Italian good news: There is an Italian company among the 10 fastest growing companies in Europe
For the second consecutive year, Italy is confirmed as the country with the highest number of companies in the FT1000, the annual ranking of the fastest growing companies in Europe, published by the Financial Times with Statista. In the 2022 edition, there are 235 Italian companies. Of these, 20 are among the top 100, and one conquers the top 10, c...
Italian little Italies: Campo Ligure, the light art of filigree
The Castle has been restored and is now used for concerts and cultural events. The walls were built during the 12th century, while the tower is more recent. It was restored in 1310, then it was abandoned in the 18th century. Entering the old town from the main street, you will see the Oratory of Saints Sebastiano and Rocco, built in 1647 in Baroque...
ICA: Living in the EU as an Italian citizen
Italian citizenship comes with many benefits; among these is the ability to travel to a number of countries without any restrictions, work, study and reside anywhere in the Europe Union, and access Italy’s high-quality universal healthcare service, affordable higher education system and competitive real estate market, to name a few. If you are thin...
Farewell to Antonio Martino
Last March 5, Italy lost a giant, and America lost a friend, an admirer and a great expert of its greatness and merits. We the Italians lost a friend and a guide. That's why we want to remember Professor Antonio Martino with the speech he gave, when he was Minister of Defense of the Italian Government, at the Sicily-Rome American Cemetery on Memori...
Italian flavors: Nocellara del Belice
The history of the Nocellara del Belice olive is 2,700 years old. Sicily, particularly the Belice Valley area, has been colonized at various times over the course of the centuries. The land was subjected in turn by the Sicani, Elymians, Phoenicians and Greeks, followed by the Romans, Normans, Arabs and Spaniards. The reason for this is simple. Loca...
Italian entertainment: Pasolini, the provocative director that Italy was not ready to understand
"Only loving and knowing counts. Not having loved, not having known". It would be enough to contextualize this sentence to understand how brilliant, divisive and provocative Pier Paolo Pasolini has been for Italian culture. Writer, linguist, director, poet, he was born on March 5, 1922 in Bologna, Emilia Romagna, exactly 100 years ago. Because of h...
Italian handcrafts: Perugia Knitwear
In the 12th century, tapestries and tablecloths were woven in the Umbria area using the French “bird’s eye” motif technique. These embroideries were created primarily on fabrics, often for use in a liturgical setting, and featured geometric shapes or stylized animals and people. Over the following centuries, tablecloths from Perugia were used throu...
Italian language: Names of months in Italian - part 1
Hello everyone. This month we are going to review the names of the months in Italian. But to make it a little more fun I would like to talk a bit about where they come from and what they mean. Why did I decide to do it now that it is already March? Simple, because March used to be the first month of the year. As usual, I’ve been using as reference...
Italian wine: Pinot Nero is in Abundance in the Oltrepo Pavese
When one thinks of the great wine regions of Italy I’m sure the Lombardy wine region isn’t the first that comes to mind. If you’re a fan of pinot noir the Oltrepo Pavese is a region that one must seek out as it hosts one of the largest areas under vine for Pinot Nero. The Oltrepo Pavese is located along the 45th parallel where you also find the gre...
Italian culture and history: Ischia, Capri and Procida
For travelers in search of the opportunity to relax by the sea - yet still partake in an active cultural and social scene - a trip to the lovely islands of the Bay of Naples is definitely one for the bucket list: we’re talking about Procida, Ischia and Capri. A long weekend is ideal for enjoying the beauties on display on these three islands and fo...
Italian traditions: The Easter Passion in Trapani, the procession of the mysteries
One of the festivals that most represents the Italian Easter tradition is the "Procession of the Mysteries" in Trapani, Sicily, where there is an intense popular participation. Imagine a river of people standing for twenty hours in extreme silence as they watch the representation of the "Mysteries". This magical word is not to be considered as an i...
Italian gardens and parks: The Ancient Beechwood of Mount Cimino
Mount Cimino, with its 1,053 above sea level, is the highest peak of the Lazio Anti-Apennine chain of Cimini Mountains, in the province of Viterbo, in Tuscia. The mountain overlooks the municipality of Soriano nel Cimino, where a wonderful beechwood of 58 hectares extends from 600 to 1053 meters of altitude. Among the most impressive and beautiful...