Italy Blog

This weekend Formula 1 returns to Monza – the fastest circuit on earth and arguably one of the most legendary.

More here:
La Pista Magica – Formula 1 in Monza

After 18 years as a Catholic choirmaster he was sacked without explanation from the cathedral in Lecce.

Read the original post:
Sacked from church choir because of sex-change

Images courtesy of Salvatore di Meo Pizza con guanciale di maiale, pomodoro del pendolo e basilico To live and work in a small village in the countryside which is governed by its own natural rhythms, its own heartbeat, is a feeling which touches your very soul. It’s almost impossible to explain it to someone else.

Here is the original: 
The flavours of autumn – Pizza with pork cheek, vine tomatoes and basil

Mike Bongiorno, born in New York in 1924 and Italian TV’s most well-known face died of a heart attack Tuesday in Monte Carlo.

More here: 
Italo-American TV star Mike Bongiorno dies

A ban on kissing San Gennaro’s relic was confirmed by Naples church authorities Monday. A vessel said to contain the saint’s dried blood is generally held up after the substance liquefies on the anniversary of his martyrdom on September 19, when it is sometimes offered to authorities for a good-luck kiss.

Go here to read the rest:
No more kisses for San Gennaro

Words by Marco Merola – Pictures by Pasquale Sorrentino Like a jewel in the beautiful setting of Italy’s famous Amalfi coast , Positano looks peacefully down on an enchanting stretch of the Mediterranean which for generations has been the goal of artists and literary figures. Custom Teaser:  Sample the joys of this Mediterranean jewel with Marco Merola..

Read the original post: 
The Pull of Positano

Last week was yes another complicated one for the Italian Prime Minister. After having to deal with international criticism for accepting to attend an event in Libya following the release of the Lockerbie bomber from Scottish prisons Berlusconi hoped to regain control of the news.

See original here:
The ongoing troubles of Mr. Berlusconi

Italians are still very fond of beauty pageants and there is a whole variety of them taking place in every town in Italy during July and August. The culmination is the Miss Italy pageant that occupies four days of prime time TV during September.

Here is the original post: 
Italian Miss Nonna 2009, a beauty pageant for grandmas

Words and Pictures by Christine Webb Years ago, while staying near the Amalfi coast, I saw four heavy men in sateen suits emerge from a large black car. On their fat fingers, rings flashed in the midday sun and their glossy black hair was combed from grimly set faces. Custom Teaser:  Christine Webb explores the complexities of that sacred and most-respected event…

Read more from the original source: 
The Sunday Lunch

Neapolitan crime families seem to be under some strain as of late. The police has scored several successes and put some of the heads of Camorra (the name of the Neapolitan mafia) families behind bars.

Read the original here:
The rise of women in the Camorra