What Do You Think Of Italy

Italy observed and recounted with irony and affection, but without indulgence, in its most evident features and its most hidden depths: the rituals, the festivities, pastimes, food, passions, and great historical defects. It is a satirical or semi-serious gallery of characters (the politician, the teacher, the doctor, the "Moroccan," the notary, the cabineer, the big eater . . .) that make the social and human climate of a country unmistakable.

John Hooper presents the ideal companion for anyone seeking to understand contemporary Italy and the unique character of the Italians. Digging deep into their history, culture and religion, he offers keys to assessing everything from their bewildering politics to their love of life and beauty.

Experience world-famous art, stroll romantic streets, and savor the flavors of Italy's top cities. Inside Moon Rome, Florence & Venice you'll find: Flexible itineraries for 1 to 5 days in Rome, Florence, and Venice that can be combined into a longer trip, including side trips to Assisi, Siena, Pisa, and Lucca Strategic advice for foodies, art lovers, history buffs, and more Must-see highlights and unique experiences: Cycle the Borghese park on a sunny day, learn classic Italian recipes in a cooking class, and admire masterworks by Bernini, Botticelli, and Caravaggio. Hike to sprawling hilltop views of Florence, meander through historic museums, or catch the Gregorian chants being sung at the Duomo on a Sunday morning. Stroll through Venice's fish markets, rent a kayak and explore the winding canals, and bask in the afternoon sun as you sip wine on a piazza Honest advice on where to stay, how to get around, and where to find the best regional cuisine, from pizza al taglio in Rome to gelato in Florence and fritto misto in Venice Local perspective from American-turned-Roman Alexei Cohen on his adopted home country Full-color photos and detailed maps throughout Background information on the landscape, history, and cultural customs of each city Handy tools such as visa information, an Italian phrasebook, and tips for traveling with children or as a senior Experience la dolce vita your way with Moon's practical tips and local insight. Exploring more of Italy? Try Moon Milan & the Italian Lakes or Moon Amalfi Coast.

Change the world one trip at a time. In this illuminating collection of stories and lessons from the road, acclaimed travel writer Rick Steves shares a powerful message that resonates now more than ever. With the world facing divisive and often frightening events, from Trump, Brexit, and Erdogan, to climate change, nativism, and populism, there's never been a more important time to travel. Rick believes the risks of travel are widely exaggerated, and that fear is for people who don't get out much. After years of living out of a suitcase, he still marvels at how different cultures find different truths to be self-evident. By sharing his experiences from Europe, Central America, Asia, and the Middle East, Rick shows how we can learn more about own country by viewing it from afar. With gripping stories from Rick's decades of exploration, this fully revised edition of Travel as a Political Act is an antidote to the current climate of xenophobia. When we travel thoughtfully, we bring back the most beautiful souvenir of all: a broader perspective on the world that we all call home. All royalties from the sale of Travel as a Political Act are donated to support the work of Bread for the World, a non-partisan organization working to end hunger at home and abroad.

The Gluten-Free Guide to Italy is part of a series of guides, designed to promote healthy gluten-free travel all over the globe. It features over 2000 gluten-free venues with key information such as location, telephone, website, and prices. It also features a Gluten-Free Italian 101 section with lots of vocabulary help in 5 languages for ordering gluten-free food.

This dazzling collection of original essays from some of the country's leading thinkers asks the rather intriguing question - Are Italians White? Each piece carefully explores how, when and why whiteness became important to Italian Americans, and the significance of gender, class and nation to racial identity.

A witty and warm-hearted memoir of abandoning fast-paced American days in favor of discovering the Italian secrets of food, community, and life. Moving across the globe meant Michelle Damiani soon found herself untangling Italian customs, delighting in glorious regional cuisine (recipes included), and creating lasting friendships. From grandmothers eager to teach the ancient art of pasta making, to bakers tossing bread into fiery ovens with a song, to butchers extolling the benefits of pork fat, Il Bel Centro is rich with captivating characters and cultural insights. Throw in clinking glasses of Umbrian red with the local communists and a village all-nighter decorating the cobblestone streets with flower petals; as well as embarrassing language minefields and a serious summons to the mayor’s office, and you have all the ingredients for a spellbinding travel tale. Exquisitely observed, Il Bel Centro is an intimate celebration of small town Italy, as well as a thoughtful look at raising a family in a new culture and a fascinating story of finding a home. Ultimately though, this is a story about how travel can change you when you’re ready to let it. With laugh-out-loud situations and wanderlust-inspiring storytelling, Il Bel Centro is a joyous and life-affirming read that will have readers rushing to renew their passports. “This is one of the most beautiful book I’ve ever read.” “I absolutely couldn’t get enough of this book.” “This book made me want to pack my bags.” “I loved, loved this book. Fabulously written, engaging, and entertaining.” “A magical read.”

An idiosyncratic guidebook to architectural (and other) wonders of Italy, accompanied by the author’s own witty illustrations. In Some Reasons for Traveling to Italy, architect Peter Wilson offers a Grand Tour of Grand Tours, providing an idiosyncratic guidebook to architectural (and other) wonders of Italy, illustrated by his own witty watercolors and sketches. Wilson chronicles the reasons that people throughout history have traveled to Italy—ranging from “To Be the Subject of an Equestrian Painting by Uccello in Florence Cathedral” to “To Rebuild Herculaneum in Malibu” (the desire of oil tycoon J. Paul Getty in the 1970s)—while giving readers a deeper understanding of Italy’s architectural habitat and cultural mythology. In Wilson’s narratives and anecdotes, place names function as talismans; the events may not tally with recorded history, or with the exact topographies of actual places. Wilson offers historical reworkings, appropriations, and an architect’s scrutiny of certain Italian tropes. He recounts that Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford, set out “To Flee England Out of Embarrassment” after breaking wind when he bowed to Queen Elizabeth I; French novelist Stendhal went “To Discover an Anti-France”; and an English architect went “To Get Some Ideas for a Mausoleum.” At the first Venice Biennale of Architecture in 1980, a dapper architect found that he had come to Italy “To Fall Overboard in a White Suit,” the artist Cy Twombly went simply “To See,” and Wilson himself found that he was “Captured by the Ospedale Degli Innocenti,” enchanted by the sight of Brunelleschi’s architrave.