Venice is a particular city with its own unwritten rules and local customs. Unfortunately most visitors are unaware of these practices, much to the annoyance of the Venetians. Therefore, keep these five tips in mind the next time you travel to Venice and not only will you feel more like a local, but the actual locals will thank you! Continue reading "5 Things Tourists Should NOT Do in Venice while on Vacation"
Polignano a Mare is a charming seaside town located near Bari in the Apulia region of southern Italy. Its name, meaning “Polignano at Sea”, could not be more appropriate since the town rests atop a limestone cliff that suspends it 65 feet directly above the Adriatic Sea. This ancient town was founded by the Greeks in the 4th century BC and it is considered one of the most important historical settlements in Apulia. Today, Polignano a Mare is filled with countless structures that reflect the town’s long and varied history. When walking through the city center, visitors will find streets made of stone, lovely white buildings, inviting piazzas, and panoramic terraces that provide absolutely breathtaking views of the sea below. Continue reading "Italy Cities: Dive into Polignano a Mare In Bari, Apulia"
The Padovana chicken, also known as “Padovana dal gran ciuffo” (Padovana chicken with the great tuft), is an unusual breed of chicken found in the province of Padova in northern Italy. This chicken is known for its characteristic crest, with males having a long, curved crest and females having a shorter, more rounded crest. The origins of this particular chicken are disputed, but over time the breed has become emblematic of Padova and the surrounding area. Continue reading "Italian Fun Facts: The Majestic Padovana Chicken"
For the people of Pisa, June is a time for celebrations. There are many festivities and cultural events during this month; in the city under the leaning tower, in fact, this period is known as “Giugno Pisano” (The June of Pisa). From the Festival of San Ranieri to the Game of the Bridge, passing through The San Ranieri Regatta, and also, every four years, through The Regatta of the Marine Republics (Venice, Amalfi, Pisa, Genova), Pisa becomes one of the most bustling and vivid cities in Italy for an entire month. Continue reading "Italian Culture: Luminara Festival of San Ranieri in Pisa"
Married artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude have created stunning works of environmental art together for decades. From wrapping Berlin’s Reichstag with a tarp in 1995 to placing brightly colored gates through New York City’s Central Park in 2005, their art has always been about creating unique experiences and recreating familiar places. Their latest project, entitled The Floating Piers, will be on display from June 18th to July 3rd in Lake Iseo, a small lake located about 60 miles from Milan in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. Previous art produced by the couple in Italy includes Spoleto’s Wrapped Fountain and Wrapped Medieval Tower in 1968, Milan’s Wrapped Monuments in 1970, and Rome’s The Wall – Wrapped Roman Wall from 1973 to 1974. Continue reading "Art In Italy: History Of The Floating Piers on Lake Iseo"
The Ear of Dionysus is a unique cave carved out of the Temenites hill in the city of Syracuse, in the region of Sicily. Geologists believe that the original purpose of the cave was to provide water storage for Syracuse during Roman times. The cave strongly resembles the shape of a human ear and somewhat works like one too. The Ear of Dionysus takes the form of an S with a high, tapered ceiling. As a result, there are exceptional acoustics present in the cave capable of amplifying even the smallest of sounds. Continue reading "Sicily Caravaggio Dionysus Geek Mythology but is not a painting"
For most of its history, Consonno, located in the hills of Brianza, in the Lombardy region, was an agricultural town with a population that never surpassed 300 inhabitants. The town has its origins in the Middle Ages, but thanks to its remote location and only one road leading to the town’s entrance, Consonno never truly thrived. Despite this, an eccentric magnate named Count Mario Bagno saw a unique opportunity in this meek village.
Italy
, a land whose cuisine is known world-wide thanks to gluten-rich staples such as pasta and pizza, is actually quite celiac disease friendly. Nearly one percent of Italians test positive for celiac disease, which is an intolerance for gluten, a protein found in wheat. This percentage is on par with the global average, so the increase of gluten-free options is not driven by a higher affected population in the nation. Rather it is actually wheat’s pervasiveness in Italian cuisine that has increased public awareness of the disease and has spurred the growth of the gluten-free market in the southern European peninsula. In fact, currently there are roughly 4,000 restaurants in Italy that offer senza glutine (gluten-free) options, and the number of cities throughout the country without a gluten-free restaurant is sharply decreasing.
Continue reading "Gluten-Free food in Italy: a new path to Italian flavors"
In a large gorge south of Spoleto, an imposing limestone bridge arises from a sea of lush vegetation. The precise, man-made structure juxtaposes with the wild, organic flora that surrounds it to create a breathtaking panorama unforgettable to those who have the chance to admire it. Spoleto’s Ponte delle Torri (Bridge of Towers) is not only the most iconic symbol of the city, but for centuries it has been an inspiration to countless poets and artists (from famed German writer Johann Goethe to British landscape painter J.M.W. Turner, and many more).
Continue reading "Ponte delle Torri – A bridge between two fortresses"
The south-easter
n Sicilian city of Modica is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its stunning Baroque architecture. Along with seven other towns in the Val di Noto, like Ragusa and Catania, Modica was rebuilt in 1693 following a powerful earthquake that devastated the area. The construction after the earthquake resulted in remarkable city planning and the culmination of Baroque style of art and architecture in Europe. Though Modica is stunning and filled with beautiful architecture, this city tucked away in the Hyblaean Mountains is also internationally famous for a much sweeter reason: chocolate.
