Buongiorno Italy readers! 

Escape the crowds in Capri and head instead the charming and low-key island of Procida, a beautiful speck in the Bay of Naples. Expect an unmistakable Mediterranean charm and local character that her island neighbors have struggled to maintain.

Lavazza, one of Italy’s largest and best-known coffee manufacturers, celebrates its history and Italy's coffee culture at a new museum inaugurated this summer at the company’s headquarters in Turin.

Speaking of coffee, love it or hate it, Starbucks has arrived in Italy. Housed inside the 1901 Palazzo delle Poste, former seat of the Italian post office, Starbucks Reserve Roastery Milan, as it is called, is in Piazza Cordusio 3, in the heart of Milan, close to the Duomo and the Sforza Castle.

Taking place every year in September, the Palio di Asti involves 21 towns and villages of the area surrounding this Piedmont town, the capital of Monferrato, one of Italy’s most important wine regions, 55 km west of Turin. 

Our must-have item from our online shop this week is this red and white striped beautiful backpack, ideal for travel, and made with 100% merino wool felt and soft Italian leather by artisan Laura Giovannini from Emilia Romagna. 

Let's talk about the past baby. This week’s language lesson goes over passato remoto (remote past tense). It is often used in written Italian to talk about historical events or in literature, or in spoken Italian when referring to the distant past. 

Original travel experiences around Italy, in places not necessarily touched by mass tourism, are easily reached from the autostrada. Here are our favorites. 

Did you know that dinner in antiquity was almost always a social affair shared with a few close friends at someone’s home? Find out how Ancient Romans once dined and a few recipes you can still enjoy today. 

If you’ve never tried Panzanella, you’re in for a treat. This classic Tuscan recipe is a much loved piatto povero(peasant dish).

Fixer-upper for sale in beautiful Piedmont. This historic farmhouse near Vignali has a main residence dating back to the XIXth century, featuring a solid stone structure on 3 levels with a partly plastered facade and tiled roof in good condition. 

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