Santo Stefano church, Assisi, Italy. Legend has it that the bells of this simple church, built in the 12th century, rang spontaneously on October 3, 1226, when Assisi’s most famous son, Saint Francis, died. Image by Chris Light Along with Saint Catherine of Siena, Saint Francis was designated Patron saint of Italy. He later became … Continue reading
Art is much more powerful when it jumps from the pages of a book and you can enjoy it face to face. We found Masaccio’s masterpiece, The Holy Trinity, sitting quietly inside Florence’s Santa Maria Novella church, a peaceful and cool oasis from a crowded summer day in the city. This work is considered “one … Continue reading
“Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” -St. Francis of Assisi Pulling this one from the archives to send blessings to all who need comfort and peace, both near and far. — This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas. Continue reading
This popular Italian proverb means, “Christmas with your family, Easter with whomever you want.” I imagine Holy Week is full of festivities all over Italy! Please share in the comments any special experiences you’ve had during Eastertime in Italy. Looking for more Pasqua-related proverbs? I suggest L’Italo-Americano. For Italian Easter traditions, visit Becoming Italian Word by Word (this … Continue reading
Above: Just the little bar in the piazza up the street from our hotel in Bellagio: simple but well-supplied. I love how decorative the glass candy jars are! Above: Venchi is a high-end gelato and chocolate shop with locations across Italy and throughout the world. The window displays are both eye-catching and artistic, and we … Continue reading
This is the second post in a three-part series. For Part One, please click here. Between the years of 1820-2004, sources show that approximately 5.5 million Italians immigrated to the United States, but the biggest wave of immigration was concentrated during the years of 1880-1914, when more than four million Italians came to the United … Continue reading
I thought I had died and gone to heaven when I stepped into this abundant bookstore in Milan. So beautiful, so orderly, so many libri italiani (Italian books). My heart started beating fast and I didn’t know which section to tackle first. However, I took this picture because there was a great irony occurring at that exact … Continue reading
