March 2007
It just may be that no other country in the world celebrates holidays the way Italians do, and it just may be that no other nationality has its roots so deeply imbedded into the food of its ancestors. Easter is just a few weeks away, and in candy shops and bakeries throughout Italy, exquisite treats are on display. On Easter Monday, known as Pasquetta – Little Easter – Italy’s national holiday is celebrated with a picnic, and one of the most unusual Easter traditions is the cheese wheel race held in Panicale, Umbria....
April 2007
As I’ve mentioned before, my Internet tours of Italy have provided me with many wonderful experiences, allowing me to visit places I have yet to see in person. Even if you have been to Italy, you may not have visited the places below. You won’t need to renew your passport, or even apply for one. Just find a comfortable chair, pour a glass of wine, and take the tour. ...
May 2007
Last month, April 25th, was the 500th Anniversary of the naming of America. I still remember the pride I felt when I learned – years ago in elementary school – that America was named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
June 2007
This year, the Spoleto Festival in Umbria opened for the first time without its creator, Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti started Il Festival dei Due Mondi – The Festival of the Two Worlds – in 1958 to bring European and American cultural artists together. In 1977, he collaborated with others to start Spoleto USA in Charleston, South Carolina. Menotti was 95 when he died in February....
July 2007
Every summer, the Fancy Food Show in New York City provides the opportunity for food producers to introduce their newest products. Of the more than 2,000 exhibitors from 70 countries, Italy is always well represented – about half the International Section was filled with exhibitors from almost every region....
August 2007
Interested in purchasing property in Italy? Or maybe you’re just interested in touring the properties for sale. Either way, check out Key Italy – The Italian Property Site to view country homes, farmhouses, villas, and even a few castles....
September 2007
On September 1st I left North Carolina for a week of Italian culture in Pennsylvania. Mia cugina (my cousin), Helene, was instrumental in planning the trip which included two lectures at Senior Centers, two bookstore author events, a night of Italian culture and food at the Pittston Memorial Library, and two Italian festivals....
October 2007
In 1976, New York City Mayor Abraham Beame declared the week of May 17th to the 23rd Italian Culture Week. In 1985, the celebration moved to October to coincide with Columbus Day, and the week became Italian Heritage and Culture Month, now more widely known as Italian American Heritage Month....
November 2007
Last Monday, I returned from another trip to Italian culture – this one in Cleveland. What a beautiful city, and the people I met there were just as beautiful....
December 2007
The Italian tradition of not eating meat on Christmas Eve is based on La Vigilia, the vigil of the holy night. On this sacred day, no meat could be consumed, and the typical dinner calls for seven fish dishes, but some follow a tradition of serving nine … or eleven … or thirteen....
It just may be that no other country in the world celebrates holidays the way Italians do, and it just may be that no other nationality has its roots so deeply imbedded into the food of its ancestors. Easter is just a few weeks away, and in candy shops and bakeries throughout Italy, exquisite treats are on display. On Easter Monday, known as Pasquetta – Little Easter – Italy’s national holiday is celebrated with a picnic, and one of the most unusual Easter traditions is the cheese wheel race held in Panicale, Umbria....
April 2007
As I’ve mentioned before, my Internet tours of Italy have provided me with many wonderful experiences, allowing me to visit places I have yet to see in person. Even if you have been to Italy, you may not have visited the places below. You won’t need to renew your passport, or even apply for one. Just find a comfortable chair, pour a glass of wine, and take the tour. ...
May 2007
Last month, April 25th, was the 500th Anniversary of the naming of America. I still remember the pride I felt when I learned – years ago in elementary school – that America was named after Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci.
June 2007
This year, the Spoleto Festival in Umbria opened for the first time without its creator, Gian Carlo Menotti. Menotti started Il Festival dei Due Mondi – The Festival of the Two Worlds – in 1958 to bring European and American cultural artists together. In 1977, he collaborated with others to start Spoleto USA in Charleston, South Carolina. Menotti was 95 when he died in February....
July 2007
Every summer, the Fancy Food Show in New York City provides the opportunity for food producers to introduce their newest products. Of the more than 2,000 exhibitors from 70 countries, Italy is always well represented – about half the International Section was filled with exhibitors from almost every region....
August 2007
Interested in purchasing property in Italy? Or maybe you’re just interested in touring the properties for sale. Either way, check out Key Italy – The Italian Property Site to view country homes, farmhouses, villas, and even a few castles....
September 2007
On September 1st I left North Carolina for a week of Italian culture in Pennsylvania. Mia cugina (my cousin), Helene, was instrumental in planning the trip which included two lectures at Senior Centers, two bookstore author events, a night of Italian culture and food at the Pittston Memorial Library, and two Italian festivals....
October 2007
In 1976, New York City Mayor Abraham Beame declared the week of May 17th to the 23rd Italian Culture Week. In 1985, the celebration moved to October to coincide with Columbus Day, and the week became Italian Heritage and Culture Month, now more widely known as Italian American Heritage Month....
November 2007
Last Monday, I returned from another trip to Italian culture – this one in Cleveland. What a beautiful city, and the people I met there were just as beautiful....
December 2007
The Italian tradition of not eating meat on Christmas Eve is based on La Vigilia, the vigil of the holy night. On this sacred day, no meat could be consumed, and the typical dinner calls for seven fish dishes, but some follow a tradition of serving nine … or eleven … or thirteen....
Newsletters 2007