Sunday lunch with the family is a well know Italian tradition, especially when you are a child. I remember I was always happy to go to my grandmother’s house because I would get to eat her delicious Tiramsù. While every Italian will say that their grandmother’s Tiramsù is the best, I’m sure that my grandma...

The golden years of Sanremo – Vintage Italian Music Festival     The Sanremo Music Festival is the most famous Italian music festival.  The three day contest is held annually in the beautiful city of Sanremo on coast of Liguria, close to the French city of Nice.  Known as the “city of flowers,” Sanremo hosts...

Want to go for a ride with Isotta Fraschini?   With its history dating back to the dawn of the 20th century, Isotta Fraschini is the largest Italian deluxe luxury car manufacturer.  Cesare Isotta and Vincenzo, Antonio and Oreste Fraschini founded the company in 1900 with what today might seem to be a very simple and...

  I have this picture in my mind that I can’t forget. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories: my brother and I both excitedly screaming “pay attention to the turtle” or “hurry, the mushroom is coming up!” It was wintertime and we were pretty young. We were in the living room sitting on the carpet we...

  The Italian shoes everyone loves As the most important brand of Italian tennis shoe, Superga sneakers are a worldwide symbol of Italy’s reputation as a premier source of well-designed footwear. Across the generations, most young people in Italy have at some point owned a pair of Superga shoes. A case in point: these shoes...

  On stage in one of Italy’s great theaters When you think about opera music and ballet in Italy, one theater inevitably comes to mind: La Scala. When I was little and wanted to become a ballerina, I dreamed of gliding gracefully across the stage.  While at a young age I knew that La Scala...

Sicilian sweetness I’m not a sweet person. Of course I’m nice, but when it comes to food I definitely prefer the savory over the sweet. My only weakness is cannoli.  When it comes to this Sicilian specialty, I am an entirely different person. With its delicate ricotta cream filling that contrasts perfectly with the toothy...

  Re-designing an everyday material When I look at the transparent body of a Kartell Bourgie Lamp, with its refined finishing and stylish curves, it seems to me that it is made from pure crystal. It’s surprising to discover that such an elegant piece of lighting is made from a much more common material …...

If I were to think of an all-time icon who will never loose appeal and charm, that would definitely be Marilyn Monroe. She also is the woman who affirmed: “I don’t know who invented high heels, but women owe him a lot!”  Marilyn thought shoes were a woman’s best friend, just like diamonds.    ...

  Eating Mulino Bianco cookies and biscuits in the morning is a well known Italian tradition.  What most people don’t know is how the story of these biscuits is tied to the history of Italian pasta. In 1877, in Vittorio Emanuele Street, Pietro Barilla Senior (1845-1912) opened a small shop with an adjoining bakery inside...

Design not just as art, but as life I remember it quite well. It was at the end of high school and I was trying to figure out what I would do. I always had a passion for art and design and I was seriously taking into consideration the idea of applying to a fine...

  From the road to Formula 1 since 1872 Every since my grandpa bought his very first car, Italian mechanics have been suggesting Pirelli tires, no matter what. Not only do they say they are the safest tires around, but they are also part of an extremely long Italian tradition, that has been passed down...