Names are important because they identify people, and surnames are doubly important because they also tell of the origins and history of a family through the centuries. In fact, researching your surname, also known as last name or family name, is an exciting way to learn more about your family […]
Italy is by many considered a very romantic country, where people decide to spend time with their partner. Some Italian towns and cities are truly special for those in love, also because they have been the backdrop to some of the most famous historic, literary and legendary love stories of all times. Whether […]
Once upon a time, Italians used to play games that no longer exist; these games were often played in the streets, safer then, as there was little traffic and other types of dangers. Friends’ houses, bars or circoli – clubs – were the most common places where people met and gathered to […]
Every country has certain cultural patterns making it unique. Of course, habits and customs between cultures and countries tend to overlap: the popularity of social media, for instance, ignores borders and breaks down cultural differences. Technology has made the world a much smaller and culturally homogenous place however, when looking […]
San Gennaro: A Traditional Catholic Neapolitan Feast If you go to Naples on September 19th you will find the city celebrating its patron saint, San Gennaro, a bishop and a martyr from Pozzuoli, canonized by the Catholic Church. The feast of San Gennaro involves prayer, processions and celebrations, and is usually based around […]
Lasagne, pizza and carbonara are certainly conventional recipes that should never be missing in the recipe book of Italian food lovers abroad. However, Italian cooking has a range of dishes that comes from a past tradition: some have more sophisticated and complex tastes that may be totally unknown abroad, while others are very […]
If you were a teenager in the 80s and 90s, you’d certainly remember many disco music successes, most of them associated to a dancing style: famous steps and gestures, in vogue in the trendiest clubs of the country. Those years have passed and, with them, also the way we used to […]
Flowers are often appreciated in several parts of the world and so are in Italy. Given on birthday, anniversaries, special events, graduations, births or simply on a romantic dinner, there are some suitable for each occasion! However, the message flowers symbolically send may differ from one culture to another so […]
“Il sushi è di destra, il kebab è di sinistra” – It is a half joke, quotation that I read somewhere on Facebook. Liberally translated could mean “sushi is conservative, Kebab is liberal” 🙂 There is no better choice than trying local food and recipes when visiting a place. Tasting typical […]
An old saying maintains that Italians are a nation of poets, sailors and lovers: well, there is nothing quite as stereotyped as that, yet, even in this, one finds a grain of truth. Italy did give birth to some of the most influential literary and artistic movements: think of Dante and Guido […]