Stacy Pollard

The Passeggiata: A Most Italian Tradition

One of the most quintessential of all Italian traditions is the passeggiata, when friends and family take to the streets of their town in the early evening, usually between 5 and 8 pm, and well, wander. The word passeggiata comes from the verb passeggiare, an Italian word for walk, combined with the suffix “-ata” which…

Paestum: Ancient Greece in Southern Italy

While there are plenty of sites throughout Italy to time travel to Ancient Rome, in Southern Italy you can also experience magnificent ruins once touched by the hands of ancient Greeks. One such spot is Paestum, an easy day trip from Naples, Sorrrento/Amalfi or Salerno. Paestum is home to three incredible Greek temples dating back…

Beyond Rome: Five Sites in Italy to Transport You to Ancient Rome

Of course if it’s ancient Rome you’re after, then Rome is an absolute must. You will want to put the Colosseum and Forum at the top of your list, and you might want to sneak in time at Circus Maximus. Plan plenty of time at the Pantheon, and as a general rule, be on the…

UNESCO World Heritage Sites Near Rome

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.” –UNESCO World Heritage Center Since 1972, UNESCO has designated more than 1,000 sites worldwide as World Heritage Sites, with 55 of those in Italy (the country tied for China for the most World Heritage Sites.)…

A Quick Review of The Secret Life of Sofonisba Anguissola by Melissa Muldoon

Otherwise know as the creator behind the popular Studentessa Matta website, writer Melissa Muldoon has recently launched her latest project: a historical fiction novel based on the life of a renowned Renaissance — and female — painter many of us have never heard of. Artistically crafted by an author passionate about Italian art and history,…

Experience Basilicata, Authentic Italy

“Basilicata is a misshapen, green, rocky, mountainous piece of land forming the awkward instep of Italy’s boot, and Matera is its gnarled crown jewel,” writes Susan Wright for The New York Times, in an article announcing Matera, the region’s most well-known town, as the 2019 European Capital of Culture. American movie director Francis Ford Coppola,…

A Photo Tour of Rome’s Seven Hills

Having been a grateful traveler to Italy over the past years, it occurred to me recently that, despite being familiar with the saying that Rome was built on seven hills, I wasn’t at all sure that I’d even seen one. Definitely I could not name any of them. And with most trips to Italy ultimately…

Nine Beautiful UNESCO World Heritage Cities for Your Italy Wish List

“Heritage is our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations.” –UNESCO World Heritage Center Since 1972, UNESCO has designated sites throughout the world, both natural and man-made, as World Heritage Sites, in an effort to help preserve and protect “cultural and natural heritage around the…

Snapshots from Certaldo: Tiny Tuscan Hometown of a Literary Giant

It’s a Tuesday morning. Seven young ladies, friends, gather. Hatching a plan. Needing to escape their current circumstances. Presently, they are joined by a few young men. The plan unfolds. They’ll escape together to one of their family’s second homes — thankfully they have this option — safely away from the threats of the city….

Saint Catherine of Siena, Patron Saint of Italy

In a country filled with cities and towns each protected by a different patron saint, Italy, as a country, is watched over by two patron saints: Saint Francis of Assisi, and Saint Catherine of Siena. Today marks the feast day of Saint Catherine, who died in Rome on this day in 1380, at just 33…