“I wish you to know that every tear proceeds from the heart, for there is no member of the body that will satisfy the heart so much as the eye. If the heart is in pain the eye manifests it.” – St. Catherine of Siena A visit to Siena is the chance to discover more … More Learning about the life of St. Catherine of Siena
Palermo in Sicily is Italian Capital of Culture in 2018, with many special events and exhibitions planned. So this is an ideal year to visit the southern Italian island and discover its colourful history and culture. Here are our top ten suggestions of gems to explore in the city and across Sicily: 1. Stanze al … More Ten of the Best Sicilian Gems to visit in 2018
Here are the top ten Italian Gems viewed on this blog since it was started four years ago: The spellbinding tales of Benevento’s witches and the walnut tree 2. A glimpse of Christmas Nativity Gems in Rome, Naples, and Salerno 3. Finding gems along the Aurelian walls, Rome’s ancient ramparts 4. Revealing the jewels under … More Top Ten Italian Gems at start of 2018
Naples’ Ospedale degli Incurabili is an old and still-functioning hospital in the centre of the southern Italian city that is linked to a wealth of interesting stories of early medicine, magic and alchemy, religious people and those recognised as saints for dedicating their lives to helping the poor and sick here. Founded around 1520, it … More Naples’ Pharmacy of the Incurables: merging science, magic, and art
Sicilian puppeteer and storyteller Mimmo Cuticchio has seen the role of the island’s traditional puppet theatre change over the years, from a daily ritual for many, to an outmoded form of entertainment, to a re-emergent symbol of Sicily’s culture and heritage. Throughout all of these changes, the 69-year-old has remained dedicated to his art, unable … More Sicily’s puppets and the precious role of the storyteller
During an English lesson in Rome, a student of mine from Palermo was the first to tell me about the patron saint of his town: Saint Rosalia. He explained the story of the “Santuzza” or “Little Saint”, who went to live as a hermit in a cave on Mount Pellegrino, near to the Sicilian capital. … More Palermo’s big night: the festival of Saint Rosalia
Here are our top picks of some of the most fascinating places to visit in Italy this year, in roughly alphabetical order. Titles and pictures link to blog posts. Sant’ Agnese and Santa Costanza: two gems outside Rome’s walls The area around Sant’Agnese is one of the most tranquil spots in all of Rome. Here … More Ten of the Best Italian Gems to visit in 2017
Here’s a list of the Top Ten Most Popular posts on Italian Gems in 2016, based on online views of this blog. Titles and photos link to articles for more detail: A glimpse of Christmas Nativity Gems in Rome, Naples and Salerno This showcase of some of the oldest and most beautiful Christmas cribs in … More Top Ten Most Popular Italian Gems in 2016
I first read about Stilo in the English poet and landscape painter Edward Lear’s account of his journeys throughout Calabria in 1847, which brought him to this hilltop town. Lear, who is best known for his nonsense poems including “The Owl and the Pussycat” spent part of that year walking across this southern Italian region … More Calabria in the footsteps of the poet Edward Lear: Stilo
I have lived in several cities around Europe and no matter where I go I always seem to meet someone from Avellino. I have therefore gathered a circle of friends from this town in the southern Italian region of Campania. With my family based mainly around Stevenage in England, I am well aware of the … More A day out in the province of Avellino
