PROFVMVM

    There are a few things in life that can stir up emotion and conjure memories the way a scent can. With our sense of smell being so powerful, it is no wonder people spend more that $12 billion annually on perfumes worldwide. France ranks as the number one country in perfume exporting and […]

Spaghetti and Meatballs? Nope!

Think meatballs and the image likely comes to mind of a plate of spaghetti slathered in tomato sauce and three heaping meatballs. But did you know that in Italy, meatballs (known as polpette), are not consumed with pasta; but rather as a second dish after the pasta along with a side of vegetables? Italian Americans […]

SPACE, where taste has no timetable

All roads lead to Rome and among those of taste there is SPACE by Niko Romito, in Piazza Verdi. The chef is from Abruzzo, at the 3-star Michelin restaurant in Castel di Sangro (AQ), who has embarked on a new business venture this year to add to his curriculum. A few months ago, he opened […]

First Gallery in the World: the Capitoline Museums

  Rome must be one of the richest cities – culturally speaking – with its history of kings, emperors, politicians, statesmen, and popes. It is certainly one big living museum of art, architecture, and artifacts, with examples of ancient, classical, and baroque creations at every turn. As Ovid said, “There is no such thing as […]

What has true value in Italy

  Only in Italy…. Precious jewels, gold, and items of priceless value – most people store such items in a bank’s vault. But come to Italy, and you’ll find banks that store something even more valuable: Parmigiano-Reggiano.   Yes, cheese. And a lot of it. Two armored banks, located in the heart of Parmigiano-Reggiano country, […]

Il fare il pomodoro: not yet a dying tradition

  While supermarkets stocked with pre-made products have become common and widely used in Italy for the past 20 years, certain antique culinary traditions remain sacred to the average Italian family, especially in the central and southern regions of the country. And now is the time, with tomatoes reaching their peak ripeness, that one of […]

Salted Specialty of Northern Italy

And now it’s time for the sagra of Bresaola in northern Italy’s valley town of Chiavenna, where this prized raw salumi is produced! Bresaola is one of the most renowned salumi in Italy. The first literary testimonies related to the production of bresaola date back to the fifteenth century; however, its origin goes back much […]

A Rare Opportunity to Glimpse Behind the Doors of Palazzo Farnese

One of the constant frustrations of living in Rome is the feeling of ‘I wish I knew about that earlier’. In case you feel like this due to the contents of this article, I apologize in advance! One of the past weekends (22 and 23 September) was the designated weekend for the European Heritage Days […]

Agricultural Beer

Think of happy hour in Italy and the image that likely comes to mind is of sitting lazily at an Italian bar in front of a beautiful historic square with a glass of wine. Think of the fall harvest in Italy, and you’ll probably imagine the grape harvest to start the year’s wine production. While […]

Artisan Soul of Via dei Cappellari

I arrive at Via dei Cappellari from Via del Pellegrino, off Corso Vittorio Emmanuele II, east of the River Tiber. The “hat-makers street” is like many others in the surrounding parts, named for the professions of those who practiced their trades in what has, since medieval times, been a commercial hub of trade and craftsmanship. […]