Good Things From Italy - Le Cose Buone d'Italia

Luciano Pia, an Italian architect, has a beautiful vision for green urban living. He designed and developed 25 Verde, an apartment complex in Turin, Italy. It’s a 5-story mix of lush trees, steel girders, and quaint apartments that allow its dwellers to feel like they live inside of a treehouse. [...]

While I'm always hesitant for such sweeping statements about an entire culture and ethnicity, if you're interested in a sort of How To Be an Italian Guide for Dummies, this would be a good start. [...]

When one is born Italian, he/she is supposed to like coffee, wine and animal organs (in this order) as if it were part of the natural genetic patrimony. Caffelatte (Milk and coffee) is what I grew up having  for breakfast as a child.

Coffeeee???!! Asks those I share the information with, now concerned for my extravagant childhood. Yes, as a child, I had a  dab of espresso in my morning milk- Plasmon Biscotti to go with it. That was the breakfast of champions. Every day, every morning. Never got tired of it. [...]

As a toddler, Marco Massaccesi played in his father’s atelier, a workshop built on Marco’s grandparents’ land near beautiful Ascoli Piceno in the Marche region of Italy. When Marco was twelve years old, his father began to teach him how to work with leather. These lessons did not include modern assembly machines or other contemporary ways of quick manufacturing. Marco practiced and mastered the art of leatherworking using centuries’ old techniques. The world was a different place then, Marco recalls. A time when “designers were designers for real, and bags were truly handmade in authentic Italian workshops.” [...]

About Daniele Michetti: Born into an Italian shoemaking family, Daniele Michetti has been immersed in the world of footwear since a very early age. After first cultivating his innovative, luxurious design ethos at the men’s footwear brand Santoni, he has served in instrumental roles at Burberry Prorsum, Yves Saint Laurent, Sergio Rossi, Tod’s, and Giorgio Armani. Daniele Michetti shoe designs have won critical acclaim for their eclectic style and cutting-edge fabrications. Sandals, boots, pumps, and slippers — from austere to exuberant — appeal to the “noble” and “revolutionary” woman. [...]

A wine and food tasting in the historic cellars of the castle of Monterado. A perfect opportunity to taste the best the of the regional produce.
The evening is spent tasting Salami's, local beers, wines, truffles, truffles and chocolate, olive oils, more wines, honey,and learning just how much amazing product comes from Le Marche. [...]

If you don't want to be taken for a tourist in Italy, you should drink coffee as and when the locals do.

Coffee is so much a part of Italian culture that the idea of not drinking it is as foreign as the idea of having to explain its rituals. These rituals are set in stone and not always easy for outsiders to understand.

Every single man wants to date an Italian woman right? But with the cultural differences it can be a fraught business. Here together some do's and don't’s for dating Italian women.

1. Dress to impress
2. Impress her friends
3. Be a gentleman
4. Tick the boxes
5. Compliment her
6. Play for laughs
7. Don’t talk politics
8. Don’t talk religion
9. Don’t get (very) drunk
10. Take her some place nice
11. Be open
12. Wine and roses

ISA yachts in Ancona Italy have just this week delivered their newest megayacht to her owners. OKTO measures 66m (216 ft) in length and has a smooth sexy black/silver exterior design by Andrea Vallicelli, while the interior design is by Alberto Pinto.

She can accommodate 12 guests in total and 17 crew. She is powered by twin Caterpillar 3512 C engines rated at 1765 KW at 1800. She can reach a top speed of 18.5 kts and at a cruising speed of 16.5 kts in maximum comfort.

This project unites two companies with the same belief in the indisputable importance of ethics, environment, heritage, society and beauty. Two companies that both see these qualities as the founding principles for responsible production techniques and a sustainable lifestyle. The relationship between iGuzzini and Eataly has now taken shape at Eataly Smeraldo, the latest in this prestigious brand's line of foodstores to open in Italy. [...]

As one of the world’s most loved cuisines it might be a surprise to learn that a true Italian cuisine hardly exists. The truth is, Italian food is still largely considered by regions with each region in Italy creating its own unique cuisine based on its history, people and geography. Each region, and then province and city, adds its treasure to the national identity of Italian food, but the best option is to eat the local plates in every region – here are some of our favorites! [...]

Tucked away in the once-abandoned caves of Matera, a little-known village in Southern Italy, lies the Sextantio Le Grotte Della Civita. It’s a one-of-a-kind hotel built by Swedish-Italian entrepreneur, hotelier, and philanthropist Daniele Kihlgren. The spectacular space features 18 rooms that blend traditional, locally-sourced design with a contemporary finish and makes it the perfect place for a truly unique getaway.[...]

iWOODOO – handmade by nature is a brand-new fashion label that makes best use of recycled materials and hundred-percent natural products, such as wood, to promote style with an extremely low impact on the environment.
A line of articles with a cool design, defying the system of common sense and breaking the rule of banality, each of our pieces is handcrafted to deliver a unique and one-of-a-kind “object”.
Plus, the renewing of resources is the very core of iWOODOO’s message on ecological sustainability.

Protagonists of Spring Summer 2015 Giorgio Grati collection are contemporary and couture silhouettes, a mix of fluid volumes and squared structures to invent new classics. 
Each theme is a declaration of love for nature, art, colour. An exercise in style between tradition and innovation.

Ever wonder what it’s like to be a part of one of those crazy, big, Italian families? Better yet, ever wonder what it’s like to grow up in one of them? Fortunately, I was lucky enough to grow up in one of those families… and the stories I can share from my lovely family are endless.

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Size is a relative concept, and what constitutes a small kitchen varies from one person to another. Yet most of us can safely agree on the fact that limited space poses the biggest problem when it comes to decorating a cool, modern kitchen. Italian kitchen maker Scavolini presents three beautiful and trendy kitchen models that work around this problem to deliver functional, ergonomic kitchens that blend space-conscious design with style. Leading the pack is the versatile Evolution, which exudes a sophisticated vibe despite its compact footprint. Designed to act as a natural extension of your living space, Evolutionuses a simple color scheme and clean, straight lines. [...]

The yacht, by the Ferretti group company CRN and Studio Zuccon International Project, is estimated to cost around $60m (£37m), took three years to build, and was launched at the end of last year at the International Boat Show in Ancona, Italy. [...]

Milan Women’s Fashion Week SS15 is, as with every season, a celebration of all things fashion. But a week of cat walks, must haves and celeb spotting wouldn’t be complete without taking a moment to honour our style icons. That’s exactly what this exhibition does, celebrating the Sophia Loren.

Giovanna Nicolai was born in 2006 in Civitanova Marche from the intuition of its founder Daniele Macellari, who intends to continue the family tradition in the Haute Couture, reality consolidates within four generations. GIENNE is tailoring and craftsmanship, synonymous of Italian excellence, contextualized in the global market requirements; the Haute Couture and Prêt-à-Porter collections are the results of research of tissues, rich and fine yarns, worked by the able hands of Italian tailors, repositories of a timeless art. GIENNE is 100% made in Italy certified (according to the Italian law 166/2009 art.16), guarantee of high quality and exclusivity.

ISA YACHTS secured a new contract for the completion of a 71 meter motoryacht which was built by Sevmash in Russia. The contract works include completion of the technical areas, commissioning of the yacht’s systems, realization of the interior of all the guest areas and the installation of exterior furniture in aluminum and teak decks. The yacht arrived at ISA YACHTS in Ancona just before the end of last year onboard a dockship after a passage of over a month to cover the distance of 5.000 miles from Arkhangelsk, on the White Sea, were the yacht was built. [...]