Exhibition "Under the stars of Giotto": from November 14, 2023 6PM, Istituto Italiano di Cultura, 686 Park Avenue, NY. The Exhibition will remain open until January 31, 2024. Monday through Friday 10AM to 4PM. Saturday and Sunday 11AM to 4PM. Giotto was the painter who transformed Western art. Giotto was able to blend realism and spirituality, man...

They are 26 nuns from every corner of the planet and they live in one of the most important and impressive cloistered nunneries in Italy. They wake up every morning at 5 a.m. according to the Benedictine motto 'ora et labora' and, after prayers, they tend to the vegetable garden, the lavender field, the orchard, an aloe greenhouse and a vineyard. T...

The Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre), a renaissance era theatre by architect Andrea Palladio, part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site here, brought a significant performance about the arrival of Americans in Vicenza in 1955, to the Soldiers’ Theatre, on Caserma Ederle Oct. 21, 2023.“Caserma Ederle is the ideal place to present ‘Americans in Vicenza...

“La dolce vita” translates into “the sweet life” in Italian, and if you are thinking of retiring soon, you might want to set your sights on the nation that is known for pasta, wine, culture, scenery and so much more. But with all Italy has to offer, perhaps it is out of your price range, especially if you are going to be on a fixed budget once you...

Dear friends, What a month! So many things, so many friends, so many events! It always happens in October, but this year has been extraordinary! It actually started at the end of September, when in Florence I had the honor of representing We the Italians and the Italian American community at the Made in Italy event organized by Maurizio Mancianti,...

The first evidence of glassmaking activities in Venice dates back to 982 A.D., but it was in 1200 that the glassworks first became concentrated in Murano, creating refined products that were far removed from the rougher items produced by other European manufacturers. Towards the year 1000, under the Venetian Republic, known as la Serenissima, all t...

Let me use one lovely old wooden lake pier as an illustration. I visited Lake Garda last month and that pier was the focus of a waterfront view that held all three generations of my family spellbound. Nothing could draw any of us away, no unfinished bestseller, no uncompleted Nintendo level, not even two scoops of pistachio from the gelateria downs...

Treviso isn’t a destination on a traveler’s first itinerary to Italy, but only a half-hour train ride from La Serenissima, it’s worth a daytrip especially for medievalists, poets, and foodies. Originally named “Tarvisium, Treviso became a municipium in 89 BC after the Romans added Cisalpine Gaul to their dominions, but, revered in verse by Dante an...

Murano glass and Burano lace truly stood the test of time. Originating from – and deeply connected to – the very heart of La Serenissima, these traditional crafts are not just a source of local pride but also a significant part of Italy’s cultural heritage. Now, finally, they are on the cusp of receiving a new layer of protection and recognition th...

Almost two kilometers of walls complete with battlements passages surround Marostica jewel among the jewels of the province of Vicenza in Veneto that hides inside an incredible atmosphere.  The city is famous for the chess game where the living characters impersonate the pieces, moving on a giant chessboard in Chess Square. The more than 600 partic...