Like many, I have always been fascinated by the famous leaning tower in Pisa. I wanted to understand more about the tower and the city from which it derives its name in preparation for a future visit. So, I did some quick research and found that the history of the construction of the tower is very involved and quite fascinating. I tend to like facts and figures, so my apologies in advance if this article appears crammed with data.
(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)
But, before we move onto the tower, I thought it was worth mentioning that the tower is a freestanding bell tower that forms part of the Cathedral of Pisa. The cathedral itself is lovely and seems well worth exploring further.
(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)
(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)
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Since Trastevere was such an integral part of my experience while I was working in Rome, I wanted to know more about that district. It might seem strange that I have spent so much time there and yet I don’t have that many specific recollections. Honestly, that is because my Italian colleagues and I usually just roamed the district, choosing our destinations on the spur of the moment. I wish that I would have taken better notes. Fortunately, the ItalyGuides site has some interesting material about Trastevere that they have been very generous in providing us so that we can share it with our readers.
(Photos courtesy of ItalyGuides)
These two photos are of the Piazza Santa Maria in Trastevere and the Fontana dell’Acqua Paola.
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I look at the product reviews every time I shop either in the shops or on the internet. Unfortunately they are really not very reliable, although I select the “real” ones (at least I hope so). I like to hear what people have to say (some of them are very entertaining). We know that there are plenty of firms specialized in producing this kind of “fabricated stories” on the internet. This fact was also confirmed by
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The classical tale of the brave Knight saving the damsel in distress from the evil dragon lives on in some frescoes which survive today in Italy. In fact, the legend of St. George, the holy knight who rescued the princess from the terrible dragon, has given birth to a rich subject for iconography that was widespread within the figurative arts during the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
(Courtesy of EVUS, by permission of Antonella Bazzoli)
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A friend of mine was travelling on the night train to Venice and had a mishap that fortunately was resolved successfully, thanks in part to the kindness of an Italian couple from Milan and the clear-headed thinking of my friend and his travel partner. This story has always restored my faith in humanity. It illustrates genuine Italian hospitality, but also contains some important object lessons that might help others if they find themselves in a similar situation in the future.
My friend had been traveling on an Italian train overnight and found himself in a
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Whenever I travel in Italy throughout the artisans’ shops, I really notice the strong historical legacy of these people by looking at their workshops.
The attached picture is of a shoe repair shop in the South of Italy that gave me the spark to write this article.
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International Workers’ Day (also known as May Day) is a celebration of the international labor movement and left-wing movements. It commonly involves organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and their labor unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries. It is also celebrated unofficially in many other countries. While it is not a national holiday in the US,
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With all of the many historical sites, wonderful restaurants, and other distractions of Rome, it is easy to overlook the wonderful gem of the gardens at the Villa Borghese.
(Photo courtesy of ItalyGuides)
I know it is easy to overlook because it has happened to me.
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Have you ever been caught in a long line while traveling and had no idea how long you would have to wait?
…and then wished you had a way to avoid the long line?
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The first time I visited Milan, I was on a business trip. It was one of my first visits to Italy, and like many inexperienced tourists, I somehow expected huge signs pointing me towards The Last Supper. Nothing could have been further from the truth.
It turns out that the famous painting is housed in the monastery at the Santa Maria Delle Grazie
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When I worked in Rome, I was fortunate because I worked with a team of Italian consultants from all over Italy, most of whom wanted to go out for dinner after work. We usually ate dinner in the Trastevere district in Rome. The name of the district derives from the Latin words “Trans Tiberem”, meaning across the Tiber.
Every evening our group would meet at the Cinema Farnese in the Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, which is on the other side of
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La Pasquetta is Easter Monday in Italy. After a solemn Holy Week, and the traditional celebrations of Easter Sunday, Easter Monday is a day to go out and have some fun!
For many in Italy, it is a day to have a picnic. What better way to savor the soft spring sunshine
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I travel quite often to Milan and from now on I will be sure that I don’t miss a visit to my hair stylist there!
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When I was a graduate student in Paris in the early 90’s, my friend Joyce invited me to Venice to experience Carnival with her. She was an opera singer, living in
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I finished my brief investigation into the history of the Italian language and found some interesting points. According to Wikipedia, when Italy was unified in 1861,
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