28 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Italian itineraries

Mona LisaThe “Gioconda” or Mona Lisa, probably the most famous portrait in the world, was painted by Leonardo da Vinci between 1503 and 1514 and is on permanent display at the Louvre in Paris.

According to tradition, as well as the famous 16th century art historiographer and critic, GiorgioVasari, the woman depicted is Lisa Gherardini, i.e. “Mona” Lisa (short for “Madonna” , “Signora”), the wife of the noble Florentine merchant Francesco del Giocondo (thus the term “Gioconda” is also used).

During his third stay in Florence, Leonardo lived in a house next door to Palazzo Gondi (which has since been destroyed), just a few meters away from Piazza della Signoria, which belonged to a branch of the Gherardini family.

21 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Food and wine

Although food blogs are born daily, some manage to differentiate themselves from others due to a particular characteristic, which often depends on the author’s personality or a particular passion that gives the project a very unique and instantly recognizable style.

This is the case for Alessandra Giovanile, fond of history and art that found in the passion for cooking and for writing a way of making these interests real and tangible.

19 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Food and wine

The truffle is a fruit of the earth that has been well known since ancient times.  There is evidence of the presence of the truffles in the diets of the Sumerian people and at the time of the patriarch Jacob, around 1700 – 1600 B.C.

Anecdotal evidence shows that the truffle, known in Latin simply as a “Tuber”, was particularly appreciated by the Ancient Romans who almost certainly learnt about the culinary uses of this mushroom from the Etruscans.

10 Mar 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Food and wine

Eataly is an original market model offering craft products from the Italian agri-food tradition that aims to educate the consumer’s perception of quality.

The inventor of the Eataly format is Italian Oscar Farinetti who, after opening his first sales outlet in Turin in 2007, has since opened another 25 in Italy, Japan, Turkey and the United States.

14 Feb 2014

Posted at 00:00h in Food and wine

The success of the Italian wine industry is born on the back of their ancestry, which is rooted in over 2,000 years of wine making excellence. The climate found in Italy is deemed to be perfect for the production of wine; from Sardinian wine to the famous Tuscany wine.

There has always been one driving force behind making wine for Italians; to partner their fine cuisine with an enriching taste while not taking away from the food. There are 20 wine regions, each with its own climatic characteristics that fuse with the wines made there.