Italian handcrafts: Papier-mâché in Lecce
The art of papier-mâché in Lecce, a phenomenon unique to Apulia, dates back to a period between the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, when the development of arts was linked to the increasing number of churches and monuments. At this time, the craftsmen of Lecce discovered that the art of “plasticising” paper allowed them to create myriad sacr...
Italian language: Happy as an Easter!
This month we’ve celebrated Easter, so I couldn’t help but to talk about it! Of course, I’ll give you a linguistic interpretation, so this month we’ll talk about Easter in the Italian language. Let’s take a look. After what feels like a very long quaresima, “Lent,” full of sacrifices and penitence, Pasqua, “Easter,” finally comes and brings a lot o...
Italian wine: The Sustainability Behind Sicily's Principi di Butera
What is sustainability when it comes to winegrowing? There are a number of different ways a winery can practice sustainability. It's a way in protecting the environment including the earth and air, conserving water and energy, water management, increasing biodiversity, reducing pesticides and preserving the ecosystem for the future. These practices...
Italian culture and history: Italian culture and history Genoa, the Strade Nuove and Palazzi dei Rolli
Genoa’s historic center - Ancient Italian Marine Republic and today Capital of Liguria - is the seat of splendid artistic and architectural treasures. Splendid artistic and architectural treasures. The Site includes the Strade Nuove (“New Roads”), where stand the magnificent “Palazzi dei Rolli,” a series of noble abodes in the Renaissance and Baroq...
Italian traditions: The Easter egg tradition
On Easter Sunday, Lent, the long period of fasting, is broken and sweets in the shape of a dove and an egg are distributed. The egg, symbol of life that is renewed and auspicious of fertility, is connected to the meaning of Easter as the feast of spring and the awakening of nature. The egg is the most ancient and representative symbol of Easter, fe...
Italian gardens and parks: The gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle
The Gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle, also known as the Gardens of Sissi, in honor of the beloved Austrian empress who stayed there several times from 1870, are located in Merano, on a large sun-kissed amphitheater, occupying a sloping area of 12 hectares. Opened in 2001, they bring together 80 botanical environments, including landscapes, themed...
What's up with WTI: Editorial # 149
Ciao from Rome! Dear friends, I would like to inform you that the audio version of We the ItaliaNews, the podcast born two years ago and which is now a real news broadcast followed on various platforms and social media by more than 1000 followers for each episode, is also on Spotify. Every Monday and Thursday there is a new episode, which tells y...
Italian land and nature: 10 lakes in Italy for an active holiday
There are more than 1,500 lakes with different features in Italy - dug by glaciers or of volcanic origin, enclosed by the mountains or a few steps away from the sea - where you can explore villages and natural areas but also engage in sporting activities. Here we have picked up ten Italian lakes among the most suitable for those who wish to spend a...
Italian sport: Italian sports geniuses
All over the world there are famous sports techniques invented by some athletes, such as the high jump with dorsal overrun invented by the Portland (OR) athlete Richard Douglas "Dick" Fosbury. Italians, always recognized as a people of geniuses, thanks to the countless inventions of every kind that they have realized during the centuries, have left...
Italian art: The miracle of Jacopo Bassano's quails
A piece of news that once again binds the fortunes of Italy and the USA in the field of art, bounced a few weeks ago in the social media: the purchase, by the Getty Museum, of a work by Jacopo Bassano, il Miracolo delle quaglie (the Miracle of the Quails). A masterpiece, by the very definition of the Los Angeles museum, which announced its purchase...
Italian cuisine: Spaghetti with Asparagus
The recipe for pesto, as we know it, dates back to the mid-nineteenth century. But this condiment was born from the fact that Liguria is traditionally the cradle of aromatic herbs. The use of aromatic herbs for Ligurians is a tradition which has its origins in the Middle Ages, with different habits, according to social categories: rich people used...
Italian books: The Decameron
The second instalment of this column continues with another great classic of Italian literature, a foundation of our cultural heritage and language, a work studied in schools and repeatedly analysed, a masterpiece that captivated our literary history: the Decameron, by Giovanni Boccaccio. The Decameron was written between 1349 and 1351 and it cons...