Columns

She has worked with a few masters of contemporary Italian cinema and she is just getting started. Angelica Cacciapaglia was born in Ponte dell’Olio in the region of region Emilia-Romagna and grew up in Milan in a family of artists. Her childhood was spent cultivating a passion for acting. She studied her craft at the Teatro Libero di Milano and employs the Voice Craft method, a technique that maximizes one’s vocal talents. After high school, she moved to Rome and attended a number of acting workshops, studying under the direction of the New York Film Academy’s Anna Maria Cianciulli, and …

The final walk-through before closing is often taken for granted when it is a vitally important step in the home-buying process. Buyer clients will often ask me why we must take part in this event. They are eager to get in and get the deal sealed. But no matter how many times you may have toured the home before the offer, or how confident you feel in the inspection, the final walk-through should never be bypassed. In fact, the results of the walk-through could determine if and when a closing should occur. This is your final look at the home …

The Italian “a” can be translated as both “to” or “in” in English.  The Italian “in” is translated the same as in English — “in”! Both prepositions “a“ and “in“ can be used to describe where someone is going and where a person of thing is located. But each preposition has its own particular role to play to fulfill this function. If we learn how to use the Italian prepositions “a” and “in” correctly, we will truly sound like a native Italian!”   Use the Italian “a” or “in” for a Country, Region, or City Americans and Italians use the prepositions …

What comes to mind when you first hear the phrase “Roseland groups”? If you’re in your late 70s and older, its’ probably Frankie Bortoli or Eddie Baldacci and their bands. If you’re from the generation before that, you’re probably thinking Styx or Chicago. If you so, you’d be way off the topic of this column. Many social groups were formed in Roseland based on school, church, sports, ethnic or military affiliation. The American Legion, VFW, Tornados A.C., Gano A.C., SFBI, and several bowling leagues and Holy Name societies come to mind. Unfortunately, times have changed. And with most people keeping …

Getting your home ready for the spring market requires careful planning and a solid strategy. Let’s start with the price you set. If you price your home too high, potential buyers may never come across your listing because it doesn’t fall within the price range they’re searching for. An overpriced home also runs the risk of lingering on the market too long and going stale, forcing a price cut down the road while losing the big reveal momentum. If you price your home too low, you’ll be leaving money on the table and buyers might be scared off, assuming that …

Carlo Levi’s name is synonymous with the novel and film, “Christ Stopped at Eboli,” but in Italy, he was highly regarded as a visual artist, and one of his most celebrated paintings is “Ritratto di Anna Magnani” (Portrait of Anna Magnani). Created in 1954, the dramatic oil-on-canvas painting benefits from the close friendship between the two. Levi thoroughly captured her intensity and spirit. Gaze into her eyes and you immediately see that she’s deep, not much for small talk, passionate, and that she loves very hard.” Levi painted it with a wavy brushstroke that was typical of the style he …

Prior to beginning the lesson for this blog, I acknowledge that in the larger cities of Italy it is not usually necessary to make reservations in Italian; the Italian staff usually speak basic English and often the languages of their European neighbors — French, Spanish or German.  Also, of course, in most cases, reservations can now be made over the internet on one’s computer or smart phone, without any human interaction at all! But I’ve found that a few phrases in Italian are always warmly welcomed by Italian servers and hotel receptionists, even in the larger cities, and can serve …

Born in poverty-stricken Calabria in 1932, my mother didn’t have the luxury of a formal education. When her father died of tuberculosis, she took to the nearby fields to pick figs, olives, grapes and whatever else the harsh soil would relinquish. Although my mom never took classes in literature, math and the sciences, as so many of us have been lucky enough to do, she had no less imagination, desire and drive. She saw to it that her children had all the things she was forced to do without so many years ago. Literature isn’t solely the realm of “Beowulf,” …

Heartbreaking images from the war in Ukraine have been dominating the news. Near the beginning of the war, the country’s leader, President Zelenskyy, made a video in front of a stunning historic building in Kiev. As compelling as his message was, I couldn’t help but notice the majestic structures behind him. So, I did some research and found an interesting Italian angle. One of the official presidential residences, the building is called the House of Chimaeras, and is a masterpiece of Art Nouveau architecture. It was built in the early 1900s by Polish architect Władysław Horodecki for his own use …

We often find comfort in our memories! Fond memories are wonderful not just because they sustain us in life’s calm or rough waters, but because they are self-replenishing: Every day brings us new memories that we store in our mental Rolodex files. When the time is right, we just send that Rolodex spinning until we hit upon the memory that will bring a smile to our face right when we need it. Fortunately, through readers of my column, St. Anthony parishioners, Spaghetti-Os members and and Pullman residents, I am often presented with great material that brings up many memories. I’ve …