Bamboccioni: Are Italy's “Big Babies” Parasites or Blessings?
I grew up in a relatively large family, by English standards. My father was one of seven siblings, so when we got together, for birthdays, Christenings, or weddings, things tended to get raucous. Amongst the merriment, there was much name-calling and mockery, as is common amongst the British with our sarcastic sense of humor. And one of the punchli...
A Roman-Styled Italian Restaurant and Bar Is Coming to Little Italy
A new Italian restaurant is putting the finishing touches on its prime corner of Little Italy with the goal of opening next month. Roman Wolves is landing at the junction of Fir and Kettner in the Broadstone building replacing the Heights, a short-tenured modern European restaurant that took over the space from Cafe Gratitude, which shuttered in ea...
Botticelli and the making of Venus
When: February 13 2024, 16:30 To 20:30 - Where: Italian Cultural Institute San Francisco - Free Admission | Registration required Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus is one of the great masterpieces of the Renaissance, a painting that has become synonymous with it. However, it is far from being the serene picture it is often taken to be. In today’s lec...
The gastronomic joys of Piemonte, Italy's culinary treasure trove
I’ve eaten my way through many of Italy’s 20 regions. Lovely lemon pasta in Calabria, fried sea creatures in Veneto, fabulous stuffed olives in Le Marche. I could ooze delight for days reimagining unforgettable food experiences in the Bel Paese. I had failed, however, to pay much attention to the unpretentious mega-star region of food and wine: Pie...
Gole dell'Alcantara: Sicily's Spectacular Natural Phenomenon
Slicing through the ancient lava flows of Mount Etna, the Alcantara River creates this totally stunning & breathtaking natural canyon known as the Gole dell'Alcantara in Sicily. Enchanting waterfalls, natural ponds, hexagon-shaped basalt columns, and deep, narrow gorges can totally be found there. You'll also see these woodpile, harp, and rosette-l...
The Tears of a Clown and the Realism of Florida Grand Opera's I Pagliacci
When Florida Grand Opera opens the curtain on its midseason production, I Pagliacci, it will be close to 82 years to the day that the Miami Opera Guild, the precursor to Florida Grand Opera, performed its inaugural production of Ruggero Leoncavallo's Italian opera. While the anniversary may evoke some nostalgia, today's audiences will see a differe...
Italy Gets Ready for Carnival Festivals, from the Most Famous to the Most Unusual
As Carnevale approaches in the runup to Lent and then Easter, Italy comes alive with festivals in February. In the US the biggest such event is New Orleans’ Mardi Gras, but in Italy many cities have their own versions as they celebrate the last fling before Lent puts an end to fun and self-indulgence, ushering in the reflection and gravity of prepa...
Jobs: Italian teacher in Orlando, FL
Renaissance Evolution (RE) is an Educational-Cultural think tank based in Florida and Washington, D.C. In collaboration with MAECI and the Consulate General of Miami, RENEVO aims to promote Italian Culture and Language in the Southeast of the United States and the Caribbean. This is a contract role for an Insegnante d'Italiano (Italian Teacher) in...
How to spend a day in Coppedè, Rome’s most whimsical neighborhood
Fifteen minutes from Rome’s historical center–excluding the capital’s manic traffic, of course–stands an archway joining two ambassadors’ palaces, from which a large wrought-iron chandelier descends; this arch marks the (rather grand) entrance to the quirky Coppedè neighborhood. Describing Coppedè is hard–not just because of its beauty (which is di...
“Lo Spirito di Stella” lands in Miami
The world tour of “Lo Spirito di Stella,” which will land in Miami on Wednesday, Jan. 31, continues. Also in attendance will be Italian sailor Andrea Stella, founder of the non-profit organization "Lo Spirito di Stella." The initiative is being held as part of the "WoW" Project - Wheels on Waves - Around The World 2023-2025: the Around The World To...
Fellini's muse and Italian film icon Sandra Milo dies at 90
Sandra Milo, an icon of Italian cinema who played a key role in Federico Fellini’s “8½” and later became his muse, died Monday, her family said. She was 90. Milo, noted for her distinctive high-pitched voice, died in her sleep at home in Rome, surrounded by her family and beloved dogs Jim and Lady, according to a statement from the family carried b...
The Consulate of Italy Commemorates International Holocaust Remembrance Day: Great Success for the Film Screening “The Last Time We Were Children”
Remembrance and Italian commitment to the fight against xenophobia and discrimination were the central themes of Consul Allegra Baistrocchi’s introduction to the event to a public of almost 300 people. Free and open to the public, there was a captivated audience consisting mainly of members from the Italian, Jewish, and Italian-American community....