The Italian composer Giuseppe Verdi wrote, “You may have the universe if I may have Italy.”

With Valentine’s Day just weeks away and the inevitable inundation of red roses, chocolate boxes, and big romantic gestures, here at Modigliani, our hearts return to Italy.

What is it about Italy? What makes it such a romantic destination? Why does it move us in a way no other place can? How it transposes us to another time or how it somehow manages to turn us into gushing teenagers, smitten with our very first love. It’s as if there’s something in the air, or maybe in the wine. Whatever it is, it leaves an indelible mark that consistently makes this country one of the top destinations for romance.

To begin with, Italy is simply one of the most beautiful places to experience. From the architecture to the art, and in the food and wine, it inspires the heart and feeds the soul.  With its evocative landscapes and impassioned people it stays true to the many stories unfolding in literature and on film. Whether you’re lost in a Shakespearean play or entranced by a Fellini film, Italy becomes the main character in any narrative.

With so many picturesque locations, refining the choices seems almost cruel. But the reality is, you simply can’t go wrong no matter where you go.

Venice is considered one of the more romantic locations in all of Italy. With its narrow streets, winding canals, and scenic bridges, it’s the perfect spot for love’s embrace. Take an evening gondola ride or get lost in the modest lanes, only to wind up in the Piazza San Marco every time. Surrounded by water, escape seems inconceivable. And then the romance of the moment captivates and you never want to leave.

And then there is Verona, best known for Romeo and Juliet, earning its nickname “City of Love”.  It’s no surprise that the most visited attraction here is the Casa di Giulietta, or Juliet’s House, where you can see the famous balcony and imagine the star-crossed lovers exchanging verse and poetry. Nearby, there’s a small wall in a narrow alley where legend says if couples write their names and add them to the wall, Juliet will give them eternal love.

When in Rome, there are couples at every turn. Town squares are important for social exchange and you’ll always find lovers gathered at nearby fountains, like Trevi Fountain. Spend a few hours with your special someone gazing upon Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel in Vatican City. The enforced silence as you’re awe inspired demands quiet contemplation, but best shared with another. Get lost together as you walk the sprawling ruins of the Roman Forum and then on to the Pantheon where in the evening the subtle glow of the lights sets the mood.

In the city of Florence, the birthplace of the Renaissance, you can get lost in art museums soaking up as much Botticelli, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, and da Vinci as your heart desires. Take in the city view from the top of the Duomo or gaze down the Arno River from the Ponte Vecchio Bridge. End your evening at a quiet café enjoying an espresso or sharing a carafe of wine over candlelight. The romance of Florence is undeniable.

If a more intimate experience is what you crave, try the Gulf of Poets, Golfo dei Poeti, made popular by the romantic poets such as Byron and Shelley. Tourists tend to stick to nearby Cinque Terre, which is less busy and more romantic at night, making this the perfect spot for privacy and amour.

The Amalfi Coast and Lake Como are always lovely options. Both have their share of sparkling waters and breathtaking views. And both are top destinations for honeymooners of all ages.

No matter which location you select, bustling city or countryside village, every nook and cranny seems to evoke the ambience of romance. It never feels out of place or unwanted, and it always feels as essential as breath. Ask any Italian and they’ll probably agree and tell you that life without love has no reason for breath – it is that necessary. Or maybe they’ll say that romance is breathing.

Italians are serious about having a good life, but do not take life too seriously. They believe in living the best they possibly can, which for them means embracing those things that make them most happy. Meals are, by design, long and social. Food is not simply for fuel but instead a sensual experience, where every bite is to be tasted and enjoyed. Wine is not for intoxication but for the palette and pairing with food, heightening the experience. Art is to be shared, with as many as possible as often as possible. Architecture is to be preserved so that generations to come can live amongst the beauty and history, embracing their past, while still creating and innovating for the future.

If at home or lost abroad, we hope you find a little romance this Valentine’s Day. There’s no need to dine out – cook a great meal together at home. Italians even shop together first, extending their romantic experience. Light some candles, put on some music, embrace the moment, and enjoy the company of the one you love.

This past week has officially introduced the inevitable arctic cold that comes with the New Year. The “bomb cyclone” and the brutal cold that follows is enough to drive us all indoors, prisoners to our heaters and blankets. I’m okay with the cold weather and bouts of snow—don’t get me wrong. I love the idea of lounging through the evenings and weekends in cozy sweaters, squishy socks, and curled up with a good book in front of a crackling fire. But the combination of the icy blast and the post-holiday blues may require a bit more incentive to get one excited for the wintry months ahead.

Well, Valentine’s Day is just weeks away. And that means love… and chocolate…and love of chocolate. Okay, I admit it. I’m more excited for the chocolate.
The impact to our brains and the elevation of our mood when we indulge in this little pleasure is simply unmatched. The sweet, creamy, sometimes bitter, decadence of a luscious piece of dark chocolate melting across the tongue is nirvana. The better the chocolate, the greater the experience. The anticipation, the heavy smell of cocoa, and then the moment you bite into a rich and silky piece of chocolate is the trifecta of our senses kicking in and we feel instantly happy.

Across the world, chocolate is a unifier. It takes prominence during holidays, festivals and family celebrations. In every country, it evokes the same response – pure joy and delight. You simply cannot be sad when eating a good piece of chocolate.

You may not know this, but Italy takes chocolate and chocolate making quite seriously. As a matter of fact, it’s reported that in the Piemonte region of Italy alone, there are more master chocolatiers than in Belgium and France combined. And in the area between Florence and Pisa, the concentration of fine chocolate makers is so high that it’s been named the Chocolate Valley. 

A few of Italy’s most famous chocolate brands include Perugina, maker of Baci chocolates, and Caffarel, inventor of Gianduiotto, chocolates shaped like an upturned boat made with a mixture of cocoa and hazelnut paste, a specialty of Turin.

Hazelnuts are quite common in a lot of Italian chocolate. It began with Napoléon’s reign when he prevented British goods from entering European harbors, which made access to cocoa more difficult. A Turin chocolatier mixed hazelnuts with his chocolate to make it go further and now you can buy sweet chocolate spreads like Nutella at every grocery store in America.

If you’re a country with this level of chocolate talent, then it’s only appropriate that you host multiple chocolate festivals for chocoholics near and far to indulge in the most delectable innovations.

Let’s start with the largest and most well known, EuroChocolate. This annual festival is held every mid-October in Perugia, the capital of Umbria. Now attracting more than a million visitors each year, this year will officially mark its 25th anniversary.

You’ll see representation not only from Italy’s most recognizable chocolate brands, but also individual artisans and chocolatiers alike.
Stroll the streets and sample chocolate concoctions of all kinds, shapes, and sizes. Lose yourself in a liquid heaven with chocolate liqueurs or cioccolata calda, an Italian style hot chocolate. And while you’re gorging on your favorite treat, don’t forget to learn from the masters themselves with chocolate classes, tastings, and cooking demonstrations. You can even soothe your soul in a chocolate spa if you like.

The chocolate in Modica is slightly different than the creamy, smooth consistency we Americans are used to. This Sicilian method draws from the Spanish influence using a cold technique that doesn’t allow the sugar to melt instead creating a grainy texture to the chocolate. Modica has it’s own chocolate festival as well called Chocomodica which is held in December.

Other top Italian chocolate festivals to add to your bucket list include Turin’s CioccolaTÓ in November, Cioccoshow in Bologna, also in November, and the Fiera del Cioccolato Artiginale held in Florence each February, which coincides quite nicely with Valentine’s Day.

But no matter which festival you choose, or where you travel in Italy, you must try a decadent cup of cioccolata calda. This Italian hot chocolate is nothing like our American watered down version. This irresistible cup of heaven is thicker, and with the addition of cornstarch, has more of the consistency of a pudding making it the perfect dessert. Sip it while it’s steaming hot or spoon it to the bottom to get every last drop.

The wonderful thing is, even if you don’t plan on being in Italy anytime soon, you can make this luxurious ambrosia at home. You simply need to get your hands on the best Italian cocoa you can and follow the recipe to the letter. In less than 30 minutes, you can cozy up to the fire with the one you love and transcend yourself to the great chocolate festivals of Italy.

Rather than reinvent the wheel, try this recipe for Cioccolata Calda from Domenica Cooks, one of our favorite Italian cookbook authors. After growing up in Italy and sharing this chocolate treat with her own children for the first time while in Umbria, she created the perfect recipe to make it at home whenever the kids needed to come in from the cold.

http://www.domenicacooks.com/2011/01/bribery-hot-chocolate-italian-style/

When most of us think about the Christmas markets, we tend to conjure images of the German influenced Christkindlmarkets. You can find one of these during the holiday season in most major U.S. cities as well as across Europe.  However, Italy also has it’s own magical markets known as Mercatino di Natale.

The markets of Italy are also grounded in German and Austrian roots, but Italians have adopted this tradition and made it their own.

Typically much smaller, and by default, more intimate than their German counterparts, Italian Christmas markets are quintessentially community events. These street markets are commonly open for business as the Advent is ushered in, and close out in line with the Epiphany in early January. They are a festive and fun way to introduce yourself to an area, while sampling the local delicacies, and supporting resident artists and artisans.

Christmas markets are structured much the same, but creative twists on decoration, lighting, themes, foods, and even activities can make certain markets more popular. Generally you’ll find the holiday market in a central location within a town or city. Officials will reserve locations such as large piazzas where locals and tourists alike come to socialize and open space is at a plenty. Streets are lined with small wooden huts or tents where various merchants bring their best representation of local goods and fare.

Market organizers will play to the senses with spectacular light shows, festive Christmas music, and the aroma of food and drink wafting through the air. If you’re lucky, there’s a merchant with a full cart of freshly roasted chestnuts and another with a hot cup of vin brulé, or mulled wine. Incorporating grand carousels and towering Christmas trees in the center of it all, organizing workshops and family games, all aimed at enhancing the social experience for every visitor.

Whether you’re looking for the best in shopping, or a food lovers paradise, or simply a fantastic evening for the entire family to enjoy, one of the many Christmas markets of Italy has what you need.

If it’s the food that’s driving your interest, the Bolzano market in South Tyrol is a good start. It’s one of the largest markets in Italy and mirrors the German markets with foods like apple strudel and hot biscuits. The medieval setting makes it truly a unique experience. In Florence, they too host a German influenced market filled with bratwurst and more, but also incorporate the Italian market for a cultural balance.

When you need to get the Christmas shopping done and are looking for something unique, markets like the Marché Vert Noël in Aosta fit the bill. One of the most popular markets in Northern Italy, this small town converts into an Alpine village and hosts more than 40 chalets filled with handmade gifts, food, wine, and more.

Venice also has a quaint market with the perfect opportunity to purchase hand-blown glass and lace from the nearby Murano and Burano Islands. Or you can score a few of the beautiful carnival masks for a truly unique gift.

Other popular markets are in Trento with more than 70 traditional huts selling merchandise, and in Turin where crafts and gourmet products are presented from 14 Italian regions and 8 foreign countries. Genoa hosts more than 100 artisans from all over Italy, and Naples is famous for their handcrafted precepi, or nativity scenes.

If you’re looking for a memorable family experience, numerous Christmas markets attract visitors far and wide because of their unique decorations and family activities.

In Le Marché, they are known as the medieval candle market. They periodically shut off all of their lamps all over town and then ignite only candles instead, a bewitching and captivating sight.

The Mountain Christmas in idyllic Selva in Val Gardena installs an old fashioned cable car of miniature wooden cabins that can be found hanging high above their magical Christmas village each year. Grab a cup of mulled wine and enjoy the direct connection to the legendary ski tour Sellaronda, with its 500 kilometers of perfectly prepared slopes. 

Places like Rome host several markets, but the most famous in the Piazza Navona takes on a different theme for their market each year. You’ll see spectacular lights, enjoy live music, and marvel at the street performers and acrobats. The entire market bustles with tourists, vendor stalls, a carousel, and festive balloons.

Merano’s market goes all out. The kids will never get bored with activities like pony rides, parades, ice skating, and carriage rides. And in Pisa, their market is solely designed for the kids in mind with the Father Christmas Factory, or Fabbrica di Babbo Natale. 

Across Italy, the Christmas markets host thousands and present a truly magical experience like no other. Enchanting small towns and bustling big cities alike, these special markets are an enriching way to experience the greatest Italy has to offer.

While we hope all of our followers will some day be able to experience a Christmas market in Italy for themselves, we also hope each of you will take advantage of the markets in your own local communities by attending one today. The fairytale settings will captivate and delight, awakening the Christmas spirit in us all – young and old.

Boun Natale!

We hope you have enjoyed our fall and winter entertaining series. We know it’s a busy time for everyone and making it easier to entertain and spend time with friends and family is our goal.

Keeping it simple with quality, seasonal foods and floral elements layered with inviting and complementary dinnerware selections is our secret to success. 

As we head into this hectic time, I would like to share a segment from one of my favorite inspirational speakers, John O’Leary, speaking about what he learned during an attempt to get a multigenerational family photo:

“Love is a Verb.” As one parent ran to get a favorite toy for an upset child, another helped with a crying baby. As one cleaned up spit up, another brushed the hair of a child whose roughhousing disheveled it.

In love, there is no passivity, no sitting back, no waiting for others to jump in. Real love demands action. Love is the great motivator and compels continual forgiveness, persistent compassion and striving toward something even bigger than itself.

(“Love is a verb” is one of my favorite quotes from my recent Live Inspired podcast interview with Edie Varley. Edie shares her beautiful story of growing up one of 14 children – “life was a celebration!” She’s my personal coach, dear friend and you won’t want to miss her wisdom and energy)

2. Life requires adaptability. As more little ones came around their grandparents, everyone had to shuffle to make room and make sure everyone could be seen.

Most of us are creatures of habit and like things as they were. “The good ole days” isn’t just the beginning of a story our grandparents shared, but one now repeated by most of us! It’s critical to remember and celebrate that life is constantly in flux, otherwise we’re at risk to be driven toward protectionism and longing for a past that will never exist again.

3. Perfection is unattainable. The majority of Facebook posts and holiday cards are Photo-shopped or at least only THE BEST photo of hundreds taken before it. It also turns out when someone responds that everything is ‘just perfect’ in their work, finances, family and life: They likely aren’t telling the entire story.

From all of us at Modigliani, we wish you and your family a joyful holiday season, and we look forward to sharing and engaging more with you in the New Year.

As fall quickly approaches, I’m reminded of the incredible gifts my favorite season brings. The crisp air, the changing leaves, the smell of bonfires, and of course, the food.

Fall serves up hearty meals that awaken the senses and warm the soul – it’s a visceral experience for me.

As I sit here browsing the Lungotevere collection with its beautiful color palette and thoughtful details, my mind returns to the autumn I traveled to the Abruzzo region for an unforgettable gastronomic adventure. 

One of my most prominent memories is an early morning truffle hunt we experienced as we were learning about the seasonal ingredients of the region.

Joined by an eclectic mix of solo travelers who loved food, wine, and adventure as much as I do, we dragged ourselves out of warm beds and into the hotel lobby just before dawn. Skipping our morning cappuccino ritual, yet incredibly excited for the new experience, we climbed into our awaiting van and struck out into the countryside of the Majella National Park.

Led by Primiano our trufiano, or truffle guide, and his furry doggy sniffers, Ruby and Miss, we had absolutely no idea where we were going or what we were doing. We did, however, quickly learn that dogs are now the preferred truffle hunting choice, as pigs tend to eat what they find – who knew?

As we drove for miles in the dark and the sun began to peak through the mountains, we finally reached our destination. Donned with our warmest jackets, mittens, and matching wellies, we stood at immediate attention in the cold as Ruby and Miss darted off sniffing every tree, ravine, and moss covered patch. We ran after them thinking it would take a bit of time before anything actually happened, but just like that, eureka!

The more seasoned of the two dogs, Ruby, began scratching the surface and digging like mad while Primiano pulled her back so she couldn’t damage the delicate skin. Armed with a small spade and his bare hands, he dug the rest of the way himself and was rewarded for his efforts. First spot out of the gate and we found two perfect black truffles. Amazing!

It almost felt too easy, but we continued following the dogs as they scratched a few more dirt patches. This time, no luck as they just smelled previous digs where someone had already removed the black beauties. Again and again, someone had beaten us to the treasure. 

Just as we were about to give up and call it a day, Ruby gifted us with one more trophy. After Primiano shoveled even deeper into the soil, we couldn’t believe our neophyte eyes – a glorious pile of the most aromatic black truffles we’d ever seen. This made the caffeine free, early morning trek all the more worth it. Needless to say, we were incredibly grateful that the last group of hunters missed them completely so we could experience a fruitful hunt our first time out.

Later that day as we made our way back to the Hotel Villa Danillo for our next cooking lesson, we too were rewarded for our hard work as we sliced and grated our glorious treasures onto homemade pizzas and handmade pastas. Pungent and pleasing, a meal infused with this Italian delicacy discovered just hours before was a most memorable gastronomical moment for my new travel companions and me.

I can still smell that aromatic fungi as we speak, hoping some day soon to return to one of my favorite fall travel adventures.

Mangiamo!

RECIPE AND WINE PAIRING

We couldn’t talk about truffles and not give a recipe and wine pairing, but this recipe is really quite simple – you just have to get your hands on a black truffle.

There are many recipes for pasta with black truffles out there, and it is rather easy to adjust to your liking should you feel creative, but keep in mind the strong flavors when you do.

In this recipe, I use spaghetti, but you can use fettuccini or you can toss it with your favorite ravioli or even gnocchi.

RECIPE:

Spaghetti with Black Truffles

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. spaghetti
• 2 Tbs. kosher salt 
• 2 Tbs. unsalted butter
• 4 Tbs. unsalted butter, melted 
• 1 to 2 black truffles
• ¼ to ½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (optional)

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add the salt, and cook the pasta per the instructions. You’ll want the pasta al dente; so reduce the cooking time by 1 minute to reach that consistency.

While your pasta is cooking, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a frying pan. Once it’s melted, grate one of the truffles into the melted butter and lightly sauté – 2-3 minutes should be enough.

Once the pasta is finished, and before you drain it, reserve about 2-3 ladles of the cooking water in a bowl for later, then drain the rest of the water from the pasta in a colander.

Transfer the drained pasta to a warmed serving bowl. Add the sautéed truffle, the remaining melted butter, and the optional cheese if you like. Toss it well to combine, and add some of the reserved cooking water for consistency as needed – not all at once, just add, as you need. You don’t want the dish to be too sticky or dry. The salted cooking water not only adds moisture to the dish, but also a nice flavor as well.

Using a truffle shaver if you have one, or a vegetable peeler will do, thinly shave the second truffle over the top. Give it another light toss and serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6. 

Note: If you’re new to truffles and think the taste might be too much for your liking, you can skip sautéing the grated portion and simply slice the truffle over the top at the end.

WINE PAIRING

Truffles are very earthy and aromatic so you’ll want a more mature wine to match the flavors. For Italian reds, look for something like a good Barolo, Brunello, or Nebbiolo. If you want to go French, look for a good burgundy. And with American wines, a nice pinot noir could be a good match.  You want a wine that is a bit more delicate so the flavors aren’t competing with one another.

If you’re already spending good money on a beautiful black truffle, I recommend you splurge on the wine as well.  You won’t regret it if you do. Here are a couple of Italian Barolos to choose from, slightly different in price.

On the lower end, but still around $36 a bottle is the 2011 Reversanti Barolo from Piedmont, Italy.  It has a nice ruby red color and you’re going to get flavors of licorice, berry fruits, roses, and hints of vanilla and tobacco. That complexity makes it a nice companion to the black truffles.

If you want to spend a bit more, and maybe prefer a California wine, try the 2013 Gloria Ferrer Gravel Knob Vineyard Pinot Noir, Los Carneros for around $50. This wine can go with a variety of foods to be honest. It has a nice blackberry spice, dried strawberry, and earthy quality. If you love pinot noir as much as I do, this is a nice splurge.

Leonardo da Vinci once said, “Where the spirit does not work with the hand, there is no art.”

Nowhere else does art and artistry encapsulate everything they do, what they create, the professions they choose, and how they ultimately live as abundantly as it does in Italy. It has arguably been the epicenter of art in all its forms for centuries.

A guest post by Tara Jantzen

This month is more than half over and many of us in the U.S. are thinking about back-to-school and the end of our summer vacations. While we’re exhausted from shuttling the kids around to every summer activity or outing, and now dreading the inevitable workweek, most Italians have closed up shop and are still at the beach or in the mountains for the entire month of August. They are ready for dolce far niente, or, the sweetness of doing nothing.

On August 15, Italians celebrated Ferragosto, a public holiday coinciding with the religious celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. It’s marked across the country with fireworks displays and processions of locals carrying statues of Mary. It’s also a period of relaxation and completely disconnecting from work life. It means spending time with family and friends, soaking up sunshine, enjoying great food and wine, and doing pretty much anything other than work.

This is what they call ferie, or holiday.

Italians have a very different perspective on work and holidays than we seem to have in the U.S. Don’t get me wrong, we usually intend on being completely offline and fully engaged in the leisurely life. But inevitably, we grab for the smartphone or open up the laptop. The Italians are different—they have this holiday thing down to an art form.

First, you’ll likely hear most Europeans say they’re “going on holiday,” whereas Americans are “on vacation.”  The word vacation originated in the U.S. with the affluent as they ‘vacated’ their estate homes for other extravagant locations—a term that never quite caught on in other countries.

Secondly, in Italy work fits around social and family life, not vice versa. They experience everything quite fully, including their work, but they separate the two much more easily and happily than Americans. You’ll never hear of Italians forgoing vacation days like we heroically do in the west. They relish in their personal time and don’t take it for granted even for a second. They live in the moment, and they live passionately.

And you certainly won’t hear of them spending their holidays attending cooking classes or volunteering for a social cause. They take rest and relaxation quite seriously, and they almost always do it with their extended families in tow.

Spending time with the family, la famiglia, is extremely important to the Italian culture, and it goes well beyond the nucleus members of parents and children. Italian families are consistently inclusive of the entire extended network—grandparents, cousins, in-laws, grandkids, you name it. The children often continue living with their parents well into their twenties and even thirties, until they themselves are married.  But they are raised to remain close into adulthood, integrating their future families into the larger group, and so on. They take great care of each other and thoroughly enjoy spending time together. It is the Italian way.

Italians aren’t big on planning every moment of their holiday in advance like the rest of us. They tend to rise late and mull the day’s plan over an espresso. Always accommodating these social creatures, they stay as a group and plan accordingly. 

And they often plan around the simple pleasures of food and wine. You’ll often find large families gathered on the beaches dining in the local cafes or picnicking together in the mountains—just as they would at their home tables—replicating the large meals carefully and lovingly prepared in mother’s kitchen.

Not veering from tradition in any way, they break for a lengthy lunch around 1-2:30 pm, and an even longer dinnertime anywhere between 7:30 and 10 pm. These extended meals are not just to feed the body, but more importantly, they are social rituals—rituals where they also view alcohol as an important accompaniment to meals rather than inebriation and vacation escape.

If you are lucky enough to holiday in Italy and you happen upon one of these carefree clans, you can’t help but be struck by the pure ease with which they live, laugh, and love together. It’s hard not to be just a bit envious of them. They embrace life and never resist. They lift it up and live within it. It is the epitome of la grande vita!

Tara Jantzen is a freelance writer living in Southern California. Throughout her extensive career she has traveled all over the world, but considers Italy her favorite destination. She’s spent many trips learning first-hand about food, cooking, olive oil, wine, and the spirit of the Italian lifestyle. She has also completed the WSET Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirits and hopes to continue her wine education with Level 3 in the near future.

The transformation begins!

As the demolition of the space begins, the family is greeted by unexpected treasures. Behind the ceilings and walls, the original brick arch is discovered with a wooden ceiling above. Ancient nails are hoped to be repurposed to hang light fixtures in the space.

Cabinet work is underway with the design mirroring the quality of the product it will soon hold.

The flooring will transition between rooms with the finale being a Palladiana or tile in a mosaic pattern featuring Modigliani ceramics in the path!

Says Stefano, fourth generation family member in charge of the project, “ Our goal is to keep inside the store all of our rich history while at the same time transitioning to the future with a completely new look.”

Stay tuned for updates as we progress to the opening this Spring!

If you have a sweet tooth, like we do, then Italy’s Gelato Festival is your destination this summer. Starting April 21st in Florence, and moving through various Italian cities through the season, Gelato Festival 2017 is a celebration of the beloved Italian treat and cookies, of course. In each city between eight and sixteen gelato makers will battle it out on your taste buds for the best maker in the area.

If Italian travel is not in the cards for you this summer, why not have a little gelato competition of your own? Invite friends and neighbors over to sample a flavorful variety of this creamy treat, or better yet, ask each invitee to bring their favorite brand and flavor for sampling. Here are a few of our favorite homemade gelato recipes.

• Stracciatella Gelato
• Chocolate Gelato
• Pistachio Gelato
• Vanilla Gelato
• Lemon Gelato

To add an extra touch of authenticity, use our handmade Italian POP Circle Fruit Bowls. Read this blog post from last summer for more ideas to make your event look the part.  

One cannot think of Italian travel without art coming to mind. Some of the worlds most exquisite art is featured in galleries and museums across Italy. We have selected a few of our favorites that showcase a variety of styles. 

Galleria dell'Accademia di Firenze - Founded in 1784, this Florence gallery houses one of the most famous pieces of art in the world, David by Michelangelo. Seeing David and his beauty in addition to the skill involved is remarkable.

The Vatican - From architecture to gardens to walls and ceilings, The Vatican is one large museum! Everywhere you look there is beauty. To have your breath taken away, visit the Basilica of St. Peter. It's dome dominates the Rome skyline, beaconing visitors to come see this awe-inspiring structure.

Santa Maria delle Grazie - Within this collection is one of the world's most famous paintings, DaVinci's The Last Supper. If your Italian travels bring you to Milan, this work is a must see. Due to humidity and the surface it was painted on, the painting has deteriorated over the years. This work is a favorite of Julie Jurden, Owner of Modigliani. She describes it as "breathtaking."

Peggy Guggenheim Collection - Located within the Palazzo where Peggy once lived, this collection showcases some of the most prestigious collections within 20th Century art. From Picasso to Pollock, this Venetian treasure is a modern art lovers delight. 

Inspired by the masters of the past, the artists for Modigliani Italian Ceramics, applies that inspiration to all their creations. We invite you to browse our collections of handmade, hand painted Italian ceramics to get a little inspiration for your table.