Living in Catania: Sicily's underdog city
When people ask where most American expats live in Sicily, many will point to Palermo or the tourist towns. However, the underdog city of Catania has a significant, if less conspicuous, international community, partly thanks to the nearby NATO base. Sprawling along the Ionian coast at the foot of Mount Etna, this vital port city is considered by ma...
41st annual Challenge Cup of Bocce set in Wickliffe: What to know
The 41st Cleveland Challenge Cup of Bocce is coming up. The annual event is scheduled for Aug. 22-24 at the Wickliffe Italian-American Club. The tournament will host 120 teams (104 open division and 16 women’s division) and showcase world-class players from across the United States and Canada. Players will vie for more than $34,000 in competition o...
What Makes the American Overseas School of Rome a Standout
Some schools just have a feel to them. You notice it right away. When I visited the American Overseas School of Rome (AOSR), it didn’t feel like a place where students were just getting through the day. It felt alive. Kids were engaged, teachers were connected, and the whole campus gave off a sense of purpose. A first grader proudly walked me throu...
‘Delco’ filmmaker pursues his dream project because ‘it’s never too late’
In 2004, as a senior at Sun Valley High in Aston, Pa., Chris Pierdomenico made “Christian,” a 70-minute semi-autobiographical movie. “It was bad,” he said of his senior project. “I didn’t have a grasp of effective cinematic storytelling.” He told himself: “Someday, I want to make the definitive version.” Two decades later, he did. After overseeing...
Italy is increasingly the land of bubbles. Here's how wine production has changed over the past ten years
The increasingly white-focused soul of Italian wine is being driven by sparkling wines, with regions showing a strong interest in the category and with denominations and Consortia promoting an expansion of sparkling production. Cultural trends leaning toward moderation, the ageing of older consumer groups, and the rise of new habits (starting with...
Franklin Square's 88th Our Lady of Mt. Carmel feast honors Italian tradition
Italian heritage was on full display during Franklin Square’s 88th Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast, a five-day celebration that kicked off on July 16 with a festival at Mount Carmel Chapel, on Stewart Place, in Franklin Square. The religious tradition, celebrated internationally, honors the Virgin of Carmel, which is the Roman Catholic title of the...
How Italian Producers Are Making Fruit & Vegetables Cool again for Gen Z
It starts with a bite: a cherry still warm from the tree, a tomato sliced open on a cutting board, its scent filling the room. This is the Italian food the world falls in love with—not just for its flavor, but for its feeling. Because here, food isn’t engineered or anonymous. Each fruit or vegetable carries a story, a dialect, a region. This biodiv...
MotoPlex Fairfield brings Piaggio’s Italian flair to Connecticut
Piaggio Group Americas officially opened its newest MotoPlex location on July 16 with the grand opening of MotoPlex Fairfield, a flagship destination representing the group’s four iconic Italian brands: Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa, and Piaggio. The new dealership offers a premium retail and service experience tailored to riders across all discipline...
Five things you only hear in an Italian “bar” (and what they really mean)
Italian bars are not bars in the American sense: they’re not for cocktails (unless you’re having aperitivo, of course), and ordering a martini at 10 a.m. will earn you a look usually reserved for people who cut in line at the bakery. Italian bars are more like the fast-beating heart of daily life, where espresso is fuel, the barista knows your nam...
Minister Tajani convenes business representatives on tariffs following the EU‑US agreement; a permanent tariffs Task Force established at the Farnesina
The Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Antonio Tajani, held a meeting at the Foreign Ministry to address the issue of tariffs following the recent agreement between the European Union and the United States. Attendees included agencies from the Italian economic system — ICE, SACE, SIMEST, and CDP — along with represen...
July 29: Happy World Lasagna Day!
Today is World Lasagna Day. Lasagna is tipically Italian, of course: but who really owns this beloved dish, Naples in Campania or Bologna in Emilia Romagna? That question sparks an ongoing debate between the two cities. Some claim the original lasagna includes salami and ricotta, while others argue it was born with meat sauce and béchamel. Putting...
Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese Awarded Creative Communities Award by Northern NJ Community Foundation
The Northern New Jersey Community Foundation (NNJCF) honored New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese with the Creative Communities Award at the organization's Community Changemaker Night. He was joined by four exemplary community heroes for their remarkable contributions to make life better in North Jersey. The celebration took place at a cocktail...