Eric J. Lyman
@ericjlyman.bsky.social
Long-time writer and journalist living in Rome. Tri-cultural (U.S., DomRep, Italy), dog lover, sommelier, former #FloridaMan.
Born in #ancientRome, claimed by the #Vatican, hijacked by #Fascists — #Ferragosto (#Italy’s Aug 15 national beach holiday) has been around for 2,000+ years.
Once, it helped a guy steal the Mona Lisa. Read all about it here:
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-ferrag...
Once, it helped a guy steal the Mona Lisa. Read all about it here:
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-ferrag...
The 'Ferragosto' Effect
The timeless art of doing nothing -- and getting away with everything
www.italiandispatch.com
August 14, 2025 at 7:04 PM
Born in #ancientRome, claimed by the #Vatican, hijacked by #Fascists — #Ferragosto (#Italy’s Aug 15 national beach holiday) has been around for 2,000+ years.
Once, it helped a guy steal the Mona Lisa. Read all about it here:
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-ferrag...
Once, it helped a guy steal the Mona Lisa. Read all about it here:
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-ferrag...
A viral speech. A lucky break. A decade-long grind.
The story of how #GiorgiaMeloni went from political fringe to running #Italy -- and why she’s still dancing between extremes.
New in The Italian Dispatch: www.italiandispatch.com/p/io-sono-gi...
#ItalianPolitics #BrothersOfItaly #WorldNews
The story of how #GiorgiaMeloni went from political fringe to running #Italy -- and why she’s still dancing between extremes.
New in The Italian Dispatch: www.italiandispatch.com/p/io-sono-gi...
#ItalianPolitics #BrothersOfItaly #WorldNews
‘Io sono Giorgia!’
How a viral speech (and some lucky timing) reshaped Italian politics
www.italiandispatch.com
August 8, 2025 at 6:58 PM
A viral speech. A lucky break. A decade-long grind.
The story of how #GiorgiaMeloni went from political fringe to running #Italy -- and why she’s still dancing between extremes.
New in The Italian Dispatch: www.italiandispatch.com/p/io-sono-gi...
#ItalianPolitics #BrothersOfItaly #WorldNews
The story of how #GiorgiaMeloni went from political fringe to running #Italy -- and why she’s still dancing between extremes.
New in The Italian Dispatch: www.italiandispatch.com/p/io-sono-gi...
#ItalianPolitics #BrothersOfItaly #WorldNews
Procida felt on the verge of being a little too crowded, too touristy when I arrived over the weekend. But by Monday morning it’d redeemed itself — with silence, stillness, and this view.
June 23, 2025 at 7:30 AM
Procida felt on the verge of being a little too crowded, too touristy when I arrived over the weekend. But by Monday morning it’d redeemed itself — with silence, stillness, and this view.
My 1st night in #Procida and island authorities welcomed me personally with a special concert of traditional Neapolitan music at #CasaleVascello! Here's a 20-second sample:
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By complete coincidence, the date was also #EuropeanMusicDay, #WorldMusicDay, and the #SummerSolstice. #ItalianDispatch
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By complete coincidence, the date was also #EuropeanMusicDay, #WorldMusicDay, and the #SummerSolstice. #ItalianDispatch
June 22, 2025 at 3:19 PM
My 1st night in #Procida and island authorities welcomed me personally with a special concert of traditional Neapolitan music at #CasaleVascello! Here's a 20-second sample:
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By complete coincidence, the date was also #EuropeanMusicDay, #WorldMusicDay, and the #SummerSolstice. #ItalianDispatch
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By complete coincidence, the date was also #EuropeanMusicDay, #WorldMusicDay, and the #SummerSolstice. #ItalianDispatch
It wasn't that long ago that Italy was the world's largest producer of bad wine. Now its wines are on par with the world's best. How'd that happen?
Read about it via the link, and subscribe to receive my weekly essays on Italian culture and history.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-wine-l...
Read about it via the link, and subscribe to receive my weekly essays on Italian culture and history.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-wine-l...
June 18, 2025 at 3:35 PM
It wasn't that long ago that Italy was the world's largest producer of bad wine. Now its wines are on par with the world's best. How'd that happen?
Read about it via the link, and subscribe to receive my weekly essays on Italian culture and history.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-wine-l...
Read about it via the link, and subscribe to receive my weekly essays on Italian culture and history.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-wine-l...
Italy’s Genius Paradox
The latest from my newsletter, The Italian Dispatch
The latest from my newsletter, The Italian Dispatch
Italy’s Genius Paradox
Why a borderline dysfunctional country produces so many world-changing minds
www.italiandispatch.com
June 11, 2025 at 4:56 PM
Italy’s Genius Paradox
The latest from my newsletter, The Italian Dispatch
The latest from my newsletter, The Italian Dispatch
When the pope comes to your neighborhood in #Rome, you stop what you’re doing to make him feel welcome.
The second photo shows both St. Peter (the statue) and #PopeLeoXIV — the first and most recent popes.
The second photo shows both St. Peter (the statue) and #PopeLeoXIV — the first and most recent popes.
May 20, 2025 at 5:41 PM
When the pope comes to your neighborhood in #Rome, you stop what you’re doing to make him feel welcome.
The second photo shows both St. Peter (the statue) and #PopeLeoXIV — the first and most recent popes.
The second photo shows both St. Peter (the statue) and #PopeLeoXIV — the first and most recent popes.
Subscribe to www.ItalianDispatch.com for smart, un-romanticized, weekly insights into one of the world's most beautiful and perplexing countries. #ItalianDispatch #TheItalianDispatch
May 20, 2025 at 11:17 AM
Subscribe to www.ItalianDispatch.com for smart, un-romanticized, weekly insights into one of the world's most beautiful and perplexing countries. #ItalianDispatch #TheItalianDispatch
The same fifth-century church figure inspired both Pope Leo XIV and Vice-President JD Vance. How is that even possible?
Read my Substack post about how St. Augustine is as relevant as ever: www.italiandispatch.com/p/ordering-l...
Read my Substack post about how St. Augustine is as relevant as ever: www.italiandispatch.com/p/ordering-l...
J.D. and Pope Leo
The battle over Augustine’s ‘Restless Heart’
www.italiandispatch.com
May 13, 2025 at 2:32 PM
The same fifth-century church figure inspired both Pope Leo XIV and Vice-President JD Vance. How is that even possible?
Read my Substack post about how St. Augustine is as relevant as ever: www.italiandispatch.com/p/ordering-l...
Read my Substack post about how St. Augustine is as relevant as ever: www.italiandispatch.com/p/ordering-l...
Click below to see what passes for "adult comment" ...
The #Papacy in a #Partisan Age": my new post on
#Substack. Please take a look, and if you find it informative subscribe to the newsletter.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-papacy...
#Substack. Please take a look, and if you find it informative subscribe to the newsletter.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-papacy...
The papacy in a partisan age
High stakes for the next conclave
www.italiandispatch.com
May 10, 2025 at 8:12 AM
Click below to see what passes for "adult comment" ...
New #PopeXIV's first full day, his theology comes into focus, and life around #StPeter's returns to normal. My take on the day AFTER the day the American-Peruvian pontiff was first introduced, for the #WashingtonTimes
: authory.com/app/content/... #Conclave2025
: authory.com/app/content/... #Conclave2025
Pope Leo XIV sets a new tone, but follows Francis on key issues
Friday was a day of firsts for the newly installed Pope Leo XIV, including his first homily and mass as pope. In the Sistine Chapel, which until Thursday was the scene of the papal conclave that selec...
authory.com
May 10, 2025 at 8:12 AM
New #PopeXIV's first full day, his theology comes into focus, and life around #StPeter's returns to normal. My take on the day AFTER the day the American-Peruvian pontiff was first introduced, for the #WashingtonTimes
: authory.com/app/content/... #Conclave2025
: authory.com/app/content/... #Conclave2025
This photo isn’t from the current papal #conclave (which start today), but from the one that elected #PopeFrancis a dozen years ago. But it still remains one of my favorite images I’ve taken in Italy.
#Rome doesn’t change quickly. But now and then you can feel it holding its breath. #Conclave2025
#Rome doesn’t change quickly. But now and then you can feel it holding its breath. #Conclave2025
May 7, 2025 at 11:48 AM
This photo isn’t from the current papal #conclave (which start today), but from the one that elected #PopeFrancis a dozen years ago. But it still remains one of my favorite images I’ve taken in Italy.
#Rome doesn’t change quickly. But now and then you can feel it holding its breath. #Conclave2025
#Rome doesn’t change quickly. But now and then you can feel it holding its breath. #Conclave2025
The #Papacy in a #Partisan Age": my new post on
#Substack. Please take a look, and if you find it informative subscribe to the newsletter.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-papacy...
#Substack. Please take a look, and if you find it informative subscribe to the newsletter.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-papacy...
The papacy in a partisan age
High stakes for the next conclave
www.italiandispatch.com
May 6, 2025 at 8:35 AM
The #Papacy in a #Partisan Age": my new post on
#Substack. Please take a look, and if you find it informative subscribe to the newsletter.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-papacy...
#Substack. Please take a look, and if you find it informative subscribe to the newsletter.
www.italiandispatch.com/p/the-papacy...
Even after his death, #PopeFrancis brought unlikely people together. Here we see #DonaldTrump and #Ukraine's #VolodymyrZelenskyy and then both with France's #EmmanuelMacron and the U.K.'s #KeirStarmer in St. Peter's before the pontiff's funeral.
April 26, 2025 at 5:18 PM
Even after his death, #PopeFrancis brought unlikely people together. Here we see #DonaldTrump and #Ukraine's #VolodymyrZelenskyy and then both with France's #EmmanuelMacron and the U.K.'s #KeirStarmer in St. Peter's before the pontiff's funeral.
Catholic VP #JDVance has clashed with @pontifexes.bsky.social on big issues, and yet Vance was in #Rome for #Easter. What would the #Vatican do? In the end, #PopeFrancis and Vance met for a few brief minutes and Francis hardly spoke. Read my #WashTimes story: www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/ap...
Pope, Vance exchange Easter greetings in brief face-to-face Vatican meeting
Vatican officials were not sure what to do with U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance.
www.washingtontimes.com
April 20, 2025 at 10:27 PM
Catholic VP #JDVance has clashed with @pontifexes.bsky.social on big issues, and yet Vance was in #Rome for #Easter. What would the #Vatican do? In the end, #PopeFrancis and Vance met for a few brief minutes and Francis hardly spoke. Read my #WashTimes story: www.washingtontimes.com/news/2025/ap...
Of all the #JDVance graffiti I saw in #Rome during his three-day visit that ended today, this one on the #Tiber River made me laugh most: "JD Vance, world's worst drag queen" -- a nod to the vice-president's alleged use of eyeliner (see www.youtube.com/shorts/-E1fO...)
April 20, 2025 at 1:22 PM
Of all the #JDVance graffiti I saw in #Rome during his three-day visit that ended today, this one on the #Tiber River made me laugh most: "JD Vance, world's worst drag queen" -- a nod to the vice-president's alleged use of eyeliner (see www.youtube.com/shorts/-E1fO...)
#DonaldTrump accepted Italian PM #GiorgiaMeloni's invitation to come to #Rome to discuss his tariff policy toward the European Union. Meloni parrots #MAGA: "Make the West Great Again."
April 17, 2025 at 7:42 PM
#DonaldTrump accepted Italian PM #GiorgiaMeloni's invitation to come to #Rome to discuss his tariff policy toward the European Union. Meloni parrots #MAGA: "Make the West Great Again."
March 12, 2025 at 5:11 PM
Then they came for the journalists. We don't know what happened after that.
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#PressFreedom #FirstAmendment #Journalism #FourthEstate
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#PressFreedom #FirstAmendment #Journalism #FourthEstate
March 10, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Then they came for the journalists. We don't know what happened after that.
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#PressFreedom #FirstAmendment #Journalism #FourthEstate
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#PressFreedom #FirstAmendment #Journalism #FourthEstate