Tag: italy roundtable

  • Important Dates in Italian History for the Curious Traveler

    A short primer on a few of the dates you will encounter while meandering the streets and squares of Italy.

    Piazza XX Settembre in Genoa
  • The Art of Nobel Winner Dario Fo

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    Calling Italian playwright Dario Fo a “Renaissance” man would probably irk him given his long history of questioning authority and mocking the status quo. But Fo, who won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1997 (one of six Italians to have won the literature prize) proves he is worthy of this nickname with the new…

    Dario Fo "Earthquake in L'Aquila"
  • Rooted in Italy: The World’s First Botanical Gardens

    It has been said (too many times) that all roads lead to Rome. But did you know that you could trace botanical medicine and even the environmental movement to 16th century Italy? It was here in the city of Pisa (1544) then Padua (1545) that the world’s first botanical gardens were set up. This month’s…

    Orto Botanico di Padova
  • Braving the Elements: A Rare Snowfall in Rome

    Over the past weekend, Rome got pelted with eight inches of snow, the largest single snowfall in the capital since 1986. The rare snowfall prompted the closure of the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Palatine Hill, and other tourist attractions. Many businesses had to close because workers were unable to access public transportation or get their…

    Piazza San Pietro