Buongiorno Italy readers!

February is cause for celebration as carnival season gets underway in Italy. There are many carnival events happening all around Italy but that's not all you have to look forward to, we line up what you need to know about Italy this February. 

It’s that time of year again! Valentine’s Day is here. If you’re single and on the lookout for a new love, it may come in handy to learn some Italian dating expressions. 

For those looking for a bit of a thrill, and a different Sicilian experience, consider hiking to the top of a volcano. Here are three you can climb. 

If you’re planning a skiing weekend or la settimana bianca, a full week of skiing in Italy, you can leave your car at home and hop on a train instead. Here’s where to go! 

One of the oldest carnivals in Italy, the Venice Carnival is also one, if not the, most spectacular and thrilling. Here’s a guide to the most important events you need to know this 2020! 

This wonderful vase was masterfully handcrafted by ND Dolfi of Montelupo Fiorentino, a town in the hills outside Florence, Tuscany. The hand-painted design is playfully complementary in its modernity to the classic shape of the vase itself. 

Horseradish on pasta? In Basilicata, in the Lucania area (Lucania was the ancient name for the southern area that now covers Basilicata and parts of Campania) they have been topping pasta with grated horseradish for centuries. 

In our latest dual-language article we dive into some of Italy’s most precious UNESCO heritage sites, exploring the area of Portovenere, Cinque Terre, and the Islands of Palmaria, Tino and Tinetto on the Ligurian coast. Don’t forget that we have an audio version in Italian to help you along your language-learning process. 

How do you express your feelings to your loved one in 2020? In these enlightened times, we’re all trying to think and behave differently, to be environmentally-friendly and to look after our physical and mental well-being, so here’s an idea for something which ticks all those boxes and is still romantic. 

Our property of the week: Masseria Saint Lucia was originally a typical Farmhouse but after renovation in the 90’s it has been expanded into a prestigious private villa. The villa was converted 10 years ago and permanently converted to a holiday farmhouse. 

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