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What made Italians?
Near the end of the 1969 movie “The Secret of Santa Vittoria,” the psychological battle between the Nazi captain and the slyly submissive mayor of the Italian town (played lovably by Anthony Quinn) reaches a tense climax. The two men… Continue reading
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Hybrid, Plug-In Politics
Trump’s ideological flexibility and personality-based politics have allowed him to assemble a group that doesn’t agree on anything except loving Trump and hating Democrats, and . . – David A. Graham in The Atlantic I noticed this phenomenon in… Continue reading
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Social medium
On the beach on Saturday between 6 and 7 p.m., teenagers are practicing back flips, cartwheels and handstands. One boy is teaching another how to do these. Not far from this, a circle of boys keeps a soccer ball in… Continue reading
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Three-pitch strikeout
I know how freelance writers “pitch” story ideas. Or, as a noun, how you make a “pitch” to a magazine. I know, because I was the editor of the Sunday magazine of the Providence (R.I.) Journal-Bulletin. And I was features… Continue reading
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Intermittent immortality
In a magnificent niche of the medieval Fano wall, a thick Plexiglas sheet offers a double vision. Looking through it, you see brick steps descending below the cobblestones into some ancient space, with sprouts of weeds in the mortar. This… Continue reading
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Archeology vs. the East Wing
Three young women wearing bright yellow work vests and matching hard hats are committing archeology in one of Italy’s most exciting new digs this year. One is brushing dirt with a what looks like a paint brush. Another checks a… Continue reading
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Vitruvian treasure
When the city of Fano wanted to restore the Piazza Costa in the middle of the old city, it invited a team of engineers and archeologists to check underneath the cobblestones. This is a common requirement in any old city… Continue reading
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Monastic views
A Benedictine monastery with a pagan name, Eremo Monte Giove (Mt. Jove Hermitage), offers a breathtaking perspective on the area around it. After you hike up the steep quiet road from where the bus lets you out at Rosciano, you… Continue reading
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Windy morning of kites
Wind that is strong and steady belongs at sea, where the waves show it off. You walk out the Fano Marina, holding on to you your hat, past the colorful fishing huts on the pier, past the giant blocks of… Continue reading
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A Marathon Sunday morning
We woke this morning to a gigantic noise of parade drums, crowds and an endless, amplified Italian commentary just outside our apartment. It turns out, we are staying only a few steps from the colorful finish line of a major… Continue reading
An American journalist heads for Italy to see his country changing from afar. 