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, by going to newsletter preferences in ‘My Account’ or following the instructions in the newsletter box below.

From the Italian Riviera to the shores of Salento, Italy boasts some of the Mediterranean’s most unspoilt coastline – and the number of officially pristine Italian beaches recently increased.

Fourteen new towns this week had their names added to the Foundation for Environmental Education’s list of ‘Blue Flag’ beach destinations, the world’s cleanest and greenest stretches of coast.

To help visualise the latest rankings, we’ve created a map of the Italian regions with the highest number of Blue Flag beaches in 2024.

MAP: Which regions of Italy have the most Blue Flag beaches in 2024?

You may have heard of unlucky Friday the 13th, but in Italy, it’s Friday the 17th you really need to watch out for.

That’s because in Roman numerals the number 17 (XVII) is an anagram of the Latin word VIXI, meaning “I have lived” – the use of the past tense suggests death, and therefore bad luck.

You can find a list of some other quintessentially Italian superstitions, from spilling olive oil to touching iron, below.

Unlucky Friday 17th – and 12 other Italian superstitions to beware of

The Colosseum and Pompeii may be ranked among the world’s wonders – but that doesn’t mean they’re to everyone’s taste.

From complaints about the Colosseum’s lack of a roof to the Milan Duomo’s “gaudy and tacky” exterior and Pompeii’s shoddy street paving, some visitors leave Italy decidedly unimpressed by its most celebrated attractions.

We’ve put together some of the most scathing reviews from dissatisfied customers.

‘Not even that ancient’: The harshest TripAdvisor comments about Italy’s sights

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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].