A Guest Post by Rachel Vermiglio Smith All around the world, the end of October and early November is a time to celebrate the enduring connection between the dead and the living. In the U.S., we celebrate Halloween on October 31 every year, and while it may seem so, this isn’t just a randomly selected…

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!