Italian history Archives

Verdi's Nabucco on Italian television to celebrate 150 years of unification

22 April, 2020

To celebrate 150 years of Italian unification, Italy went back to what it knew best about its traditions and could most celebrate. National broadcaster RAI treated Italians to a live performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Nabucco on Italian television last night.…

Milan: Torre Velasca up for sale

20 April, 2020

The Velasca tower built in the city centre of Milan in the 1950s was part of the first generation of Italian modern architectural designs. Often used as a location for many Italian movies, the tower has just been put up…

American tourist gives back piece of Colosseum

17 April, 2020

An American tourist, confessing to having taken off with a piece of the Colosseum years ago, is returning the piece of Italian history. The anonymous tourist sent the piece back in a package, stating: “We should have done it a…

Touring Rome: the gardens of Sallust

17 April, 2020

Touring Rome can take in many hidden secrets of the city and today we explore a less well known area of Rome: the Gardens of Sallust also known as Horti Sallustiani. In ancient times, the gardens belonged to Roman historian…

Touring Italy and its monuments: use it or lose it advertising campaign

16 April, 2020

A new advertising campaign in Italy to promote Italian monuments has a threatening slogan of “if you don’t visit it, we’ll take it away”, developed by the cultural and arts ministry. It’s an odd way of promoting tourism in Italy,…

New area of Palatine Hill in Rome opens to public: Vigne Barberini terrace open

13 April, 2020

A new area of Rome’s Palatine Hill has finally been opened to the public, providing a new viewing platform from the “Vigna Barberini” terrace. The name comes from the Barberini family vineyards that would have once adorned this area of…

Florence revokes Dante 's 700 -year-old exile

13 April, 2020

I’m pretty sure that many of you are familiar with the name of Dante, the great Italian poet, who in 1302 was forced to leave Florence and go into exile. Anyhow things after seven hundred years may change for good;…

Tourist carves name into Colosseum

13 April, 2020

Many of the stereotypes associated with chaotic Italians living in a messy Italy need to reviewed, as the locals often, in fact, demonstrate great organisation and pride in their country. This is one instance where indignation on the part of…

Italian history comic book cheese from Fattorie Fiandino

12 April, 2020

This quirky Italian cheese features a comic strip on the crust and will go on show at the Turin food festival from October 21-25. The cheese is called Gran Kinara and is an aged cheese made from real vegetable curd…

Boutique shopping in Rome: antique maps and vintage postcards in via Tomacelli

11 April, 2020

Exploring Rome’s byways brings out the romance of the eternal city. There is nothing quite like the city of Rome, with its history, its busy hub of Italy’s colourful population, its popular tourist sights, and of course all the mystery…

Living in Italy: villas or churchs? New trend restores churches as homes

9 April, 2020

In a trend that is likely to be taken up by Americans living in Italy, and other Italian expat residents, it is becoming fashionable to seek old churches and religious dwellings as real estate and new residences.Abandoning the more traditional…

Photographing Rome's history: aerial photos of Rome from 1883 to 2010

3 April, 2020

This aerial photography of Rome traces 127 years of history of the eternal city from a remarkable exhibition that shows how much Rome has changed in this time. The panoramic take on Rome’s city scape is a collection of photographs…

Italian requests to exhume body of Da Vinci

3 April, 2020

As if the Da Vinci Code weren’t enough, an Italian has lodged a formal request with France to exhume the body of Leonardo Da Vinci, from what is believed to be his tomb at Amboise, in the Loire, France. It’s…

Controversy in Italy over Spike Lee's "Miracle at St Anna", director comments

31 March, 2020

Spike Lee’s latest film “Miracle at St Anna” is upsetting more than just a few people. After the “Miracle at St Anna” release in Florence, the ANPI association, or the National Association of Italian Partisans, is offended by references in…

Italian mountaineering legend dies

31 March, 2020

Back in 1954, Italian Achille Compagnoni reached the peak of K2, along with fellow expeditioner Lino Lacedelli. The feat was a huge one, coming just a year after Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach Everest.Compagnoni’s and Lacedelli’s achievement was a…

Rome celebrates 140 years as Italy's capital

30 March, 2020

Rome is celebrating 140 years as Italian capital; so if you are planning to visit the city before the year is out you will have lots of things to do and see! From major exhibitions devoted to the Italian Risorgimento…

Touring Rome: rare visits to art and archaeological sites

26 March, 2020

Some of Rome’s architectural and historic treasures are being opened for special guided tours run by Italy’s environmental organisation, FAI. Places such as the Temple of the “Ninfe” and “Porta Asinaria” will open for rare, free guided tours by FAI.The…

Finger print reveals Leonardo da Vinci undiscovered painting

26 March, 2020

The “La bella principessa” painting could be a work of Leonardo da Vinci, according to reports. If that is the case, the painting (”Beautiful Princess” in English) of a woman dressed in Renaissance clothing, would be valued at millions of…

Exploring Rome's districts: Garbatella and St Paul's outside the walls

24 March, 2020

If you’ve been to Rome, you’ve probably toured the area of Garbatella without even knowing it. This area of Rome is home to the lovely basilica of St Paul’s outside the walls, or “San Paolo fuori le mura”. If you’ve…

Milan food exhibition at archaeological museum opens

23 March, 2020

The Archaeological Museum of Milan now hosts a room with an exhibition dedicated to food. The exhibition includes aspects of food of ancient times until the modern era and is titled “Nutrire il corpo e lo spirito” or “nourish the…

San Gimignano: Medieval Manhattan of Tuscany

22 March, 2020

When you close your eyes and think of New York or other big modern cities you usually imagine thousands of skyscrapers rising proudly towards the sky and yet such a cityscape doesnâ€™t look so modern or futuristic as one might…

Italy's most beautiful castles: top ten castles to visit in Italy

22 March, 2020

The “Settimana della Cultura” in Italy celebrates some of Italy’s best and most brilliant culture and historical patronage. The “Castelli Aperti” or Open Castles event sees some of the country’s most beautiful castles and fortresses open to visitors, where Italians…

Piazza san Pietro restored to white: St Peter's back to Bernini's vision

16 March, 2020

The Vatican will get a restoration job soon, with St Peter’s square being restored to what is described as the original idea from Bernini from the 1600’s. From the Carlo Magno corridor to Costantino the ochre finish on the ground,…

Arandora Star victims remembered for 70th anniversary in 2010

15 March, 2020

The 70th anniversary of the World War II Anandora Star shipping tragedy in which many people lost their lives will be remembered in 2010, and a group in Wales is raising funds for a memorial to the Welsh-Italians who died.…