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There’s a greater sense of ‘going native’ on holiday when you take the decision to travel like a local, not to hire a car or join a package holiday, but to let the train take the strain. Of course, it all looks straightforward, but occasionally things can go wrong – and even if the challenge is quite fun, a few tips can save confusion and frustrati...

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At the northern periphery of the Gulf of Naples lies the enchanting Island of Ischia. Steeped in history and legend, this jewel of the Tyrrhenian is the birthplace of the 'Ndrezzata, a traditional folk dance whose origins are shrouded in mystery. Twirling with increasing speed, armed participants strike and parry with wooden swords and mazzarelli (...

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As have many peoples and cultures around the world, Italy and Italians have exhibited an infinite passion for music for centuries. Italian music in particular boasts a reputation that is tightly bound to the names of important individuals, from singers to orchestra conductors and composers. In reality, the renown of music from the Bel Paese could n...

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The lemon probably arrived in Italy from India at a time before 539 B.C., the year in which the Jews re-entered Babylon in Palestine. Jewish culture testifies that citron was present in Israel as early the sixth century B.C., and it had a ritual and ornamental value. It is therefore certain that the citrus plant existed in Italy from the early impe...

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There is no doubt that religious festivals represent a large part of the traditional Italian heritage. An expression of faith, of course, but also events with a strong social significance and bond of belonging to the community, especially in the South: Leonardo Sciascia, in "Corda Pazza" (Mad rope), about religious festivals wrote that in Sicily th...

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Negli anni quaranta una giovanissima Judy Garland, protagonista della pellicola cult Il Mago di Oz, rendeva immortale con la sua splendida voce un brano meraviglioso. Il titolo del pezzo è “Over the Rainbow”, letteralmente “Oltre l’arcobaleno” ed è proprio da questo fenomeno ottico e meteorologico che si parte da bambini quando si spiegano i colori...

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Amanti della pastiera ecco per voi delle buone, o per meglio dire dolci, notizie! A partire da sabato 13 aprile 2019, infatti, potrete gustare gratuitamente la pastiera più grande del mondo. Realizzata dal Gran Caffè Gambrinus di Napoli, potrete provare gratuitamente questo dolce tipico pasquale ad una settimana dalla Pasqua vera e propria. Ad annu...

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For the last two columns I have been focusing on a subject dear to my heart, dear to my heritage and dear to my wallet: the wines of Campania. This wine region in Southern Italy, southeast of Naples, has been cultivated for millennia for its indigenous grapes. These wines, planted by ancient Greeks and Romans, flourished for centuries, but were nea...

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Rome’s ultra-wealthy took weekend trips here to party. Powerful statesmen built luxurious villas on its beach, with heated spas and mosaic-tiled pools where they could indulge their wildest desires. One resident even commissioned a nymphaeum - a private grotto surrounded by marble statues, dedicated solely to ‘earthly pleasure’.   More than 2,000 y...

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“Castel dell’Ovo has become a symbol of Naples, not only as seen on millions of postcards and photos, but also for its history and legend,” says Valerio Ceva Grimaldi, author of Secret Naples. The castle and its namesake legend, he points out, remain one of the most historic symbols of Naples and a reflection of its unique culture. “It was very imp...

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