Virtually everyone is familiar with the massive, glimmering majesty of the Taj Mahal, a mausoleum in India situated along the Yamuna river in the city of Agra. With its huge dome, many minarets, shimmering pools, and perfectly manicured grass and hedges, it is arguably one of India’s most-recognizable buildings. It is even the inspiration for…
There are few people in the world who wouldn’t recognize the Eiffel Tower with its tall metallic frame and unique, spear-like shape. With all the monumental architecture found all throughout the world, there is not another building or structure that has the same look or even a similar look to the Eiffel Tower. Because we…
The Pantheon (or “pantheum” in Latin) is perhaps one of the best known buildings in the world, and certainly one of the best known buildings in Italy. It is one of the most widely recognized examples of ancient Roman architecture besides, for example, the colosseum. For anyone that has seen the Pantheon in person, it…
The Bicycle Thief (original Italian title, Ladri Di Biciclette) is a 1948 neorealist film by director Vittorio De Sica that has persisted as one of the most influential films in the history of Italian and world cinema. It has captured audiences for decades with its juxtaposition between hope and hopelessness, between the joy and misery…
What should you know about making sushi? In my last blog post, I briefly mentioned sushi as I was describing the many facets of seaweed (which is far more interesting than it sounds). However, sushi is such a complex thing on its own and such a significant part of Japanese culture that it doesn’t seem…
How do opera singers sing so loud? Opera is one of my favorite art forms. I was already a fan of classical music a long time before I discovered opera. I more or less stumbled across this genera of music by accident and I was immediately enchanted. The singers, the set design, the story, the…
The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, directed by Robert Wiene, became the world’s first horror film and an exemplary example of German Expressionism upon its release in 1920. German Expressionism was a popular film movement during the 1920s, especially in Berlin, and focused on portraying the world in an anti-realistic fashion (which is quite in contrast…
Have you heard of the Cathedral of Oviedo? Many people outside of Spain may not be familiar with the relatively small city of Oviedo which lays within the lush, northern region of Asturias. The climate in this region is frequently rainy with mild temperatures throughout the year thanks to its close proximity to the Cantabrian…
The 1950 Stromboli film (also know as Land of God) directed by Roberto Rossellini is today considered a classic example of the Neorealism movement. However, its initial release was very negative, especially in America, as the film was engulfed by the news of a scandal between the film’s main star, Ingrid Bergman, and Rossellini. Only…
Little did anyone know, when Federico Fellini’s film La Dolce Vita was released in 1960, it would soon become a world-wide sensation. Today, it is known to be one of the greatest films in the history of world cinema and it still remains very popular in the realm of Italian cinema. The film focuses on…