Buongiorno Italy readers!

For our author interviews series, we’re delighted to present Taras Grescoe, a Canadian journalist based in Montreal and the author of seven non-fiction books, the latest being “Possess the Air – Love, Heroism, and the Battle for the Soul of Mussolini’s Rome.” As the subtitle suggests, the book is set in 1920s and ‘30s Rome, during Mussolini’s rise to power and the establishment of Fascism.

Do you own a holiday property in Italy and need some advice for how to stage your home before the summer season? Save these top tips by a staging expert. 

Hidden Italy: Crespi d’Adda is probably one of the least known Unesco sites of Italy, discover more in our latest dual-language articles. 

Big news from up north! Cortina d'Ampezzo, one of the most popular mountain resorts of the Dolomites, is already preparing to host the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. 

A year ahead of the celebrations for Dante Alighieri’s 700th death anniversary, the Italian government has announced the establishment of a National Dante Day, or Dantedì, to be observed annually on March 25. 

Italo disco’s legacy is more far reaching than one might imagine. You can still find club nights dedicated to genre in major cities, from New York to London to Tokyo. Here are some songs you should know. 

This specialty of Tuscany’s Lucca and Camaiore provinces dates to the middle ages. The pie’s ground almond-spinach filling is light and satisfyingly spongy -- almost soufflé-like. As with zucchini bread and carrot cake, the spinach contributes an earthy undertone, moistness, and an unusually brilliant color.

The vase is made of olive wood aged over five years, treated with linseed oil and protected with opaque transparent, the wax is applied hot, to simulate the magma coming out of Etna. The work, made from a single piece of wood, has been entirely handcrafted by a Sicilian artisan.

Do you find yourself describing everything as ‘bello’ in Italian? ‘Bello’ is a great word, useful for so many situations. But how about mixing it up a little? Today, we’re going to look at synonyms – these are words that have the same or a similar meaning. It can help to learn them in groups of words and then try them out in different situations. 

Our #propertyoftheweek is a beautiful villa just a few hundred meters from the historic center of an ancient town famous for its pottery in Le Marche. The villa is surrounded by a park of 7,000 square meters and has a lovely pool. Only €530.000. 

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