The smuggling of the mortal remains of St Mark to Venice from Alexandria in 828 satisfied a Divine Will – according to the Venetian version of the story, anyway… When, in the 4th Century AD, St Mark the Evangelist allegedly visited the then uninhabited lagoon, an angel appeared unto him saying: “Pax tibi Marce, Evangelistameus!” […]
In 1599, the Capuchin monks of Palermo made a macabre discovery: some of the corpses they had entombed in their catacombs had become naturally mummified. Then the monks decided to preserve one of their own… When the Capuchin monks of Palermo mummified Brother Silvestro of Gubbio they started a trend. From 1599 to 1880, when […]
Chair and Flowers, Bevegna by Peter Colligan “Whilst strolling round Bevagna, one of our favourite towns in Umbria, we came across this delightful little scene by the Roman Amphitheatre. The warm colours are simply delightful.”
Every year a festival takes place in Monterubbiano in Le Marche. We trace the history of the flight of the woodpecker. The game takes place in the afternoon, always on the Sunday of Pentecost (the seventh Sunday after Easter), and always in the small town of Monterubbiano, near the Adriatic coast. Four men, on horseback […]
Joe Gartman reveals the ghosts of the past in Ferrera, a city where long-gone rulers and clergymen left unfinished business… Ghosts don’t exist, I am inclined to believe, but the atmosphere of Ferrara is distinctly eerie. Maybe it’s the mist floating in from the Po Delta, to east of the city, where the great river […]
The fashion house became the go-to shop for luxury crafted and beautiful fur clothing – it is still known for this today… Like Gucci and Ferragamo, Fendi was started in the 1920s and, like Missoni, it was started by a married couple, in this case Edoardo and Adele Fendi. They opened a fur and leather […]
Valle d’Aosta is now part of Italy, but it hasn’t always been. Chris Allsop travels to Italy’s smallest region and discovers a valley beloved of kings, popes, and – of course – skiers… There’s something of the hidden kingdom about the Valle D’Aosta, like an Italian Bhutan (but with a lot more ski lifts). Entering […]
The ability to speak the language will get you so much further in Italy, and where better to learn it? Why not try one of these Language Learning Holidays? CENTRO STUDI ITALIANI Founded in 1986, Centro Studi Italiani is the first school for foreigners in the Marche region. The school has provided Italian language and […]
In 1910 a new car manufacturer was formed, launching its first vehicle, the A.L.F.A 24HP. What was A.L.F.A went on to become Alfa Romeo, one of Italy’s producers of design icons… Who hasn’t, at some point, hankered after an Alfa Romeo? Anyone who has petrol rather than blood running through their veins will appreciate the […]
During the Second World War, Pope Pius XII was criticized for his perceived lack of aggressive action towards Nazi Germany. But he actually did more than was known at the time… On 15 October 1943, thousands of men, women and children gathered around Pope Pius XII during his inspection tour of Rome after an American […]