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Italy’s new Road Traffic Code, approved in late 2024, introduces substantial changes for drivers nationwide. Effective Dec. 14, 2024, the updated rules aim to enhance road safety, regulate emerging transportation modes like e-scooters, and implement stricter penalties for common violations. Here’s what drivers — both residents and visitors — should know about this reform. Stricter Penalties for Dangerous Behavior — One of the most significant updates is the increased penalties for using mobile phones while driving. Drivers caught texting or calling without a hands-free system face fines ranging from €250 to €1,000. Additionally, license suspension for at least one week …

There are many ways to say, “I love you” in Italian, and there are special Italian phrases for friends, family members, and one’s true love. These important phrases were discussed  in our blog from  2020, Italian Phrases for Dating, a section of which is reprinted below. The most important ways to say, “I love you” in Italian: “Ti voglio bene” is an old Italian expression that is still in use today for both platonic and romantic love. The meaning of this phrase is not easily translated into English, but it is used often in Italy to express one’s feeling of …

Depending on which genealogical web site you prefer, there is good, or bad news. In several columns I have mentioned that some Italian genealogical records are available on FamilySearch, some on Portale Antenati, and some on both. Recently, there has been a significant change, one I am profoundly unhappy with. An agreement was signed recently that has done the following: If the records appear on the Antenati site, they will be in the FamilySearch catalog, but you cannot view them EVEN IN A FAMILYSEARCH CENTER OR AFFILIATE, unless you are logged into FamilySearch with a church login. If the records …

Can we manage it: An entire month of showing love? Such a major challenge considering the times we live in. With bills to pay, family issues, friends on different pages, and now the depths of winter! But come on! None of those are real challenges when we’re talking about people from Roseland. “Why?” you might ask? Because we started out with love! We can all remember getting some “home” love! That love would start with our parents or grandparents. Maybe we depended on a brother or sister for a good dose of love. And we could all rest assured that …

The Museum of Modern Art in New York, in collaboration with Cinecittà in Rome, hosted a film retrospective in December dedicated to the work of the late, great Marcello Mastroianni and his daughter, actress Chiara Mastroianni. The retrospective, “Marcello and Chiara Mastroianni, A Family Affair,” celebrated the iconic actor’s legacy in the year of the centennial of his birth while highlighting his daughter’s achievements. An accomplished actress with more than 30 years of experience in French and international cinema, Chiara helped curate the lineup and was in attendance to introduce the films, beginning with opening night’s restoration of Luchino Visconti’s …

Nothing caused butterflies to blossom in my stomach more luxuriantly than my father’s weekend home-repair sessions. Not only couldn’t I go out to play but I soon heard myself being ordered to fetch him an awl from the tool chest — and I came back with a file. Or he’d tell me to get him a plane, and I brought him a plumb line. Or he asked for a Phillips screwdriver, but all he got was a regular one. Sometimes he’d tell me to hold something straight so that he could hammer it or screw it in somewhere or saw …

Italy’s 1-euro homes captured global attention a few years ago. For Italian Americans, this initiative sparked dreams of owning a piece of their heritage — a villa nestled among olive groves or a rustic home in a quaint medieval village. But as the dust settles, many are asking: What happened to these homes? Were they the bargain of a lifetime, or too good to be true? The story begins in the early 2010s. Facing depopulation, many small Italian towns — borghi, as they’re affectionately called — decided to tackle the problem creatively. They offered abandoned homes for as little as …

It’s that time of year where we get to plan ahead based on what we know from last year. This year’s plans, as far as I can tell, are a continuation of ongoing plans from the past year. Due to various factors, there are some plans that have gone by the wayside temporarily. Development in Pullman and Roseland is always in a state of flux. For instance, Chicago’s Red Line Extension Project is in the early stages of its infrastructure phase. This can be witnessed by driving up 116th Street toward Michigan Avenue from Indiana Avenue. The six houses on …

I usually talk about the primary genealogy records you should all look for: births, marriages and deaths. They are the foundation of genealogy research. For many of our ancestors, they are the only biographical information we have. And for many researchers, those three record types are more than enough to keep them busy. Lately, I have been working with a record type that you may never need, but you ought to know about. These records might solve problems you have had for a while. They are called “Atti Diversi.” It sounds like “random stuff.” “Stuff that doesn’t fit the other …

To mark MoMA’s December retrospective, “Marcello and Chiara Mastroianni, A Family Affair,” we are highlighting contemporary films made by director Christophe Honoré and Chiara Mastroianni. Together, they have given voice to the plight of Generation X through their films, displaying a chemistry not unlike what her father shared with Federico Fellini. Mastroianni shines in the title role of Honoré’s 2010 film “Non ma fille, tu n’iras pas danser” (Making Plans for Léna). Driven by profound unhappiness and inner turmoil, Léna leaves her husband, escaping with her children to the family’s country home. The weekend goes sideways when her husband shows …