Archive for 'Culture'
I Mesi dell’Anno Posted by Serena on Jan 27, 2009
I mesi dell’anno (the months of the year) have very similar names in most cultures that use the Giuliano (Julian) and Gregoriano (Gregorian) calendar. In the first century B.C. Julius Caesar reformed the Roman calendar, giving it its familiar structure of 365 days (366 every fourth year which is known as an anno bisestile), divided into 12 months. Apart from…
Memorie Siciliane Posted by Serena on Jan 17, 2009
Recently I received a comment from a reader whose family is originally from Monreale in Sicilia (Sicily). These two names, Monreale and Sicilia, immediately brought back a stream of memories from a holiday I enjoyed many years ago in this beautiful region. My adventure started in Rome where I caught a night train to Palermo. Making…
Timber! Posted by Serena on Jan 12, 2009
Warming oneself by the stufa a legna (wood burning stove) on these chilly winters evenings I have plenty of time to contemplate the importance of wood in our everyday lives, especially here in the heavily forested regions of Lunigiana in the north of Tuscany. In Italian we have both a feminine and a masculine form of the word for wood: legna (fem.)…
Viva la Befana Posted by Serena on Jan 6, 2009
“Epifania, tutte le feste si porta via” (Epiphany brings an end to all the festivities). Epifania, a Latin word with Greek origins, means “(festival of) the apparition” or “manifestation (of the divinity)”. In the Catholic church the Epifania celebrates the visit of the Re Magi (the Wise Kings) to Gesu’ Bambino (Baby Jesus) on the…
Il Regista Italiano, Sergio Leone Posted by Serena on Jan 5, 2009
Last Saturday, the 3rd of January, was the 80th anniversary of the birth of the legendary Italian regista (director) Sergio Leone, an event that has been commemorated here in Italy by the many journalists and individuals who have payed tribute to his genius. According to an article in the Italian newspaper Corriere della Serra (3rd…
Papà Natale è brutto e cattivo Posted by Serena on Jan 1, 2009
When I was eight years old a new girl came to my school. One day, talking with her about regali di Natale (Christmas presents) I discovered with great astonishment that her presents were brought not by Papà Natale (Father Christmas) but by Gesù Bambino (Baby Jesus). I had never heard of such a thing, and…
Natale by Giuseppe Ungaretti Posted by Serena on Dec 24, 2008
Natale (Christmas) is upon us with all its frenetic rhythms: shopping, cards, presents, parties, expectations of happiness, peace and goodwill. But in my mind there are a few whispered words: it’s a poem, written by Giuseppe Ungaretti during the First World War, that we used to study at Christmas time when I was at school…