by Dianne Hales | Aug 4, 2020 | art, art history, Books, books on Italy, culture, history, Italian language, Italy, Rome, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, women
A guest post by Elizabeth Lev Some of Rome’s masterpieces come on strong. Who can resist the rakish ambush of Caravaggio? Who isn’t swept off his feet by the might of the Coliseum? The Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps are all awe-inspiring...
by Dianne Hales | Jun 16, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, culture, Fathers Day, Florence, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
In Italy La Festa del Papà falls on March 19, the feast of San Giuseppe (St. Joseph), the husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus. Joseph not only supports fathers but also looks after orphans, unwed mothers, the needy and the homeless. In the United States we...
by Dianne Hales | Jun 9, 2020 | art, art history, Books, books on Italy, coronavirus, culture, Italian language, Italy, Language, Leonardo da Vinci, Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, Renaissance, Travel, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs, women
Leonardo’s muse, Mona (Madame) Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo, was born 541 years ago on June 15, 1479. Few art works have experienced more adventures—and misadventures—in and out of the frame. The Florentine matron has shed her stately robes and appeared in...
by Dianne Hales | May 19, 2020 | amore, art history, Books, books on Italy, culture, Current Affairs, Florence, food, Food and Drink, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Leonardo da Vinci, literature, love in Italy, Music, Renaissance, Romance, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs, wine
Not even a global pandemic can stop people from doing what they love. Over the last few months, we’ve seen dancers dance; singers sing; actors perform—wherever and whenever they could. The same is true of writers. While sheltering at home in California, I...
by Dianne Hales | May 12, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, coronavirus, culture, Florence, Health, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, literature, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
The ruthless killer climbed walls, crossed moats, slipped through walls. So swiftly and fiercely did the disease strike that robust young men and women breakfasted with their parents in the morning and dined with their ancestors in the afterlife by night fall....
by Dianne Hales | May 5, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, culture, Italian language, Italy, Language, Mother's Day, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, women
Traditionally la festa della mamma in Italy fell on May 8. The current practice of celebrating Mother’s Day on the second Sunday of May started in 1957. But la mamma italiana is the center of her family’s life every day of the year. Men may hold the highest political...
