Istituto Mondo Italiano - Centro di cultura italiana

08/20/2026

ISCHIA: THE ISLAND OF THE 3 C’s 🇮🇹🐇🐚❤️
Conigli. Cammei. Coccole.

I arrived in Ischia with a plan.

That was my first mistake. 😂

I had completely underestimated the size of the island and, in a rare moment of questionable travel planning, had not reserved a moped in advance. What initially felt like a travel mishap turned out to be one of those wonderful Italian blessings in disguise—the kind that reminds you that sometimes the best way to discover a place is to let the place take over.

And Ischia certainly did.

🐇 CONIGLI — Rabbits

You can’t talk about Ischia without talking about coniglio all’ischitana, one of the island’s most beloved traditional dishes.

But here’s the part I didn’t know: Ischia’s famous rabbits were traditionally raised underground! In the island’s volcanic soil, they dug networks of tunnels and burrows—a centuries-old method known as allevamento in fossa. On an island surrounded by sea, one of the most iconic dishes comes not from the water…but from beneath the ground. 🐇🌋🇮🇹

And because I know someone will ask…

RECIPE: CONIGLIO ALL’ISCHITANA in the comments.

🐚 CAMMEI — Cameos

Then came the cammei.

Ischia has a long connection with the extraordinary art of cameo carving, and watching a craftsman transform a shell into a tiny work of art makes you appreciate just how much patience and skill this tradition requires.

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rosso Corallino—and wait until you see the video of him at work.

But there was another surprise.

He gifted me a little red c***o portafortuna—the traditional Italian lucky horn—and, of course, it couldn't simply be handed over. There was a ritual to follow to activate its good fortune.

Because in Italy, even luck comes with instructions. ❤️🌶️

❤️ COCCOLE — Cuddles… and the kindness of strangers

And this is where my Ischia adventure really begins.

No moped meant I needed another way around the island.

Enter Daniele: taxi driver extraordinaire, accidental tour guide, problem solver and keeper of Ischia's secrets.

Daniele didn't simply drive me from Point A to Point B.

He took me into the Ischia that the Ischitani know.

08/20/2026

08/18/2026

08/18/2026

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08/18/2026

PROCIDA! 🍋☀️🇮🇹 - What a day!

A quick ferry ride from Pozzuoli and suddenly I was on this tiny, colorful island in the Bay of Naples—where pastel houses tumble toward the sea, lemons seem to be everywhere, fishing boats bob in the harbors, and there is another fabulous view around every corner.

I climbed up to Terra Murata, wandered through the little streets, admired the spectacular view over Marina Corricella, stopped for a delicious lunch (because this is Italy, after all! 😋), and happily put quite a few miles on my shoes.

Procida also comes with some wonderful literary and cinematic history. Elsa Morante chose the island as the setting for her celebrated novel L’isola di Arturo, and parts of Il Postino, the beloved film with Massimo Troisi, were filmed here. Walking around Corricella, it was fun to recognize some of the scenery—and to imagine Troisi here filming what would become such an iconic Italian movie.

Morante wrote:

“Non mi va di vedere Procida mentre s’allontana…”
“I don't want to see Procida as it moves farther away…”

After a day here, I understand the sentiment!

Color, sunshine, history, cinema, lemons, great food and plenty of steps—Procida, you were a very good idea! 🍋💛🇮🇹

08/15/2026

🇮🇹GAMBERALE: When a Paese Crosses an Ocean🇺🇸

High in the mountains of Abruzzo sits Gamberale, a tiny village in the Province of Chieti — in fact, the highest town in the entire province.

Its history stretches back to the Middle Ages. The remains of its castle still watch over the village, surrounded by the rugged beauty of the mountains and the Sangro Valley.

But here in Pittsburgh, Gamberale has another story.

Beginning with the great waves of Italian immigration, people from Gamberale made their way across the Atlantic and created new lives in Western Pennsylvania. And they didn't come alone. Families, relatives and paesani followed one another, recreating pieces of their hometown thousands of miles away.

Panther Hollow and South Oakland became home to many immigrants from Gamberale and neighboring Pizzoferrato.

Imagine that journey: from a tiny mountain village in Abruzzo to the hills, mills and neighborhoods of Pittsburgh.

They brought with them their dialect, recipes, devotion to San Lorenzo, family traditions — and above all that wonderful Abruzzese sense of paese: the idea that where you come from remains part of who you are.

Today, Gamberale may be a small dot on the map of Italy, but its descendants have left a much larger footprint in Pittsburgh.

Perhaps that's why, when you meet someone in Pittsburgh whose family comes from Gamberale, you often discover another Gamberalese family just around the corner.

From the mountains of Abruzzo to the hills of Pittsburgh — Gamberale is part of our city's Italian-American story. 🇮🇹❤️🇺🇸

PantherHollow SouthOakland Chieti Abruzzesi OurItalianRoots

08/15/2026

🏔️ PIZZOFERRATO: A LITTLE CORNER OF ABRUZZO WITH A BIG PITTSBURGH STORY 🇮🇹❤️🇺🇸

Perched high in the mountains of the province of Chieti, Pizzoferrato is one of those Abruzzese villages that seems to grow right out of the rock. Surrounded by the wild beauty of the Apennines and looking toward the Maiella, it has been described by Gabriele D'Annunzio as “la terrazza d’Abruzzo” — the terrace of Abruzzo — for its spectacular views.

At the highest point of the village stands the Madonna del Girone, reached by climbing through the old borgo to a dramatic rocky spur. The church carries the scars of World War II: bullet marks remain from the fighting that took place here, while, according to local tradition, the Crucifix inside miraculously survived unharmed.

But for those of us in Pittsburgh, Pizzoferrato has another very special connection.

It is the birthplace of Bruno Sammartino. 💪🇮🇹

Born here in 1935, Bruno experienced the horrors of war as a child. With his father already in Pittsburgh, his mother Emilia hid Bruno and his siblings in the mountains when German troops occupied the area, risking her own life to find food for her children.

In 1950, Bruno finally arrived in Pittsburgh to reunite with his father. He was 15, spoke little English and was physically weakened by the hardships of the war years. Bullied at school, he began lifting weights and wrestling.

And what a transformation followed.

The boy from a tiny mountain village in Abruzzo became “The Living Legend,” Bruno Sammartino, one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time. His first reign as WWWF World Heavyweight Champion lasted an astonishing 2,803 days — more than seven and a half years — a record that still stands.

Yet Bruno never forgot where his story began.

From Pizzoferrato to Pittsburgh, his life embodies so much of the Italian-American experience: hardship, emigration, sacrifice, family, determination and the ability to build a new life without forgetting the old one.

Today, Pizzoferrato and Pittsburgh remain connected by more than geography could ever separate — by generations of Abruzzese immigrants and by the remarkable story of one little boy from the mountains who

08/14/2026

🇮🇹 JU CATENACCE — A Living Tradition from Scanno, Abruzzo ❤️

Every August, the beautiful mountain village of Scanno, in the heart of Abruzzo, turns back the clock for one of its most beloved traditions: Ju Catenacce.

The name, in the local dialect, evokes a chain—and that is exactly what visitors see as a long procession winds through Scanno’s narrow streets. Men and women dressed in traditional clothing recreate an old-fashioned wedding procession, recalling the customs, rituals, and community life of generations past.

One of the most striking sights is the traditional dress of the women of Scanno, with its distinctive headdress and rich layers of fabric—a costume so iconic that it has fascinated photographers and artists for decades. 📸

But Ju Catenacce is more than a beautiful reenactment. It is a celebration of memory and belonging: a way for Scanno to keep alive its dialect, clothing, wedding customs, music, and the stories handed down from one generation to the next.

Traditions like this remind us that Italy’s heritage doesn't live only in museums. Sometimes, it walks right through the streets. ❤️🇮🇹

AbruzzoItaly BorghiItaliani ItalianCulture Heritage italia

08/14/2026

🏔️ ROCCACARAMANICO — A TINY VILLAGE WITH A BIG SOUL 🇮🇹

Hidden among the mountains of Abruzzo, at the foot of the Majella, lies Roccacaramanico—a tiny stone village that feels suspended in time.

Once nearly abandoned, this little borgo has slowly come back to life, while preserving the silence, simplicity, and rugged beauty that make Abruzzo so unforgettable. Wander its narrow lanes, admire the old stone houses, breathe in the mountain air, and take in views that seem to stretch forever.

Roccacaramanico is also known for something extraordinary: snow transforming the village into a scene straight out of a winter storybook.
On December 17, 1961 365 cm (143 inches) of snow fell in just one day)❄️

But perhaps its greatest charm is what you don’t find here—crowds, traffic, souvenir shops, or hurried itineraries. Instead, you find stone walls, mountain landscapes, quiet corners, and the feeling of discovering an Italy that still moves at its own pace.

This is the Abruzzo I love: authentic, resilient, beautiful, and full of surprises. ❤️

📍 Roccacaramanico, Abruzzo
⛰️ Majella National Park area

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