Mancini’s quest to honor Italian Americans 4 years after toppling of State Capitol Columbus statue
It’s been empty since June of 2020 and the statue that once stood atop the granite pedestal is packaged away somewhere near the State Capitol. St. Paul restaurateur Pat Mancini knows that it is unlikely the 10-foot-tall bronze depiction of Christopher Columbus will ever return to its previous perch. But he wonders if the time has come to do somethi...
Slow Spring in Italian Villages: An Ode to Sustainable Tourism
With the arrival of spring, Italian villages awaken in a veritable symphony of colors, scents and sensations. This is the ideal time for the rediscovery of sustainable tourism, which privileges the slow pace and authentic connection with the territory. Slow Spring in Italian villages represents a unique opportunity to immerse oneself in history, cu...
Luca Lagotto Is Serving Some Of The Freshest Pasta In Alabama
If you’re in the mood for delicious Italian cuisine (that’s almost always for me), look no further than Luca Lagotto in Homewood. This fresh pasta restaurant near Birmingham is the latest offering from Pihakis Restaurant Group, which also owns several other local restaurants, including HERO and Little Donkey. Opened in February 2024, Luca Lagotto i...
The beautiful ancient European town where homes are carved into the side of a mountain
A beautiful Italian town carved from a mountainside is so stunning to look at it's been immortalised as a backdrop for more than 20 films. The good looks of Matera, in the less well known Basilicata region of Italy, are thanks to its unusual limestone architecture and a natural gorge that surrounds the settlement. Now home to 60,000 people, Matera...
UNICO National Recognizes Italian American Achievements & Contributions at Mid-Year Meeting and Prepares for 101st Annual Convention
UNICO National celebrated the achievements of Italian Americans at its Mid-Year Board of Directors Meeting and Presidential Awards Banquet. The event, held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, on March 17, 2024, saw key personalities in business and sports honored. The founder of Asphalt Paving Systems, Bob Capoferri, was given the...
‘Ennio’ doc a tribute to iconic film composer
“Ennio” is a virtual love letter of a documentary from Italy’s Oscar-winning director Giuseppe Tornatore (“Cinema Paradiso”) to his distinguished, Oscar-winning compatriot, the prolific maestro of film scoring Ennio Morricone. “Ennio” opens at the Coolidge Corner Theatre in Brookline on March 29. With a prodigious 400 film scores Morricone, 91 when...
What to do in spring in Venice: 7 places and experiences to discover
Venice and its art treasures never lose their charm and yet, with nature awakening and the colors becoming more vibrant, the lagoon city undoubtedly becomes even more beautiful. So, what to do in spring in Venice? Long walks through the narrow streets are certainly an excellent way to get to know the city and its dreamy atmospheres and if the weath...
The Great Impasta Is Serving Some Of The Freshest Pasta In Maine
There are delicious Italian restaurants found throughout the Pine Tree State. From flavorful sauces to perfectly sweet desserts, if you love Italian food like I do, you have plenty of options for an unforgettable meal. However, an eatery located in Brunswick may be one of the best — The Great Impasta. This Italian restaurant in Maine is a local fav...
Innovation Odyssey: Commemorating Antonio Meucci for National Innovation Day
Friday, April 12 from 10 to 11:30 AM. Casa Belvedere - 79 Howard Ave, Staten Island, NY. FREE for members, $10 donation non-members. Includes light refreshments. Explore the extraordinary inventions of Antonio Meucci, an Italian inventor whose work revolutionized communication. From his early days in Florence to his groundbreaking experiments in Ha...
L’Italia dei dialetti: a wealth also for Italian Americans
Italy is, by definition, a land of differences. From north to south, from east to west, landscapes, habits, food, climate, flora, and fauna: they all change. But perhaps nothing says as much about the country’s multifaceted, at times complex, reality as the way we speak. The accent and vocabulary of an Italian from Lombardia are very different from...
Dean Martin Loved This 5-Ingredient Pasta Fagioli So Much He Wrote a Song About It
When you think of Dean Martin’s iconic song “That’s Amore,” you can probably hear the opening line used in so many classic movies play in your head; “When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie, that’s amore.” However, fans of the song know the Rat Pack singer goes on to list another classic Italian dish: pasta fagioli (or pasta e fagioli). “...
Nazi massacre of Punta Bianca commemorated in Liguria, victims 15 Italian American soldiers
The Ameglia community and La Spezia anti-fascism remembered the 80th anniversary of the Nazi massacre at Punta Bianca. It was March 26, 1944: the victims were fifteen American soldiers of the Oss, the corps employed for special operations. The members of the commandos were chosen from among soldiers with family origins in the target countries of th...