“You cannot miss the Farmacia!” urged my friend Rachel a couple of years ago in Florence. We finished our caffès and then she expertly guided me through Florence’s cobbled streets to Officina Profumo Farmaceutica di Santa Maria Novella. The “pharmacy”, which today is really more of a fragrance museum, still sells formulations which were popular among…
Tag: Snapshots from Italy
Through the Medieval Wall
Monteriggioni, Provence of Siena in Tuscany. I invite you to sign my guestbook, and to join me on Facebook, where I share often about Italy! This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
Lovely Lecce
“If Puglia were a movie, Lecce would be cast in the starring role.” — Lonely Planet Also called “the Florence of the South,” Lecce is a gorgeous gem in the heel of Italy’s boot. Above is an irresistible vicolo (alley) I stumbled upon while wandering Lecce with my cugini. This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas.
Scenes from inside the Duomo
I never meant to climb to the top of the Duomo in Florence, but then I did. And, as often happens while traveling, this accident turned into a very special memory. I wandered the same tight turns and corridors as Duomo’s mastermind Filippo Brunelleschi and his workers. I even saw tools — some of them…
For the love of La Bella Lingua
Congratulations to Dianne Hales and LA BELLA LINGUA, her memoir documenting her love of Italian and all things Italy. Seven years after its release, LA BELLA LINGUA this week sits at #8 on a New York Times bestseller list. “Italians say that someone who acquires a new language ‘possesses’ it. In my case, Italian possesses me.” Auguri,…
Italy Love
This post first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas. Image Credit
Lots and lots of Locks.
The view from the Ponte Vecchio in Florence, Italy, is stunning in every direction. Yet despite all of the eye candy within site (the Arno river, two other breathtaking bridges, all in the shadow of Brunelleschi’s famous dome), the question going through my mind was, “what’s with all the locks?” Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons I…
Italy in One Word
Especially fitting is that the two characters in this dialogue are speaking of Italy. ❤ The post Italy in One Word first appeared on Prayers and Piazzas. For more Snapshots from Italy, please click here.
A Worthwhile Climb
When one of your goals in Italy is “climb something” this is often waiting for you. This particular campana (church bell) is found at the top of the Torre di Pisa — the Tower of Pisa — with its famous tilt. Climbing to the top was a good reminder of a simple fact that I had forgotten:…
Buona Pasqua – Happy Easter
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…
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