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Italy is a country rich in ancient and prestigious schools and universities, but there is one with the longest history and the oldest academic tradition: the University of Bologna. Here are some historical, cultural, and academic details that make the oldest university in Italy unique, the crucial role Bologna has played in European culture, and th...

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The Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola, currently hosting the long-awaited Finali Mondiali, on Friday celebrated the four champions of the Ferrari Challenge Trofeo Pirelli North America. Claiming both the title and the final race of the season were Dylan Medler (The Collection) in the Trofeo Pirelli, Brian Cook (Ferrari of Seattl...

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Ferrara has been welcoming a new space of cultural attraction since last spring: it is the Antonioni Space, a museum dedicated to Michelangelo Antonioni (Ferrara, 1912 - Rome, 2007), a great filmmaker and intellectual known for his ability to explore human emotions and social change through his refined cinematic language.  The opening of the Antoni...

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Bakary Tamba surveys his neat kingdom of sand, and smiles. The folded cream parasols on his patch of the Adriatic coastline stretch almost to the water’s edge, all perfectly aligned. The fine, blonde expanse is manicured and already warm to the touch. Offshore, a small yacht is coaxing a few knots from the morning breeze. All is as it should be — s...

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Ravenna is on Italy’s tourist map for one reason: its 1,500-year-old churches decorated with best-in-the-West Byzantine mosaics. While locals go about their business, busloads of tourists slip in and out of this town near the Adriatic coast to bask in the glittering glory of Byzantium, the eastern Roman Empire. Imagine that it’s AD 540. The city of...

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First things first: “Parmigiano Reggiano” cheese is not the same thing as “Parmesan.” Except when it is. This may sound like a riddle, but it’s not—and the distinction will be clear by the time you finish reading this deep dive into everything you’ve ever wanted to know (and hadn’t thought to ask) about Parmigiano Reggiano cheese. That includes sev...

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I had the opportunity to meet two Tucson, AZ chefs, Matthew Cable and Devon Sanner of restaurant Zio Peppe, during their recent visit to Parma. The two Americans were touring the city of Parma for a very specific reason: Tucson and Parma, over a decade ago, were awarded the international distinction of UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy, making the...

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Balsamic vinegar originated in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy, particularly the cities of Modena and Reggio Emilia, where it has been produced for centuries. Its invention dates back to at least the Middle Ages, with the first written records mentioning “balsamic” vinegar appearing in the 11th century. These early references came from the court...

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Bologna has so much to offer, including great food and art without the crowds that you'll find in better-known Italian cities like Florence or Rome. One spot that foodies should not miss when visiting Bologna is the Quadrilatero market, in the old city's medieval core. This rectangular area with a zigzag of narrow streets is adjacent to Bologna's f...

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In Europe, the tradition of eating pork meat stretches far back into antiquity, as pigs were an animal that was easy to rear in a domestic environment, they were rich in fat and delicious meats and reproduced quickly.  In the second half of the nineteenth century, some pig bones excavated from archaeological sites in the Po Valley corroborated the...

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