Who doesn’t love Italy? A country founded on the principles of enjoying ‘la vita bella’ (the beautiful life) and ‘il dolce far niente’ (the sweetness of doing nothing, a reference to the pleasure one gets from being idle)… Italians truly fully embrace life and all its riches; food, wine, fashion, music and art.
As we all find ourselves adjusting to social distancing measures, why not take this time to indulge into these pleasures and learn something along the way as well? We compiled the top 5 ways to celebrate your inner Italian, from the comfort of our own home:
Michelin starred Chef Massimo Bottura of Gucci Osteria (and Osteria Francescana) fame is hosting a free new cooking show, aptly named Kitchen Quarantine, via IGTV. Catch his nightly live stream at 7 p.m. GMT (3 p.m. EST) on his Instagram account, where he cooks a full dinner using ingredients he finds in his fridge (menu items have included a curry, salad, parmesan cream, and tortellini alla Panna).
Few things conjure up more images of Italy than the country’s plethora of world-famous fashion designers. From Armani and Prada to Cavalli and Versace – Italy’s rich fashion heritage is embedded in our collective psyche. Now you can view this history through the rarified lens of Vogue Italia, for free, thanks to its generous editor Francesca Sozzani: simply go to the archive here, register for full access and enter the secret code VARCHIVE4YOU to access the magazine’s full archive from the 1960s to today.
Italy is art and art is Italy. Housing one of the world’s most incredible collections of riches, La Galleria degli Uffizi is a true marvel to behold. As one of the most visited museums in the world, queues and long waiting times in the Florentine heat are not uncommon, but now you can visit this glorious gallery via their online portal and digital archive. Go find your inner Michelangelo 😉
Giuseppe Verdi was once quoted as saying; “You may have the universe if I may have Italy.” Whilst we cannot promise you the universe, we can direct you to enjoy his historic opera, La Traviata, streaming for free tonight as part of the NY Met Opera‘s series of free operas. Check it out here. Have other plans tonight? No problem, The Met is kindly releasing a free opera stream every night!
Want to leave your self-quarantine with a tangible new skill? Why not learn the actual ‘language of love’ for free? Practice some key phrases here or take the next step and download Duolingo for a fun, immersive, learning experience. Oh, and don’t forget to throw in some emphatic hand gestures whilst you talk…