Below you'll find a list of all posts that have been tagged as “Southern Italy”
Bold colors and patterns, opulent fabrics, elegant craftsmanship, glamor and gold, Versace is iconic, a distinctly Italian luxury brand. Creator Gianni Versace chose the head of Medusa as his emblem, hearkening back to antiquity and his roots in Reggio Calabria, a city steeped in legend and history, one of the first Greek colonies of Southern Italy.
Calabria has many, many castles and watchtowers. The great number gives a bit of perspective into the value of the land and its need for protection, particularly along the extensive coastline. The largest castle is in Rocca Imperiale, both the furthest east and most northern town in the region.
We eat a lot of Italian food in the United States and feel at home with foreign names of foods and dishes. Pizza and pasta are as common as hotdog or apple pie. We order spaghetti alla carbonara with confidence and scratch our heads at “noodles with bacon and eggs” on English-language tourist menus. But sometimes we get it wrong.
If you build it, they will come… Funny thing, or maybe not so funny, tourists continue to pile on the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast. Gorgeous locations, to be sure, but Italy is bursting with beautiful spots. Basilicata, located in the instep of the Italian boot, is full of them, but the tourism industry pretty much focuses on Matera. …
It seems like a lifetime, yet it’s been just ten years since I published Calabria: The Other Italy. My intention was to shine a light on an area that seemed to have been left in the dark – the tree that fell in the forest with no one around to hear it. I found that there was an audience out …
Basilicata is off most travelers’ radars despite the recent popularity of Matera. My new tour is designed to remedy that! The program explores the entire region, a lesser-known jewel of the Italian south, and I am proud to say that the Basilicata Cultural Tour, the first of its kind, had its maiden journey this fall, and it was a resounding …
The word “brigand” – brigante in Italian – is heard quite a bit with reference to Southern Italy, and I have noticed a certain confusion, particularly amongst English speakers, as to its significance. It’s an important term in understanding the Italian South and the history of Italy, so I thought I’d contribute my two cents to the question, “What is …
While at rest, the exotic figures attract a bold curiosity from even the smallest children. On the move, however, the large, otherworldly puppets not only send the wee ones fleeing for safety, but the towering effigies along with their accompanying ruckus have actually been known to frighten a former king and his entire military entourage into retreat.
Personal integrity, cultural strength and a collective resilience—these are just a few of the characteristics that helped Matera survive its difficult past and come out the other side to be distinguished as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a European Capital of Culture. This fascinating city in the southern region of Basilicata, wedged between Calabria, Campania and Puglia, is known …
The day has come. Basilicata: Authentic Italy, my new book about the unassuming region in the instep of the Italian boot is available! Years of planning, in-person research (the best part!), writing and production elements, and then, the date sort of sneaks up on you.