Italy in Brief

Food & Drink

trees in Friuli-Venezia Giulia amid the drought

How Iconic Food Products in Italy are Weathering the Effects of the Drought

by Alexa Ahern | Mon, 11/14/2022 - 09:40

It’s been months since the alarm first sounded on the drought that’s been ongoing in Italy since late last year, causing the government to declare a state of…

Culture

Temporary Glass Barriers Around St. Mark’s Basilica Stand Up to “Acqua Alta”

by Italy Magazine Staff | Fri, 11/11/2022 - 05:51

Transparent barriers erected around the perimeter of St. Mark’s Basilica in Venice are turning the tide against the city’s infamous acqua alta (high water).…

Lifestyle

In Rome, Shop Shutters Serve as After-Dark Art Canvases

by Toni DeBella | Thu, 11/10/2022 - 06:34

Rome has long been recognized for its vibrant and gritty urban artworks. Full-fledged murals by internationally renowned artists co-exist with guerrilla-style…

Culture

Bronze Statues Unearthed in Tuscany Shed New Light on Etruscan-Roman History

by Italy Magazine Staff | Wed, 11/09/2022 - 12:44

A team of archaeologists announced on Tuesday the discovery of more than two dozen bronze statues believed to date back some 2,300 years. The extraordinary…

Culture

Capstone Exhibition in Pasolini Centenary Celebrations Now Open in Rome

by Italy Magazine Staff | Wed, 11/02/2022 - 08:18

On this day in history — or rather, in dark and nebulously defined hours between November 1 and 2, 1975 — the polarizing Italian intellectual Pier Paolo…

Culture

Floating platform underneath Ponte Vecchio

Inching Toward 700, Ponte Vecchio is Having Work Done

by Italy Magazine Staff | Fri, 10/28/2022 - 07:06

For the first time in its nearly 700-year history, Florence’s Ponte Vecchio is set to undergo a major restoration. After the City of Florence announced a…

Culture

The Economist's controversial "Britaly" cover

After a “Twitterstorm,” Italians Take Long View on The Economist's Controversial Cover

by Italy Magazine Staff | Wed, 10/26/2022 - 12:09

In last week’s edition of The Economist, the London-based weekly published a cover story drawing parallels between Britain’s recent political upheaval and…

Food & Drink

Xylella Fastidiosa: The Bacterium Devastating Puglia’s Olive Trees

by Alexa Ahern | Mon, 10/24/2022 - 02:40

The ancient trees of the Piana degli Ulivi Monumentali line a flat stretch of land along the Adriatic sea between Ostuni and Monopoli, in Puglia. They’re…

Food & Drink

vintage grappa bottles on the shelves in Bassano del Grappa

Got Grappa? Italian Spirit Makes a Splash Stateside

by Italy Magazine Staff | Thu, 10/20/2022 - 04:14

A new report from the Bologna-based economic research institute Nomisma found that in the first half of 2022, the export value of Italian spirit grappa in the…

Culture

What's New at Florence's Accademia Gallery

by Italy Magazine Staff | Tue, 10/18/2022 - 10:06

An ambitious, nearly three-year restoration and consolidation plan for Florence’s Accademia Gallery — “plagued” by myriad pandemic-related interruptions — is…