Italian art: San Luca shines in Florence
One of the landmarks of Florence's artistic life is returning to its former glory. Set in the jewel of the Convent of the Santissima Annunziata, the Chapel of St. Luca or Cappella dei Pittori (Painters’ chapel) finally regains its original colors and forms thanks to a two-year restoration project. The imposing frescos by Giorgio Vasari, Santi di Ti...
Italian cuisine: Summer Tiramisù
Let’s welcome the summer of 2022 with a creative version of Tiramisù, the king of Italian desserts. As an Italian Food specialist and brand ambassador for Matilde Vicenzi, it is always a pleasure to experiment with new recipes, new ingredients, and flavors. I named this tiramisù Estate Italiana (Italian Summer) because it reminds me of a summer day...
Italian books: The Late Mattia Pascal
“Imparerai a tue spese che nel lungo tragitto della vita incontrerai tante maschere e pochi volti.” This month’s book is an interesting and fascinating story, from a brilliant author who created yet another masterpiece for the Italian literature. Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936) was an author, narrator, and playwright who reached his fame in the theat...
Italian little Italies: Lollove, a rural village that neither grows nor dies
The village, almost entirely uninhabited, retains the medieval urban structure and architecture of ancient Sardinian rural villages. The 17th-century church of La Maddalena is the result of the expansion of a pre-existing house of worship. It is in late Gothic style, with pointed arches in red trachyte. The former monastery on Bixio Street, inhabit...
Italian report: Italy in 10 selfies 2022. A user-friendly economy for tackling the future
At times, the climate crisis, pandemic, devastating conflicts and inequality seem to prefigure a less user-friendly future. In order to change direction, each country, community, business and each individual is called upon to put their talents into play and share them. This applies to Italy too. Our country gives its best when it intermingles its a...
ICA: What are your options if you do not qualify for Italian citizenship by descent?
Among the benefits of applying for Italian citizenship jure sanguinis and obtaining an Italian passport is the ability to live in Italy and anywhere in the European Union without any time restrictions or limitations. However, not everyone has Italian ancestry or meets the eligibility requirements to apply for Italian citizenship by descent. If this...
Italian flavors: Garfagnana Farro
Farro, or emmer, is a grain that has been cultivated for thousands of years in the Mediterranean basin and is the progenitor of all wheats known today, including soft wheat and durum wheat. Its cultivation dates back at least 7,000 years BC. It was the staple food of the Assyrians, the Egyptians and all the ancient peoples of the Middle East and No...
Italian handcrafts: The woodwork of Trentino
For centuries, wood was the raw material that every mountain community relied on to meet the needs of everyday life. In its most traditional forms, woodworking is the most direct response that people were able to find for their everyday needs. Over time, this immediacy has given way to a tradition, which in the province of Trento has combined funct...
Italian language: “What Can I Say Except ‘You’re Welcome’?”
Hello dear Italian enthusiasts, today I want to talk about something simple, that sometimes is looked over: how to respond to a grazie. It’s such a simple and common part of the speech, however, it is often dismissed with a simple bookish answer and people get confused when they first encounter daily Italian responses. Let’s take a look. The first...
Italian wine: The Indigenous Whites of Campania with La Capranera Falanghina
The Campania wine region is located in southern Italy on the western border of the Tryyhenian Sea, which has a large influence on the wines of this region. The wine I’m sharing today comes from the San Salvatore estate founded in 1988 by Giuseppe Pagano with the famous Riccardo Cotarella as his winemaker. He grows indigenous grapes of Campania in...
Italian good news: Foreign direct investment grows in Italy
Positive signals on Italy's attractiveness. The growth trend continues: increasing foreign direct investment. With 207 projects in 2021, our country marks +83%, which is higher than in all other European countries. However, with a market share of 3.5% (up 1.5 points), Italy still ranks far behind the main attractors of foreign direct investment (Id...
Italian culture and history: The Necropolises of Tarquinia and Cerveteri
The Necropolises of Cerveteri and Tarquinia, inserted onto the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2004, constitute a unique and exceptional testimoney of the ancient Etruscan Civilization, the only urban civilization of the pre-Roman Age. The frescoes inside the tombs – true-to-life reproductions of Etruscan homes – are faithful depictions of this disap...