A Tale of Two Cultures
When coming from America to live in Italy there are many differences between the two countries to adjust to. There are obvious ones that are known before coming such as it being much hotter in Italy d...
The Stages of Cultural Adjustment (Part 2 of 3)
In part one, we left off discussing stage two of the process of cultural adjustment, in which you were experiencing full-blown culture shock and all the frustrations and challenges that go with it. Ag...
The Stages of Cultural Adjustment (Part 1 of 3)
When thinking about and planning to move to a new country, the number of logistical preparations to take care of can seem endless. Especially if you are moving not just by yourself, but with a partne...
Casa Scozia: A New Promoter of Scottish Events in Italy
Casa Scozia is a new non-profit entity set up to promote everything to do with Scotland in Italy. This will include Scottish cultural events (ceilidh dances, Scottish Country Dancing courses, Highland...
Applying for Italian Citizenship (with few tears)
You’ve been an expat in Italy for long enough to ponder if you should apply for Italian citizenship – but you might not be so sure about the process. Inspired by the imminent Brexit referendum, the Sc...
Did you know… the Devil lived in Corso di Porta Romana 3?
Among the numerous myths and legends about Milan there is a curious one that says that the devil lived in Corso di Porta Romana n. 3. Why? From 1629 through 1631, in northern Italy, there were a seri...
Outlawed gentleman – Stories and Legends of Milan
Ezio Barbieri and “La Banda della Aprilia Nera” A long time ago Milan’s neighborhood “Isola” (island) was isolated from the rest of the city – due to the railway crossing it – and it was inhabited by ...
Carlina – Stories and Legends of Milan
Carlina was a young girl from the Lake of Como, more precisely from Schignano. At the time and in those areas, according to custom, young brides dressed in black – and not in white as you are used to ...
Italian Names and their Onomastico
Have you ever noticed that many Italians have the same name and most of them are named after a Saint? It is not lack of imagination, but a strong influence of their tradition. As we all know, Italy is...
Have you met the Befana?
In Italy, January means epiphany and that means the Befana! (be’fa:na) which usually marks the end of the Christmas season. The Befana is a character from local folklore who makes her appearance durin...
Dressing for the Holidays
December is a very social month. You may have the perfect outfit for Christmas day, however it won’t do to re-use the same outfit for New Year’s Eve which will require something even more spectacular....
VERY – Superstitious
We all know better than to open an umbrella indoors, walk underneath a ladder, break a mirror and stay away from black cats. However, Italy has a few additions to this list. To help you prepare for li...
Where is Waldo? Stuck in the toilet possibly!
We have all enjoyed playing where is Waldo and it’s quite amusing, but there is a time and a place for everything. Sure, Italians are creative and that is a good thing, mostly, but when flushing the t...
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