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Francesca Costa’s name never should have been remembered.  In fact, had it not been for her great-niece’s steadfast and unwavering love, any remembrance of Francesca’s life would have been lost to time — and that’s exactly how the rest of her family wanted it. Italian American author Karen Tintori joins us this week to discuss her 2007 work, “Unto...

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Over a hundred years ago the notes of Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff opened the performances of the Teatro Massimo in Palermo. Symbol of the city and of the whole of Sicily, the theater is equipped with perfect acoustics, which built the myth, and is still the third largest opera house in Europe after the Paris Opera and the Vienna Staatsoper.  Its impo...

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Carini, a small town situated in the heart of the island of Sicily, is a place that is often overlooked by tourists. But those who do make the journey to this charming town are rewarded with a unique blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Carini is believed to have been founded in the 9th century BC by Phoenician settlers, and over the cent...

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The first two figures in Alys Tomlinson’s photo book Gli Isolani (The Islanders) (GOST Books, 2023) offer us something between a greeting and a warning. Covered in shaggy animal skins and wearing enigmatic wooden masks, the figures seem ancient and insular. Their confrontational stances and curved staffs suggest that the rocky landscape around them...

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Airports have always fascinated me. Traveling as much as my family did, I was always excited to experience everything from check-in and security to even waiting at the gate. I lived for it. I was less excited when I had to leave Portland, Oregon, at age 15 to move to Lerici, Italy, a small harbor town in the Northwest region of the country. I felt...

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In Sicily, cannoli are a cultural icon, featured on the island’s official website and, more importantly, referenced in Francis Ford Coppola’s legendary movie The Godfather with the immortal line, “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” But despite their popularity, few know the erotic origins of this pastry and a slew of other Italian desserts… Italy bo...

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Gruppo Folklorico Val d’Akragas is traveling from Agrigento to the Townhouse on Saturday, April 22. Join us for an incomparable evening of Sicilian music and dance. Members are invited to dine in the Taverna after the performance, where special Sicilian treats will be featured on the menu. The event is $35. Reception at 6:30 PM. Performance at 7PM....

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Boston and the State of Massachusetts have always been fundamental in American history but also in the narrative of Italian emigration and presence in the United States. Our guest today is one of the most important figures in the Italian American community in the Bay State, where he has also been our new Ambassador for a few weeks. Tom Damigella we...

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Trapani is the city of salt, couscous and churches. An ideal starting point for exploring western Sicily, Trapani sits on a crescent-shaped stretch of coast, right where the Tyrrhenian Sea meets the Mediterranean. Trapani offers visitors brilliant glimpses of history, ancient traditions and a perfect cuisine for sea-food lovers. Phoenicians, Romans...

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The Sicilian city of Agrigento, famed for its rich archaeological heritage, will be the Italian Capital of Culture in 2025, the culture ministry announced in Rome on Friday. Shortlisted towns and cities vying for the 2025 title presented their bids to a jury last week, with the winning candidate for the prestigious recognition chosen by Italian cul...

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