Not so long ago, Italian food was regarded as a poor man’s gruel ”little more than pizza, macaroni with sauce, and red wines in a box. Here, John Mariani shows how the Italian immigrants to America created, through perseverance and sheer necessity, an Italian-American food culture, and how it became a global obsession. The book begins with the Greek, Roman, and Middle Eastern culinary traditions before the boot-shaped peninsula was even called “Italy,” then takes readers on a journey through Europe and across the ocean to America alongside the poor but hopeful Italian immigrants who slowly but surely won over the hearts and minds of Americans by way of their stomachs. Featuring evil villains such as the Atkins diet and French chefs, this is a rollicking tale of how Italian cuisine rose to its place as the most beloved fare in the world, through the lives of the people who led the charge. With savory anecdotes from these top chefs and restaurateurs: Mario Batali Danny Meyer Tony Mantuano Michael Chiarello Giada de Laurentiis Giuseppe Cipriani Nigella Lawson And the trials and triumphs of these restaurants: Da Silvano Spiaggia Bottega Union Square Cafe Maialino Rao’s Babbo Il Cantinori

Anna Morandi Manzolini (1714-74), a woman artist and scientist, surmounted meager origins and limited formal education to become one of the most acclaimed anatomical sculptors of the Enlightenment. The Lady Anatomist tells the story of her arresting life and times, in light of the intertwined histories of science, gender, and art that complicated her rise to fame in the eighteenth century.   Examining the details of Morandi's remarkable life, Rebecca Messbarger traces her intellectual trajectory from provincial artist to internationally renowned anatomical wax modeler for the University of Bologna's famous medical school. Placing Morandi's work within its cultural and historical context, as well as in line with the Italian tradition of anatomical studies and design, Messbarger uncovers the messages contained within Morandi's wax inscriptions, part complex theories of the body and part poetry. Widely appealing to those with an interest in the tangled histories of art and the body, and including lavish, full-color reproductions of Morandi's work, The Lady Anatomist is a sophisticated biography of a true visionary.  

Issued in connection with an exhibition held Oct. 13, 2010-Jan. 16, 2011, National Gallery, London, and Feb. 20-May 30, 2011, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

Italian ironwork from Roman times, through Medieval centuries, and up to Neo Classical designs of the early nineteenth century comprise this collection of 100 photographs from Italian sources. They depict trellises, grilles, gates, fencing, household lighting, fireplace accoutrements, and door hardware that will inspire today's designers. Their origins in hill towns of Ialy are recorded for many images. This is authentic ironwork for contractors, decorators, and homeowners to enjoy.

This lucid and coherent account provides a new overview of the collecting of antiquities in early renaissance Rome, from the time of Petrarch to the Sack of Rome in 1527. In the early 15th century, when Romans discovered ancient marble sculptures and inscriptions in the ruins, they often melted them into mortar. A hundred years later, however, antique marbles had assumed their familiar role as works of art displayed in private collections. In this important book, the author steps back to examine the "long" 15th century, a critical period in the history of antiquities collecting that has received scant attention. She examines shifts in the response of artists and writers to spectacular archaeological discoveries and the new role of collecting antiquities in the public life of Roman elites. The book culminates in a detailed catalogue of the thirty-six most important antiquities collections formed before the Sack and brings these vanished sites back to life by using archival documents, drawings, and descriptions by visitors to clarify the history and appearance of little-studied collections.

For the past 65 years, the National Galleries of Scotland has displayed the acclaimed Bridgewater Collection, one of the world's most important groups of Old Master paintings still under private ownership. Consisting largely of French and Italian works, the collection includes Titian's Diana and Actaeon (recently purchased by the National Galleries of Scotland and the National Gallery of London) and Diana and Callisto , each an undeniable masterpiece of the Italian Renaissance. This catalogue accompanies an unprecedented exhibition of 25 paintings and drawings from the National Galleries of Scotland. In addition to the works by Titian, the book features paintings and drawings by Lorenzo Lotto, Jacopo Bassano, Tintoretto, and Veronese. With special emphasis on the Titian masterpieces, the authors discuss the Bridgewater Collection and its long, proud history of bringing Old Master paintings to public view.

A unique look at the life Miuccia Prada-one of the world's most revered, and reserved, fashion designers-this biography details the meteoric rise of the brand that forever changed the face of the fashion industry. This biography shows a sophisticated Milanese woman with a history as an active feminist and details her involvement in the Prada brand-a company no longer considered simply a fashion industry leader, but the symbol of a conceptual style that has brought aesthetic standards under scrutiny, and created new trends that have become a lifestyle. From her early activist days and young romances to a new era of fashion, this life story of Miuccia Prada encapsulates a complex chapter of Italian history and paints a portrait of an integral character in the world of fashion history.

The first historical appraisal of the astonishing life and times of a controversial twentieth-century saint Padre Pio is one of the world’s most beloved holy figures, more popular in Italy than the Virgin Mary and even Jesus. His tomb is the most visited Catholic shrine anywhere, drawing more devotees than Lourdes. His miraculous feats included the ability to fly and to be present in two places at once; an apparition of Padre Pio in midair prevented Allied warplanes from dropping bombs on his hometown. Most notable were his stigmata, hailed by millions as God-given yet viewed with suspicion by two popes ”a controversy reignited by Sergio Luzzatto’s discovery of a letter from Pio requesting a secret delivery of carbolic acid. Neither a worshipful hagiography nor a character assassination,Padre Piois the first objective biography of this fascinating figure. A nuanced examination of the persistence of mysticism in the modern day, and a striking analysis of the links between Catholicism and twentieth-century politics, this profoundly original tale of wounds and wonder, salvation and swindle explores what it really means to be a saint in our time.

1. Originally published : Edinburgh : Mainstream, 2008.
   
2. "Thomas Dunne books."
   
3. Includes bibliographical references (p. 387-411).
   
4. 1: The rise -- Why the Mafia developed -- What the Mafia had to offer -- An offer not to be refused -- Portrait of a Godfather -- A Republic within a kingdom -- Exodus to L'America -- Mussolini and the Mafia -- Prohibition and profits -- Crime gets organised -- Liberation, American-style -- Salvatore Giuliano -- The unholy alliance -- The Mafia comes to the city -- 2: The Zenith -- The American Cosa Nostra -- How the Mafia moved on to drugs -- Lucky Luciano's summit -- How the French Connection became Sicilian -- The first cracks appear -- Corleone - The Mafia Heartland -- How the Mafia laundered money -- Why the Vatican needed a bank -- The death of a Pope -- Propaganda Massonica due -- The man who duped the Vatican -- Death of God's banker -- 3: The fall -- The Mafia Civil War -- The Magistrates -- The breakthrough -- Revenge -- The politicians -- War on the state -- Pax Mafiosa -- Berlusconi and the Mafia -- Sicily today.
   

In a career spanning more than 60 years, Franco Zeffirelli established himself as the world's most gifted, original, and flamboyant director of opera, theatre, and film. Here is the definitive book on the life and work of this great master of spectacle. Produced in full cooperation with Zeffirelli and his family, it explores every aspect of his astonishing achievement in the performing arts. The performance shots of classic stage productions are particularly revealing, each a lasting testament to Zeffirelli's visual expertise. Even more suggestive are Zeffirelli's costume sketches, set designs, and technical drawings, which reveal the artist's mind through the artist's hand. Both a monument to an artistic genius and a magnificent piece of bookmaking, Franco Zeffirelli: Complete Works is a must-have book for anyone who has beem moved by the works of the master. Praise for Franco Zeffirelli: Complete Works : "Only a gorgeous, massive ten-pound book well over a foot long would do for the Italian master of gargantuan opera productions."  -The Los Angeles Times

The first-ever compilation of the most innovative design magazine of the 1960s and 1970s. Launched in 1961, Abitare is considered by some to be the Wallpaper* magazine of its day: the source of all things hip, important, and avant-garde, as well as must-know information and must-have objects, many of which have become design classics fifty years later. This important compilation brings together the very best of the Abitare universe: the most noteworthy design developments of the last fifty years, with emphasis on the 1960s and 1970s. Abitare was founded to cover the growing influence of Italian design but also to gather the most interesting trends worldwide, from the mod fashion in London, and the rise of alternative lifestyles in New York and San Francisco, to the development of industrial design in Milan. Classic articles from Abitare are reproduced in full, with their original English and Italian texts, while new essays by noted writers and past editors reflect on the influence of this trailblazing magazine.

The true story behind the notorious international murder In Perugia, Italy, on November 2, 2007, police discovered the body of a British college student stabbed to death in her bedroom. The prosecutor alleged that the brutal murder had occurred during a drug-fueled sex game gone wrong. Her housemate, American honor student Amanda Knox, quickly became the prime suspect and soon found herself the star of a sensational international story, both vilified and eroticized by the tabloids and the Internet. Award-winning journalist Candace Dempsey gives readers a front-row seat at the trial and reveals the real story behind the media frenzy.