‘Pearls of Italy’

Tips and curiosities about travel Italy



Spring in Italy 2000: Rome, Florence and Venice

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

In Italy, quoting from Italian proverbs – you say April makes your sleep sweeter; probably this drowsy atmosphere has infected me too! Besides being the month of Morpheus, April also marks the beginning of spring. Hills are covered by flowers, the air is full of fragrances, and the Italian cities are more beautiful than ever. [...]

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The period of the Creches

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

The month of December is an extremely important season in all Italian regions, from North to South. Lights, decorations, Christmas trees are all over the place. Added to the fragrance of roast chestnuts (that are still roasted and sold on improvised stalls that seem to spring up along the roads of town centres as a [...]

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Italian Christmas gifts

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

Christmas is coming, and like every year the age-old problem of buying gifts arises again. What to buy, how to find new and original ideas? This month I would like to help you in finding the right idea, a particular place, the typical Italian gift or an absolutely exotic gift to make your and your [...]

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January 2000: the new millennium

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

The apocalyptic New Year’s Eve is over and we are still here. Holidays are also over and cities are going back to the habitual lifestyle, awaiting for a new “terrible cataclysm”, the Jubilee, that will hit Italy as an unavoidable hurricane. Seriously, the Jubilee‘s air has brought with it changes, restoration, renewal and refurbishing works [...]

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Mad March exhibitions

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

March is a strange month; in Italy we say marzo pazzerello, esce il sole, prendi l’ombrello – Mad March, the sun comes out – take your umbrella!. March is the month when the weather quickly changes, the month of the first timid days of warm sunshine, when the cities start to wake up and show [...]

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February, the month of the Carnival

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

February is the month of carnival, that this year will invade streets, lanes and squares of all Italian cities from the 25th of February until the 7th of March. So put on your mask, buy or invent a fancy dress and throw yourself into the fun! Venice Venice is wonderful in every season, but during [...]

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The Travelling markets – Christmas markets Tuscany

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

This type of market, in various countries throughout Europe, has almost disappeared, suffocated by mass distribution and shopping centres which are shiny and new, but definately less human. In Italy and Tuscany huge shopping centres exist, but have not managed to subsume this antique and distinctive tradition. In Italy the markets continue to resist in [...]

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Italian Christmas markets

La Toscana: English, Newsletter archive, Pearls of Italy

The tradition to enrich and to animate the Christmas time with markets and local fairs is lately becoming very popular in Italy too. Originally born into the Northern Europe (probably due to the origins of Santa Claus’ legend), this folk custom is also spreading our culture and our way to live the Christmas, expecially in [...]

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Basil from Prà

La Toscana: English, Pearls of Italy

This is a very small basil cultivated in a greenhouse, very tender and with an intense aroma. The yield is high since you can also eat the stem without problems. Much care is dedicated to the selection of the seed to which very select plants are germinated and to the natural sterilization of the ground. [...]


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Panettone

La Toscana: Bel Paese Receipts, English

Ingredients for 4 people: 700 g of flour 250 g of sugar; 250 g of butter; 40 g of yeast; 6 egg yolks; 10 g of salt; 200 g of sultanas; 40 g candied orange peel; 30 g candied cedar; grated rind of 1 lemon; lukewarm water; flour for sprinkling. Crumble the yeast in 100 [...]


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Baccalà mantecato

La Toscana: Bel Paese Receipts, English

Dried salted cod or “baccalà” has always been a popular Venetian dish. It was prepared in several ways including the most characteristic and popular one. Ingredients for 6 people: 1 kg of chopped and soaked dried salted cod, 1 litre of milk, 2 spoons of minced parsley, 3 chopped anchovy filets, 1 slice of chopped [...]


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Bucatini all’amatriciana

La Toscana: Bel Paese Receipts, English

This month’s recipe is a classic of Roman cooking: the name comes from Amatrice, a town in Lazio; from here the farmers that travelled down to Rome with their produce, including fresh ewe’s milk cheese (pecorino) and mountain pigs, also imported this way of cooking maccheroni and bucatini. It is not a dish for anyone [...]


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