Buongiorno Italy readers! 

I have to say that it is really nice, bellissimo actually, to be back with you after four months of maternity leave. I have very much missed our valued Italy Magazine community and team, plus I’m certain our baby girl will also be a true Italophile like her mama and papa. A special thanks to Rebecca who has gone above and beyond to hold down the fort, she has done an exceptional job. 

Before she moved to Italy’s Val di Non, Silvia Tadiello didn't even know that Groppello di Revò existed. However, this obscure wine produced in Val di Non, a mountain valley located in north-western Trentino, soon conquered her taste buds- and her heart. 

The adjective ‘Machiavellian’ has crept into our everyday language, meaning ‘cunning, scheming and unscrupulous, especially in politics’ but what about the man itself? How would we think about him today? Let’s talk about Niccolò Machiavelli. 

When you consider some of the greatest artworks in Italy, The Rape of Proserpina certainly comes to mind as a masterpiece by the great Italian sculptor Gian Lorenzo Bernini, on view inside Rome’s Borghese Gallery. Learn more about this piece in this week’s dual-language article. 

The contribution of Italy to the world’s artistic legacy is priceless, and the number of museums in this little country make it a culture vulture’s paradise. This is why we’re going to teach you some Italian vocabulary so you can get the most of your museum experience.

Along the Tuscan border sits Lake Trasimeno, situated in a north-west pocket of Umbria and just a stone’s throw away from some of the most prominent Sangiovese producers in the world you’ve probably never heard about.

The first chilly fall evening call for a hearty soup made of creamy beans and one of Italy's most historic grains. Here's our latest recipe by Francine Segan just in time for the change of season. 

Dive into the world of 16th-century Venice where gondola maker Luca Vianello considers his whole life arranged. His father charted a course for his eldest son from the day he was born, and Luca is positioned to inherit one of the city’s most esteemed boatyard. This is one historical fictional book based in Venice that you’ll want to read again and again. 

The perfect property for sale in Piedmont. In the Langhe hills, between the towns of Dogliani and Bossolasco, lies this spacious (and surprisingly affordable) three-story villa in a commanding position with views across the hills and the Alps. 

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend from Georgette, your editor, and the Italy Magazine team.