Laura Morelli
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Laura Morelli holds a Ph.D. in art history from Yale University, has taught college students in the U.S. and in Italy, and currently produces art history lessons for TED-Ed. She authored a column for National Geographic Traveler called “The Genuine Article” and has contributed pieces about art and authentic travel to CNN Radio, The Frommers Travel Show, and in USA TODAY, Departures, and other media. Laura is the author of the Authentic Arts guidebook series that includes the popular guidebook, Made in Italy. Her fiction brings the stories of art history to life. Her debut novel, The Gondola Maker, won an IPPY for Best Historical Fiction and a Benjamin Franklin Award.
Articles by Laura Morelli
Thu, 03/26/2020 - 06:36
Recently I stood on a windswept hilltop overlooking Urbino, took a picture, and texted my husband.
From five thousand miles away, he texted back: “Is…
Wed, 02/19/2020 - 04:38
Capodimonte is a distinctive style of porcelain that stands apart from all the other ceramic traditions of southern Italy. This delicate, ornate porce…
Thu, 01/16/2020 - 03:09
The artist Raffaello Sanzio—better known as Raphael—is one of the undisputed masters of the High Renaissance style in Italy. But when you realize that…
Tue, 12/10/2019 - 03:06
From the shop windows of Naples, hundreds of faces lure us with their expressions: proud, sad, joyful, lewd, angelic, humorous. Few artistic tradition…
Thu, 11/14/2019 - 04:20
Beyond Rome, the landscape of Lazio unfurls in a panorama of fertile fields dotted with cypresses and umbrella pines. Venturing north toward Tuscany,…
Tue, 09/10/2019 - 12:58
The brightly painted face of a medieval-knight-turned-marionette. A three-legged Medusa grimacing from the center of a ceramic plate. The wooden wheel…
Thu, 08/08/2019 - 02:53
Main photo credit: Squillace view to the sea (c) Jelly CC via Wikimedia Commons.jpg
Around the toe of Italy’s boot lies a coastline marked with clear…
Wed, 07/10/2019 - 04:28
I once spent the month of August on Italy’s largest island and I can vouch for its scorching heat. There’s nothing like a cone overflowing with Sicili…
Tue, 06/11/2019 - 03:13
On the lid of a large terra-cotta sarcophagus dating from about 520 BCE, a husband and wife are shown reclining comfortably against a pair of stylized…
Tue, 05/21/2019 - 05:27
The famous tart-sweet liqueur known as limoncello requires only four ingredients: lemon peels, grain alcohol, sugar, and water. However, like many of…
Thu, 05/02/2019 - 06:28
The hilltop village of Caltagirone rises like a mirage above the parched landscape of central Sicily. Scrubby plants and olive trees eke out their exi…
Thu, 03/07/2019 - 05:12
Quick: What’s your favorite thing you’ve ever brought home from Italy?
Did you think of something that brings back great memories, or that has lasted…
Mon, 02/04/2019 - 10:26
In the arid countryside around Calangianus, Sardinia, bark is rudely stripped from the lower trunks of the gnarled trees that blanket the hillsides. D…
Thu, 12/20/2018 - 04:06
The thought of sampling vinegar dribbled straight into a spoon is enough to draw anyone’s face into a squeamish pucker. But traditional balsamic vineg…
Wed, 12/05/2018 - 12:52
Christmas is one of my favorite times to visit Italy, in part because handmade crafts take center stage. At holiday markets across the country, you ca…
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 00:35
For people like me with an interest in cultural traditions, the island of Sardinia is one of Italy’s most fascinating spots.
In many ways, landing…
Mon, 08/13/2018 - 00:56
For many of us, Tuscany is the destination of a lifetime. Florence lures travelers with its must-see masterpieces: Michelangelo’s David, the treasures…
Tue, 06/26/2018 - 00:47
If you’re headed to Italy’s beautiful Amalfi Coast, you’ll want to bring home a special souvenir. But let’s face it: weeding through the countless tri…
Thu, 06/07/2018 - 04:55
Up until the middle of the fifteenth century, each and every book in Europe was handmade. Books were precious, expensive, and prized possessions of mo…
Wed, 05/02/2018 - 11:47
It’s worth a trip to Naples if you love to eat, but especially if you have a sweet tooth. The secret to the city’s famous pastries lies in the combina…