Blog: Discover Italy

What? There were no tomatoes in Italy. Imagine that you have time traveled back to Italy to the year 1425. After such a stressful trip, you are absolutely famished. You crave a big bowl of homemade Italian pasta covered in fresh tomato sauce or a pizza covered in Margherita tomato sauce with fresh mozzarella. You decide to enter the first establishment that you see and satisfy this crazing. You sit down and inquire as to what is on the menu. There is pasta but it is served with either sweet and …

Pompeii's Ancient Fast Food Restaurants Americans love their McDonald’s fries and Chick-fil-A nuggets, but did you know the Ancient Romans loved their fast food too? Fast food restaurants were as prolific in Ancient Rome as they are in America today! This is evident as seen in the ancient ruins of Pompeii as well as other ancient cities of Rome. A trip to Pompeii should be on everyone’s bucket list. Pompeii is preserved just how it was on the day of its destruction on August 24, 79 A …

Mamertino - Julius Caesar's Favorite Wine Tradition states that Julius Caesar claimed that Mamertino was his absolute favorite wine and it truly must have been since this wine was served at the feast in Rome to mark Caesar’s third consulship (46BC). So, what made Mamertino wine so remarkable that one of the most famous men who ever lived revered it so highly? Mamertino wine takes its name from the Mamertini, a group of ancient mercenary warriors from Campania, Italy who settled in the …

"Emily in Rome" – Sylvie, Princess Jane: You Can’t Wear That in An Italian Church! Every Italophilia had to be absolutely in love with Season 5 of Emily in Paris or shall we say Emily in Rome. La Dolce Vita was seen in all her glory as the setting changed from Paris to Rome’s most iconic settings – the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, the Jewish Quarter and the surrounding countryside - as we saw Emily and her friends decked out in the most glorious fashions living a life w …

And God Made the Sicilians……. I just finished watching a very cute show on Netflix  - Sicilia Express, a Christmas comedy about two Sicilian nurses who work in Milan while their hearts belong back in Sicily with their families. As Christmas approaches, they discover a dumpster with magical powers that transport them back to Sicily. With comedic mishaps, a corrupt politician, an adorable girl and an homage to Sicily, this is a show not to be missed. An elderly character on the …

Mount Etna - Connection to Greek Mythology & the Entrance to the Underworld 2026 started off with a bang in Sicily – literally! Mount Etna, the largest active volcano in Europe, erupted over the New Year’s holiday sending smoke and lava cascading down her ice-covered slopes. Ancient civilizations and in particular the Greeks have been fascinated with Mount Etna, and it is no wonder. Soaring to over 11,000 feet tall, Mount Etna is the tallest active volcano in Europe, and she has …

Italian Roosters - Good Luck, Prosperity & Protection Since the Italian Renaissance, there has been a long tradition of associating roosters with good luck.  This all stems back to an unsuccessful assassination attempt on one of the most notorious families in Italian history – The Medici. The Medici were a powerful Italian banking family that ruled Florence and Tuscany for centuries (c. 1434–1737). They were synonymous with the Renaissance, funding great artists li …

Feast of Santa Lucia December 13 After the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the next important celebration during the Christmas season is the Feast of Santa Lucia (St. Lucy) on December 13th. Santa Lucia lived in the late 200’s AD in Syracuse, Sicily in Italy during a time when being a Christian was a criminal offense in the Roman Empire. From an early age, Lucia devoted her life to Christ and to serving the poor.  One day, Lucia had attracted the attention of a pagan Roman officia …

Christmas Markets in Italy Last year my daughters and I were in Italy for the Christmas season and one of our favorite activities was attending the Christmas Markets. Our favorite market was in Florence. Located in the square in front of Santa Croce, we felt like we were transported to a Medieval Christmas wonderland. There were handcrafted items from all over Europe. My daughter purchased a lovely scarf from Romania; we snacked on delectable chocolate from Switzerland, sausages from Germany and …

Manarola Nativity - Largest Lighted Nativity in The World Manarola, Italy is home to the world’s largest, lighted nativity scene. Manarola is a picturesque village located on the Italian Riviera, in part of the famous Cinque Terre (Five Lands) in the Liguria region of Northern Italy. The nativity was the brainchild of local resident Mario Andreoli, a retired railway worker, who began the project in 1976 and continued enhancing his nativity until his death in 2022. The e …