Mary Gray here, Italy Magazine’s new managing editor, writing to you all from Florence.
Excuse the straightforward introduction, but it’s tough to launch into a letter like this when you know you’ve got massive (and likely made-in-Italy) shoes to fill. I’m excited to be coming on board as our longtime editor Georgette Jupe-Pradier sets sail on new adventures. I’ve long been a fan of Italy Magazine and feel privileged to be joining this community of curious readers, engaged travelers and talented writers in a more hands-on way.
Please consider my inbox open — I’ll certainly be showing up in yours a great deal from here on out!
(I introduced myself to our Premium Subscribers earlier this week in our jam-packed monthly newsletter, Buongiorno. That members-only perk also included a story on Sicily’s “wild west”, a love letter to granita and a downloadable guide to Naples’ top street foods that I’ll be referring to constantly on my next trip! You can get this and other exclusives — including our brand-new, pretty-as-a-picture Puglia-themed issue of our quarterly magazine, Bellissimo — by signing up for a subscription).
Now, for this week’s reads…
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I fall into a bit of a “Rome rut” when I’m exploring the Eternal City, going to the same “old faithfuls” on my favorites list and failing to try anything new. Our contributing editor Silvia Donati has been in that spot, too. This week, she shares a story of an unconventional, summer-weather-friendly and wellness-boosting way of seeing the city.
Shifting gears from Lazio to Liguria, the birthplace of a certain beloved basil-based condimento… store-bought pesto is often for the birds. As writer Jessica Paholsky puts it, pesto is “experimental, experiential and extraordinary,” something to be viewed as more of a creative process than a fixed recipe (though of course she pays homage to its most familiar iteration, from Genoa). Here are Jessica’s key steps to a successful pesto-making experience.
Not far from the Scala dei Turchi beach and Valley of the Temples in Sicily, an ancient Roman villa has reopened after months of restoration. An aristocratic residence overlooking the sea, the Villa Romana di Realmonte is now open to visitors, who can take in its spectacular mosaic floors.
Moving from ancient to modern, Liz Shemaria offers an inside look at some award-winning Italian innovations from the country’s (and arguably the world’s) capital of design, Milan — all of which can fit in a traveler’s suitcase!
Buon weekend to all!
Mary Gray
Managing Editor, Italy Magazine
