazing collection […]
Heather Crombie visits the historic university city of Pavia and discovers a rich tradition of art, history and a timeless appeal that has inspired some of history’s greatest minds… Having a river running along the edges of a city always gives it a head start in terms of aesthetic appeal, and it is the river […]
Hannah Bellis discovers that you don’t have to leave the country to eat like you are in Italy as she cooks up a feast at the Bertinet kitchen… Give a girl a hearty Italian meal and she will happily feed herself for a day. But give her a day of learning to cook that meal, […]