1. Italian or American? The Truth About Penne alla Vodka by Sara Baron-Goodman

The tension about this pasta comes not from Italy and the US fighting over who can stake claim to it, but rather, it would seem, the more popular it became in the US, the more Italy pretended to have nothing to do with it.

2. An Exclusive Peek Inside Ansaldo, Teatro La Scala’s Workshop of Wonders by Alexia Petsinis

Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither were the sets, costumes, and scenes of Milan’s biggest theater.

3. Why Milan Has the Freshest Fish in Italy by Margo Schächter

“Where the sea doesn’t reach, the fish do,” the fishmongers explain, and, here in the city, there are customers willing to pay a fortune for them.

4. 20 Foods You Must Eat in Calabria by IS TEAM

Here, 20 of our favorite Calabrian foods, with options for both the pro-spice and anti-spice contingents.

5. Is There Room for More Diversity in Italian Cuisine? by Sara Baron-Goodman

When it comes to looking outward, at a possibility for culinary diversity that lies beyond the boot, Italy has a gatekeeping problem. It goes beyond national pride–which is a good and deserved thing–and veers into gastronationalism–which is not.

6. 35 Under 35: The Voices of Italy’s Younger Generations by IS TEAM

From startup founders, activists, actors, and chefs to photographers, Olympians, designers, and singers, here are 35 people under the age of 35 to keep an eye on.

7. Oulx: A Pivotal Point for Migrants on the Piedmontese Border by Matilde Moro

When locals in Bardonecchia saw the lack of auxiliary institutions for migrants, no aid to even meet the most basic of needs, they stepped up to fill the humanitarian gaps.

8. Monumental Advertising: Italy’s Last Remaining Campari Fountains by Alexia Petsinis

Here, the mysterious backstory of the twelve marble and cement “Campari fountains” dotted across the regions of Lombardy and Tuscany; sculpted feats of monumental advertising inscribed with the brand name of Italy’s beloved red bitter aperitif–CAMPARI–loud and clear.

9. Three Generations in The Kitchen by Valeria Necchio

“Only later did I perceive my mother’s cooking style–defiant, deliberately soulless–as a form of rebellion.”

10. 10 Places You’ve Never Heard of in Liguria by IS TEAM

If you can pry yourself away from the beach, here are 10 places you’ve never heard of in Liguria, from British botanical gardens to a sunken statue to a bridge favored by Monsieur Monet.

11. An Accidental Icon: Burrata in Puglia Retains Its Simple Origins by Clementina Lussiana

Burrata is officially a long way from home, having been plucked from its earthy roots and launched into a glitzy world of trend-driven restaurant culture. But in Puglia, the cheese tells a different story.

12. To Be Young and Chinese in Prato: Conversations on Belonging in Italy’s “Little China” by Sara Cagle

“When I begin to feel Italian, it will mean that I have lost my roots, my culture. I don’t think that is what belonging should be.”

13. The “Other” Pesto: In Celebration of Liguria’s Second Most Famous Sauce, La Salsa Di Noci by Sara Cagle

It’s beige and a little wan, but like many beloved brown foods, every spoonful of salsa di noci tastes like, “Why don’t I eat this more often?”

14. Behind the Glitz and Glamor: The Real Lives of Italy’s Nobility by Elizabeth Djinis

For the members of nobility that Italy Segreta interviewed, many with the titles of prince and princess, nobility is as much of a blessing as it is a curse, at the same time a sentence that hangs over the head, an honor, and a lifelong responsibility.

15. A Local’s Guide to Merano, Alto Adige by IS TEAM

The mild weather and scenic backdrop have made this South Tyrolean town a favorite of artists and writers; Franz Kafka, Ezra Pound, and, perhaps most famously, the Empress Elisabeth of Austria have all called Merano home.

16. 100% Italian: Conversations on Being Mixed-Ethnicity in Italy by Gesù Antonio Baez

“This was probably the most difficult thing for Italians to understand–that I was Italian. That I was Italian AND something else. That this didn’t negate my italianità at all.

17. Cooperative: What Remains of the Most Important Social Incubators of Postwar Italy by Lorenzo Villa, Bartolomeo Sala, and Tommaso Serra

The establishments have mostly disappeared now, but the cooperative di quartiere were once places to talk about all things politics–the stronghold of the PCI (Italian Communist Party)–but also places where workers, young people, and the elderly would gather to play cards, chat, have a glass of wine, and eat cheaply.

18. How Lithuanian Singer Popa Is Transforming Italian Pop by Elizabeth Djinis

“It’s that idea of watching Selling Sunset, something mainstream, but with a silver tray and a teacup. This, for me, is lusso.”

19. New York City a Tavola: The Best Italian Restaurants in NYC According to Italians by IS TEAM

In the city that never sleeps, you’ll find exciting reinterpretations of classic Italian dishes, and some of the world’s best chefs elevating a culinary heritage rooted in cucina povera to new and prestigious heights.

20. Through the Lens of Giulia Frigieri: Generazione Vulcano by Alexia Petsinis

For teenagers living on the Aeolian Islands, life goes on, and there are plenty of other things to think about. After all, nothing stops teenagers from being teenagers. Not even a volcano or two.

21. The Italian Pizzaioli Defying an “Unforgivable” Taboo by Jaclyn DeGiorgio 

Believe it or not, pineapple pizza is on the rise in Italy.

22. When Are You Going To Have Children? by Giulia Grimaldi 

In Italy, if you are a woman between the ages of 20 and 40, what people really want to know from you is when you’re going to have children–not “if” you want them, but “when” you’ll have them.

23. Calabrian Cults: An Unlikely Preserver of Local Cuisine by Margo Schächter

With the cry of “In vino veritas in morzello salus”, the members of The Ancient Congregation Tre Colli in Catanzaro solemnly swear allegiance to the morzello, signing the pledge with a sauce-smeared chin on baker’s paper.

24. Does “Emily in Rome” Get Rome Right? by Elizabeth Djinis

“This was Rome, Disney World edition, Hollywood-style, robbing the city of everything that was organic and rugged and almost grotesque about it and trading it instead for wide shots of rosy-hued alleyways.”