A stones throw from the centre of Melbourne lies a suburb called Carlton. It is home to the Museo Italiano, CO.AS.IT, the Dante Alighieri Society and the Italian Historical Society. The bars and cafes on popular Lygon Street are diverse, some are historical establishments, with touters thrusting menus into the hands of passers by, the love projects of post-war migrants. (Above: John Hajek - Professor of Italian Studies at the University of Melbourne - Photo: David Hannah)

The Fairbridge Festival, held in May this year, took on a special Italian theme. Folk legend Riccardo Tesi and the superb Banditaliana enchanted audiences with their contemporary, virtuosic take on music from the oral tradition in central and northern Italy. (Above: Fairbridge Festival closing parade - Photo: David LeMay)

We asked a group of Italian kids living in Australia if there was anything they wanted to know, and our Consulate General of Italy in Melbourne, Pierluigi Trombetta, was only too happy to answer their questions.

David Attenborough, Pope Frances, and Al Gore. These household names might not have much in common, but they are all speaking the views of a growing proportion of ordinary people, who are becoming ever more concerned about the state of our planet. (Photo - Extinction Rebellion movement in Italy. A group of activists in Bologna)

According to the website emigrati.it, for every one hundred Italians living in Italy, there are another seven living abroad. This same source also tells us that of the four million Italian citizens spread out across the globe, most are those that have left Italy in the last twenty years. Currently, around 45,000 Italians emigrate per year. (Photo Courtesy of Fabrizio Venturini)

Leonardo da Vinci. The artist, scientist, architect, botanist, writer, historian, cartographer, inventor, in other words, the original ‘Renaissance Man’, is one of Italy’s most beloved historical figures, and this May marks 500 years since he died, reportedly wrapped in the embrace of the King of France. (Image - The Death of Leonardo da Vinci by the French artist Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres. The painting is showing Leonardo da Vinci dying, with Francis I of France holding his head)

On stage they are mesmerising. She is perfectly coiffed. Her hairstyle defies gravity. The genuine, warm smile never leaves her face. He sits on the seat beside her with his accordion balanced on his lap, looking over to her regularly. (Photo Salvatore Rossano)

It's a familiar cycle throughout Italy and all over the world. The humble, traditional ways of living were abandoned, for a newer, more comfortable lifestyle.

Watching Canzoniere Grecanico Salentino (CGS) play live is a transcendental experience. It’s the power and intensity of the voices, the agile hands over the button accordion and the neck of the bouzouki.

The beaches are packed and the restaurants are all booked out. The bar has a special on Mojitos and a DJ is playing. The council’s summer cultural program shows a long list of events to choose from.

As I write this, the smell of raspberry swirl cake is wafting through the room, filling the house with a scent that is sweet, fruity, vanilla, and just plain heavenly. It’s everything you want to smell coming from your oven, and the anticipation is building.

She looks like any other 80-year-old Italian woman. Her body is weathered but lithe. Her hair is cut into a smart bob. She sits at a café with her arms folded, gazing into the distance. In another image, she is at the stove, her great grandson playing at her feet.

Italian soul and jazz sensation Mario Biondi is on his way to perform in Australia for the first time, and apparently, he couldn’t be happier.

For Australians concerned about their carbon footprint, a trip to Italy presents a few problems. The international flight alone is problematic in terms of environmental impact, so by the time you get there you’ve already got a debt to repay to mother earth.

Linda Jean Bruno was once told that if you want to do something well, you have to choose one thing, and stick with it. A piece of advice the actor/restaurateur has firmly rejected. She has found that combining her passion for acting and the management of her family’s restaurant Zia Teresa has been advantageous to both careers.

Melbourne businesswoman and philanthropist Susan Alberti is not Italian, but she delights in being mistaken for a native speaker. ‘I feel good when I speak in Italian and they respond, and they think I’m Italian. That’s how you know you’re doing it right’, she says.

Running a restaurant is like a performance, according to Luca Lorusso. There is a subject, a script, characters, costumes and a carefully designed scenography. There are critics. Like any production, the success (and longevity) of the production depends on the passion and dedication of its director.