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LA BELLA VITA

La Bella Vita: Italian eating habits and the best cultural events this spring

From making the most of travel in Italy this spring to eating on an Italian schedule, weekly newsletter La Bella Vita offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like an Italian.

La Bella Vita: Italian eating habits and the best cultural events this spring
Planning to eat at an Italian restaurant? Make sure you're not too early for dinner. Photo by Stefano Vigorelli on Unsplash

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.

Spring is in the air already, at least here in my corner of southern Italy. The coming warm (but not yet scorching hot) months are the ideal time to travel, whether you’re a regular visitor or have lived here for many years. I don’t know about you, but I always think it would take a couple of lifetimes to fully explore this incredibly diverse country.

There’s clearly no shortage of places to go – the question is, where first? If you’re looking for Italian travel inspiration, you could do worse than timing a trip to coincide with one of the cultural or sporting events coming up around Italy: from Sicily to the Dolomites, we’ve put together a selection of some of the most interesting fairs and festivals this spring:

Italy’s best events to catch in spring 2023

If you are travelling soon, don’t forget your umbrella as many parts of Italy can expect plenty of rain in the coming weeks. Milan in particular is known for being wet, but the positive side of this is that the city is well prepared for it and offers plenty of interesting things to do, whatever the weather. From sampling local delicacies at the Mercato Centrale to settling in with a good book at your new favourite caffè letterario, The Local’s reporter in Milan has put together a guide to making the most of a rainy day in the city: 

Seven things to do in Milan on a rainy day

What time is dinner time in Italy? If you’ve spent many summer evenings here, you’ll probably say “very late”. But like so many other things about Italian life, it really depends: on factors including which part of the country you’re in and even the time of year. If you’re planning to book a restaurant or want to invite your Italian friends or neighbours over for dinner, here’s what you can expect:

What time do people eat dinner in Italy?

An Italian family enjoying an outdoor meal. Eating habits vary around the country, but Italian mealtimes are sacred. Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

One thing we can be sure about is that, whatever time each family decides on, mealtimes in Italy tend to be fixed – and meals are never to be skipped or eaten on the go. From the right places and times to eat, to the types of food that should be eaten, habits in Italy tend to be almost regimented in a way that outsiders often find surprising. Our writer Silvia Marchetti explains the logic behind Italians’ famously particular eating habits in her latest article below:

Three meals a day on schedule: Why do Italians have such fixed eating habits?

For language learners: once you’ve got some basic Italian phrases under your belt, what’s next? No doubt you’ve dutifully studied your lists of nouns and verb conjugations, but the words I found most helpful in everyday life when I first moved to Italy were of a different sort. Here’s a list of just 12 of the most useful little words that go a long way, especially if you’re not (yet) fluent.

12 of the most useful Italian words you need to know

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 the Italian way of life you’d like to see us write more about on The Local? Please email me at [email protected].

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MILAN

Six things to do in Milan in April 2024

As March draws to a close and Italy shakes off the winter gloom once and for all, it’s time to see what Milan has in store for both residents and visitors this April.

Six things to do in Milan in April 2024

April is generally considered one of the best times of the year to be in Milan as the northern city leaves behind the short days, grey skies and cold temperatures of the winter season and enjoys warmer and sunnier conditions while still being a good distance away from the humid heat of the summer months. 

But it’s not just better weather making life in Milan sweeter in April as a host of cultural events and opportunities pick back up all around the city, helping both residents and visitors shake off the winter blues once and for all. 

Run in the Milan marathon

If you’re a competitive runner, you’ll have until Thursday, April 4th to book your spot in the 2024 edition of the Milan marathon, which is set to start at 8.30am on Sunday, April 7th.

But if you’re looking for something a bit easier than a 42-kilometre race across central Milan, three parallel events will take place on the day: a non-competitive relay marathon with profits going to national or international NGOs, a 3-kilometre family run and a dog run, where participants will run alongside their pet friends.

But the Milan marathon won’t be your only chance to work up a sweat this month: there are a number of running routes around town, including a 38-kilometre trail along the Naviglio Martesana canal, that can be fully enjoyed as local weather improves.

Get into a museum for free

Milan opens several museums and cultural sites for free on the first Sunday of every month as part of the popular nationwide Domenica al Museo (or ‘free museum Sundays’) scheme.

‘Free’ sites on Sunday, April 7th will include the world-famous Pinacoteca di Brera gallery and the Last Supper Museum. Note that for some of the most popular venues you may need to book your free visit ahead of time.

Brera, Milan

A view of Milan’s Pinacoteca di Brera gallery in April 2023. Photo by Gabriel BOUYS / AFP

If you’re not going to be in Milan on April 7th, don’t worry: the city has plenty of cultural sites that are completely free to visit all year round, including Palazzo Morando, the Museo delle Culture’s (Mudec) permanent collection and the Risorgimento Museum.

Go to a flea market

Milan is known all over the world for its haute couture stores, but is also a great city to be in if you’re a fan of second-hand and vintage finds. 

There’s a wealth of excellent markets scattered all across the city, with East Market Milano being one of the best in town (you’ll find anything from vintage clothes and furniture to old video games and records).

Other popular markets that are worth checking out are: Tra Noi e Voi near Piazza Repubblica, Il Mercatino di Brera and Dock 41 in Novate, just outside the city.

READ ALSO: How to use Milan’s public transport

You can also expect both sides of Milan’s popular canals (navigli) to be lined with market stalls on the last Sunday of each month, including Sunday, April 28th.

Learn about the latest home design trends at the Milan Furniture Fair 

If you’re short on inspiration on how to decorate your new Italian home or simply like to keep up with the latest home design trends, the Milan Furniture Fair (or Salone del Mobile) – a yearly benchmark event for the international furnishing and design sector – may just be what you’re looking for. 

The exhibition, currently in its 62nd edition, will run from April 16th to April 21st at the Rho Fiera complex, with installations being open to the general public on Saturday, April 20th and Sunday, April 21st.

Milan, Furniture

People visit the stand of Finnish brand Nikari at the Milan Furniture Fair in April 2023. Photo by GABRIEL BOUYS / AFP

This year’s fair will also include a “dreamlike” installation from renowned filmmaker David Lynch. 

Get lost in Milan’s Modern and Contemporary Art Fair

Art enthusiasts will get a chance to see a collection of 20th- and 21st-century masterpieces from up close this month as the 2024 Miart – the annual Milan trade fair for modern and contemporary art – will return to the Allianz-MiCo Center, west of the city centre, from April 12th to April 14th.

This year’s edition will see the participation of some 181 art galleries from as many as 28 countries around the world, with ‘no time no space’ being the underlying theme of the displays.

Info on this year’s artwork and tickets can be found here

Visit one of the local ‘house museums’

Milan is home to a number of precious house museums (or case museo): historic family residences that have been turned into exhibition spaces offering a rare insight into the personal and social lives of their original owners as well as the cultural nuances of their times.

The Necchi-Campiglio Villa, a luxurious 20th-century residence known for its marble art deco features, is a good place to start your tour, especially as its lush magnolia-dotted garden makes for an idyllic place to wind down on a sunny spring day. 

Conveniently, you can visit the Necchi-Campiglio Villa and three other popular house museums (Museo Bagatti Valsecchi, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Casa Museo Boschi Di Stefano) with a single 25-euro ticket.

Have we missed out your favourite April event? Let us know in the comments below.

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