by Dianne Hales | Jan 19, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, Dante, food, Food and Drink, Italian language, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs
As we celebrate this Anno Dantesco (Year of Dante), I’m reminded of a special pleasure that the poet shared with his countrymen: a passion for the local bread. In his epic Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri, banished from Florence for political reasons, bemoaned...
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 | Oct 13, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, Dante, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, learning Italian, literature, Social behavior, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
The twentieth annual Week of the Italian Language in the World (October 19-25, 2020) focuses on the theme of Italian Between Word and Image: Graffiti, Illustrations, Comic Books. Italy’s rich tradition of graphic story-telling dates back for centuries, but since...
by Dianne Hales | Sep 15, 2020 | Books, books on Italy, culture, Dante, Florence, history, Italian language, Italy, Language, literature, Tuscany, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Celebrating Dante’s 755th Birthday Dante Alighieri was born in Florence in September, 1265. As a boy, he glimpsed a lovely girl named Beatrice in a local chapel. Despite Dante’s unrequited, undying crush, the two rarely met and barely spoke. Both wed others in...