An Italian pope? It's been since 1978
In the coming weeks, Rome will become the center of the world once again. One of the most famous Roman proverbs says: "Chi entra papa al conclave esce cardinale" (He who enters the conclave as pope comes out as cardinal.) This means that one should never be sure of victory until it is truly achieved. Roman popular tradition portrays the pope accomp...
The Roman Empire's original smartwatch: portable sundials
Long before the advent of quartz crystals, digital displays, or GPS-enabled smartphones, ancient Romans were already walking around with personal time-telling devices in their hands. We are not talking about watches in the modern sense, of course, yet they fulfilled a strikingly similar role: they offered information, gave their wearer a certain so...
The Rise of Americanism in Italy, 1888-1919
Dear Friends of Italian Innovators, I am happy to share with you that my new book The Rise of Americanism in Italy, 1888-1919 is officially out with University of Toronto Press! The book explores the cultural, political, and industrial ascent of the United States at the turn of the 20thcentury from an Italian perspective. It documents the debate on...
Udine: A Taste of Authentic Italy
Pretty much nobody has ever heard of Udine. And fewer still have actually visited. Even most Italians know little to nothing about the city. The region it lies in, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, is the great unknown. This is the last undiscovered frontier in the north of Italy. That's why we decided to spend a couple of years living in Friuli-Venezia Giuli...
Grosseto and the Maremma, the strength of the land
In one of his 1948 articles, Carlo Cassola had compared Grosseto to Kansas City: or rather, the comparison was attributed to an American serviceman who had passed through the Tuscan town during the war and noted the similarities between the two cities, modern cities at the center of a large and fertile land. “Our city,” Luciano Bianciardi would lat...
Italy’s Prema Racing makes move toward U.S. racing with IndyCar entry
Prema Racing, based in Vicenza, Italy, “is the latest” European team to “try and take on American racing on their own turf” with its entry in IndyCar, according to Vanessa Perdomo of BLOOMBERG NEWS. Co-founded 41 years ago by Angelo Rosin and three other employees, the company now “has roughly” 220 employees across five racing leagues in Europe, af...
Faith and culture: an inseparable connection
For the Catholic Church, this is a spiritually significant year, but the Jubilee also has inevitable repercussions on customs, traditions, society, art, and public works, making it an opportunity to discover much about Italy. Put simply, it can be a journey of knowledge from multiple perspectives. The first Jubilee was proclaimed in 1300 by Pope Bo...
Why Garlic Bread In Italy Is A Little Different (And Better)
One could argue that a lot of things are better in Italy. Obviously, there's the pasta, the mouthwatering marinara sauces from the world's best tomatoes, and the wine and spritzes. Luckily for those of us not dining on the Amalfi coast but wishing we were, it's possible to bring some of la dolce vita Italian flavor home, even if you're the farthest...
How three Italian teens turned speed bumps into clean hydrogen energy
You know those speed bumps that annoy you so much when you're driving? The ones that force you to slow down abruptly, making you jolt in your seat? Well, three underage students from Alessandria, in Italy’s Piedmont region, had the idea to turn that nuisance into a valuable resource: clean energy. Francesco, Tommaso, and Paul created Hydrocult, a s...
After Pope Francis’s death, Rome prepares for pilgrims, funeral, and conclave
Following the death of Pope Francis, Rome is preparing to welcome many more pilgrims than those who had already planned to come. Despite the mourning, the Jubilee of Adolescents will proceed as originally scheduled, from April 25 to 27. Additionally, many heads of state and government have announced their presence. Already yesterday, there was a hu...
The canonization of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, is postponed after the pope’s death
The canonization of the first millennial saint, Carlo Acutis, has been postponed due to the death Monday of Pope Francis, the Vatican announced. Acutis was to be canonized next Sunday in St. Peter’s Square on the occasion of the Jubilee celebration for adolescents. In the months leading up to the expected canonization, the faithful have been flocki...
Sailing off the Amalfi Coast
When you think of hitting the high seas with billowing sails and a decent, salty wake, Italy may not be the first destination to come to mind. Don’t be deceived; although sailing off Italy’s Amalfi Coast is a very civilised affair, it can have its share of excitement with a good skipper at the helm. This picturesque coastline has a rich nautical he...