That in Puglia, the land of sun and sea, it snows is rare and that it happens in Villa Castelli, country of wine and oil, is definitely an event! But we have greeted the 2015 in this way! On December 31st, each of us, every “castellano” stood up and, opening the windows, found a unusual, magical and sweet Villa Castelli,…
New term starts on the 23rd of January 2015 The Italian Cultural Institute is the official Italian government centre for the promotion of the Italian culture and language, offering a wide choice of Italian classes. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate or advanced, whether you want learn Italian for business or pleasure, we can help you perfect your language skills at…
The lagoon of Venice is the cradle of an ancient civilization, the documentary “Lagunalonga” tells its great beauty, for those who live there and for those who want to discover the magic of this extraordinary ecosystem, in footage shot by historic boats and helicopter, and passionate words of many witnesses, both fishermen and historians, administrators and artisans. The documentary reveals…
The popular satirical youtube channel The Jackal has published Ogni maledetto Natale, an hilarious video about the (sometimes infamous) tradition of Christmas movies in Italy, parodying famous movie directors such as Sergio Leone (Il buono, il brutto e il cattivo), Paolo Sorrentino (La grande Bellezza), Gabriele Muccino (L’ultimo bacio), Vittorio De Sica (Sciuscià, Ladri di biciclette), the Vanzina Brothers (sadly renown for…
Like any self-respecting tradition, Italians (Apulians) eat pettole during the feast of the Immaculate Conception, 8th of December. Pettole are a delicious sweet, typical of Apulia that is repeated throughout the Christmas period, with other delicacies. So, here we are already in the Christmas spirit, could not do anything else but make a cooking class for our students of the Italian language and culture in order…
Sorrento prepares not only for Christmas holidays but also for the new year’s holidays in a particularly inviting way. Among the best attractions, in addition to music, gourmet demonstrations and fireworks, you can find also nativities and nativity figures. Famous for its “tourist look” which makes it particularly inviting during the summer period, the town keeps its traditions in the…
I live in a small Apulian town, very cozy and typical in the province of Brindisi called Villa Castelli. The origin of the name is still undefined, but it is said it derives from either “Li Castelli” or “Monte Castello”, due to the presence in the area of two castles: the Palazzo Ducale built with towers and cannons and the…
In collaboration with the Embassy of Italy in London, Consulate General of Italy in London, European Commission Representation in the UK, Eni and Finmeccanica. Concert part of SUONA ITALIANO, project for the promotion and diffusion of Italian Music in UK. La ChiaraStella is a concert conceived for the OPI – Orchestra Popolare Italiana by Ambrogio Sparagna (conductor, accordionist and ethnomusicologist).…
Yesterday I came across this old music video from the bavarian pop group Schrott Nach 8. The title speaks for itself: “Zuppa romana”. This song has been a hit in the 80s, and it is still well remembered in Germany, so that just few years ago the comedian Matze Knop covered it to praise the Italian striker Luca Toni, by that time…
This short-course is designed for intermediate and upper-intermediate students of Italian. The course is aimed at students who wish to expand their knowledge of Italian cinema while improving their speaking, reading and listening skills and by participating in discussions based on selected scenes. The course will help student expand and deepen their knowledge of Italian language and culture. By watching…
