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Defense Secretary Leon E. Panetta took a break Wednesday from war planning and leading the world’s most powerful military to pay his respects to Pope Benedict XVI, a champion of peace.
Panetta, an observant Catholic who proudly wears his Italian American heritage on his sleeve, beamed as he sat in a front row reserved for VIPs during the pope’s weekly general audience in a Vatican auditorium.
While the city of Rome and the Vatican last year celebrated the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s completion of the Sistine Chapel frescos, a New York State resident is also celebrating Michelangelo and the approaching authentication of a rare 470-year-old painting the owner stored under his couch. Italian scholars in several disciplines have compiled a catalogue of scientific evidence supporting Martin Kober from Buffalo, NY, and his claim that his 63x48cm wooden panel is an original Michelangelo.
Spectacular lava flows and smoke from an active volcano on the Italian island of Stromboli on Monday sparked fear among inhabitants but geophysicists said the situation was under control.Stromboli is part of the seven-island Eolian Archipelago just off Sicily in southern Italy.
What: Italy always has had a prominent place in Chicago, but this year it will especially be in the public eye. The U.S. Department of State has declared 2013 the Year of Italian Culture, and the Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago is taking full advantage with a yearlong series of events.
During a particular spate of Anglophilia, certain image-obsessed upper-class Neapolitan gents of the early 20th century sent their tailors to London to learn English style. Having analyzed Englishmen’s tastes for suits with high armholes, a squared-off shoulder, a suppressed waist and armoring woolens, they came home and completely Italianized what they had learned.
For the third time in the last ten months, Barbara Zaragoza's Naples, Italy travel guide hits the #1 Amazon best seller list for Naples travel guides, ahead of Rick Steves.
Think of Italy and what is the first thing that comes to mind? Is it the food, the fashion or the fabulous works of art? Could it be the epitome of motor vehicles, the Ferrari or perhaps the beautiful city of Florence?
California could soon be the next state to do away with Columbus Day thanks to a bill proposed by Assemblymember Roger Hernandez (D-West Covina).The Native American Day bill, or AB 55, would replace Columbus Day, which falls on the second Monday in October, with "Native American Day." Assemblymember Hernandez proposed the bill Monday.
While the notion of a "genuine Italian dining experience" is certainly a subjective one, there are countless examples of "Italian" dishes in the United States that may have evolved thanks to a strong Italian-American population presence, but don't actually reflect the cuisine of Italy. The same is true with many other cuisines -- American Chinese food varies pretty significantly from what you may find in China.
In a highly anticipated and occasionally furious TV interview watched by nearly 9 million of his compatriots, former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi acknowledged misleading voters about the cause of his country's financial crisis, but doggedly attacked the current government's austerity cuts and fought back when mocked.