What association do people have when they hear the word “Italy” ? Sunny country, warm transparent sea, snowy mountains, bright temperament in the character of people, spaghetti, pizza, wine, olive oil, dancing, songs, huge vineyards, very different cities, football, art, romance, Romeo and Juliet, Venice, Rome, Medici, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Antiquity, Renaissance, Renaissance, fountains, statues, paintings, Sicily, gangsters and so on, so on, so on. So why not use these highlights of Italy to create a themed evening.
How to prepare for a party
To create just such an evening, you need to carefully prepare and not leave everything until the last minute. You need to think through such important points as: room decoration, table decoration, dishes (both main and sweets), dress code, jewelry, accessories and hairstyles, entertainment, games and, of course, as is customary in Italy, small gifts.
All this will lead to the correct course of events in the evening, giving comfort and an Italian atmosphere. There are several options for hosting an Italian-style party. It is worth remembering the main styles and events of Italy. In Italy there is where to go for a walk. Choose one city or a whole trip: gondolas in Venice, a walk in Verona along the streets of the city of Romeo and Juliet, eternal Rome, gangster Sicily, Florence with the luxury of the Medici. Great and eternal Rome... This city is one integral landmark of the country. The city was once considered the center of Christianity and the whole world. Moreover, the decline of antiquity began here, and it was in Rome that the Renaissance began. The echoes of all these changes remained in the buildings: the Coliseum, the Capitol, the Pantheon, the Forum, chapels, cathedrals, basilicas, museums and simply residential buildings on the city streets. Venice is a separate island, but rather it resembles a separate country, brought to us from the Middle Ages. Carnival, songs, dances, palaces, cathedrals, bell towers, bridges, gondolas, masks... An eternal holiday! It’s as if the island is frozen in one time space.
The eternal city of love and romance is Verona. There you can visit the real home of Romeo and Juliet's families, see her balcony and rub the heroine's article for good luck. There is also Marble Street, which is difficult to navigate, especially in winter. Shops, markets - shopping also takes time. Of course, the stone bridge, amphitheater, arches, cathedrals, and fortresses have been preserved. If you want to plunge into the atmosphere of the Medici times, then Florence is the best place. This is not the only thing the city is famous for: Maria Magdalena, Dante Alighieri, Michelangelo, Machiavelli. This city gave the world the Renaissance. You can see basilicas, galleries, art academies, chapels and more.
Italy is famous not only for its large cities. You can go into the outback and be surprised by the small towns. The spirit of Italy really reigns there - holiday, freedom, relaxation. The city of Padua is well known. You can easily get lost there, and then come out to beautiful statues and alleys near the fountain.
Italy is famous for its wines , pasta, and pizza. You should definitely try everything and take the wine home with you. Masks, glass and wooden items, and textiles are also suitable as souvenirs. Italy is beautiful from any angle. A person of any taste will find a place for himself in it.
Maybe you'll be interested in a gangster-themed party?
Contest
No no no. No vulgar competitions with oranges and ditty jokes. I'm all for pseudo-intellectual entertainment.
In order to exercise their brains, I invited my guests to take a test on their knowledge of Italy. Everything is like an adult: the questions are presented in the form of pictures and displayed on a large TV screen. Download materials for the competition
The essence of the quiz is simple. The painting depicts three products, phenomena or events. Guests need to indicate which one is superfluous, that is, does not apply to Italy.
For example, guessing what invention is not the merit of Italian minds: In total, I came up with 10 questions. For the correct answer, the guest was given a flag. The guest who collected the most flags received a prize.
How to decorate a room?
So, let's start with decorating the interior and exterior. Use the colors of the Italian flag - red, white and green. For example, hang small flags. A garland of miniature triangular flags looks good and fun. And the image of the flag can be laid out from various pebbles, caresses, pictures on a table or wall. Decorate the walls of the room not only with flags, but also with pictures of the most famous Italian landmarks - buildings and statues, fountains, squares, and so on.
Search the Internet and print out paintings by world-famous artists born in Italy. It would be nice to hang photographs of Italian landscapes. Small soccer balls laid out will look great, because we associate Italy with good soccer players. decorations fit well into the interior . You can place pots of sprouted herbs. Place bouquets of wildflowers everywhere.
It would be nice to arrange bottles of wine and olive oil, hang grapevines, and arrange fruit. Such natural decor will bring comfort, freshness and harmony, because it is with home comfort that we associate Italy and its homes.
Italian music
Music works wonders! A good musical selection will instantly transport your guests to sunny Italy and set a great mood for the evening.
Especially for the party, I compiled a list of songs by Italian performers, as well as tracks that are somehow associated with Italy.
The music program included such performers as Adriano Celentano, the group Ricchi E Poveri, as well as music from the popular films “Roman Holiday”, “The Godfather”, “Letters to Juliet”, “The Taming of the Shrew”, “La Dolce Vita” ).
My playlist is available on the Yandex.Music service via this link Yandex. Music. allows you to create a playlist from the desired songs and then play them either one by one or in random order. Important: Internet access is required to listen.
It’s good to turn on the music before the guests arrive, so that you can feel the atmosphere yourself.
Menu
The second step is the menu and table decoration. It is worth considering both the main courses and the sweet addition to the table, and, of course, purchasing good Italian wines. Pasta (after all, Italian cuisine is famous for pasta), Caesar salad, and lasagna may be suitable as main courses Pizza is a well-known Italian dish. Delight your guests by preparing it yourself or ordering pizza with different toppings to suit your guests’ tastes. There should be focaccio on the table - fragrant bread with cheese.
And, of course, don’t forget about tomatoes, olives and cheese! The sweet table should be covered with a mountain of tasty and juicy fruits, and it should be crowned with panna cotta. Find several recipes for Italian dishes and their variations. In any case, Italian cuisine is considered one of the most delicious, satisfying and refined. To decorate the table, you can use the same flags or flag-colored napkins, as well as decorated transparent bottles with olive oil.
Roles at the holiday
You may have come up with a mafia party, but a more interesting plot will turn out if everyone gets their own role. It is necessary to think through the scenario of the evening and the roles: let there be police officers, civilians, artists, and carpenters (for example).
This way the event will be more dynamic, and the heroes themselves will be able to interact at different levels. To do this, after sending the invitations, contact each guest and find out what costume he wants to choose and what role he can play at the themed party. This way you can prepare an event based on your capabilities and the capabilities of your guests.
Suits
The next step is to prepare a dress code. You can use a gangster theme. For men, felt caps, black suits (can be checked or thin line), shirts, ties and definitely cigars are suitable. For women, cocktail dresses, black evening short dresses, fur, fishnet tights, a cigarette holder, a small pouch or “kiss” handbag and abundant jewelry. And there is another option. It is possible to use a carnival theme. Who wouldn't want to feel like a mysterious stranger? Accordingly, you will have to choose lush and bright outfits. And a mandatory accessory will be a face mask.
Porchetta
Photo: pukuotukas.com
Baked pork roll with spices that can be easily prepared in the oven.
You will need:
2 kg of lard with meat layer, 100 g of olives, 100 g of walnuts, 3 pickled peppers, 6 cloves of garlic, 1 pack of oregano, 1 tbsp.
grainy mustard. Preparation:
Rub the lard with salt and oregano and place chopped nuts and olives on top. Arrange the garlic cloves and pickled peppers, brush everything with mustard, roll it up and tie it with kitchen string. Bake it for 1.5 hours at 190 degrees.
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Invitations
It is worth preparing invitations for the evening in advance. They can be made in the form of small flags. Or use images of Venetian masks . You can also use colored paper and cut out pizza triangles . And already write an invitation to them. Small gifts for guests are also accepted in Italy. A symbolic gift will be small figures made of Venetian (Murano) glass. If you can’t find them, you can give miniature souvenir bottles of wine or olive oil.
You can plunge into childhood and have fun at a children's-themed party.
Mafia surroundings: preparing invitations
Start creating a party atmosphere with the invitations. Send emails to all guests with a themed picture (card style - money - two barrels). If desired, draw it yourself in a graphics editor. Sign something like “Weapons allowed.”
If you prefer to present invitations in person, you can make them in the style of a 1930s newspaper. This is done very simply: a sheet of paper is kept in strong black tea to give it the characteristic color of an aged newspaper. Then, when the paper is dry, write the text with black paste or a felt-tip pen: “Phenomenal event! The dismantling of criminal clans... and... will take place at... at (indicate the start time of the party and address) Don’t miss it!” Also warn guests that they must arrive dressed as a mafioso. Have with you as many attributes as possible characteristic of representatives of the real mafia.
Potato gnocchi
Photo: recipe-catalog.ru
Fragrant dumplings can be served separately, instead of a side dish or with soups.
You will need:
400 g potatoes, 260 g flour, 1 egg, Parmesan.
Preparation:
Boil the potatoes until soft and mash them. Mix with egg, flour and grated cheese, roll the dough into sausages and cut into pieces. Cook in salted water for 3-5 minutes after the gnocchi floats.
Minestrone
Photo: patee.ru
Italian vegetable soup, the composition of which can be changed on the go according to desire and mood.
You will need:
1 carrot, 1 onion, a quarter of a celery root, half a zucchini and an eggplant, 2 stalks of celery, 1 clove of garlic, 2.5 liters of water, 1 tomato, 2 tbsp.
lentils, spices. Preparation:
Coarsely chop and fry celery root, half a carrot and half an onion without oil. Place in a saucepan, add water, add spices and simmer the broth for 20 minutes.
Remove the onions, carrots and celery from the broth, add the lentils and other diced vegetables to the pan. Cook the soup until done and season as needed.
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Panna cotta
Photo: about-tea.ru
This delicate creamy jelly is served with berry sauce, caramel or chocolate.
You will need:
65 g sugar, 125 ml fat milk, 250 ml 33% cream, 8 g gelatin.
Preparation:
Pour gelatin with water according to instructions and let it swell. Combine the cream with milk and bring to a boil with sugar, then remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour in the gelatin, stir with a whisk, pour into molds and put in the refrigerator overnight.
Sabayon
Photo: mykaleidoscope.ru
An original Italian dessert based on wine and egg yolks.
You will need: 100 g sugar, 6 yolks, 150 ml marsala.
Preparation:
Beat the yolks with sugar until white and place in a water bath. Slowly pour in the wine and continue whisking. The finished mass will thicken and triple in volume. Pour the cream into the fruit molds.
Semifredo
Photo: mirblud.ru
This is something between classic gelato and frozen meringue.
You will need:
2 eggs, 250 ml 35% cream, 30 g sugar, 70 g candied fruits, 50 g pistachios, a handful of berries.
Preparation:
Beat the whites until stiff, and do the same with the cream. Separately, beat the yolks with sugar until light. Combine all three parts, add berries, candied fruits and nuts, and pour into the mold. Place the dessert in the freezer for 5 hours.
