Archive by Author
Ai Musei Vaticani Posted by Serena on Feb 26, 2015
In today’s post, I recount a visit to the Vatican Museums that I made when I was a student of archaeology many years ago. Apart from two brief notes, I’ve left the text entirely in Italian. If you have any difficulty translating it, please leave a comment below. L’altro giorno la mia amica Annalisa mi…
Masaccio’s Holy Trinity Posted by Serena on Feb 25, 2015
After a long day spent wandering around the narrow tourist packed streets of Florence, I usually try to make a quick visit to the church of Santa Maria Novella before catching the train. I like its elegant facade, designed by Leon Battista Alberti in 1470, and besides, it’s always so quiet in there, a moment of respite before throwing myself…
The Amatriciana Dilemma Posted by Serena on Feb 17, 2015
What are the true, authentic ingredients of Amatriciana sauce? This was the main topic of discussion in all the Italian newspapers last week. Why? Because master chef Carlo Cracco had the cheek to tell a member of the audience on a TV program that you should add uno spicchio d’aglio in camicia (a clove of garlic…
St. Valentine’s Day in Italy Posted by Serena on Feb 12, 2015
In Italy, La Festa di San Valentino is very different from the Valentine’s Day I experienced in the UK. I still vividly remember my first Valentine’s Day in England, not because it was so romantic, but because it was full of cultural surprises. It all started a couple of days before the 14th of February…
Italian Transitive and Intransitive Verbs – A Practical Guide Posted by Serena on Feb 9, 2015
Funnily enough, a few days ago I received two different comments on a post that I wrote a long time ago on the difference between transitive and intransitive verbs. I went back and had a look at the article and decided that it’s definitely time to revise this topic. The original article is worth checking…
Nevicata Posted by Serena on Feb 4, 2015
Preface by Geoff: Dear readers, when I opened the shutters and saw our valley transformed by an unexpected overnight snowfall, I immediately suggested to Serena that she described the vision in Italian for your edification. Little did I know that she would pen what to me is a rather beautiful poem ………………. Photo by Geoff…
A Poem For January Posted by Serena on Jan 26, 2015
Here’s a lovely poem by Giacomo di Michele (1280-1332), better known as Folgòre da San Gimignano, from the beautiful Tuscan town of San Gimignano, near Siena. Folgòre was a knight and courtier who wrote in the Tuscan language just before the time of Dante. He is famous for his set of sonnets known as La…