by Dianne Hales | Jan 12, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, comics, culture, Dante, Florence, history, Italian comic books, Italian language, Italy, Language, literature, Travel, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs
It was dislike at first sight. Everything about Dante Alighieri (1265-1321) put me off. As artists traditionally portrayed him, the medieval poet seemed a ferocious grump with a big beak, jutted chin, petulant sneer, and hooded eyes. Although writers like William...
by Dianne Hales | Jan 4, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, culture, history, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, Sayings and expressions, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Long after many Americans have taken down their Christmas trees and packed away the decorations, Italians continue to celebrate. The final feast is l’Epifania (Epiphany), on January 6, which commemorates the arrival of the three kings, or the Magi, who followed the...
by Dianne Hales | Dec 14, 2020 | Assisi, Books, books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, culture, history, Italian language, Italy, Nativity scene, Religion, Rome, Saint Francis, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
“Natale con i tuoi; Pasqua con chi vuoi,” Italians say. “Christmas with your family; Easter with whomever you want.” An Italian Christmas centers on casa (home) and stare insieme in famiglia (being together as a family). But even at a distance the sights and sounds of...
by Dianne Hales | Nov 17, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, culture, Italian language, Italian movies, Italy, Naples, Sophia Loren, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, women
The Life Ahead, a Netflix movie starring Sophia Loren and directed by her son Edoardo Ponti, marks the return to the screen of a woman with an unquenchable passion for life—and for acting. Born near Naples in 1934, Sofia Scicolone grew up amid Allied bombings that...
by Dianne Hales | Nov 10, 2020 | art, art history, Books, books on Italy, ceramics, culture, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Renaissance, Saint Francis, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
In the thirteenth century an Arabian technique for glazing rough clay with gleaming white enamel made its way, via the Spanish island of Majorca, to Italy. The Umbrian town of Deruta embellished maiolica (majolica) with colorful designs baked into the glaze during a...
by Dianne Hales | Oct 26, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, culture, Florence, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, Religion, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs, worldwarII
With so many lives lost in the global coronavirus pandemic over the last year, il giorno dei morti (the day of the dead) on November 2 takes on even greater significance. In the Catholic church, All Souls Day commemorates all who have died. When I’ve been in...
