As the nephew of Pope Paul V, Cardinal Scipione Borghese (1577-1623) was seem as one of the wealthiest men of his generation. In the early 1600s, he put a good chunk of cash to good use transforming vineyards in north-central Rome into one of the city’s largest gardens: now known as Villa Borghese Park. At…
Il Palio Siena horse race carries on an 800-year-old tradition, making it the oldest horse race in the world. The race is held twice a year and competitors represent a contrade, or city district. The July 2 race, called Palio di Provenzano, pays tribute to the Madonna of Provenzano. The Aug. 16 race is the…
When you think about Italians, what is the first thing that comes to mind? Most people tend to think of Italians as loud and expressive, but there is more to the story than meets the eye. Italians have more than one way to communicate with each other, they use hand gestures. This is more than…
William Shakespeare is widely regarded as one of the greatest playwrights of all time. It is not clear if Shakespeare ever visited Italy during his lifetime however, many of his plays are based around locations in Italy. It’s interesting, then, that nearly a third of his plays are set on the boot-shaped peninsula when he…
Take a moment and consider what comes to mind when you hear the word “Venice.” You likely think of the canals, palaces and gondola rides that are abundant in this Italian city. Venice, however, also has a rich food culture that you may not have thought of. Venice’s food culture is predominantly shaped by it…
Pompeii is a town near what is now Naples. Archaeologists believe it was originally founded in the 7th or 6th century BC. It was destroyed in 79 AD when the volcano Mt. Vesuvius erupted. Tons of volcanic ash buried the city, and it was lost for 1500 years. In 1599, Italian workmen found a few…
One of the first things that come to mind when thinking about Italy is the exquisite and vast selection of wine on offer. Being a large part of the Italian Culture, Italy is one of the oldest wine-producing regions throughout the entire world. When you’re in Italy, you will find many Italians spending their late nights…
Italian barbecue, not to be confused with American barbecue, is a culinary tradition that has evolved over centuries. This barbecue tradition takes advantage of incorporating vegetables, herbs, filling proteins, bursts of citrus, and plenty of olive oil into mouth-watering summer dishes cooked over an open fire. Because of its prime location in central Europe where several…
Naples, also known as Napoli in Italian, is one of the most iconic cities in Italy and one of the most popular destinations in the entire Mediterranean region. Its history spans back nearly 3,000 years to the ancient Greeks who founded the Naples area during the 8th century BC. Since then, this southern Italian city…
A few miles off the coast of Naples in Italy, lies an island that has a history as old as the ancient Roman Empire. Capri is famously known in history as a playground for Roman emperors and is known today as a playground for all fortunate enough to visit. The island is known within Greek…