Historian who has lived in Italy for more than 30 years, 20 of which as a journalist and 12 as a press and political officer at the Dutch embassy in Rome. Has been working as a journalist again since May 2022. Active member of the Gruppo del Gusto, the gourmet group of the foreign press association in Rome.
Corleone. The name of the Sicilian town has traditionally been associated with Cosa Nostra. That's understandable, and not just because of Francis Ford Coppola's Godfather film cycle. From the 50s to the beginning of this century, Corleonesi such as Luciano Liggio, Salvatore Riina and Bernardo Provenzano, who had been on the run for 41 years and was arrested in 2006, were in charge within the Sicilian mafia. Corleone: […] More
'The farmers had become used to the low-flying planes, in which you could see the soldiers in uniform. The rattle of machine guns was part of everyday life. Desperate cries from those trying to dig a loved one out from under the rubble sounded amid the ringing of church bells. And yet, in the midst of that disaster, […] More
In the annual survey by the business newspaper Sole24Ore into living conditions in the 107 Italian provincial capitals, Udine emerged as the most liveable city in Italy. Such a result is pleasant for the residents, but does not necessarily mean that the city has to be a celebrated tourist destination. (Other way around […] More
Valentine's Day is approaching and it is getting busy in Terni. The Umbrian city has a special attraction in the person of San Valentino, Saint Valentine. The patron saint of Love was bishop of Terni and was martyred here in the 3rd century. His tomb, in the basilica named after him just outside the center, draws the […] More
There is no such thing as spaghetti (alla) bolognese, (almost) everyone knows that. Gastronomer Filippo Venturi even wrote a book there with the unmistakable title Gli spaghetti alla bolognese non esistono. Instead, Bologna is the city of ragù bolognese, the 'ragout' that is not eaten with spaghetti, but with the flat tagliatelle or fettucine, preferably all'uovo, (egg pasta). […] More
