Culture & Living

Posts about culture in Italy. Festivals, religion, etiquette, language, and more.

Cook’s Tour of Milan

I’m very lucky. The very first time I tasted risotto was in Milan. We were en route to Verona and ate the creamy, saffron-tinted risotto milanese at the train station cafe. Even given the locale, it was still an epiphany. Apparently, I’m not the only one who has dreams about one of Milan’s most prized…

Bologna’s Old Cutlery Shop

Bologna’s Old Cutlery Shop

In a recent NY Times Foraging column, Melissa Clark profiles Antica Aguzzeria del Cavallo, a cutlery shop that dates back to 1783. Clark notes, “If it cuts, rips, tears, nicks, grates, slices, shaves or pricks and is legal to sell, they most likely have it.” Here’s another taste of the short article: When Antonio Bernagozzi…

Dining Near the Forum

Dining Near the Forum

I recently received an e-mail from an Unofficial Guide reader asking about the best places to dine near the Roman Forum. The Forum “complex,” which includes the Roman Forum, Palatine Hill, Colosseum, and Trajan’s Market (and, to a lesser extent, the Capitoline and the Vittoriano) is ultimately a tourist area. So, as like in other…

A Year in Italy

A Year in Italy

https://youtu.be/n3FdlxMiZHM Someone posted a great video on YouTube.com. The video features a rapid-fire slideshow of an entire year’s worth of photos taken in Italy. On the itinerary (at least in the first few minutes) are the Colosseum, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, fruit vendors in various piazze, cupolas, cobblestones, and more. There are more than nine minutes…

Jazz in January: Umbria Jazz Inverno and Other Winter Festivals in Italy

Jazz in January: Umbria Jazz Inverno and Other Winter Festivals in Italy

Winter means the music season for most of Italy. Opera productions and church-sponsored chamber music events are typical fare from Lecco to Lecce at this time of year. But you’ll also find jazz and blues in the mix. Umbria, which is home to Umbria Jazz, hosts a summer and winter version of its well-regarded festival. Umbria Jazz…