by Dianne Hales | Nov 30, 2021 | Christmas in Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, Religion, saints, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
In some parts of Italy the feast of San Nicola, patron saint of Bari, ushers in the Christmas season with the giving of gifts on the eve or morning of December 6, his onomastico (name day). Although many stories of San Nicola’ s life may be mythical, he did inspire...
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 | Oct 26, 2021 | autumn, Books, books on Italy, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italy, Language, Religion, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Italy’s cimiteri (cemeteries) are coming alive this week as families prepare for November 2 (All Souls’ Day), which the Catholic Church dedicates alla commemorazione dei defunti (to the commemoration of the deceased). To celebrate Il giorno dei morti (the Day...
by Dianne Hales | Oct 19, 2021 | Books, books on Italy, culture, history, Italian, Italian folklore, Italian language, Italian words and expressions, Italy, Language, learning Italian, Sayings and expressions, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
For centuries the Italian peninsula was a patchwork of hundreds of dialects, often as different from one another as French from Spanish or English from Italian. Sailors from Genoa couldn’t understand—or be understood by—merchants from Venice or farmers from Friuli. ...
by Dianne Hales | Oct 5, 2021 | art, art history, Books, books on Italy, history, Italian, Italian American, Italian language, ItalianAmerican heritage, Italy, Language, Leonardo da Vinci, literature, Travel, Web/Tech, Weblogs
Every October the United States celebrates Italy’s heritage—with good reason. More than a mere country, Italy embodies a culture that has transformed art and architecture, language and music, food and fashion. Western civilization would surely have sprouted...
