A non-Fast Feast

Calabria

A popular southern Italian tradition carried on by Italians all over the world is the Feast of the Seven Fishes, in Italy known simply as la cena della vigilia, Christmas Eve Dinner. Catholics abstain from eating meat on Christmas Eve, so the fish fits right in, but the dinner is anything but a fast. The… (more)

The Ruins of Ancient Tindari

Tindari, Sicily

Tindari, ancient Tyndaris, is 60 km from Messina and sits above the Tyrrhenian Sea over the Gulf of Patti and the Cape of Milazzo, a fabulous strategic position to control the formerly pirate-infested waters between the Aeolian Islands and Messina. Tyndaris was first settled in 1500 B.C. but it wasn’t until 396 B.C. that Dionysius… (more)

Celebrating the Peperoncino in Calabria

Diamante

We love hot peppers down here in Calabria, the toe of the boot, but there’s one particular village that is particularly pazzo (crazy) for the pods that pack a punch: Diamante, in the province of Cosenza, home of the annual Festival del Peperoncino held by the Accademia Italiana del Peperoncino. Admission is free, and you… (more)