Ilaria Massacesi

The Goldsmith Art in Abruzzo

December 2019
One of the interesting and ancient traditions that the Abruzzo region boasts is certainly the art of goldsmithing. The most used materials are coral and gold. The latter is worked with a particular technique called filigree workmanship. The Abruzzo...


Easter in Abruzzo

April 2019
Abruzzo is a region with great traditions. The Easter holiday brings traditional symbols rich in love and religion to the table to celebrate. During Easter celebrations in Abruzzo, special attention is paid both to children and to the sacredness of...


Valle d'Aosta and Its Sights and Flavors

March 2019
The Valle d’Aosta region is arguably the best representation of the beauty of the Italian Alps. Within this region, visitors are graced with spectacular views of the “giants of the Alps:” the tallest mountain in the Alps, Mont Blanc, rising 15,777...


The Sea and Its History

June 2018
The boundless blue that one can see from every corner of the Italian peninsula, the unmistakable noise of the waves crashing on the shore, the taste of iodine that fills the lungs with health and freedom...it is the sea! In fact, the sea can not be...


Carlo Cassola and Italian Literature of the 20th Century

March 2018
Carlo Cassola must certainly be included among the great writers of 20th century Italian literature. He was born in Rome on March 17, 1917 and died in Montecarlo on January 29, 1987. His style, known as ermetismo, is characterized by a lack of...


The Feast of the Epiphany on January 6

January 2018
As usual, after January 6, all Christmas festive decorations are removed from around the house because, as the old saying goes: “The Epiphany day all the holidays take away.” First the tree and all types of ornaments, lastly the nativity set which...


Christmas Resolution Letters: My Favorite Tradition

December 2017
It was our Christmas ritual that was repeated year after year. The same one my mother was subjected to as a little girl: writing letters of Christmas resolutions to parents, grandparents and aunts and uncles. Today, when I look back at it as an...


Prati di Tivo and the Smell of Mushrooms

November 2017
The scenery upon arriving at Prati di Tivo was dreamlike. The first thing to see was the “Sleeping Giant,” as the mountain of the Gran Sasso d’Italia is called because it looks like the giant profile of a person resting. There was a wicker swing...


The Passing Moments of an Encounter

September 2017
It was a hot August day during a hot summer in Positano. As she was staring at the water reflecting a yellow and blue light, he watched her and did not understand the silence that reigned there, in that corner of paradise. Everything around was...


Welcome, Spring! May 1st and Its Virtues

May 2017
The month of May brings back to my mind the image of my maternal grandmother, Ada, who, like any true blooded teramana at the end of April, was busy planning the May 1st  lunch celebrating Workers' Day. My grandmother's house was full of...


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