Every year, on the first moon of May, a woman would immerse herself in the sea to gather this gold and use it to make a yarn with which she would weave incredible fabrics. It sounds like a myth but it actually still happens in Italy today: this woman is called Chiara Vigo and she lives on the island of Sant’Antioco, the biggest of the islands of Sardinia, to the south west, around eighty kilometers from Cagliari.

2015 is a decisive year for Giorgio Armani and for Milan, ‘his’ city, and the place that ,as the fashion designer told the Italian magazine Corriere Economia,“welcomed and understood me and that, with its contrasts and discreet silences, has long inspired me.”  In fact, this year the Maison Armani will be 40 years old, while Milan will be opening its doors to the Expo, the universal exhibition that, from May 1st to October 31st 2015, will host the biggest diet and nutrition event ever held.  What better occasion for inaugurating the Armani Silos, the fashion house’s archive-museum in which Armani has invested 50 million Euros, that will also be a photographic archive, an exhibition venue and an arts and culture center for scholars and lovers of fashion?  A place that Armani dreams will be like “my own all-white Tate Gallery “.

Autumn is the best time to visit Italy. The weather is beautiful, the crowds of tourists have thinned out, and the fall Italian festivals are in full swing. Attending festivals is not only fun, it is a good way to learn about Italian culture and traditions in Italy.

Most festivals in Italy are based on historic events. They often include processions of people in period costume, local Italian food, contests and fireworks. Most Italian festivals are free but attendance at some events may require purchase of a ticket.

65 countries have joined together for the exciting 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale, and the overall theme this year is “Fundamentals”, which pays close attention to the fundamentals of our buildings used by any architect, anywhere, anytime.

Under the auspices of la Biennale di Venezia, the current Venice Biennale 2014 runs through November 23, in the Giardini and the Arsenale. Ongoing national exhibits, as well as numerous collateral events and weekend special events, will be held at various venues throughout the greater Venice metropolitan area.