Articles in conversations
‘I am Italy’ – Italy defined on Twitter… by anyone!
The @I_am_Italy project is intended to raise public awareness of the variety of experience and lifestyles that exist in Italy, turning to what’s called “rotation curation” – a specific kind of crowd curation in which a Twitter or other social network account is given over to a sequence of curators for, in this case, a …
Festa della Cultura San Giovanni: Interview with organizer John Hoenig
San Giovanni is the patron Saint of Florence, which means a day off work for most Florentines each year, although this year it falls, sadly, on a Sunday. But not to worry: for 2012, the San Giovanni festivities are extended for a whole ten days thanks to the ‘Festa della Cultura – San Giovanni‘ organized …
Meet Juls’ Kitchen – Tuscany in the kitchen through recipes and lessons
Meet Giulia Scarpaleggia, also known as Juls’ Kitchen. A victim of the economic crisis, or a person who is taking advantage of it to pursue her dreams? She writes “From January 1, 2012, in fact, I am no longer an employee with a relatively safe job, my contract expired, and recklessly believing in my …
Stefano Giusti, Modern Luthier
I walked into Stefano Giusti‘s workshop in his parents’ garage in the industrial outskirts of Prato with my first question all ready: How does one become a luthier? But in my head I was saying “dude, where the hell are the lutes?” The instantly likeable 43 year old, wearing a fashionable purple merino wool sweater …
A day out with cookbook writer Pamela Sheldon Johns
Book review and giveaway of Pamela Sheldon Johns “Cucina Povera Tuscan Peasant Cooking”. In which I describe a day out with the author to talk about research and writing, and a fabulous lunch in the Crete Senese area.
On Writing (about Italy) & the blogger roundtable
This is a kind of personal post. And it’s so rare and out of character that there is not even a category on this blog into which I can easily slot it. But I have to write it. Here’s why.
Today is the first post in an “Italy blogging Roundtable” to which I have been invited. …
Historyteachers videos in the classroom: interview with Amy Burvall
If you thought history was boring in school, it’s because you didn’t have Amy Burvall as your teacher. This Hawaii educator, better known as part of the youtube duo “Historyteachers“, sets accurate historical information to the 80s music we all know and love (think: happily singing about burning at the stake to a tune by …
Florence Pizza Review Blog: an interview with founder Annie Campbell!
I’m pleased to be able to introduce an unusual form of expat blog. Annie Campbell is from Missouri and has been living in Florence for five years; her boyfriend Fabio is a native Florentine. Together they write Appuntamento Pizza, a blog of Florence pizza reviews.
After maybe a year of dating several pizzerias, my boyfriend and …
Interview with Akelo, Etruscan Goldsmith
In Etruria, not far from Viterbo, in a small town called Corchiano lives and works a goldsmith by the unusual name of “Akelo”. Okay, his real name is Andrea Cagnetti and he creates Etruscan-inspired jewelry using a particular and beautiful technique of granulation that he re-discovered. Recognized by important museums worldwide (such as the Museum …
Cortona, The Genius of a Place: 3 questions for creator Sarah Marder
Many of you will know that I really love Cortona; I lived and worked there for a year not long ago, and I maintain that it’s weathered the tourist onslaught after Francis Mayes’ book rather well – with a good cultural programme at the local teatro and most importantly it still has schools for the …
Blog Day: My favourite Italy blogs
Being a full time blogger means not just writing blogs, but keeping on top of the ones everyone else writes. For work I have to read everything people write about Tuscany, but sometimes my searches or other people’s links lead me to bloggers located in other parts of Italy. Being on twitter is also a …
Traveling Strange: A Collector of Eccentric Attractions Comes to Florence
Guest post by Robert of Neon Poisoning, who is looking for weird things to see in Florence.
ArtTrav is a blog about expat life, art, and travel in Italy and Europe. I am Alexandra Korey, a Florence-based art historian turned blogger.
My goal is to help travelers and residents like you experience countries through culture and local living. If it takes geeky, long articles to do that, so be it! 
