In the Prologue of Inferno Dan Brown writes:
I pass behind the palazzo with its crenellated tower and one-handed clock… snaking through the early-morning vendors in Piazza di San Firenze with their hoarse voices smelling of lampredotto and roasted olives.
Limoncello is the Italian word referring to an intensely lemon-flavored liqueur most famously associated with and produced in Sorrento, the Amalfi coast, and the island of Capri, but also very popular throughout all of Italy. Limoncello is made from lemon zest (strictly non-treated), water, alcohol, and sugar. It is a beverage usually consumed after meals,…
If you haven’t decided what to do during the Easter holiday, the Italian city of Florence could be the perfect destination. Though the city center is crowded, there is a special atmosphere in the air; people are happier and simply want to go out and celebrate. Maybe it’s because Spring is finally here. Or maybe it’s because of Easter itself and the Explosion of the Cart.
During the Christmas season many people like to spend their days out and about to escape their daily routine. However, many others prefer to stay home, perhaps following their own traditions.
The Central Market in the San Lorenzo neighborhood is the largest covered marketplace in Florence, the city that hosted the filming of the movie based on Inferno, Dan Brown’s latest bestseller.
The real boom of ice cream as a dessert occurred around the year 1500 in Florence at the court of the Medici. In fact, ice cream as we know it today was quite similar to what was served at the wedding feast of Catherine de Medici, queen of France and a distant cousin of Cosimo…
The San Pellegrino water is known as “the champagne of mineral waters”, due to the fineness of its taste and its light carbonation.
San Pellegrino is located near Bergamo, Italy, 25 km from Milan. Its water flows from sources situated at the foot of the Alps and renown throughout the world. In fact, the water’s properties have been known since the fifteenth century.
The tone of the funeral was surprisingly upbeat, with humorous commentary from friends and family, one colleague noting that Busoni’s love of Renaissance art, by his own admission, had been matched only by his love of spaghetti Bolognese and caramel budino.
(Dan Brown, Inferno)
In Dan Brown’s Inferno, Spaghetti Bolognese is the favorite dish of Ignazio Busoni aka il Duomino, a lovely character.Ragù alla bolognese or simply ragù is the Italian name of a pasta sauce that originally comes from Bologna, the amazing capital city of the Emilia Romagna region.
There are as many versions of this tasty sauce as there are cooks at home and restaurant chefs who prepare it. This pasta dressing has an ancient origin and is the most loved by Italian families.
Ask any Italian: there is nothing better to do on Sunday around 1 p.m. than meeting with family and friends at a table with pasta with ragù in front of them!
Do not ask an Italian vegetarian, of course 😉
The Caffè Rivoire is located in Piazza della Signoria in Florence.
Enrico Rivoire, Savoia royal family chocolatier, was from Turin and brought to Florence the tradition of the typical hot chocolate from his hometown.
