ITALIAN VOICES
Italian Voices
'Bello, bellino, bellissimo'
A window on language and customs in Italy
It was only the third day of the New Year and I had already decided that I was not going to write a single word until the end of the next century. When I am struck by that particular form of …
Sport + Leisure
Dancing up a storm
A glance at Italian folk dance
The man assists the woman in making several turns followed by a leap, causing her skirt to rise to scandalous heights.
Despite its popularity, or perhaps causing it, many deemed it indecent and shameful; the police were trained to look down upon …
Italian Voices
'Avere un feeling'
A window on language and customs in Italy
It was an eerily sunny day in December and my friend Silvia and I were weaving our way to the park with the greenhouse. Her daughter Sofia had a play-date and we were, of course, late. As we dragged the poor …
Life
The legend of La Befana
by Jo Linsdell
Although the figure of Babbo Natale (Father Christmas), with his red suit and big white beard, is becoming more widespread here, traditionally the children of Italy anxiously await a visit from another figure, La Befana, hanging up their stockings on January …
Life
The whys behind the wedding
Tying the knot in Italy
What is it about Italy that lures celebrities to its shores to tie the knot? Are there no palaces elsewhere? Is Italy the only country that so willingly opens its villa doors to starry-eyed brides and their gallant grooms fixing for …
Style + Fashion
From cavemen to the catwalk
The history of high heels
Trying on a pair of buttery soft stiletto Gucci boots can reduce even the most sane and poised woman to a giddy mess. There are few experiences in life that can rival the sheer pleasure and excitement women feel when shopping …
Italian Sketches
Master of laughter
Tot is Italy's answer to Chaplin
Totò, one of the best loved Italian comedians of all time, was born in Naples as Antonio Vincenzo Clemente on February 15, 1898, in the heart of poverty-ridden Rione Sanità. He went by his mother’s surname until 1921, when Marquis De …
Italian Voices
'Ritratto di signora...' Portrait of a lady
A window on language and customs in Italy
Today I’m waging a silent war against a blank page and an enemy expression that has yet to reveal itself. It is Saturday and, gratefully, the office is quiet. Most of the theatre troupe that makes this newspaper have all trooped …
Italian Voices
'Vorrei'
A window on language and customs in Italy
I spent my first years in Florence teaching parts of speech to mother-tongue English speakers who considered grammar the Boogie man under the bed. Now my stints as ‘grammar girl’ are limited to a few English lessons a month with my …
Families + Kids
Picture this!
'Every Life in Ancient Rome' by Neil Grant - 'Every Life in the Renaissance' by Antony Mason
by Sabine Eiche
Once upon a time there was a grandmother who loved Italy. She wanted her young grandson to learn to love its culture and people as she did. So she bought him two books: Everyday Life in Ancient Rome and Everyday Life …
Italian Voices
'Fare il ponte dei morti'
A window on language and customs in Italy
I have just spent the entire afternoon dumping the contents of my drawers into cardboard boxes. I found them crushed on aisle seven at the Coop this morning and spent the better part of an hour trying to tape them into …
Style + Fashion
Shopping in the men's department
A lesson in unique style
Known for their style and taste around the world, Italian men have a distinctive sense of dress and aesthetic. Not afraid of bright colours and innovative styles, they are experts on materials and the cut of cloth. Attention to detail, a …
Italian Voices
'Prendere la palla al balzo'
A window on language and customs in Italy
During my Venetian years, I lived in a crumbling, 16th-century apartment whose best ‘room’ was the terrace on the top floor. I was up there one afternoon mopping— something I did on rare occasions for the sole purpose of keeping my …
Life
Threads of antiquity
Century of tradition captured in cloth
There is a light rain and a nip in the breeze as I step out onto the slippery cobble stone alley that has become, in a sense, my street. I’m on my way to the Antico Setificio Fiorentino, an ancient silkmaking …
Italian Voices
'Si fa per dire...'
A window on language and customs in Italy
Martina and I piled into an already crowded café in hopes of a corner table. Once a month we meet there to talk, sip cappuccino, and perhaps jot a line or two in our 'Be Bohemian’ notebooks. We were actually both …
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The English-speaking news magazine in Florence
Thursday, May 23, 2013