Caltagirone: Sicily’s Center of Ceramic Art Since Arab Times
Deep in central Sicily, you’ll find Caltagirone, a town whose very name hints at its ceramic heritage. When I visited, ...
Caltagirone: The Ceramic Staircase That Tells Sicily’s Story
Right in the heart of Sicily, Caltagirone grabbed my attention the instant I spotted its famous ceramic staircase. The Scala ...
Modica: Sicily’s Chocolate Capital with Aztec Heritage and Baroque Churches
Tucked away in southeastern Sicily, Modica instantly grabbed my attention with its dramatic hillside views and its deep chocolate tradition. ...
The Aztec Chocolate Recipe That Survived in Sicily’s Baroque Valleys
In the heart of Sicily, tucked among baroque buildings and rolling hills, there’s a sweet secret that reaches all the ...
Getting Lost in Palermo’s Markets Changed How I See Italian Food
Walking through Palermo’s historic markets felt like entering a different universe. Vendors shouted prices, bright piles of produce caught my ...
Coral Hunting and Castle Walls: The Dual Heritage of Alghero
Strolling through the narrow streets of Alghero, I honestly felt like I was wandering into another era. The thick 16th-century ...
The Sound of History: My Visit to Italy’s Ancient Bell Foundry
The morning sun spilled gold across Agnone’s cobblestones as I wandered toward one of the world’s oldest bell foundries. Marinelli ...
Oldest Family Business in Italy: The Bell Makers of Agnone
Tucked away in the small town of Agnone in Italy’s Molise region, I stumbled across a piece of living history ...
Stone Flowers and Papier-Mâché: The Artisan Traditions of Lecce
Last summer, as I wandered Lecce’s sunlit streets, I stumbled onto two crafts that really define this baroque gem in ...
The Day I Learned to Make Orecchiette on a Bari Backstreet
I wandered the narrow alleys of Bari Vecchia during my spring holiday and somehow found myself on the famous “Strada ...
Sweet Endings: How Tropea’s Red Onions Became Culinary Gold
Nestled along the coastline of Calabria, Italy, I stumbled upon a culinary treasure that completely changed how I see an ...
Silk Road to Calabria: The Ancient Textile Tradition of Catanzaro
When I wandered onto the narrow streets of Catanzaro in Calabria, I honestly had no idea I was treading on ...
The Workshop That’s Been Casting Bells for the Vatican Since 1200
Hidden in the hills of Agnone, Italy, sits Pontificia Fonderia Marinelli—a bell foundry with a story that stretches back nearly ...
Bell Town: The Ancient Bronze Craft of Agnone
Tucked away in the hills of Molise, Italy, Agnone quietly guards a remarkable secret—a centuries-old tradition of bronze bell making ...
Chili Peppers and Bergamot: The Distinctive Flavors of Calabrian Cuisine
When I first set foot in Calabria, that southernmost tip of mainland Italy, I felt my senses light up with ...
Cathedral Steps and Paper Mills: The Cultural Heritage of Amalfi
Perched on Italy’s breathtaking Amalfi Coast, Amalfi tells stories that run deeper than its postcard-perfect views. As I wandered through ...
Wooden Inlay and Lemon Liqueur: The Artisan Traditions of Sorrento
As I wandered the narrow streets of Sorrento, two unique art forms immediately caught my attention. First, there’s intarsia—a detailed ...
How I Learned to Make Sugar-Coated Almonds in Sulmona’s Historic Factory
Last week, I landed in the charming town of Sulmona, tucked away in Italy’s Abruzzo region. Here, I stumbled into ...
Sweet Art: The Colorful Tradition of Sulmona’s Confetti
When I first wandered the charming streets of Sulmona, Italy, I kept seeing these vibrant displays in shop windows that ...
Watching Bronze Transform into Music: My Day at Italy’s Oldest Foundry
I breathed in the crisp Italian morning as I stepped into the Marinelli Bell Foundry. Centuries of tradition seemed to ...
Christmas in July: The Year-Round Nativity Workshops of San Gregorio Armeno
As I wandered Naples’ historic center, I stumbled onto a street that felt like a secret portal—Christmas, everywhere, in the ...