Photo Exhibit
Anno Nuovo
January 2019 | Marcello Mellino
The beginning of a new year is traditionally a major celebration in Italy, as it is all over the world. Families and friends gather for the Cenone di Capodanno which often turns out to be an enormous culinary marathon. Most menus vary depending on...
Vecchie Porte (Old Doors)
December 2018 | Marcello Mellino
I have always enjoyed looking at doors, particularly when visiting an ancient Italian village where you will likely find some rather unusual porte. Nothing was standardized centuries ago and, indeed, a door could tell very much about the family...
Artistic Treasures in Italian Churches
November 2018 | Marcello Mellino
Churches and art have always been deeply connected in Italy. Most of the great painters prior to the Renaissance created primarily religious works, often with the support of the local nobility. Invaluable artistic treasures adorn the famous...
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...