Archive for the ‘Culture’ Category

Italian ice cream, called gelato, is smoother and creamier than its American counterpart thanks to the process and ingredients. 

Gelato is churned at a slower rate than ice cream so less air is mixed into the ingredients.  That leads to a denser product.  Plus, it’s stored differently and eaten at a lower temperature.  There’s a lower fat content, which along with the fresh ingredients, leads to a more intense flavor—particularly fruit ones. 

While the consistency is closer to soft-serve than hand-dipped ice cream, it’s never served from one of those big silver machines.  Similar to hand-dipped, flavors at the gelateria are laid out in a glass display case and are dished out with a flat spatula rather than an ice cream scoop.

Not all gelaterie are created equal (although, really, it is hard to find bad gelato in Italy), so look for “nostra produzione,” or “produzione propria” for homemade, quality gelato.

And that’s why having gelato is a “must” on any trip to Italy.

(Image: Azzurri Team, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from laertes_za’s photostream)

The World Cup 2010 is in full swing! For those fans of the Azzuri who are in Rome and Florence and want to catch some of the football action, we’ve compiled this list of places where you can watch the matches with other Italia fans!

Rome

Villa Borghese – One of only 7 places where FIFA (World Cup Sponsor) is hosting their FanFest. With the FanFest, FIFA is trying to bring some of the atmosphere of the World Cup venues into some of the world’s largest and most football obsessed cities. Admission to the FanFest area is free and games are broadcast throughout the day on large, outdoor screens.

Florence

Florence has placed large outdoor screen throughout the city, including ones in Piazzale Michelangelo, Via Villamagna and Piazza Santo Spirito. Around Tuscany has a great Google Map with all the locations on their website.

Where ever you watch, make sure to enjoy the game and celebrate responsibly! Forza Azzuri!

Image: Colosseum at Night, Rome, Italy, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from lightmatter’s photostream

Rome, the Eternal City. What is it that makes Rome one of the most visited cities in Europe? We’ve compiled a list of five reasons that Rome might be the top city to visit on your trip to Italy.

History

From the Colossuem to the Forum to the Pantheon to Vatican City, history is all around you in Rome. Dating back to the 8th Century BC and home to important structures and artifacts from the building of Western Civilization, you can’t throw a stone in the center of Rome without hitting something more than a couple centuries old.
Please note: We don’t recommend throwing stones at history.

Art

Some of the most famous works of art are housed in Rome, including the paintings on the Sistine Chapel, the rest of the Vatican collection, the works in the Galleria Borghese and the Capitoline Museums.

Romance

Before there was the phrase “What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas” there was the phrase “When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” a phrase that dates back to the fourth century. Rome has long been a destination for travelers who want to immerse themselves in local culture and traditions and for travelers looking for a little Romance. It’s no wonder that Rome is the romance movie destination of choice for Hollywood.

Cusine

We’ve already covered the basics of Italian cuisine (and I’m sure your mouth was watering just reading that). Is it any surprise that visitors flock to Rome on all sorts of Food and Wine tours of Rome?

Shopping

Many of the top Italian designers call Rome home to the flagship stores including Valentino, Hermès, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Gucci, Versace, Bulgari, Chanel, Armani, Dolce e Gabbana, Prada, Ferragamo and Campanile. All of those stores are on one street: the Via Condotti. Add to that other flagship stores, street vendors and the local merchants (with some of the most lovingly crafted leather goods in the world) and Rome is your power shopper’s paradise.

Italy has a history with fast cars. We’ve already heard about Maranello, the birthplace of the Ferrari.  Today, we’re focusing on the world’s premier car racing series: Formula 1.

Image: The Iceman commeth, a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike (2.0) image from ph-stop’s photostream

Formula 1 race cars are single seater racers (similar to American Indy cars). The “formula” of Formula 1 is the set of rules that all cars must fit into. These rules limit everything from the size of the chasis, the minimum requirements of engines and the amount of fuel and tire changes during races. The rules can (and usually do) change from year to year; the most controversial of the rules changes for 2010 was to ban fuel stops during races, requiring all cars to begin races with a full tank. Despite these restrictions, F1 cars can reach over 220mph and pull up to 5gs during some track corners. These aren’t cars for your Sunday drivers.

Nearly every country that participates in Formula 1 racing hosts a race, or Grand Prix, in their home country. The soon to be launched USA Team will begin hosting races in Austin, TX in 2012. Many of the races take place in beautiful and exotic locales such as Bahrain, Malaysia and Abu Dhabi. In Monaco, the race is held through the streets of the city (on the same course that was featured in the recent Iron Man 2).

Image: Ferrari Fan at USGP 2005, a Creative Commons Attribution Share-Alike (2.0) image from special_k_'s photostream

Formula 1 drivers are employed by teams. Italy is currently home to two F1 teams: Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro and Scuderia Toro Rosso. Both teams use Ferrari engines (as does Switzerland’s BMW Sauber Team), but the Ferrari team cars are constructed by

the legendary automobile company.

To Italians, Formula 1 is as big a cultural and sporting event as Football and the affectionate nickname for football fanatics also applies to F1 fans: Tifosi. The tifosi, generally Ferrari Team fans, have been known to flock to Italian and other European Grands Prix, completely decked out in red, supporting their home team.

There are Grand Prix nearly every weekend during the Formula 1 Season; The Italian Grand Prix will take place on September 12, 2010 in Monza, Italy. There’s still time to plan your trip and Driver in Italy can help with all your Italy tour arrangements.

Image: Galleria degli Uffizi, a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from gaspa’s photostream

Italy is home to some of the most famous art in history. Art is found all over in Italy: framed and on display, in the middle of a courtyard and sometimes art is the building you’re standing in. Instead of trying to cover all of Italy’s art in one entry, let’s break it down a couple places at a time. Today: The Uffizi Gallery and The Galleria dell’Accademia.

The Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy is one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions and is housed in a former palace that dates back to 1560. While serving as a state building, the Uffizi’s original occupants, the Medici family, filled it with art and sculptures. In 1765, the Museum was opened to the public as one of the first modern museums.

The Birth of Venus

Today, The Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the most recognizable paintings in the world. These include:

• Sandro Bottecelli’s The Birth of Venus (pictured, right)
• Caravaggio’s Bacchus and Medusa
• Titian’s Venus of Urbino
• Michelangelo’s Doni Tondo
• Leonardo da Vinci’s The Adoration of the Magi
• Raphel’s Madonna of the Goldfinch

The Uffizi Gallery can be very busy and wait times to get in during the summer season can top 5 hours. Booking a ticket in advance will reduce your wait time.

While you’re seeing Art in Florence, a trip to the Galleria dell’Accademia is a natural stop. The Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze, which houses the Galleria, is Europe’s first drawing academy and still a functioning art school today. While providing a much smaller collection than that of the Uffizi, the Galleria dell’Accademia is home to perhaps the most famous statue in art history, Michelangelo’s David. Originally placed in the nearby Piazza della Signoria, the Accademia has housed the statue since 1873. Many other Renaissance paintings including those by Michelangelo, Botticelli, Paolo Uccello, and Giambologna are included in the collection.

Driver In Italy can make your art trip to Florence even easier by providing transportation, tickets, and your own professional, English-speaking tour guide. Check out the Guided Visit to the Uffizi & Accademy Galleries package on our website for more details.