150 years ago next week, one of the world’s most influential people, often described as the inventor of radio, was born in Bologna.
Guglielmo Marconi…
Alex Sakalis
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Alex Sakalis is a writer and journalist whose work has appeared in the BBC, The Economist and openDemocracy among others. He lives in Bologna. Follow him on Instagram at @sakalisalex.
Articles by Alex Sakalis
Mon, 04/08/2024 - 13:00
Ilias Tzempetonidis doesn’t have the classic background one associates with a casting director at Europe’s top opera houses. He was born into a non-mu…
Mon, 01/08/2024 - 10:54
Kombucha — that acerbic, slightly bubbly drink — has, in recent years, transcended its obscure origins and niche market to become an increasingly fash…
Tue, 10/03/2023 - 06:24
Bologna is known for many things — food, porticoes, medieval towers — but the world’s first and only Gelato University, currently celebrating its 20-y…
Wed, 08/23/2023 - 04:00
The gloomy landscape of the Venetian lagoon has often surprised those who associate it with Venice and nothing else. “This damp expanse, speckled with…
Wed, 08/09/2023 - 16:00
When Venetian aristocrats of bygone eras needed an escape from the sweltering summer heat of the lagoon, they chose the Brenta. Between the 16th and 1…
Thu, 06/22/2023 - 03:48
When I first heard about a “Shoe Museum” in small-town Italy, I wasn’t exactly brimming with enthusiasm. “But it has a fascinating collection of women…
Tue, 04/11/2023 - 04:53
Opened in Bologna in 2017, FICO Eataly World is an Italian food, gastronomy and agriculture theme park founded and operated by Eataly, the hugely succ…
Tue, 10/18/2022 - 09:11
Opened in 1864, the Ferrovia Porrettana was the first transapennine railway line in Italy, connecting Emilia-Romagna and Tuscany by train for the firs…
Wed, 09/14/2022 - 13:06
Grecia Salentina is the name given to a segment of Salento where Griko — a dialect of Greek — is still spoken. The area comprises nine villages — Cali…
Thu, 08/25/2022 - 03:51
Exploring Italy by train isn’t a hard sell. But moving away from the main intercity routes can make it even more appealing. Some surprisingly niche ro…
Thu, 07/21/2022 - 03:38
Though famous for its medieval city center filled with Renaissance buildings and porticoes, Bologna has always adapted to the tastes of each passing c…
Tue, 06/28/2022 - 03:59
The Ciclovia del Sole, a large, traffic-free, pan-European cycleway, has just inaugurated a new section in Emilia-Romagna. Stretching from Mirandola i…
Thu, 05/19/2022 - 02:59
The city of Bologna is quickly becoming a destination in its own right rather than just a curiosity stop on the Venice-Florence-Rome route. You could…
Sat, 01/22/2022 - 00:24
Poor Reggio Emilia. Though picturesque like all north Italian patrician towns, it lacks the showstopper sights of nearby Milan or Ferrara. It’s one of…
Tue, 01/04/2022 - 03:08
Known for its beautifully preserved centro storico, its role as the birthplace of the Italian flag and the namesake of one half of Parmigiano-Reggiano…
Wed, 10/13/2021 - 08:46
Bologna is often touted as the food capital of Italy and is home to some of the country’s most famous delicacies, such as tortellini, tagliatelle al r…
Mon, 08/02/2021 - 09:23
Giovanni “Gio” Ponti (1891-1979) is widely regarded as one of the most influential architects and designers of all time.
A modern-day renaissance man…
Thu, 09/17/2020 - 05:30
Bologna is a fascinating city. Large enough to never be boring, yet small enough to never feel overwhelming, it sits roughly at the tripoint between M…
Mon, 06/22/2020 - 12:05
Ed., March 21, 2023: We're re-sharing this article as it was originally published in 2020, since Gennaro Sangiuliano and Asta Vrečko, culture minister…