What is a Classical Italian?

While I am on vacation, I wanted to post one of my early blogs from 2017 explaining the Italic Institute. Enjoy the summer. What makes the Italic Institute different from all other organizations?  It starts with our name. We use Italic to add back the one...

The Spirit of Italy

Among the film offerings during the 4th of July holiday was the Spirit of St. Louis starring Jimmy Steward as aviator Charles Lindbergh.  The title referred to the name of the plane Lindbergh flew solo across the Atlantic. That plane wasn’t Lindbergh’s first...

AMERICA The Beautiful

I deliberately bolded the name of our nation in the title of this week’s blog for two obvious reasons. To wit:  a) It’s the 4th of July and b) The name is an actual name: Amerigo Vespucci, an explorer and contemporary of Cristoforo Colombo.  As...

Behind the Thrones

I noticed how four Italian American ladies figured in recent news stories:  Jill Biden, Nancy Pelosi, Gina Raimondo, and Lisa Monaco.  You may not know the latter two, but they are among the movers and shakers in Washington, DC. Pelosi saving democracy At last...

Trade Secrets

Another John Cabot anniversary is upon us—that fateful landing on Newfoundland on June 24, 1497.  It was the ‘discovery’ and claim that launched England’s empire and the reason we speak English. I have written often of this event and how Benjamin Franklin cited...

G-7 Italia

It was Italy’s turn to host the G-7 meeting of the wealthiest democracies last week.  Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni chose the southern region of Apulia to impress the member nations, which include the U.S., Canada, France, UK, Germany, and Japan. The...