Dublin scholars find 1,200-year-old manuscript of Caedmon’s Hymn composed by Northumbrian cattle herderA lost copy of a poem composed in the seventh century by a Northumbrian cattle herder – the earliest surviving poem in the English language – has been discovered in Rome.Scholars from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) uncovered the manuscript that contains Caedmon’s Hymn at the National Central Library of Rome. Continue reading...
Dublin scholars find 1,200-year-old manuscript of Caedmon’s Hymn composed by Northumbrian cattle herder
A lost copy of a poem composed in the seventh century by a Northumbrian cattle herder – the earliest surviving poem in the English language – has been discovered in Rome.
Scholars from Trinity College Dublin (TCD) uncovered the manuscript that contains Caedmon’s Hymn at the National Central Library of Rome.
Journalists face rising threats while media ownership is concentrated in fewer hands, leading civil liberties group warnsJournalists in the EU face increasing levels of harassment, threats and violence, while news outlets are owned by a shrinking number of proprietors and public trust in the media has plummeted, a report has found.The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) said the findings of its fifth annual media freedom report, released on Tuesday, should place EU officials “on high al
Journalists face rising threats while media ownership is concentrated in fewer hands, leading civil liberties group warns
Journalists in the EU face increasing levels of harassment, threats and violence, while news outlets are owned by a shrinking number of proprietors and public trust in the media has plummeted, a report has found.
The Civil Liberties Union for Europe (Liberties) said the findings of its fifth annual media freedom report, released on Tuesday, should place EU officials “on high alert”, with media freedom and pluralism “under sustained attack” across mainland Europe.
As an American expat who has been living in the south of Italy for the past three years, I’ve picked up on several differences in the way Italians value work compared to the American point of view.You’ve already heard of la dolce vita…it turns out it’s a part of the culture that Americans could stand to emulate. Here are a few of the practices and mindsets I’m working to adopt in my new home.1. You Are Not Defined by What You DoGo to a cocktail party in the U.S. and inevitably, one of the first
As an American expat who has been living in the south of Italy for the past three years, I’ve picked up on several differences in the way Italians value work compared to the American point of view.
You’ve already heard of la dolce vita…it turns out it’s a part of the culture that Americans could stand to emulate. Here are a few of the practices and mindsets I’m working to adopt in my new home.
1. You Are Not Defined by What You Do
Go to a cocktail party in the U.S. and inevitably, one of the first things a stranger will ask you is: “So, what do you do?”
We’re obsessed with our jobs, and we wear them as masks that define us. Italians, on the other hand, don’t identify themselves by the work they perform. In fact, it’s rare that I talk about work with friends here.
Italians, instead, are more keen to talk about what they’re into. Often, this means what they ate or what they’re planning to eat! They also talk about the animals they’re raising, the weather, and the latest gossip.
I think Americans could stand to dissociate a bit from their work. After all, we are comprised of many things, and work is but one component!
2. Take Your Breaks Seriously
In the south of Italy, everything (except large grocery stores) shuts down from noon until four. That means if you want to pop into a store or get your teeth cleaned at midday, you’ll be in for a disappointment.
I love that Italians completely stop working for these hours. They have a big lunch with the family (no microwaved meal at their desks) and then maybe take a nap.
Americans, on the other hand, never stop working. We check our email obsessively after hours and on the weekends, for fear of missing some critical message that will explode if not opened instantly.
Italians understand that taking a break helps us regulate our stress levels. Even if you’re having a terrible day at work, taking a four-hour break (and a nap) will remedy it! And Italy actually has laws in place that prevent employees from being available for work outside of normal work hours. I love this!
I don’t expect American corporations to adopt a giant break in the middle of the day, but you personally can at least limit your availability to your traditional work hours.
3. Don't Be Afraid to Pivot
When I met my husband, he was a librarian. And a tour guide. He’d been an archeologist, and now he teaches Italian.
I know few Italians here in the south who stick to one job their whole lives. This is, in large part, because there aren’t a lot of jobs for people with degrees in the south (there is a brain-drain exodus issue that started in the 1950s when southerners moved to the north to find work). And since Italians don’t identify with their work in the same way as Americans, there’s no shame in changing lines of work.
I’ve even done it myself; as AI has taken more writing jobs from me, I’ve ventured into other jobs, like training AI and teaching English.
4. A Vacation Should Be Relaxing
I know Americans who, when they go on vacation, plan a whirlwind trip that leaves them little time to actually relax.
Here in Italy, many people take the entire month of August off. Employers don’t get mad; they close shop and head to the beach, too. I live near the Ionian Sea, and every August, Italians from the north flock here to do little more than soak up the sun, eat our spicy peperoncini, drink Calabrian wine, and enjoy family. They’re not interested in seeing the sights or taking the kids to a theme park. For Italians, a vacation is designed to be enjoyed, not overstuffed with activities.
5. There’s Always Time for Life’s Pleasures
I live in a small mountain village in Calabria, and just about everyone here owns at least one piece of land where they grow gardens and raise chickens and maybe a goat or two. They have jobs, but after hours, they roll up their sleeves and dig in the dirt.
Yes, it can be a labor of love. Someone’s got to till the land, and that’s tedious work. But there’s such joy when we’re all together, planting fava beans or harvesting olives, knowing that we raised the food that we now will enjoy. A crisp beer and a few laughs, and it feels nothing like work.
I’ve fallen in love with herbalism, and my walks in the mountains gift me with armfuls of flowers and herbs I use in food, medicine, and skincare products. We all have something that brings us joy outside of work, and that’s how it should be.
In Italy, we work so that we can live better. In America, people live to work. There’s a big difference, and it shows. Personally, I think we could all learn a few things from the people who live longer, eat better, and generally seem to be happier.
Teatro La Fenice says Beatrice Venezi let go for making ‘repeated offensive’ statementsEurope live – latest updatesTeatro La Fenice, the prestigious Venice opera house, has fired its incoming music director after she insinuated its hiring practices were nepotistic, with jobs “practically passed down from father to son”.After months of controversy over the appointment of Beatrice Venezi, La Fenice Foundation said on Sunday it had decided to “cancel all future collaborations” with the 36-year-old
Teatro La Fenice, the prestigious Venice opera house, has fired its incoming music director after she insinuated its hiring practices were nepotistic, with jobs “practically passed down from father to son”.
Italian newspapers claim singer and actor, who is tipped to be next James Bond, are planning ‘wedding of the year’ in the cityLast July, Dua Lipa shared a series of photos on Instagram while on holiday in Palermo with Callum Turner, the British actor she had become engaged to weeks earlier. In these photos, the pair appeared radiantly in love with each other – and the Sicilian capital.There were pictures of the couple strolling through the city’s vibrant baroque alleys, admiring the ceiling fres
Italian newspapers claim singer and actor, who is tipped to be next James Bond, are planning ‘wedding of the year’ in the city
Last July, Dua Lipa shared a series of photos on Instagram while on holiday in Palermo with Callum Turner, the British actor she had become engaged to weeks earlier. In these photos, the pair appeared radiantly in love with each other – and the Sicilian capital.
There were pictures of the couple strolling through the city’s vibrant baroque alleys, admiring the ceiling frescoes in its striking cathedral and enjoying sunset boat trips. In another, a smiling Turner is holding a pair of ricotta-filled cannoli, the Sicilian dessert. One photo even captured the word ‘“amore” scrawled on a wall.
The jury said it would “refrain from considering” countries whose leaders are facing charges of crimes against humanity, which would affect Israel and Russia.
The jury said it would “refrain from considering” countries whose leaders are facing charges of crimes against humanity, which would affect Israel and Russia.
Sabrina Crawford among those refused citizenship because of new law stopping access via distant ancestryIn 2025, after a long and arduous journey in her attempts to gain Italian citizenship, including a pivotal genealogical research trip to a village in Calabria, US-born Sabrina Crawford was hoping to fulfil her lifelong dream of building a life in Italy as she edged towards the final hurdle of the bureaucratic process.But her plans were scuppered when Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government enact
Sabrina Crawford among those refused citizenship because of new law stopping access via distant ancestry
In 2025, after a long and arduous journey in her attempts to gain Italian citizenship, including a pivotal genealogical research trip to a village in Calabria, US-born Sabrina Crawford was hoping to fulfil her lifelong dream of building a life in Italy as she edged towards the final hurdle of the bureaucratic process.
But her plans were scuppered when Giorgia Meloni’s far-right government enacted a law stopping access to Italian citizenship via distant ancestry. Since May last year, only those with a parent or grandparent who was an Italian citizen at birth, and who did not take on dual nationality, are eligible to apply.
US special envoy Zampolli hopes for Italy involvementDoubts remain over Iran’s participationAn envoy to Donald Trump has asked Fifa to replace Iran with Italy in the upcoming World Cup, the Financial Times reported on Wednesday.The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Continue reading...
The plan is an effort to repair ties between Trump and Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni after the two fell out amid the American president’s attacks against Pope Leo XIV over the Iran war, the FT reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Police catch woman, 28, climbing colossal 16th-century statue of Neptune to touch its genitals as a dareA tourist has been charged after allegedly climbing a colossal marble statue in Florence to touch its genitals for a pre-wedding prank.Experts said the woman caused thousands of euros of damage to the Neptune fountain in Piazza della Signoria. Continue reading...
Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis is being screened to commemorate the first anniversary of Francis’s deathMartin Scorsese’s documentary about Pope Francis is to have its world premiere in the Vatican today as one of a set of events commemorating the first anniversary of Francis’s death.The screening of the film, titled Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis, is being staged by Scholas Occurrentes, an international organisation aiming to “to encourage social integration and the culture o
Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis is being screened to commemorate the first anniversary of Francis’s death
Martin Scorsese’s documentary about Pope Francis is to have its world premiere in the Vatican today as one of a set of events commemorating the first anniversary of Francis’s death.
The screening of the film, titled Aldeas, The Final Dream of Pope Francis, is being staged by Scholas Occurrentes, an international organisation aiming to “to encourage social integration and the culture of encounter through sports, arts and technology”, which was set up in Argentina by Francis in 2001 while he was Archbishop of Buenos Aires, and made into a foundation when he became pope in 2013.
Login
