Gualtiero Marchesi had the opportunity to witness the beginnings of "nouvelle cuisine" in France before it arrived in Italy. The Troisgros family, with whom he worked, were famed for their innovative cooking. Their restaurant was in an area with no gastronomic legacy, and they had to rely on their skill, rather than on characteristic local ingredients.

The traditional Anglo-Saxon holiday, Halloween, has gradually taken hold in Italy and is now an occasion for partying, wearing costumes, and having fun. Serena opens up the door to her apartment and...

Often, when making a phone reservation for a restaurant, theatre, or museum, you'll be asked to spell your name. Marika gives us an example of how it's done in Italian.

More about Aci Trezza and the Cyclops sea stacks, and their roles in legend and tradition.

Alberto Capatti talks about his first culinary experiences as an Italian in France, not knowing how to choose wine, etc. Gualtiero Marchesi talks about how he sought to take the elements he admired in French cuisine and apply them to his own style of cooking in Italy.

Italians have adopted the English term "coworking" to denote a group of independent professionals working in the same space. In her short documentary Moira Volterrani takes us to visit The Talent Garden (Tag) of Pisa.

Acireale and Aci Trezza are two small towns in Sicily that get their names from Greek mythology, and they in fact look out on the Islands of the Cyclops, so this area, besides being incredibly beautiful, also has an important and very ancient place in history and myth.

You can't learn a language without knowing its alphabet. Here's Marika to teach you the Italian one. Pay special attention when she gets to J! It's one of the letters that wasn't in the original alphabet of 21 letters.

Get the scoop, along with Marika and Anna, on what types of mozzarella there are, and what they go well with on the dinner table.

A small town in Tuscany has adopted an unusual method of garbage collection! It's a way of integrating workers with special needs into the work force, and allowing them to have more than just a job. A video by Moira Volterrani

Near Mount Etna is the river Alcantara, with its unique bed and walls that create a marvelous natural landscape. It's also a choice spot for extreme sports like hydrospeed, kayaking and rafting.

It's important in speaking Italian, to address people using the right form of "you." Tu (you) is for people you know, and Lei (you) is for people you don't know, or people you address with respect. Daniela explains how to use these forms.

Alberto Capatti shares his memories of the grand restaurants of Paris in the sixties. Velvet curtains, low lighting, fires in the fireplaces, ten kinds of cheese — a far cry from what would become known as "nouvelle cuisine."

The sea and its harbour are two important features of the town of Maratea. Another important feature is the presence of forty-four churches! Our Lady of Porto Salvo (Safe Harbour) is the church that Antonio focuses on. He also speaks of the cult of San Biagio, patron saint of Maratea.

Anna and Marika take you right into the pizzetteria where Flavio explains how pizza is made.