Today we’re going to tell you a story about the 8vo (octavo) which was invented thanks to a brilliant paper-folding operation. Our story takes place during the Renaissance: in Mainz, Johannes Gutenberg has already printed his Bible while in Italy, in Venice to be precise, there’s a certain printer who is fascinated by the idea … Read more
2022 is running along high-voltage cables, yet there was one writer who had no doubts whatsoever that this was going to be a dystopian year: the novel Fahrenheit 451 was written in 1953 and is set at an unspecified time after 2022, in a city which – despite being brightly lit up – is actually … Read more
Whereas the adjective “coquettish” comes from the French word for cockerel, the Italian equivalent, “civettuola”, derives from the word for owl. The very sound of it makes one think of a light and swift movement, of the graceful flitting and swooping of a bird that often chooses the world of fashion as its landing pad. … Read more
This week the world’s oldest heart has been found preserved inside a fossilised prehistoric fish. The “ancient” often comes hand-in-hand with the “sacred”, but we must regretfully take note that it is not a human being that holds this particular record. We’re somewhere off the western coast of Australia, the protagonist of our story is … Read more
The tongue ever turns to the aching tooth, so it is said, and the Italian tongue endeavours to satisfy the taste buds of those who expect it to keep up with the times. Being an ‘old’ language, it requires a certain degree of introspection in order to find the right words. In the new Italian … Read more
Last Wednesday the Mayor of Rome, Roberto Gualtieri, flew to Paris to present our city’s bid to host Expo 2030. Since we love challenges, we’ve taken a crack at the subject, and at rousing the media’s interest, with Luca Josi and Antonio Romano’s proposal of erecting a colossus beside the Colosseum. The real name of … Read more
It’s customary to wish one another bon voyage on the eve of the summer break, yet it’s actually September that brings with it the calendar of engagements, events, and (why not) leisure activities that await us in the “school year” ahead. At this point we can but wish one another the best of luck, or … Read more
This period of the year is always something of a crossover. The sun is still at a right angle, yet defining events of the year are already taking place and cast much longer (and far more interesting) shadows. The 79th Venice International Film Festival opens next Wednesday, 31st August. But even though it’s 90 years … Read more
Extended periods of respite have existed since the dawn of time; the Romans used to call them Feriae Augusti. Probably because by the time we reach the eighth month of the year, we feel somewhat the worse for wear – and definitely in need of some invisible darning. One of our most natural desires is … Read more
Multiple stories over the centuries have turned the Colosseum, with its multiple storeys, into an economic marker, as well as an urban landmark. Pillaging of the amphitheatre, built in 1st century A.D., was always, alas, the name of the game whenever construction materials were required. That is what happened in Late Antiquity, for example, when … Read more
