Just a peaceful stone archway, encountered during our summer stroll (passeggiata) in Varenna. Through the archway on one of the nearby buildings was a tile marker etched with the name of the neighborhood, fittingly named: …beautiful district The book giveaway contest is open through this Sunday, November 27! Please click here for more details on how…
Tag: Italy
Thank you from the heart, and a book giveaway!
Grazie is a simple and easy way to say thank you in Italian. Perhaps you’ve used this word yourself from time to time, even if you’re not learning Italian. But sometimes, one wants to express a stronger sense of gratitude, a heartfelt thank you, something conveying more emotion. Molte grazie (thank you very much), grazie mille (a…
Book Love, Italiano
Thankfully this bookshop in Florence was closed when Daughter and I stumbled upon it this summer, or I may have ended up facing the dilemma of carrying several fragile books back to the U.S. without being damaged en route! Although I would love a couple of these for my collection… This simple display marries two…
How to fall in love with Verona in one easy step
If the universe had commissioned Walt Disney to create Italy, what he would have crafted, in my opinion, would have looked like today’s Verona. Verona is that exquisite, and magical. Verona Image Credit Apparently I’m not the only one who feels this way. The entire city of Verona has been named one of UNESCO’s World…
Framed by History
Verona’s Ponte Scaligero is a fortified bridge built in the mid 1300s. It spans the Adige River and leads to the castelvecchio (the old castle). We found it to be a delightful way to frame beautiful Verona, and couldn’t resist climbing higher for an even better view.
What is Il Giorno dei Morti (All Souls’ Day), and why is it important in Italy?
My path crossed with Rachel Vermiglio Smith’s in a most unexpected way at the Palazzo Tornabuoni in Florence a few years back, and we have been good friends ever since, despite being 6,000 miles away. She is an Italian art history expert, and being American with dual-citizenship, she provides a unique perspective to all things Italy. I’m so excited to feature Rachel as a guest writer for today…enjoy!
A Tiny Tuscan Church
Nestled in the perfectly preserved walled town of Monteriggioni in Tuscany is the Church of Santa Maria Assunta. Despite my love affair with Brunelleschi’s famous dome in Florence, it’s this little unassuming church which is my favorite chiesa of all which I’ve seen in Italy thus far. Built over an ancient church, Santa Maria Assunta…
In Verona
Verona, a magical city near Venice in Italy’s Veneto region. Wandering the marble streets this summer, I found all of Verona to be proudly beautiful, with the ability to turn something as ordinary as a shop selling deli meats into a work of art.
Snapshots from Italy, Ancient
Staying in the heart of Rome this summer, just due passi (“two steps”) from the center of the old empire, one word comes to mind: ancient. Leading directly to the center of ancient Rome is the Via dei Fori Imperiali, which can be translated as the Road of the Imperial Courts. This road stretches from Piazza Venezia…
Marvelous Menaggio
Between the northern shores of Lake Como and the border of Switzerland is nestled lovely, marvelous Menaggio. On a cool and cloudy July day we hopped a ferry from Bellagio, just across the lake, in search of the golf club, Menaggio and Cadenabbia Golf Club, which we found at the top of a steep, curvy…
Prayers & Piazzas 