Fav Reads On Italy This Week: Nov 29

Favorite Reads on Italy (FRI) is a weekly roundup published on Fridays featuring interesting articles, fascinating experiences, and handy resources that I’ve come across that week.

This week’s roundup includes an abundance of stories on Thanksgiving in Italy (present and past), artisan workshops, off-the-beaten experiences, stories from Venice and Naples, and more.

Culture and Travel

The Story of Matera by Young Adventuress – While we had a smooth ride to Matera when we visited last year, Liz, who I’ve met, had a rocky start in this fascinating town. However, that was just the beginning of the fairy tale story. Read on how to see how “Matera struck a major chord with her”.

Italian architect in bid to restore ‘ghost village’ by The Local – Interesting university thesis project, and though there was no mention on how the project will be funded, it will be nice to see this come to fruition.

Move Over, Venice, Rome, and Milan. Naples Is Italy’s Most Vibrant City by Condé Nast Traveler – While we have been to Naples many times to visit family (after all, it’s only 2 hours by car from Rome), we had never stopped over night until this past summer. It’s a crazy city, to put it mildly, but at the same time, it makes for an exhilarating visit, and I can’t wait to be back for more.

Glittering Modena by Travel Emilia Romagna – I’m all for artisan workshops and this article caught my attention. It describes handmade jewelry by the guild of goldsmiths in Modena that was founded in 1444.

[Video] Play Your Tuscany: Florence and Prato by Visit Tuscany – On the topic of artisans, this video highlights the artisans in Tuscany as part of the Play Your Tuscany project. While I didn’t get the chance to join this amazing experience, my friend Gillian did and she has written about it here.

Venice from the Water by The Travel Bunny – I was following Suzanne on her journey in Venice and saw how she dealt with the challenges of acqua alta (floods, to put it simply) during her visit. However, that didn’t dampen her spirits as she shares some of the top sights on Venice’s Grand Canal.

Food and Drinks

Parmesan cheese: Meet Italy’s pioneering cheese master by BBC Food – Fabulous read about a woman’s challenge to become the only woman cheese master in Italy and the interesting insights into Parmigiano-Reggiano.

Green Gold in the Chianti area by Tuscanycious – The Chianti area is renowned for their wines, but few are aware about their prized olive oil. Flavia, who was part of the group that joined the olive harvest with Cecchi earlier this month, sheds light on how the Chianti Classico DOP olive oil is produced.

Italy Food Roots take you to the real foodies by Heart Rome – My friend Maria had the wonderful opportunity to experience an event organized by Italy Food Roots, an initiative that promotes “the concept of farm to table”, in Lazio. While Maria wrote about her adventures in the olive grove and mill, it is only one of the many events that Italy Food Roots organizes throughout the year.

A Taste of Urbino: Discovering Passatelli and Crescia by Indiana Jo – We often spend at least a few days each year in Senigallia, Le Marche and food there never disappoints. Last month, we were there and got our share of passatelli and piadina. However, I have yet to try Crescia. The post also shares the recipe for passatelli. Delicious!

Life in Italy

Stacking Turkeys in Naples: Thanksgiving Day 70 Years Ago by The Atlantic – Flash from the past! Interesting to read how turkeys were shipped “weeks earlier from home” and such a vivid photo.

Thanksgiving: Bringing a taste of America to Rome by Buzz in Rome – A study-abroad student shares her experiencing of recreating the spirit and taste of Thanksgiving in Rome.

[Video] Thanksgiving and Cooking in Rome by Walks of Italy – And as many Americans abroad defer their Thanksgiving celebrations to the weekend (nope, they don’t get a day off), here is a video to give you a few last minute ideas for your feast.

Have you come across any great reads or resources on Italy this week? Share them with us in the comments below.