La Bella Vita: Italy’s best beaches and how the country became Europe's coffee capital
From finding the best beaches in Italy to understanding the country's famous coffee culture, weekly newsletter La Bella Vita offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like an Italian.
La Bella Vita is our regular look at the real culture of Italy – from language to cuisine, manners to art. This new newsletter will be published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to newsletter preferences in 'My Account' or follow the instructions in the newsletter box below.
Given how protective Italians can be over their coffee culture, you might be forgiven for thinking they invented the drink. But coffee didn’t make its way to Italy until the 16th century, when Venetian sailors brought it back from the Ottoman empire.
From early associations with the devil to the invention of the first steam-based espresso machine, the tale of how Italy came to be known as the coffee capital of Europe is a long and storied one. Grab your favourite brew, and settle in.
How Italy came to be Europe's coffee capital
Whichever part of Italy you live in, or visit, you'll likely notice that not everyone speaks the sort of Italian you learn in language class. In fact, some might seem not to be speaking Italian at all.
That's because they really might be speaking another language altogether. Every part of Italy has its own local dialect, often varying from one town or village to another. These dialects in many cases are not that closely related to the standard Italian used across the country since unification.
While only around 14 percent of people speak mainly or exclusively in a local dialect today, many historians and language experts say they're a part of cultural heritage as important as food or art. Our writer Silvia Marchetti looked at the history of dialects in Italy and asks whether they're likely to soon disappear:
Why are Italy's disappearing dialects so important?
Italy is famous for its beaches, but not every part of the country is equal. So where exactly should you go to find the best stretches of coastline for your summer holiday?
You may or may not be surprised to hear that the north-western coastal region of Liguria regularly tops the Blue Flag list for the number of clean, safe, accessible beaches, followed by Tuscany, Puglia, and Campania
Here’s the full list of Blue Flag beaches in every part of the country:
Which regions of Italy have the most Blue Flag beaches?
Italy's Blue Flag beaches are rated as the cleanest and safest in the country. Photo by Massimo Virgilio on Unsplash
If you often camp while travelling, you might already know that in Italy you can’t just show up and pitch your tent anywhere.
Setting up camp right on the beach or in a deserted pine forest and waking up to spectacular views, all to yourself, is not always possible. In fact, every one of Italy’s 20 regions has its own differing rules on this.
We’ve put together the essential information about where you can and can't camp along the peninsula:
What are the rules on wild camping in Italy?
And Italians have a reputation for enjoying their alcoholic drinks in small, sophisticated amounts - at least by the standards of people from certain northern European and Anglophone countries. Although the truth is that not everyone in Italy lives up to that ideal.
Have you ever wondered what Italians say if they’ve had one too many? And, more to the point, what should Italian language learners say in Italian when they’ve overdone it?
Here are a few Italian phrases that could come in useful after a prolonged wine-tasting session:
Six ways to say you've had too much to drink in Italian
Remember if you'd like to have this weekly newsletter sent straight to your inbox you can sign up for it via Newsletter preferences in 'My Account'.
Is there an aspect of Italian life you'd like to see us write more about on The Local? Please email me at [email protected].
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La Bella Vita is our regular look at the real culture of Italy – from language to cuisine, manners to art. This new newsletter will be published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox, by going to newsletter preferences in 'My Account' or follow the instructions in the newsletter box below.
Given how protective Italians can be over their coffee culture, you might be forgiven for thinking they invented the drink. But coffee didn’t make its way to Italy until the 16th century, when Venetian sailors brought it back from the Ottoman empire.
From early associations with the devil to the invention of the first steam-based espresso machine, the tale of how Italy came to be known as the coffee capital of Europe is a long and storied one. Grab your favourite brew, and settle in.
How Italy came to be Europe's coffee capital
Whichever part of Italy you live in, or visit, you'll likely notice that not everyone speaks the sort of Italian you learn in language class. In fact, some might seem not to be speaking Italian at all.
That's because they really might be speaking another language altogether. Every part of Italy has its own local dialect, often varying from one town or village to another. These dialects in many cases are not that closely related to the standard Italian used across the country since unification.
While only around 14 percent of people speak mainly or exclusively in a local dialect today, many historians and language experts say they're a part of cultural heritage as important as food or art. Our writer Silvia Marchetti looked at the history of dialects in Italy and asks whether they're likely to soon disappear:
Why are Italy's disappearing dialects so important?
Italy is famous for its beaches, but not every part of the country is equal. So where exactly should you go to find the best stretches of coastline for your summer holiday?
You may or may not be surprised to hear that the north-western coastal region of Liguria regularly tops the Blue Flag list for the number of clean, safe, accessible beaches, followed by Tuscany, Puglia, and Campania
Here’s the full list of Blue Flag beaches in every part of the country:
Which regions of Italy have the most Blue Flag beaches?
If you often camp while travelling, you might already know that in Italy you can’t just show up and pitch your tent anywhere.
Setting up camp right on the beach or in a deserted pine forest and waking up to spectacular views, all to yourself, is not always possible. In fact, every one of Italy’s 20 regions has its own differing rules on this.
We’ve put together the essential information about where you can and can't camp along the peninsula:
What are the rules on wild camping in Italy?
And Italians have a reputation for enjoying their alcoholic drinks in small, sophisticated amounts - at least by the standards of people from certain northern European and Anglophone countries. Although the truth is that not everyone in Italy lives up to that ideal.
Have you ever wondered what Italians say if they’ve had one too many? And, more to the point, what should Italian language learners say in Italian when they’ve overdone it?
Here are a few Italian phrases that could come in useful after a prolonged wine-tasting session:
Six ways to say you've had too much to drink in Italian
Remember if you'd like to have this weekly newsletter sent straight to your inbox you can sign up for it via Newsletter preferences in 'My Account'.
Is there an aspect of Italian life you'd like to see us write more about on The Local? Please email me at [email protected].
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
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