In occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day on the 27th of January, anniversary of the Liberation of Auschwitz, we decided to dedicate an article to the history of the Italian Jewish community during the “Ventennio,” before and after the promulgation, in 1938, of the Leggi Razziali, Mussolini’s racial laws against the Italian Jews. […]
Marie Taglioni in Zephire She taught Queen Mary of England how to curtsy. Victor Hugo dedicated a book to ‘her feet, to her wings.’ Yet her French ballet teacher complained: “Will that little hunchback ever learn to dance?” He also called her an ‘ugly duckling’ and rejected her at the age […]
Cesare Borgia was born in 1475. He was the son of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia, who would become Pope Alexander VI, and his mistress Vannozza de Cattani. He was also the older brother of Lucrezia Borgia. However, Cesare was probably the most infamous of all the Borgia’s. He is remembered for great […]
The figure of Enrico Mattei is one of the most intriguing in modern Italian history, and perhaps in the world in general, as he changed the economic balance in the Middle East, as well as relations between America, Russia and Europe. Mattei worked in a very sensitive business: oil. […]
Sappada is a beautiful town in the Veneto region of Italy, rich in history, culture and natural beauty. One of the ways to learn about this city of the Dolomites is through its folklore and the historical traditions it keeps alive to this day. Fields near Sappada Sappada’s Carnival is one […]
Niccolò Machiavelli in a painting by Tito di Santi “They were freer than their forefathers in dress and living, and spent more in other kinds of excesses, consuming their time and money in idleness, gaming, and women; their chief aim was to appear well dressed and to speak with […]
Florence Described by many as a living canvas and mainly known as the birthplace of the Renaissance, sophisticated Florence is impressive with its grand palaces, beautiful churches and priceless art collections. It is not for nothing that Florence epitomizes the wealth and extravagance befitting a European cultural capital. Yet this […]
Alexander VI, the Borgia Pope Pope Francis has called a Jubilee for year 2016. In over seven hundred years of history, the Jubilee has changed drastically. The first ‘holy years’ were under two highly controversial popes known for their ‘lack of spirituality’: Boniface VIII, who proclaimed the first Jubilee […]
Tazio Nuvolari – Photo courtesy of Everywhere West/Wikimedia Tazio Nuvalori, or the Flying Mantuan as he became known, was a famous Italian racecar and motorcycle driver. The European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing in 1932, Nuvalori won dozens of races and was known as one of the […]
Italian Luminaries – Heroes & Villains Sometimes, the paintbrush of history colors individuals who’ve helped shape her too strongly. Historic figures in Italy are either seen as heroes or villains. Very rarely, they are depicted in moderate tones, at least by those who write history for the popular public. Italy […]