La Bella Vita is our regular look at the real culture of Italy – from language to cuisine, manners to art. This newsletter is published weekly and you can receive it directly to your inbox: go to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or follow the instructions in the newsletter box below.

Does it ever seem like the Italians you overhear in Italy aren’t actually speaking Italian at all? From Sicily to Lombardy, in almost every corner of the country, you’re very likely to hear something that sounds like an entirely different language – usually because it is.

While they’re commonly referred to as dialects, that’s not always completely correct as in many areas local languages evolved separately from what we know today as Italian. These maps give us some idea of just how many and varied they are:

IN MAPS: A brief introduction to Italy’s many local dialects

One of the most interesting of these languages, I think, is Venetian. It’s related to – but not derived from – modern-day Italian, as it also evolved from Vulgar Latin, and it has had a surprisingly broad influence beyond Veneto and even beyond what we now know as Italy.

Venetian was considered an international lingua franca in the Mediterranean in the days when the Republic of Venice was a major trading power, which may explain how words originating there spread to several other languages, including English.

From ‘arsenal’ to ‘pants’, we looked at some of the commonly-used English words that originally came from Venice’s local dialect:

Seven Venetian words that are used in English

I know I’m not alone in thinking this time of year is one of the best to travel in Italy, thanks to smaller crowds, temperate weather, autumnal landscapes, and seasonal food.

There’s a lot to see and enjoy, whether you live here or are just visiting. So where should you start? From harvest festivals and autumn days out to major events on Italy’s cultural calendar, here are just a few of the things you won’t want to miss out on:

Nine of the best events in Italy this autumn

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Is there an aspect of the Italian way of life you’d like to see us write more about? Please email me at [email protected].