Recent Posts

Castles

Sammezzano Castle

A few years ago, when we first wrote about it, Sammezzano Castle  had not only attracted us for its moorish beauty and outlandish style, but also because it was about to go under the hammer for 20 million euro (around 22.3 million dollars). If sold, we wrote, visits may have become impossible or at least […]

Heroes-villains

Lucrezia Borgia

Born on April 18 1480, Lucrezia Borgia was the daugher of Cardinal Rodrigo Borgia and his mistress, Vannozza (Giovanna) dei Cattani. Lucrezia had two older brothers, Giovanni (Juan) and Cesare. She also had a younger brother, Goffredo. Her father doted on his children but had a special bond with his only daughter. […]

History

Italy 01: During Prehistory

  The Italy of today is vastly different from the land our early ancestors discovered, back in the early Paleolithic Age. The ice ages had left exposed vast tracts of land now submerged under the sea. The very first people to settle in what is now known as Italy arrived […]

Italian Food

The Precious Tomato

Tomato: its history in Europe Italian tomatoes   Without a doubt, there are millions of dishes where the tomato is one of the main ingredients, or where it is used as a base for recipes. It could be for its color and flavor, or for its versatility. And heaven knows what a long way has […]

Liguria

Liguria, Cinque Terre I

Most first-time travelers to Italy expect to see an ancient, quaint country, just like the places they read about in history books or see in movies. Oftentimes, the place they picture has been taken over by busy streets and modern living. Visitors of the Coliseum in Rome can’t help but […]