The best bread award in Italy this year goes to Sicily
One of the most incredible aspects of Italy’s rich culinary diversity is its bread. Across the country, every region, town, and village has its own unique, delicious type of bread, deeply rooted in local tradition. Each year, an award is given to the best bread in Italy—and this year, the honor went to Milazzo, a town in Sicily in the Messina provi...
Italy and the heat: fifty years of rising temperatures
Over the past five decades, Rome has experienced the most dramatic effects of climate change among Italian cities. Following closely behind are Cremona in Lombardy, Latina in Lazio, Rovigo in Veneto, and Terni in Umbria. This analysis covers the period from January 1, 1975, to December 31, 2024, examining 284 million hourly data points gathered thr...
Illuminating Heritage Through Art: Santa Lucia Painting Bridges Cultures Between Carlentini and Omaha
A magnificent new piece of artwork has made its way from Carlentini, Sicily, to Omaha, Nebraska—a vivid painting of Santa Lucia (Saint Lucy) created by 14-year-old artist Martina Piccione. Originally sent rolled in a box alongside dozens of letters for school aged children intended to travel 5,000 miles across the ocean, the painting was meant to s...
Retiring in Italy pros and cons: 2025 guide for expats
When you picture your golden years, does an image of sipping espresso in a historic Italian piazza come to mind? Many retirees dream of living out their later years in luxury, and Italy offers some of the best retirement opportunities in the world. Italy’s cities (and even some of its more rural communities) have become highly sought-after retireme...
Four Local Students Awarded Scholarships by Amerigo Vespucci Society
The Amerigo Vespucci Society (AVS) of Long Branch (NJ), the nation’s oldest Italian-American mutual aid society, awarded four academic scholarships during its most recent meeting, continuing its longstanding mission of supporting education and community engagement. The scholarships, to be applied toward the recipients’ upcoming Fall semester studie...
Nick Eyde: The visionary behind the Italian Bowl’s American Dream
When Italian football fans tune in to watch the 2025 Italian Bowl, they’ll be witnessing more than just a championship game—they’ll be watching a dream realized. For Nick Eyde, a real estate developer and the man behind the bold idea of bringing Italy’s gridiron championship to Toledo, Ohio, the event is a unique fusion of cultures, a celebration o...
Italian Festival & Wine Tasting
What’s summer at the Jersey Shore without a great Italian Festival? Join us Saturday, July 26 and Sunday, July 27 for our annual Italian Festival & Wine Tasting, sponsored by The Asbury Park Press. Enjoy mouth-watering Italian favorites from over a dozen of the area’s top restaurants, delis, and food trucks. Pair your favorite dish with a sampling...
Sperlinga: a Medieval stronghold frozen in time
Tucked away in the province of Enna, between the Nebrodi and Madonie mountains in the heart of inland Sicily, lies a village that borders Gangi (in the province of Palermo) and Nicosia (in the province of Enna). Its name is Sperlinga, home to fewer than 700 residents. The name – Sperrënga in Gallo-Sicilian and Spilliňga in Sicilian – derives from t...
UNICO Waterbury Pledges $500 to Rochambeau Memorial Project
Dr. Joanne D’Angelo and Marie A. Vitarelli of UNICO Waterbury presented a $500 check to the Middlebury Historical Society in support of the Rochambeau Monument Project last week. Dr. D’Angelo serves as Local Charity Chair, and Ms. Vitarelli is a member of UNICO’s Board of Directors. Dr. Robert L. Rafford, president of the Middlebury Historical Soci...
Is Sicily the New Frontier for Mango Exportation?
Agriculture in Sicily is changing its face: mango and avocado are the new fruits of Southern Italy. Traditional crops such as citrus fruits, prickly pears, vineyards, olive trees, cereals, and ancient grains must contend with global warming and the extreme events it brings, drought and water scarcity, even the emergence of pests unknown until a few...
Italian wine consumption in the US fell in May 2025: -10.6% compared to a year ago
Until recently, reading data on Italian wine exports to the United States was synonymous with “record” or, at least, provided an immediate response of growth, stability, and bright prospects for the future. Now, however, the tide seems to have turned.With the rush to stock up on wine due to fears of tariffs now over, and with those tariffs having a...
Study in Rome: a down-to-earth guide to unis, costs & life
There’s nowhere quite like Rome for a student adventure, where ancient ruins and buzzing piazzas set the scene for daily life. From soaking up lectures at the legendary Sapienza University of Rome to joining a lively crowd of international students, you’ll soon notice how the city has a knack for combining old-school charm with modern energy. Stud...