Buongiorno Italy readers! 

Italy’s network of most beautiful villages, I borghi più belli d’Italia, an association created to protect and promote Italy’s small towns that have a significant artistic, historical and cultural heritage, has six new additions, announced this October. Two of them are in southern Italy, three in central Italy and one in northern Italy. Discover them here. 

Looking for your slice of la dolce vita? The princely Pinelli Estate is the brilliant brainchild of Englishman Nigel Carley and his partner Dawn who, after over years of traipsing around Italy searching for somewhere to build an investment property, discovered the Cilento region purely by chance.

There is one Italian destination in Lonely Planet’s just-released annual Best in Travel 2021 list: and that is ‘Le Vie di Dante’ (Roads of Dante) in the ‘Sustainability’ category as an example of slow travel. And we're very proud to let you know that our very own Georgette Jupe, editor of Italy Magazine, has won an award in the 'Community' category' as the 'Expat Storyteller.'

A collection of stories from Venetians gives us an insight into their lives, hopes and plans for the future of Venice following the 2019 floods and 2020 lockdown and health emergency. 

For our Italian Conversations series, we teach you what to say when you take a taxi. 

At Italy Magazine we often review books based in Italy and our latest feature looks at Mimi Thorisson’s ‘Old World Italian’. This book is the fruit of years of passion and research, and documents the Mimi and her husband Oddur’s move from a world of croissants, pates and rich sauces, to one dominated by olive oil and pasta, hazelnuts and strong espresso.  

In Florence, schiacciata con l'uva is sold in bread and pastry shops during the fall wine grape harvest season, vendemmia but here’s how you can make this delicious treat directly at home! 

Own something truly unique from the Veneto. These beautiful "Medàgie" earrings are made with two Murano glass pearls each by an artisan team: a venetian brother and sister, born into a family devoted to handcrafts. 

In English, the grammar rule is to only use one negative word in a sentence. We don’t say ‘I didn’t do nothing’, or ‘I didn’t see nobody’. However, in Italian you do use double negatives, or even triple or quadruple negatives! Let's go over it together. 

Our property of the week is a great investment property for those looking in Tuscany. This beautiful property consists of a main farmhouse, divided into 6 holiday apartments, and a guesthouse with 2 apartments, each composed of living room, kitchenette, 1 or 2 bedrooms and bathroom.

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