Prickly Pears in Sicily: The Spiny Fruit That Defines a Culture
Did you know that Sicily produces over 90% of all prickly pears in Italy—and is one of the largest exporters in Europe? This humble cactus fruit, once considered peasant food, has become a true symbol of Sicilian summer, adorning landscapes, inspiring legends, and even appearing in haute cuisine. In a world increasingly fascinated by exotic superfo...
Mercer County Italian American Festival Back in West Windsor, NJ After 5 Years
Oh, you're going to love this news. The tradition is finally continuing. The Mercer County Italian American Festival is back for 2025. I'm sure much of Mercer County and the surrounding areas are celebrating. This is the first time in five long years the festival will be happening. The announcement was just made on Facebook on Monday (January 27, 2...
The jewel is tarnishing: Italian exports are slowing, between US tariffs and winds of crisis.
From gold to uncertainty: 2025 opens on a low note for the Italian jewelry industry, which sees the long wave of the boom recorded in 2024 fading. According to the latest industry figures, exports between January and May amounted to 5,88 billion euros, down 15,2% compared to the same period the previous year. The sharp decline in sales to Turkey (-...
Award-winning author is helping Staten Islanders discover the hidden stories in their memories
Award-winning author Maria Giura will lead a series of virtual writing workshops this fall at Casa Belvedere, focusing on memories of nature and the outdoors. The workshops, which began at the Italian cultural center in December 2020, have evolved from their initial Italian-American focus to welcome writers of all backgrounds. Topics can include a...
I've traveled to all 20 regions in Italy — but I'll always return to this one in the south
Last month, I accomplished my goal of visiting all 20 regions in Italy when I set foot in Molise (which Italians cheekily refer to as "the region that doesn't exist," because it's so small). Although I have great memories of Emilia-Romagna's incredible food and Sardinia's therapeutic salty air, nowhere has quite stolen my heart like Basilicata — a...
The new tourists in Italy: Indians in Sardinia, Arabs in the Dolomites, Americans in Puglia’s farmhouses
This summer, Italy is experiencing a major shift in the profile of its international visitors. Gone are the days when Russians dominated the luxury scene in Costa Smeralda or Germans filled the hotels on Lake Garda. Now, wealthy Indians, Arabs, Canadians, Australians, and of course Americans are reshaping the country’s tourism map, turning every re...
Experience Italy in Utah: Authentic food, live shows, and family fun at Festa Italiana
Saturday, Sept. 13 (11 AM–10 PM) & Sunday, Sept. 14 (11 AM–7 PM). The Gateway, 18 N. Rio Grande Street, Salt Lake City, UT. Admission: Free. Festa Italiana SLC returns to The Gateway on September 13–14, 2025, celebrating 10 years of Italian culture, food, and fun. This free, family-friendly festival, hosted by the Italian-American Civic League of U...
Festa Italia returns to Monterey, CA
The 92nd Annual Festa Italia returns to downtown Monterey this weekend, celebrating Italian culture and honoring the city’s fishing community with food, music, and traditions that date back more than nine decades. The free festival runs Friday through Sunday at Custom House Plaza in Monterey State Historic Park. The Festa Italia Foundation, a nonpr...
Mutual Aid Societies: The Major Cultural Role of Italy’s “Small Embassies”
Mutual Aid Societies played a key role in the social and economic history of the United States. During the great waves of migration in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, they served as a social lifeline, often the only response to the basic needs of survival and inclusion for newcomers struggling to find their footing in a linguistic, social,...
Italy's Ancient 'Land Of Wine' Is A Gorgeous, Underrated Region With Vineyards, Cellars, And Historic Estates
When the ancient Greeks descended from their tall trireme decks and onto the shores of Southern Italy, they saw the unrivaled viticulture of Calabria and dubbed its sun-soaked shores the perennial "land of wine." Over the millennia, Dionysus's slice of the Coast of the Gods has been superseded in the world of wine by Northwest Italy's famous, elega...
‘Iron Hand’ Tonti
Although little-known today, Enrico de Tonti carried the rich heritage of Italy into the annals of European explorers. His Italian roots of resilience and tenacity — traits forged in a region long ruled by foreign empires — were keys to his survival in the wilderness of 17th-century North America. Tonti was born around 1649 in a coastal town near N...
Ischia: The Italian Isle where locals cook in volcanic sand
I'm wandering through the village of Sant'Angelo on the Italian island of Ischia, searching for the footpath that will take me to the volcanic fumaroles on the isle's southern shore – and towards one of Italy's most unique meals. A shopkeeper points me to a stone staircase snaking up from an alleyway that climbs over the cliffs and mountains. The...