Photo Exhibit
La Piazza
October 2018 | Marcello Mellino
La piazza (the square) has been the center of town since the Romans and the Greeks before them. The ancient Italian villages were built traditionally around a main square where most activities took place such as the daily market, most political...
Buon Appetito!
September 2018 | Marcello Mellino
So, you arrived in Italy yesterday, have rested well at your hotel and today you have begun exploring one of the most wonderful countries in the world...and now you are hungry! When looking for food, you could not be in a better place.
From...
In Vacanza
August 2018 | Marcello Mellino
As summer goes on, the hot, humid weather brings back memories of vacanze estive (summer holidays), our escape from the intense heat as I was growing up in the Puglia region of Italy. We lived outside of Taranto, a major Italian Navy port, and I...
La Spiaggia
July 2018 | Marcello Mellino
Italy is surrounded by the Mediterranean Sea (fig. 1), which the Romans called Mare nostrum to signify its vital importance and enormous presence in the history and civilization of the Italian Peninsula. Italians have always been great sailors,...
Italiani
June 2018 | Marcello Mellino
The most common question I hear from friends planning a trip to Italy is, “We are going for a week so what should we see?” A lifetime would probably not be enough to see all there is to see in the beautiful country. As we all know, art and history...
La Passeggiata
May 2018 | Marcello Mellino
The passeggiata is typically a pleasurably purposeless, slow, non-exertional mode of ambulation (fig. 1) perfected over the centuries by the Italians. It is meant to be enjoyed outdoors and preferably in good company (fig. 2). As the American...
Shopping… al fresco!
April 2018 | Marcello Mellino
Italians have perfected the art of shopping al fresco. By that I am referring to the time-consuming, but thoroughly enjoyable, outdoor shopping (fig. 1) which is so common in Italian piazza and streets. Daily mercatini set up in local squares and...
Italia di notte
March 2018 | Marcello Mellino
Italy is a splendid travel destination at any time of the year since its beauty and endless treasures are available in every season. However, the feel and the atmosphere become so different and even more captivating once the sun has gone down....
Isola Tiberina
February 2018 | Marcello Mellino
I have often visited the Isola Tiberina when in Rome (figs. 1,2). This tiny island is located in the middle of the Tiber River (fig. 3), across the Trastevere rione and the old Jewish Ghetto, east of St. Peter Basilica and the Vatican. It is...