http://www.aloitaly.com/ Italy News en-us http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article1.html The story of Italian opera begins around the turn of the 17th Century and depicts an important piece of Italian culture. Divided into two periods, the Baroque and the Romantic, opera displays tragic-comedy that was adorned with beautiful scenes and breathtaking music. Historians http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article2.html Italy, the world center of the Catholic Church and place of deep-seated Catholic tradition has changed, paradoxically, into a country with the second-lowest birth rate in Europe and the West after Spain at 1.2 per woman (as reported by Global Agenda Magazine), which translates to one child per http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article3.html There is nowhere else like Italy in the world. It is definitely somewhere you should take a trip to if you love countries that are steeped in history, jam packed full of culture, have wonderful vistas and friendly residents. There are beautiful churches and plazas in Italy that just http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article4.html Italy, as we all know, is the world center of the Catholic Church. Strangely, in spite of its deep-rooted Catholic culture and tradition, it has today changed into a nation having the second lowest birth rates in Europe, next only to Spain. At 1.2 per woman that means one http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article5.html You may have a favorite wine that you order no matter what you're eating, and that's just fine if it is for you. When you entertain, or if you are out in a restaurant, you may want to know the right types of wine to complement each type of food. In a restaurant, you should be able to count http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article6.html Yes, Italians make a dish of pasta, fettuccine dressed with nothing else than good aged parmigiano cheese and a lot of butter, but is such a simple preparation that Italians don't even consider it a "recipe". http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article7.html The best time to go to Italy could well be, well, anytime. In reality the best time is between April and June as the flood of school holidays hasn't yet hit the roads, the countryside is at its fullest bloom and the weather isn't uncomfortably hot yet. http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article8.html South eastern Tuscany meets its smaller neighbor Umbria, on Umbria's north eastern border. The border area of Tuscany and Umbria in Italy is a wonderful place to stay as the visitor is able to visit the many cities and towns of the two regions while and enjoying one of its greatest cuisines. http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article9.html Cortona is a medieval hilltop town in Tuscany, Italy. Situated in the south east of Tuscany, from its walls one has views of the extensive Val di Chiana towards Montepulciano and over Lake Trasimeno into Umbria. It has now become a very popular tourist destination since the http://www.aloitaly.com/newsletters/article10.html Espresso comes from the Italian word for express since espresso is made for and served immediately to the customer. Espresso should be sweet with a potent aroma and flavor similar to freshly ground coffee. The crema, which makes up 10-30% of the beverage, should be dark reddish-brown, consumption.