Italian land and nature: Circeo National Park
No matter where you might find yourself on the Coast of Lazio, it is impossibile to overlook the astounding outline of the Circeo Promontory. With its peak at approximately 1,775 feet above sea level, it rises above the spectacular landscape of the surrounding natural park, that is also filled with characteristic and picturesque towns and villages...
Italian handcrafts: Romagna Fabrics
Historically viewed as a craft of the poor, tied essentially to the tools of peasant art, hand printed Romagna fabrics have an uncertain date of birth. As the oldest documents do not go further back than the first decades of the 19th century, it is assumed that Romagna hand printed fabrics were being made before that.
IT and US: The glorious past of the Italian voice tradition
Italy has a past of great vocal tradition, filled with great artists and with strong voices able of great expressiveness. This was true everywhere not only in the entertainment world. In the past centuries, it was the pride of anyone willing to be an example to feature a clear voice, perfect diction and the ability to be heard clearly even from a d...
Italian traditions: The Pizzica and the Night of the Tarantula
The sultry heat, sand blowing in the morning air, and the parched land of Salento, a small subregion in Apulia. The women here, bent over to work in the fields, are marked by fatigue. A tarantula bites one of their ankles, so she runs to grab a tambourine and dance without inhibition, until all the poison finally exits her body.
Italian gardens: Gran Paradiso National Park
Established in 1922, the Gran Paradiso National Park is the oldest Italian National Park together with the Abruzzo National Park, created a few months later. It is located between the regions of Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont. It covers an area of 71,043.79 hectares, on a predominantly mountainous terrain, in an agricultural landscape that joins the ar...
Italian language: Touring Italy. The Cimbrian Language
Welcome back to our tour of the Italian dialects. Today, we move East and we meet with the Cimbrian language which has Germanic origins and is historically located in the Italian regions of Trentino Alto-Adige and Veneto and is currently protected in the province of Trento. But let’s take a look at why this language was and is spoken here.
Italian wine: Lake Garda says Hooray for Rosé with Chiaretto
This month I am featuring wines from the area of Lake Garda that borders both the Veneto and Lombardy northern regions in Italy. In particular we're talking about the wines known as chiaretto, pronounced "key-ah-ret-oh". Lake Garda is actually the largest lake in Italy. If you've never been to Lake Garda it's a must see. It's such a beautiful p...
What's up with WTI: Editorial # 105
Ciao from Rome, welcome to the #105 magazine of We the Italians! Gee, it’s hot here in Rome, this July! A few days ago I had the pleasure to be part of Mike Pilla’s “Patrimonio Italiano” show. Mike’s a great guy, informing about the Italians abroad, a great resource that Italy has not yet learned to appreciate and embrace the way they deserve. Here...
Italian culture and history: Trieste
Its climate, with the dry Bora wind that blows over the karst plateau and towards the gulf; its history, shaped by Habsburg domination; and its geographic position, almost part of the Balkans; render the fascinating city of Trieste one of the most particular art cities in Italy, and of a notably mitteleurope character. Located in Italy’s extreme no...
Italian little Italies: Albori, a white outpost of paradise
Set in a corner of Mount Falerio above the southern stretch of the rocky Amalfi coast, in the Gulf of Salerno, Albori seems suspended between the sea and the mountain. Àlbori is a miniature of the eternal appeal of the Mediterranean. A cluster of colourful houses on the sea front, leaning against each other between lanes and narrow alleyways. Const...
Italian art: San Teonisto in Treviso
Nineteen of the twenty-two artworks that were part of the heritage of the ancient church of San Teonisto in Treviso before the Napoleonic plundering of 1810, returned to the Treviso religious complex on Saturday, January 13. Following the suppression of the religious orders, one of the most well-known decisions from the Napoleonic decrees, the mon...
Italian cuisine: Panna Cotta
Panna cotta is one of the most well known and widespread Italian desserts. It comes from Piedmont and its origin dates back to the beginning of the 20th century. Typically it is served with berries, caramel or chocolate sauce, and because of its great versatility it is possible to create a different topping every time. It is up to your creativity.