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  • REPORTERPatrizia Margherita

Although she was born in Italy, she is half Italian and half American and she has become a "multicultural person" who can speak five languages. She has lived and worked in the US, Brazil, Australia, France and the UK so she considers herself a citizen of the world. When she is not teaching or translating, she likes cooking Italian food, hiking and traveling around the world...She has traveled to 80 countries and counting!

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  • 2025.12.03
  • Blog Liguria - Genoa’s lifts
  • Genoa's unique physical configuration, built on a series of intersecting hills that disappear towards the Mediterranean, often requires highly customized road systems and engineered logistical expertise to navigate.
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  • 2025.11.20
  • Blog Liguria - Man’s best friends
  • interesting to reflect on how the very concept of Italian family has expanded and transformed in recent years in Italy. According to a survey I found in a pets magazine, 96% of Italian people now consider their pet a true member of the family.
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  • 2025.11.11
  • Blog Liguria - Murals and art with a meaning
  • The street art projects in Genoa city are murals and incredible projects that have involved leading international artists in the creation of magnificent works of art outdoors in Genoa's working-class Certosa neighborhood, which unfortunately became famous because it was the site of the tragic collapse of the Morandi Bridge in 2018.
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  • 2025.08.27
  • Blog Liguria - Choosing your High School
  • Summer is a time for vacation, but also for reflection. Middle School children in Italy take advantage of their free time (three months to be exact as the school break goes from mid June to mid September) to figure out what they would like to do when they grow up.
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  • 2025.08.19
  • Blog Liguria - Graduating: books, laurel and pranks
  • Graduating is a major milestone in every part of the world, but the way people celebrate it varies surprisingly from culture to culture. From the tossing of the cap in the United States to the traditional wreath-laying of flowers in the Pacific Islands, each country has unique rituals to honor years of study, sacrifice, and personal growth.
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  • 2025.07.25
  • Blog Liguria - A medieval jewel
  • Noli is one of my favorite villages in Liguria and it is an ancient medieval village located on the Ligurian coast, in the province of Savona, part of the itinerary of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Italy”.
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  • 2025.04.07
  • Blog Liguria - Sweet Easter is approaching
  • I often write about food and if you have ever visited Italy you may know why.
    Food culture is very important here: people love eating, enjoy cooking and most of all they appreciate discussing recipes and food preparation in between meals.
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  • 2025.03.26
  • Blog Liguria - Unwritten rules
  • In Italy, just like in every culture I suppose, we have some written and unwritten rules, codes we abide by as well as myths and beliefs which are deeply-rooted in our mentality but which don’t have a lot of reasons to be.
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  • 2025.03.14
  • Blog Liguria - Genoa goes electric
  • Although when it comes to electric buses Italy remains among the last countries in Europe, last year, 2024, saw a great increase in the number of public electric vehicles in the peninsula.
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  • 2024.10.15
  • Blog Liguria - September has come
  • August, our vacation time, is over. Most people are resuming work in September and kids are going back to school according to the Italian school calendar system. But I had plenty of time to wonder: what are vacations, after all?
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  • 2024.10.09
  • Blog Liguria - Summer was…
  • In my last two blogs, I described at length what Summer is and means here in Liguria and Italy.It is a convivial time of relaxation, fun and events but some things have changed over the years, over the decades…and so I’m here to tell you what Summer was and used to be like when I grew up during the decade of the ‘80s.
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  • 2024.07.26
  • Blog Liguria - History of transportation in the region
  • The transport revolution in Liguria essentially occurred in the second half of the 19th century and was aimed at improving the trade in the region, poor in agricultural resources and industries (at least until the mid-19th century) but strategically located between the sea and an extensive hinterland.
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  • 2024.06.21
  • Blog Liguria - A very sweet and old tradition
  • The Romanengo confectionery shop in Genoa has been run by the same family of Genoese confectioners for eight generations.
    These well-known candy makers have managed the oldest confectionery shop in Italy since its opening in 1780.
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  • 2024.05.08
  • Blog Liguria - The art of puppeteers opens its doors
  • There are two types of puppets linked to the puppet artistry in Italy. One is the “burattino,” hand puppet, animated by the hand of the puppeteer, who is positioned under the stage. The puppeteer is also the one who gives the voice to the puppet and tells the story.
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  • 2024.03.11
  • Blog Liguria - Pesto and Pandolce championships
  • The Genoese pesto recipe has brought fame to Ligurian and Italian cuisine and the Genoese people are so proud that they organize a world mortar pesto championship almost every year in which over 100 participants among the best chefs from all over the world compete with pestle and mortar to determine who makes the best and most traditional pesto recipe.
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  • 2023.12.25
  • Blog Liguria - Books by the sea
  • There is a bookshop here in Genoa that not many people know the existence of even though it’s right in the harbor area. It is hard to find because it is not advertised much and it’s located on a sailboat which seems to be a private one from outside.
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  • 2023.11.30
  • COME GET YOUR ILLUSION IN GENOA.
  • I like to travel around my city and (re)discover popular places, as well as hidden corners and mostly-touristy destinations, pretending to be a new-in-town looking for something beautiful and curious that makes it worth spending time at the destination.
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  • 2023.11.09
  • Blog Liguria - Open, shut them…shut them down?
  • Managing a shop is not a simple thing, skills are required in various areas: from knowledge of the sector in which one operates to relational skills for the management of both staff and customers, up to having notions of economics and finance.
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  • 2023.10.31
  • Blog Liguria - Carloforte, Liguria on Sardinia
  • Many Italians visit the island of Sardinia every year for holiday.
    Sardinia is indeed one of the most popular travel destinations for Italians in the Summer time thanks to its beautiful coast, pristine beaches, crystal clear water and rugged hinterland landscape.
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  • 2023.06.23
  • Weather and fog in Liguria: macaia, caligo and gaigo
  • Our region has a Mediterranean climate which varies greatly along the territory due to the fact that Liguria is a narrow stretch of land with mountains very close to the coast and that translates into a moderate difference between the highest and lowest temperatures throughout the year.
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  • 2023.05.26
  • Triora, a magical place
  • Triora, in Liguria, has an undeniable charm which is perceived from the first moment you cross its walled entrance: is it perhaps because it is called the town of witches?
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  • 2023.01.30
  • The tradition of Panettone
  • Panettone on the rise -
    The tradition of Panettone , the holiday cake par excellence in Italy, has a very distant origin in time but its typical shape, which is somewhat reminiscent of a mushroom, is more recent and was introduced half a century ago.
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  • 2023.01.19
  • Blog Liguria – Touch, hear, smell, taste, see and have fun!
  • The Città dei Bambini e dei Ragazzi (The City for Children and Youth) is Genoa’s unique children’s museum. It was originally opened in the 90s and it used to be located in the cotton warehouses in the port of Genoa, but it was an old building which needed renovations, so it was closed down and it has just reopened at a new location just underneath the famous Genoa’s Aquarium.
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  • 2022.12.15
  • A Day to Celebrate the Armed Forces
  • On November 4th 2022, on the occasion of the Day of National Unity which coincides with the Day dedicated to the Armed Forces, a beautiful and emotional commemoration ceremony was celebrated in Piazza della Vittoria in Genoa, more precisely at the War Memorial and this year it was organized by the Carabinieri (the military police).
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  • 2022.11.08
  • Blog Liguria - Aveto valley trip
  • Aveto: horses, windmills and history a few steps from Genova
    The Aveto Regional Natural Park extends along three valleys: the Aveto valley, with its mountainous landscape, the Sturla valley, characterized by pastures and woods of chestnut and hazelnut trees and the Graveglia valley, with its special rocky formations.
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  • 2022.07.15
  • BEHIND THE SCENES IN GENOA
  • Since inflation is skyrocketing and prices are going up like crazy, I have decided to travel more locally this year and I may even skip my annual trip abroad.
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  • 2022.07.07
  • BLOG LIGURIA - BRAZIL MEETS JAPAN IN GENOA
  • It’s probably ludicrous for Japanese people to hear this – perhaps it’s just as bad as for us Italians to hear about pineapple on pizza or chicken on pasta - but, in Genoa, the new trend when it comes to “ethnic” food is Brazilian sushi.
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  • 2022.06.15
  • Blog Liguria – Panino Marino, a taste of the sea in a sandwich
  • I have written much about typical and traditional Ligurian food in the past and, if you wish to learn more about it, you can ready my past blogs about well-known specialties such as farinata, focaccia, pesto sauce and panissa fritters. But Genoese and Ligurian cuisines are growing and embracing new favorites…
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  • 2022.05.26
  • Glamping, camping and everything in between…
  • Italians do not love camping. It’s the truth and I believe it is mainly due to the fact that Italians (for the most part) love comforts, good food (which requires more than a campfire to prepare) and are no keen on adventure when they are on holiday.
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  • 2022.05.13
  • Vintage or simply old?
  • On weekends I love to visit vintage markets. They overflow with memories and objects from other times, and it gets even better when they are set in small picturesque villages on the Ligurian riviera or held in the squares of historical towns.
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  • 2022.04.22
  • From sea to mountain
  • From the blue sea to the white mountain caps
    If you think of Liguria, the first thing you associate with it is the sea but there are actually two ski areas where you can ski, snowboard and enjoy all sorts of snow activities in this beautiful region.
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  • 2022.03.31
  • War, emergencies and empathy
  • The start of the war in Ukraine and the European Union sanctions against Russia have led to the subsequent blocking of transport - including maritime transport - in the areas affected by the conflict therefore creating a new inconvenience to the international market.
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  • 2021.12.09
  • Traditional Costumes
  • Although we no longer wear traditional clothes, not even for special occasions, they still exist and they are flaunted by people who perform regional dances or during historical reenactments.
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  • 2021.11.24
  • Social Theater comes to Genoa
  • An official definition of Social Theater does not exist. There is rather a debate that places the existence of this practice somewhere between continuous research and social experimentation.
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  • 2021.09.28
  • Ceriale and Le 3 Caravelle
  • Here we are again with our journey within the territories of Liguria.This time I visited the town of Ceriale on the Western Coast.The village is in the province of Savona, precisely located about halfway between Loano and Albenga.
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  • 2021.09.13
  • DANTE COMES TO LIGURIA
  • This year in Italy we celebrate the 700th year from the death of Dante Alighieri, the most famous Italian poet. Thanks to him we have the Italian language we use today and Italian students study him in school in depth for the first three years of High School.
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  • 2021.06.23
  • Blog Liguria – Dog & Cat Kennels
  • In Italy, with a law protecting animals which was established in 1991, it is illegal to euthanize stray animals and it is one of the few countries in Europe and the world to do so unfortunately.
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  • 2021.05.26
  • Blog Liguria - DAD
  • Since schools of all levels had to close because of Covid-19 last year and this year too for long or short periods of time, sometimes on an on and off basis, both schools and students (and consequently their families first and foremost I’d say) had to adapt to a new way of teaching and learning which, here in Italy, goes by the name of DAD = Didattica A Distanza (which translates to remote or distance learning).
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  • 2021.04.20
  • Craft beers
  • Liguria is renowned for its wines, from its expensive and rare Sciacchetrà from 5 Terre to the more common but amazing Vermentino; when it comes to craft beers though, it is somewhat considered the fifth wheel on the wagon of Northern Italy.
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  • 2021.04.07
  • Fresh pasta homemade in Liguria
  • I know, I know, I’m again here talking about food but, let’s be honest, first of all food is delicious in Italy and we are very proud here of our culinary tradition and (sadly) secondly, there is not much to do or somewhere to go right now so we are spending much time cooking and eating.
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  • 2021.03.22
  • Amaretti di Sassello
  • Amaretti di Sassello (literally translated: Sassello’s bitter ones) are dry almond paste sweets which originate from a homonymous village, Sassello, located in the Ligurian Apennine range.
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  • 2021.03.11
  • Blog Liguria – Yummy pastries
  • I have previously talked in my blogs about typical Italian lunches with family members in which relatives usually bring a dessert and a bottle of wine or other drinks to share and such dessert is usually a homemade cake or tiramisu but not on Sunday, the typical after lunch dessert for the Sunday lunch is a tray of pastries bought from a local pastry shop.
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  • 2021.02.25
  • The traditional Sunday Lunch
  • It is true that now since Covid-19 started even here in Italy we have seen a growth of food delivery apps and services and more and more people are ordering food for delivery to substitute what they once had at the restaurant.
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  • 2021.02.10
  • DPCM normative madness
  • Italy is dealing with the second wave of Covid cases. Today, unfortunately, the pandemic has reached worldwide a record number of infections but, after the first lockdown which started in March and ended in May, the Italian politicians are unfortunately proving their inability to plan and manage the situation.
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  • 2020.12.08
  • Turning orange…new rules
  • On my last blog I explained how Italy has been divided into three different areas: yellow, orange and red, or better, the twenty Italian regions are classified as yellow, orange or red by the Italian government after discussing on a weekly basis with their regional governors and the health authority whether they must be considered to be a color or another.
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  • 2020.09.23
  • The legendary Rocca dell'Adelasia
  • Italians usually spend the last two weeks in August at the beach so the coast gets very crowded here in Liguria as it gets filled with people coming from nearby regions without the sea such as Piedmont and Lombardy.
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  • 2020.08.26
  • Blog Liguria - Preboggion, a mix of local herbs from Liguria
  • Preboggion is not an Italian word but rather a word from the Ligurian dialect (if such thing exists because each province, town and even village in Liguria offers a variation from the ‘common’ regional dialect) which gathers in one word various endemic, perennial and annual herbs, which grow spontaneously along the Ligurian paths, in the fields and along the banks of our streams.
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  • 2020.07.30
  • On the footsteps of Napoleon
  • Not many people know this, but many excursions destinations in Liguria are actually considered to be world class. In fact, this region is famous for many things: the beaches, the seaside villages and the famous Portofino, but here you can also find loads of nature trails of different length and difficulty levels, and it is a fabulous playground for those who love to venture into nature.
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  • 2020.07.13
  • Lake Osiglia, a quiet place
  • As the scare for Covid 19 is not over yet and the search for remote and quiet locations here in Liguria continues, I found an uncrowded and little known place to have another short trip in Liguria, Lake Osiglia, a few kilometers from Savona and about an hour from Genoa city.
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  • 2020.06.16
  • Hanging groceries and other initiatives
  • Although some shops, offices and businesses are slowly opening back up here in Italy in what is called phase 2 which started on May 4th, many families are still struggling because many people lost their jobs during this crisis and generous people are doing the grocery shopping for the less lucky ones.
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  • 2020.05.27
  • COVID Art does not stop
  • Many cultural websites and TV channels have decided to make a community streaming available to everyone during this time of forced quarantine at home.
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  • 2020.04.09
  • The Ligurian Chocolate Festival
  • Every March (although sadly not this one because of Coronavirus restrictions implemented in Italy), here in Liguria we celebrate the Festival of chocolate in preparation of the Easter festivities coming up in April.
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  • 2020.03.26
  • Blog Liguria - Alassio's Kisses
  • There are two reasons why I love Alassio, a small town in our beautiful Liguria region: first, because it is a splendid tourist town (perhaps one of my favorite Ligurian locations), always so lively especially in the summer season, and the second reason are its Kisses!
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  • 2020.01.28
  • Artichokes and other Slow Food products from the Liguria region
  • Protecting food biodiversity in a country where gastronomic culture has always been a cardinal principle of education and identity is an extremely important principle here in Italy: for this reason the Slow Food Foundation was born in Italy, an operating body that deals with the protection of local products.
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  • 2020.01.14
  • The origin of the Jeans
  • Not many people around the world know that jeans, or better denim textile, come from the city of Genoa in Italy. It is perhaps the most sold and the most requested garment in the whole world, as it is appreciated by any social class, age and gender.
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  • 2019.12.19
  • The holiday season is coming to Genoa
  • We had terrible floods lately hitting our region, rivers overflowing, people evacuated from their homes and another motorway bridge collapsing but, on a lighter note, the holiday season is approaching and we are trying to ‘deck the halls’ and get some Christmas spirit going anyway.
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  • 2019.12.05
  • ROSES AND ALL THEIR USES
  • The red and golden rose of the Scrivia Valley is very famous here in Liguria. In this charming valley behind Genoa, along the banks of the Scrivia river, the cultivation of the rose is in fact an ancient tradition, which dates back to the 1600s.
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  • 2019.11.21
  • The Genoa aquarium
  • I have realized that I have mentioned Genoa’s Aquarium so many times but I had never written about it so I decided to do so this time.
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  • 2019.11.07
  • Honoring the Alpine troops
  • In my last blog I introduced Savona, Genoa’s sister city, and I mentioned that the town was preparing for a big event: the arrival of thousands of Alpine troops and veterans.
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  • 2019.09.20
  • Saracen Landing – back to the 16th Century!
  • There is an yearly event taking place just outside of Genoa city which is very evocative and fun and which attracts tourists and locals alike: the re-enactment of the Saracen landing, an historical fact that actually happened here in 1546.
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  • 2019.08.20
  • Sweet Dolcedo
  • Dolcedo (the name means ‘something sweet’ in Italia) is a medieval village in western Liguria, still little known to tourists and locals alike. The municipality of Dolcedo is made up of various hamlets located at different altitudes.
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  • 2019.07.16
  • Small, black and precious: the Taggiasca olives
  • The Taggiasca olives (also called Cailletier in English) are now known throughout Italy and they are getting more and more popularity abroad too, so much so that they can now be found on – Italian – menus in some of the major cities worldwide.
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  • 2019.07.01
  • Caves and Caverns
  • The first time I visited the caves of Toirano I ended up in this small town in the Ligurian hinterland by chance. This town is located just behind the town of Loano, a famous tourist destination for the beach and the sea on the western coast of our Liguria region.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.04.25
  • Asia meets Genoa
  • Genoa is undoubtedly one of the most cosmopolitan cities in Italy and Europe, thanks to its port on the Mediterranean, but also thanks to its large Chinese community which, among others, is now an integral part of the social fabric of the city.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.03.27
  • The Citrus Festival
  • Here in our Liguria region, we have just had a weekend dedicated to citruses, from fragrant lemons to oranges and tangerines, but also including the delicious Ligurian endemic citrus species: chinotto and pernambucco.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.03.12
  • Oriental Genoa
  • Genoa, historically one of the most important ports in Italy and the Mediterranean, has always had important contacts with Asia. The city has always been connected to the Far East and the ancient Silk Road.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.02.21
  • Candle Festival
  • There is a candle festival organized in a small town near Genoa, Manrola, a lovely medieval village perched on the Ligurian hills, and this tradition has now reached its twelfth edition. This is the first Italian town handicrafts market entirely dedicated to candles.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.02.13
  • The ‘fruits’ of our Land.
  • Mushrooms could be seen as colorful fruits of our earth without seeds but, at times, they are also feared by man because of the toxic properties of some species. Mushrooms are closely related to plants for their growth: many species are symbiotic of plants, meaning that for their survival they need to enter an intimate state of contact and mutual exchange with the roots of plants and trees.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.01.29
  • Liquid gold: Ligurian olive oil.
  • It may be true that due to climate changes Liguria’s agriculture is suffering but, it is also true, that Liguria’s main resource after tourism is, without any doubts, agriculture.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2019.01.08
  • Christmas cheers, everyone!
  • In Italy we officially enter the Christmas season on December 8th, the day of the celebration of the Virgin Mary. On this day shops decorate their windows with Christmas lights and trees, families gather to have a family lunch and decorate their trees and nativities back home and city workers are busy putting up the final lights and decorations around town.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.12.21
  • Gli acciugai – Fish peddlers
  • Back in the history of Liguria, there was a time in which the inhabitants of the Ligurian valleys, during the winter season, were forced to leave their home to go and look for a source of income somewhere else.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.12.12
  • Legends and Myths of Liguria
  • When I was a kid and I visited my grandma’s house, she always told me some legends, stories or anecdotes about Genoa and its surroundings. Some stories were also told at school or read on books because every corner of the Superb (Genoa’s nickname) hides some little secret.
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  • Italy Genoa
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.11.12
  • Liguria and its wine terraces
  • “Recovering lands and vineyards is a difficult and burdensome practice. Labor and cultivation are the following steps and they are the easiest part” is what I was told by my friend who is a small winemaker in Monterosso, one of Liguria’s cinque terre (five lands).
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.10.31
  • A very special blessing
  • The Blessing of the Animals shall be the day when the Church, the Pope (and God by them represented) welcome dogs and cats, cows, donkeys, mules and all farm animals to a blessed life. But not only for pets and farm animals.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.10.10
  • Wildlife and other animals in our beautiful region
  • Our region, Liguria, is a beautiful place where to live, thanks to the great biodiversity of its territory. It’s populated by over 1.5 million people and many wild animal species inhabit this region as well, among them: foxes, wolves, deer, wild boars, squirrels, barn owls and many more.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.10.04
  • Under the Sea
  • Liguria is famous for its beaches and what awaits under the sea is even better. Our region is a paradise for snorkeling and an absolute must-go-to place for divers.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.09.11
  • Traditional recipes
  • I have previously talked about food festivals, Slow Food and holiday farms, but the food topic is always at the center of the attention in Italy where people talk about eating even while eating ...
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.09.04
  • Promoting ‘local’ at the Agriturismo
  • Popular in Italy and in our beautiful Liguria region as well, the concept of agriturismo (agritourism or holiday farm) is an increasing phenomenon and a frequent choice among tourists and locals alike, when it comes to lodging and dining.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.07.11
  • Bachelorette’s party traditions in Liguria…
  • The bachelorette or hen party has been a rite of passage for brides-to-be for a few decades now and it is a constantly evolving custom, linked to the fashions of the moment, which has been transformed and renewed over time to become a real trend among couples of future spouses.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.06.15
  • Being veggie in Italy.
  • After even the worldwide famous chef of Scottish origins, Gordon Ramsay, has posted online photos of the first vegan pizza served in one of his restaurants, it is official: vegetarianism and veganism are becoming increasingly popular.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.06.01
  • Fun and nature at the Adventure Park
  • With temperatures slightly increasing, it is normal that people wish to escape from the heat, even just for a day during the weekend.A short driving distance from Genoa, it is possible to enjoy the shade of a mountain forest and at the same time live an exciting adventure choosing the acrobatic routes of an amazing adventure park.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.05.23
  • Not just the sea…
  • People are used to considering Liguria as a coastal place, where you go for a swim and where to relax on the beach. People don’t think of Liguria as a place where you can go hiking outdoors, maybe in the mountains, surrounded by snow. But, truth is, there are many places where you can take walks with a pair of snowshoes.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.05.08
  • Alassio and its two nicknames
  • There is a small beach resort town in our beautiful region which is countrywide famous for a wall. Alassio’s Muretto (small wall in Italian) is indeed the symbol par excellence of this Ligurian town and one of the town’s two nicknames is “The town of the small wall.”
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.04.11
  • April Fools’ Day fish cake and the holy palm twigs
  • The 1st of April is internationally known as April Fools’ Day, the day of the year dedicated to pranks and jokes. On this day each year in Italy, just as in the rest of the world, children play pranks on their friends and family members, the most common of which is to stick a paper fish on the back of someone bearing writings such as “April Fool.”
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.03.29
  • Seborga, seeking independence
  • A “coup d’état” is taking place in Seborga, the self-proclaimed Principality in the province of Imperia, in our beloved Liguria region. Seborga is nothing more than a small town on the West coast of Liguria, not far from the border with France. The town is “governed” (actually administered) by a self-proclaimed “prince,” Marcello, who has been fighting, in vain, for years to gain his official independence from Italy.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.03.16
  • The Pandolce, a sweet tradition
  • More than a tradition, it is a landmark, a symbol of Genoa like the Lanterna (the lighthouse). And just like the Lanterna, it has remained the same for many centuries with its natural leaven and its soft candied fruits, chosen among the best available.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.03.02
  • Cetaceans in the Ligurian sea
  • A few decades ago the Ligurian sea was populated by dolphins, reef sharks and whales but, for a few years, these animals disappeared because they couldn’t find food anymore, given the extensive fishing which was destroying their natural habitat.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.02.19
  • A floral coastline
  • The stretch of coastline which extends from Genoa to Ventimiglia is referred to as Riviera dei fiori or Flowers’ Riviera. When you think of flower-growing and flower distribution in Italy, in fact, our region, Liguria, immediately comes to mind and in particular we think of this area, which goes from Genoa to the border with France.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.02.05
  • Genoa’s curiosity shop
  • Genoa is a city which needs to be explored and its historical center is a symbol of the mysterious nature of this place, with its labyrinth of caruggi (narrow alleyways) which hide amazing places and realities unknown to most, even to locals!
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.01.22
  • One city, two Popes
  • Not everyone knows that near Genoa there is a small city called Savona and which it became famous because it ‘produced’ two Popes. Indeed, two of its citizens became Popes between the 1400 and the 1500 and that makes it the only city in the world which can boast having two Popes.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2018.01.05
  • Three kings, a good witch and sugar coal
  • As the song goes: “it’s the most wonderful time of the year!”Everybody loves Christmas and New Year’s Eve but, in Italy (and some other Catholic-predominant countries), there is another holiday, somewhat underrated, which takes place on January 6th: Epiphany or Three Kings’ Day.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.11.21
  • The Lantern, Genoa’s historical landmark
  • They say of Genoa city that it is ‘rough, sometimes harsh, but always authentic.’ You either hate it or love it, nothing in between. When in Italy someone thinks of this city, which is also called the Superb by its inhabitants, one thinks of pesto sauce, the largest aquarium in Europe, the old port and its dark and tight alleyways.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.11.06
  • The Genoa-Casella Railway
  • The Genoa-Casella Railway recently reopened after it had been closed for over 2 years following the collapse of two bridges along this cable railway line.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.10.26
  • A minute of silence
  • Savona is a town located about one hour by train from Genoa and it is the second biggest city in Liguria. This town is famous for white farinata, a wheat glutinous flatbread, for its Priamar fortress and for its main square, Piazza Mameli, also called the square of the fallen.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.10.05
  • Genoa, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows…
  • Genoa is a very beautiful city, famous for its focaccia, its Aquarium, its port and its pesto sauce. There are many amazing stretches of coast around this city which are worth visiting but unfortunately, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows and this place is infamous in Italy for its inhabitants.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.09.15
  • A land of seafarers
  • Genoa cannot be explained but it must be lived because it is a contradiction in both urban and social terms. Genoa is full of dark alleyways as well as elegant avenues but what all places in this city have in common is that they tell about its history of explorations and sea adventures.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.09.06
  • A trip around the world in Genoa city
  • It is not easy to imagine that there, just above the Piazza Principe station, Genoa’s main train station, overlooking the entire city from above, there is a chic, elegant and proud castle that encloses not only a regal atmosphere but a collection of memorabilia from around the world.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.08.17
  • 5 terre paradise
  • Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore are five villages, five lands on the sea where they get their name: Cinque Terre, meaning five lands. Modeled by nature for centuries they were adapted to the needs of man. First, for agricultural purposes, men created the terraces fields, which make this a unique place.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.07.25
  • Chinotto, the Ligurian citrus
  • The ‘chinotto from Savona’ is a typical Ligurian fruit. It is a small round, bright green citrus which, when it ripes, becomes yellow-orange and is almost completely seedless.
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  • U.S.A Portland
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.07.11
  • Infiorata, a Holy Flower Festival
  • Every year, at the end of June, the Catholic Church celebrates the solemnity of the Corpus Domini (literally God’s body) and the entire Italian peninsula dresses up with floral decorations which cover the streets and the squares of many cities and towns. The Corpus Domini is originally celebrated on Thursday after the celebration of the Holy Trinity but in Italy this holiday is moved to Sunday for convenience. 
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  • U.S.A Portland
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.06.20
  • A land of artists and poets
  • The last stretch of land in the Ligurian Riviera of Levante (the East side), just before its border with Tuscany, gathers around the Gulf of La Spezia, better known as the Gulf of Poets.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.05.23
  • Glass and ceramic art
  • In Italy when people talk about the Liguria region they think of the sea, the beaches, the flavors of the local cuisine, the fishermen and the small colorful villages with narrow crowded streets of vacationers in the summer but, in the world of applied arts, Liguria is synonym with ceramics and blown glass.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.05.08
  • Italian customs and social etiquette
  • FASHION and STYLEMaking a good first impression is very important in Italy and you should be aware that you will most likely be judged first and foremost based on your physical appearance and that includes grooming,
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.04.12
  • Doves, bunnies and chocolate eggs…
  • There is no doubt that Christian holidays represent most of the traditional Italian heritage. They express faith, of course, but nowadays they mostly have a strong social meaning and represent a bond to the community.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2017.04.03
  • A trip back in time…
  • I think almost every girl has dreamed at least once in her lifetime to be a princess and perhaps every man has dreamed at least once as a kid to travel in time…Such dreams can come to
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.12.14
  • New Year traditions
  • Italy, as all Western countries, follows the internationally accepted civil Gregorian calendar which is also known as “Western” or “Christian” calendar and
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.11.27
  • Advent Time in Liguria
  • It’s not that time of the year just yet but the main holiday in Italy is without any doubt Christmas day and many await this holiday with anticipation all year round.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.11.13
  • Commemorating the departed
  • Although Italy is officially considered a secular country, where Church and State are two separated entities, religious holidays are still recognized and
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.10.30
  • Fashionable Strolls
  • Italy is one of the leading countries in fashion design and Italians are passionate about clothes and trends and dress up pretty much for any given occasion.
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.10.16
  • LOCAL PRODUCE AND SLOW FOOD
  • Buying local produce is becoming increasingly popular in Italy, especially among women. In Italy, local foods are called ‘0 km products,’ which means they are
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.09.11
  • OPEN-AIR CULTURAL EVENTS
  • Ligurian towns are blessed with picturesque landscapes and a mild climate all year round which offer the perfect backdrop for open-air cultural events
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.08.28
  • LIGURIAN FOOD
  • Italian food is well-known and appreciated worldwide but Italian cuisine is not just one. There are many regional differences and a wide variety of
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.08.14
  • How to enjoy the Bar in Italy
  • The Italian bar is more than just a café where to sit and have a break…it is a world on its own. The Italian bar is a café, a diner, a tea room, a lounge bar and,
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.07.31
  • A Passion for the Beach
  • Summer in Italy’s Liguria region is all about enjoying the mild summer nights strolling with friends by the sea, eating fresh seafood on restaurant patios set up
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita
  • 2015.07.17
  • Soccer supporters
  • It’s no secret that Italians are in love with soccer. Italian boys are raised playing it and watching it on TV with their dads and Italian girls grow to love it,
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  • Italy Genoa
  • Patrizia Margherita

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