The Rizzoli Orthopedic Institute is a modern orthopedic hospital, founded in 1896 in the monastic complex of San Michele in Bosco on the hill close to the Bologna center. The Umberto I Central Library, named after King Umberto I, is located in the sixteenth-century rooms where once the books of the Olivetani monks were kept. […]
We weren’t there for the celebrations, but in August the town of Predappio, Italy, seemed haunted by Benito Mussolini, all the same. Most Italians just try to forget about it, but they have just had to face up to this tricky subject again, as October 28 is the 90th anniversary of Mussolini’s “March on Rome”
Italians are very particular about what they dip their biscotti into. Pretty much it is a list of one – Vin Santo. The Italian Food Rule — Only Dip Biscotti in Vin Santo, Not in Coffee. There is nothing more satisfying for dessert at the end of a long Italian meal than a couple of
In thousands of kitchens across America there is a person standing in front of the open fridge calling out to those gathered around the dinner table: “I’ve got white wine, red wine, mango juice, beer, milk, Pellegrino, ice tea, Coke, 7-Up, a bottle of Bacardi Breezer Lemon, and, of course, cold tap water. What does
It was at least twenty years ago when I first broke the Italian Food Rule: Don’t Dip Bread in Olive Oil. Or, to clarify: Don’t serve bread with a bowl of olive oil with a swirl of balsamic vinegar as an appetizer (or any other part of the meal). Back to my first experience: I
What is it about the fruit and vegetable stands found in markets and along the streets of every town and city in Italy that make foreigners want to fondle the merchandise? Italian Food Rule: Don’t Touch The Fruits And Vegetables. In the US everyone feels free to poke, prod, squeeze, thump and sniff the fruits
On September 8th this year, in honor of the 716th anniversary of the Duomo, the original Florence Baptistery’s Gates of Paradise will return to public view in the museum of the Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore (behind the Duomo), after a restoration lasting 27 years. Coincidentally, 27 years is the same amount of time
I am an unabashed Clet Abraham fan. His street sign art and Common Man statues are a poke in the ribs of the all-too-serious art establishment and other red-tape loving bureaucrats of Florence. For his latest venture – giving the Oltrarno San Niccolò Tower a nose – Clet was not able to thumb his nose at
Florentine Francesca and I are in a New York restaurant where “Hi! I’m Sam, your waiter” is assisting us to have the best lunch experience possible. This includes large glasses of iced water that arrive immediately on the table with a large basket of warm bread. Francesca immediately starts scooping out the cubes into the
Two weeks ago I wrote about the loss of cheese in the Reggio Emilia region hard hit by a rare 6.0 earthquake. Now a second 5.8 quake has struck nearby, endangering the artisanal production of aceto balsamico tradizionale. Second Earthquake Devastates Balsamic Vinegar Production The French AFP news service reported on May 29: The strong