Advice on how to live "la dolce vita"
The Unknown Leonardo Da Vinci Photo credit: Smithsonian Journeys Of the venerated titans of Florence’s cultural Renaissance, none left quite the same mark as Leonardo Da Vinci (1452 – 1519). The polymath, artist, and inventor was, in the words of his biographer Giorgio Vasari, blessed with “a beauty of person never sufficiently admired” and invested with …
Reasons To Visit Rome In The Fall There are delightful and completely legitimate reasons why locals prefer Roma in the fall; the temperatures are ideal, fall foods and festivals are abundant, and there are fewer crowds throughout La Città Eterna or The Eternal City. Visitors will also enjoy Rome in autumn, rather than in the …
Italy’s Ten Fall Flavors As the weather changes from the humid heat of summer to the cooler temperatures of fall, Italian meals become warmer, heartier, and full of fall fruits, vegetables, grains, and meats. Both lunch and dinner are often consumed as hot meals. Some fall favorites are risottos, which are made with rice; …
Visiting Florence In Fall As the days grow shorter and Florence’s streets start to empty, the renaissance city takes on a new and exciting lease of life. Having once again survived the sweltering bustle of summer, Florence becomes far more slow-paced and relaxed — an autumnal city very much beginning to wind down for the …
BERNINI’S ART IN ROME Born in 1598 in Naples, Gian Lorenzo Berninibecame the most iconic sculptor of the seventeenth century. Working most of his life in Rome, the center of European art at the time, Bernini pushed the art world into the intense, emotional Baroque style, after the more classical Renaissance style, which had dominated …
Eating Like An Italian: Food Norms, Beliefs, And Etiquette Italians live to relish the flavors of their culinary traditions; freshly picked vine tomatoes, handmade pastas, doughy salted breads, perfectly cured meats, mouthwatering mozzarella, and sharp shots of coffee, just to name a few. Typically, Italians enjoy all of their quintessential foods and drinks without …
Visiting Chianti On A Budget For many, the Tuscan region of Chianti is the quintessence of rural Italy. It stretches from Florence in the north to Siena in the south, encapsulating an idyllic landscape of lush, rolling hills, ripe, fertile vineyards and solitary stone farmhouses. In short Chianti is an image of paradise, which makes …
A Day In Oltrarno: Florence’s Trendiest Neighbourhood Oltrarno, or “beyond the Arno” as its name means in Italian, is one of Florence’s trendiest and most authentic neighbourhoods. Spanning the southern riverbank of the historic city, Oltrarno’s three historic quarters — San Niccolò, Santo Spirito, and San Frediano — are home to a wealth of galleries, …
Ernest Hemingway And Venice Short, potent sentences, heavy drinking, revolutionary war writing, severe mood swings, avant-garde intellect, scandalous flirtations, and an adventurous spirit are all associated with the iconic American writer, Ernest Hemingway, but what about Il Bel Paese? From the moment he first stepped into Italia during World War I, ‘The Beautiful Country’ …
The Best Lakes To Visit Near Rome Rome has an almost overwhelming amount of ancient sites, bubbling fountains, spectacular art galleries, elaborate churches, bustling restaurants, and sprawling ‘piazze’ to experience. Whether visiting The Eternal City for the first or the twenty-first time, it is understandable that visitors often crave a break from Rome, especially …