Fermo's Cavalcata dell'Assunta: the oldest historical reenactment in Italy
What if the most famous medieval horse race in Italy… wasn’t actually the oldest? Everyone knows the renowned Palio of Siena, but few are aware that deep in the heart of the Marche region lies a horse race and historical reenactment that’s even older, a tradition rooted in a time when faith, power, and a community’s sense of identity came together...
Omahans in Sicily, Italy build upon ‘sister city’ ties with Carlentini
Omaha’s sister city of Carlentini, on the Sicilian island from which most local Italians descended, has further cemented a connection with its Nebraska partners. As dozens of Omahans visited Carlentini last weekend, officials in the town some 5,000 miles away put final touches on a sister city pact that started forming several years back. The mayor...
Italy celebrates 100 years of Andrea Camilleri
Italy is staging a special programme of events to mark the centenary of the birth of the hugely popular Sicilian writer Andrea Camilleri, who died in Rome six years ago. Although he penned more than 100 books - selling 30 million copies - Camilleri will be best remembered for the Inspector Montalbano detective novels which have been translated into...
The 92-year-old Italian wonder with muscle cells of sprinters in their 20s
Emma Maria Mazzenga has the world wondering how she does it, and scientists studying her muscles, nerves, and mitochondria, the cell powerhouse, to gain a better understanding of how she’s able to keep running at 92 and beating her own records. She’s simply amazing. Emma dislocated her shoulder during a race in Germany a dozen years ago because she...
Gaeta Commemorates Italian American Hero V. Capodanno on September 4, 2025
The city of Gaeta, together with the American community, will commemorate an Italian American hero whose father, originally from Gaeta, emigrated to the United States in 1901. Vincent R. Capodanno, the youngest of ten children, became a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Chaplain Corps and tragically died on September 4, 1967. He was moving through a batt...
Living in Piedmont: where Alpine views meet vineyard valleys
Piedmont sits in Italy's northwest corner, sharing a border with France and Switzerland under the watchful gaze of the Alps. Its Italian name, Piemonte, translates to 'foot of the mountain', a fitting description for a region of grand landscapes and sophisticated cities. The mix of urban elegance and deep-rooted rural traditions makes living in Pie...
In the heart of Salento, Mediterranean cuisine is served in an olive mill dating back to 1350
They call it “Grecia Salentina”, the linguistic island in the province of Lecce that marks the boundaries of the nine villages where Griko – the neo-Greek dialect – is still spoken. One of these is Corigliano d’Otranto, and in its light-coloured stone lanes there is a former underground olive mill from 1350 where lively, fashionable dishes are serv...
Italy urges US to stick to EU trade deal on cheese tariffs
Italy said some U.S. customs authorities have requested tariffs above the rate agreed with the European Union on imports such as Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano cheeses, and that it was seeking guarantees the lower figure will be applied. The US and EU last week locked in a framework trade deal reached in July that includes a 15% U.S. tax on m...
Discover the charming Tuscan village where Leonardo da Vinci was born
Just 50 kilometres from Florence and close to Empoli, Vinci is a charming Tuscan village famous for being the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci. Surrounded by rolling hills, olive groves and vineyards, it’s the perfect destination for a cultural day trip or a relaxing escape in the heart of Tuscany. Vinci offers a unique blend of art, history and nat...
The unwritten cappuccino rule in Italy every tourist should know
The unspoken rules of coffee in Italy are hard to navigate as a tourist — and I learned that the hard way. During a recent trip to Italy, I discovered that Italian coffee culture is quite different than coffee culture in the U.S. In the U.S., no one questions you if you order a cappuccino at Starbucks at 5 p.m., because anything goes. Yet, in Italy...
How Italy created a ‘tennis machine’ and became home to some of the world’s best players
Italy has long valued some of life’s more refined pleasures – food, art, fashion, all set against the country’s crumbling architecture. Now, that cultural smorgasbord includes a new and perhaps surprising offering: tennis. Surprising, at least, for those only just noticing the recent glut of tennis talent to emerge from the southern European nation...
Simone Fontecchio says the NBA is ‘work,’ but the national team is ‘fun’
Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio is one of multiple players on the Heat competing in EuroBasket, and he will represent his native country of Italy in the tournament. He put his job playing basketball in the NBA and his time playing for the Italian national team into an interesting perspective. Fontecchio indicated that he views NBA basketball a...