From Vineyard to Wine Press to the Boccale
Although now nearly extinct in the wild, grapes (vitis vinifera) grew throughout the Mediterranean world and in Italy, grapes were cultivated both... View article
Anne's Blog / Curiosities
That Wine Mystique Splendor in Ancient Rome
My October 17, 2020 ZOOM presentation, “Italy’s Wine Mystique in History and Art” included – logicamente! – an exploration of the... View article
Zoom Right to Assisi’s Sacred and Profane Art
Actually, when walking through Assisi, you won’t want to “zoom” past the over fifty outdoor frescoes and small shrines adorning the... View article
That Culinary Mosaic of Sicily
What joy to do the research for my most recent ZOOM presentation, “Sicily’s Age-old Culinary Mosaic.” Such fascinating new tidbits... View article
Perugia: Celebrating San Costanzo with Il Torcolo
On January 29th – the Feast of San Costanzo (Perugia’s first bishop and one of the town’s three patron saints)... View article
With a Bonfire and Chestnuts, Assisi Awaits La Madonna
That huge crackling and spitting focaraccio (literally, “big ugly fire” i.e., “bonfire”) near Assisi’s massive medieval fortress, La Rocca Maggiore,... View article
Gnocchi with Peppa…..Without the Malocchio
How to refuse when Peppa calls us to ask, “Ho fatto gnocchi oggi. Venite a cena? (“I made gnocchi today... View article
Bolsena: Treasured Wash-day Memories
On an August Saturday night, groups of musicians and singers filled the Bolsena piazzas and wandered down the town’s winding... View article
Bolsena’s Infiorate: Floral Wonders for Santa Cristina Misteri
In early August in Bolsena, Pino and I (fortunately) ran into Stefano and Fabio, two protagonists of the Misteri di Santa... View article
Bolsena: Martyr Saints and Good Eating
Probably an hour after participating in the 4th-c martyrdom scene of Santa Cristina – patron saint of Bolsena and feted... View article
Agenzia Viaggi Stoppini in Assisi handles all technical support for my guided visits (bus transportation, organization of meals, etc)