Category Archives: English

Opening Nights

Posted on April 18, 2019 by babbityjean

Audience reception of opera premieres has always been unpredictable.  For example, three of the most popular Italian operas today—The Barber of Seville, La Traviata, and Madame Butterfly—were resounding failures on their opening nights.  Perhaps none was more striking than that of … Continue reading →

Posted in Abitudini, Arte, English, Foto, Italia, La Gente, Milano, Musica, Storia | 2 Comments

Who invented the crossword puzzle?

Posted on April 11, 2019 by babbityjean

Credit goes to Arthur Wynne, a British journalist who was born in Liverpool but lived most of his adult life in New York City.  On December 21, 1913, in the Sunday supplement of the daily New York World, he published … Continue reading →

Posted in Abitudini, English, Foto, La Lingua, Lo Sport, Storia | Leave a comment

Ecstasy:  It’s not what you think

Posted on April 4, 2019 by babbityjean

Is art capable of being transformative or even life-threatening?  Apparently so.  The first known example occurred in 1817 when Marie-Henri Beyle, known as the French writer Stendhal, entered the Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence.  He admired its many splendors, … Continue reading →

Posted in Abitudini, Arte, English, Firenze, Foto, Italia, Medicina, Storia, Toscana | Leave a comment