ART & CULTURE Leonardo Chiari 22 September 2023 Giotto. (2023, July 18). In Wikipedia È noto che San Francesco di Assisi, l’uomo che per seguire Cristo si spogliò di tutti i beni rivoluzionando per sempre la Chiesa, è anche il padre della letteratura italiana: il Cantico delle Creature, che egli compose intorno al 1224 (quarant’anni prima che nascesse Dante Alighieri), è il primo testo della nostra tradizione poetica. È una lode meravigliosa («Laudato si’») alla natura e alle sue creature, dove l’acqua è chiamata “sorella” e il sole “fratello”, che oggi è divenuta persino un manifesto eco ..read more

DESTINATIONS MARGHERITA MARULLO 3 JULY 2023 ,View of the village of Marradi and River Lamone from Via Anacleto Francini (Image credit: Margherita Marullo) Deep within the Mugello valley, bordering the Tuscan-Romagna Apennines mountain range, lies the picturesque, hidden gem of a village known as Marradi. A place so special, that it not only has breathtaking mountain views, epic nature trails, and a tranquil river running through it but it's also known as the "queen of Marroni chestnuts." Marradi's chestnuts are so popular around the world, that they are legally protected, and branded as "Marr ..read more

ART & CULTURE Leonardo Chiari 2 July 2023 Lanfranco Raparo, La battaglia delle Scalelle, Tempera su carta, 1998, Marradi, Sala comunale “L. Raparo” Il 24 luglio 1358 gli abitanti di Marradi videro giungere dal nord una colonna di fanti e cavalieri con stendardi, lance e armature scintillanti. Un condottiero a cavallo, imponente, armato, con la testa coperta da un elmo dal cui fondo filtravano appena due occhi blu, gesticolando guidava il corteo. Nel giro di poche ore, l’armata si addensò nella valle del fiume Lamone, a Biforco, sotto il sole cocente, ai piedi del Castello lontano. Erano m ..read more

ART & CULTURE WALTER SCARPI 30 June 2023 A Marradi c’è qualcosa di tipico e decisamente particolare: riguarda la lingua ma non si mangia. È l’italiano che viene parlato dagli abitanti nella sua forma più pura, o meglio più simile alla pronuncia ideale, priva di accenti regionali, quello che altrove viene insegnato nei corsi di dizione seguiti dai professionisti della voce: giornalisti, attori, speaker radiofonici. Qui è possibile imparare la pronuncia ideale dell’italiano semplicemente abitando in paese, parlando con la gente del luogo. Il riferimento per l’italiano è il cosiddetto modell ..read more

ADVENTURE TRAVEL - DESTINATIONS - ART & CULTURE MARGHERITA MARULLO 7 January 2023 The day has finally come. You've arrived in Italy for the summer vacation that you've been planning for the better part of a year, and, your base location during your time in this beautiful country is none other than the artistic mecca of Florence. Streets bustling with people from all over the world, breathtaking sculptures created by the Renaissance Masters themselves, and grand architecture around every corner with lengthy tourist lines awaiting entry to all of the attractions. As you sit down for lunch a ..read more

DESTINATIONS - INSPIRATIONS - TRAIN JOURNEYS MARGHERITA MARULLO 10 February 2023 If you've ever dreamed of going to the Italian Riviera, you're not alone in your imaginative thoughts. This narrow, crescent-shaped strip of stunning coastlines, magical beaches, quaint and colorful waterfront towns, rocky cliffs, and sun-filled, jaw-droppingly beautiful, panoramic views of the Ligurian Sea stretches from the Italian-French border to the Tuscan border in Italy, just past the province of La Spezia. Well-known for its luxurious villas, clifftop hotels, and extraordinary climate, the unique shape of ..read more

TRAVEL NEWS & TIPS - DESTINATIONS MARGHERITA MARULLO 3 February 2023 The famous, beautiful, and fragile territory of Cinque Terre located within the northwest region of Liguria, Italy — translated as “five lands” — is home to nine alluring beaches, 75 miles of hiking trails, and picture-perfect, astonishing views of the Italian Riveria. Certified as both a ,National Park and ,UNESCO World Heritage Site, this highly protected, 4,300-acre area containing five medieval, compact fishing villages may be small in stature, but it’s home to approximately 4,000 adaptable residents and witnesses an ..read more

TRAVEL NEWS & TIPS - DESTINATIONS - ART & CULTURE MARGHERITA MARULLO 31 January 2023 Planning a vacation overseas is always fun, particularly when your travel destination is the stunning country of Italy. Top tourist locations such as Rome, Florence, and the Amalfi Coast witness millions of tourists arriving within their cities while affording plenty of activities to do throughout the year. Quite often, it can be challenging to find out when it really is the best time to visit Italy and its most visited cities to avoid those large crowds, as well as the extremely hot weather that summ ..read more

ART & CULTURE - DESTINATIONS - INSPIRATIONS MARGHERITA MARULLO 8 January 2023 It was August 24, in the year A.D. 79 when the prehistoric, monstrous, and looming volcano known as Mount Vesuvius woke up from its centuries-old slumber, erupting violently for nearly 20 long and terrorizing hours. Located near the Gulf of Naples — within the region of Campania, Italy — its unforgiving clouds of toxic, gaseous fumes and thick ash rose swiftly, creating a flume nearly 20 miles high, and 10 miles wide: Blackening and suffocating the Southern Mediterranean sky and air within minutes. Scalding lava ..read more

SOLO TRAVEL - INSPIRATIONS - DESTINATIONS MARGHERITA MARULLO 6 January 2023 Traveling can be a stressful time for anyone. From booking flights to your bucket list destinations to finding accommodations that are within your budget, and figuring out how you’re going to get to all your favorite sites is enough to create some frustrating moments along the way, whether you’re traveling as a family, a couple, with friends, or even solo: Especially when you’re a female traveling solo. Concerns about safety, not blending in, or whether you’ll have as much fun traveling on your own may come to mind. H ..read more