Highlights

An early example of commedia all’italiana, “Bravissimo” is a true classic of the genre. Directed by Luigi Filippo D’Amico and starring Alberto Sordi, the 1955 film blends satire with heartfelt moments, offering a critique of the entertainment industry and the exploitation of child prodigies. The story follows Ubaldo Impallato (Sordi), a substitute elementary-school teacher who supplements his income by running a tutoring program. Among the kids in his care is Gigetto, a 6-year-old with a rare musical talent. Ubaldo takes Gigetto under his wing, attempting to keep the boy safe from his greedy relatives while using him to chase his …

As the readers of this beautifully produced book will learn, the Arch of Titus is anything but uncomplicated. Most travelers to Rome who encounter the arch on their visits to the Roman Forum make a number of assumptions about it, all of which turn out to be wrong. Despite being called the Arch of Titus, it wasn’t built by that emperor, but by his younger brother, Domitian, shortly after Titus’ premature death in 81 A.D. The most famous sculpture on the arch is a panel on the inner portion that shows Roman soldiers carrying the spoils of the empire’s successful …

Salvatore Pane’s “The Neorealist in Winter” follows two well-crafted novels: “Last Call in the City of Bridges” (2012) and “The Theory of Almost Everything” (2018). Eleven stories done in a variety of voices and formal styles feature characters who are stumbling their way through American and Italian cultures, searching for ways to use what little is left of Italian-American identity to give their lives meaning in a confusing 21st century. This collection represents the best of what young writers who still claim their Italian ancestry have to offer. Throughout the stories, we meet characters raised on video games and fast …

Sitting on the edge of Italy’s largest lake, the town of Toscolano Maderno combines a charming atmosphere with a Mediterranean-like climate. However, inhabitants do more than just soak in the sun on the shores of Lake Garda. In fact, the city has been one of Italy’s top paper-producing towns for the past seven centuries! Before the Etruscans and Romans built villages here, the area had been populated since prehistoric times, thanks to the extremely fertile soil and temperate climate. The towns of Toscolano and Maderno were originally separated, but eventually grew to become one big urban center. The presence of …

Florence’s Porcellino Fountain is a traditional symbol of good luck and one of the most visited and “touched” attractions in Florence. There are copies of it all over the world: in Belgium, France, Sydney, Kansas City, Ontario and New York, with two in Munich. The latest version of Florence’s Porcellino Fountain is located on the left side of the Loggia del Mercato Nuovo, also known as the Mercato del Porcellino, or Piglet’s Market. The Porcellino (Little Pig) is actually a boar (cinghiale). The original was sculpted in marble as a gift to Cosimo I from Pope Pius IV in 1560 …

written by Lionel Bottari, illustrated by Jean Parisi Once, in the province of Lombardy, there lived a young couple, Bernio and Alchia. They fervently wanted to have a family, but the years went by without their wish being granted. Unwilling to give up their dream, they went to an orphanage and adopted one of the infants, who they named Fortunio. But as luck would have it, Alchia became pregnant some time afterward. This child, also a boy, they named Valentino. Until Valentino was born, Fortunio was the center of their attention, but as they grew older it became obvious to …

With its genesis during a family trip to Italy, the dinnerware and home décor company Vietri has grown into the largest Italian importing company within the American tabletop industry. The company was co-founded by sisters Susan and Frances Gravely, who took their first trip to Italy in 1983, staying on the Amalfi Coast. “They went to lunch and found themselves captivated by the hotel’s colorful, handcrafted dinnerware,” the company’s website says. “The next day they arranged to meet the artisans at a nearby factory in the town of Vietri sul Mare. As they watched the artisans paint, glaze and fire …

Volume and simplicity define Calcaterra, the Italian fashion brand created by designer Daniele Calcaterra. Calcaterra’s vision, along with his two-plus decades of experience, help keep his collections a current and contemporary, he explains. “The continuous collaboration with the finest Italian suppliers ensures absolute excellence made in Italy that is also expressed through new fabric combinations and unusual blends of fine yarns,” the company states. “A study of form always prevails to make the female figure even more modern.” The Calcaterra brand is owned by Auge S.r.l., of which Daniele is a partner with Diego Corbellini, the managing director responsible for …

Basil is so ubiquitous in Italian cuisine one might think it has been used in recipes forever. Instead, the culinary virtues of this tantalizing plant were discovered only 200 years ago. Although basil has been around since ancient times, it was mostly used as an ornamental or curative herb. The ancient Greeks and Romans believed it was toxic and avoided it, while in medieval times it was grown by nuns in convents to be used in medicinal concoctions. During the crusades, soldiers and sailors returning from the Middle East would fill up their ships with the delicate plant to repel …

Italian sculptor Gianfranco Meggiato is well-known internationally for his abstract art and large public installations focusing on societal topics. Since 1998, he has exhibited in museums, galleries and public squares all over the world, including the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Denmark, Germany, Belgium, Holland, France, Austria, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Monaco, Ukraine, Russia, India, China, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan and Australia. His work also has been on display in the National Pavilions of the Venice Biennale and at Manifesta, the European Nomadic Biennial. Pursuing a childhood dream, Meggiato studied sculpture at the Istituto Statale d’Arte in …