by Dianne Hales | Dec 21, 2021 | books on Italy, Christmas in Italy, creche, food, Food and Drink, Italian, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Religion, Rome, saints, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Most families in Italy begin celebrating il Natale on the evening of December 24 (la vigilia di Natale) with a big dinner. Because Christmas Eve is a vigilia di magro (a day of abstinence on which the Catholic Church prohibits the consumption of meat), the centerpiece...
by Dianne Hales | Nov 9, 2021 | art, art history, Bernini, Books, books on Italy, culture, Italian language, Italy, Language, Roman history, Rome, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Rome, the dome-capped city of gushing fountains, monumental staircases and sunlit piazzas, owes much of its seductive beauty to Gian Lorenzo Bernini (1598–1680. Over his long career Bernini emerged as the Michelangelo of his time, a master sculptor, architect,...
by Dianne Hales | Apr 19, 2021 | April, culture, history, Italian, Italian language, Italy, Language, Roman history, Rome, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
The eternal city has an official birthdate: April 21, 753 B.C. Rome traditionally celebrated with a parade, concerts, gladiator displays and fireworks. This year, like last, there are no such exuberant public gatherings. Photographs capture a city I’ve never seen:...
by Dianne Hales | Mar 9, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, history, Italian movies, Italy, Language, Roman history, Rome, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
“Veni, vidi, vici” (I came, I saw, I conquered). These three Latin words summarize the passions of the consummate Roman leader: Gaius Julius Caesar (100–44 BC), who lived to conquer—by sword, word, or seduction. By age thirty, Caesar had proven himself a fearless...
by Dianne Hales | Feb 16, 2021 | amore, Books, books on Italy, cookbooks, culture, food, Food and Drink, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, learning Italian, love in Italy, Roman history, Romance, Rome, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
I went to Rome this week. I savored local specialties like spaghetti alla carbonara and saltimbocca alla romana. I strolled through the lively markets of Testaccio and Campo de’ Fiori. I garnered tips on cooking pasta al dente (it should resist the tooth—but the tooth...
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...
