Vienna has the waltz; Italy has the tarantella. The waltz evolved from German peasant dances, becoming popular in Vienna and European courts through the work of professional composers including Johann Strauss and his more famous son, Johann Strauss Jr. The origins of the tarantella are different. It is a dance rooted in superstition, healing, and […]
Commedia dell’arte is a form of improvisational theatre that originated in Italy in the 16th century, designed to entertain people who could not afford tickets to the theatre. The first recorded performances of commedia dell’arte date back to Rome in 1551. It became popular across Europe between the 16th and 18th centuries. These performances typically […]
The cat was a sacred animal in ancient Egypt, and its status has remained unchanged in many countries (e.g., Italy, Turkey). Examples of this can be found in Rome and Istanbul. “The cats of Rome are literary cats: they gather only in the most celebrated places. At the Pantheon and the Forum, unconcerned with the […]
Characters in books are often perceived as mere creations of an author, brought to life only by the words on a page. However, this view limits the true essence of what book characters represent. Books transcend the confines of their stories; they possess a life of their own, shaped by the interaction between the author’s […]
Italian literature is expansive, spanning from the days of ancient Rome to contemporary times, with countless writers capturing the essence of their eras, lives, and emotions. Literature isn’t merely a dry academic study; it’s an immersion into the depicted period, a study of language and its evolution, and an exploration of human beings. It’s the […]
The culinary relationship between Chinese and Italian food showcases fascinating contrasts and surprising similarities, among their distinct flavors, techniques, and ingredients from each culture. Chinese cuisine is renowned for its diverse flavors and cooking methods, such as stir-frying, steaming, and braising. Key ingredients include soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and a variety of vegetables and meats. […]
Giovanni da Verrazzano was a great navigator, humanist, man of science, and man of action, primarily remembered as the first Westerner to explore the eastern coast of what is now the United States of America. Exactly 500 years ago, on April 17, 1524, he set foot in what is now New York Bay. In the […]
Nowadays, we have the luxury of using computers, phones, and tablets to take notes wherever we go, with the internet accessible almost everywhere. However, in the era before the twentieth century, such conveniences were nonexistent, but there were removable cuffs. The phrase “off the cuff” is believed to have originated from the old practice of […]
From their beginnings, monasteries served as places of prayer, meditation, and industrious activity, and the apothecary monks were experts in the cultivation, preservation, and drying of herbs. In addition to gathering individuals dedicated to asceticism and divine contemplation, these monastic havens often provided temporary refuge to pilgrims and passing travelers. As a result, they housed […]
Naples is one of the most famous cities in the world for its beauty, geographical location, intrinsic life, folklore, and hospitality of the people. The warmth of the sun and the people is reflected everywhere. It has been a land of conquest by numerous foreign dominations, and the one that left its deep mark was […]