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LA BELLA VITA

La Bella Vita: Italy’s best autumn events and the Venetian words used in English

From enjoying the best of Italy's seasonal events to understanding the importance of Italian regional dialects, our weekly newsletter La Bella Vita offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like an Italian.

Published: 20 October 2023 16:49 CEST
Updated: 22 October 2023 08:11 CEST
La Bella Vita: Italy's best autumn events and the Venetian words used in English
Venice is much more than just tourist attractions; it has made a mark in the linguistic world too. Photo by Vidar Nordli-Mathisen on Unsplash

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.

Dawn in Venice

St Mark’s square, the Doge’s Palace (left) and the church of San Giorgio Maggiore (rear) captured as the sun rises over Venice. Photo by Marco SABADIN / AFP

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

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? Please email me at [email protected].

 

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LA BELLA VITA

La Bella Vita: Italy’s city tourist taxes and key Italian vocabulary for dining out

From knowing how much ‘tourist tax’ you’ll need to pay when visiting Italian destinations this summer to mastering essential Italian words and phrases for dining out, our weekly newsletter La Bella Vita offers you an essential starting point for eating, talking, drinking and living like an Italian.

Published: 14 June 2024 14:05 CEST
La Bella Vita: Italy’s city tourist taxes and key Italian vocabulary for dining out

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.

The summer months are by far the busiest time of year in Italy as millions of visitors travel to the peninsula from all over the world to explore its so-called citta’ d’arte (‘art cities’, including Rome, Florence and Venice), beach resorts or natural parks. 

But whether you’re staying in a big city, a seaside holiday spot, or a mountain resort, if you’re one of the 216 million tourists expected in the country this summer, there’s a good chance you’ll have to pay a local ‘tourist tax’ on top of your accommodation bill. 

The fee, which is used by local authorities to offset the costs of public services, is a frequent source of confusion for tourists as not all cities apply it, and those that do tend to vary their rates by type and star rating of accommodation, time of year or location.

As some cities plan to raise their tourist taxes this summer, we’ve looked at the rates (and exemptions) you can expect in Italy’s most popular destinations.

Tourist tax: How much is it increasing in Italy’s cities this year?

Besides an Italian nonna’s homemade cooking and the sagre food festivals cropping up in the warm months, dining out is arguably the best way to explore Italy’s famous cuisine. 

Generally speaking, waiting staff at most restaurants in big cities and holiday hotspots tend to have at least some basic knowledge of English, meaning you should be able to order your meal in inglese without a hitch.

But that’s not the case everywhere in the country.

Whether you’re dealing with staff with a cosi’ cosi’ command of English, or are simply eager to test out your Italian speaking skills, there is some essential vocabulary that’s well worth getting familiar with.

From prenotare un tavolo (booking a table) to pagare il conto (paying the bill), here are some key words and phrases to memorise before your next restaurant meal in Italy.

The essential vocabulary you’ll need to dine out in Italy

People eat in a restaurant in the Murazzi by the Po River, on May 8, 2024 in Turin.

Diners at a restaurant along the Po River in Turin. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP

Speaking of paying the bill, Italian restaurants have some peculiar norms around squaring the books which can occasionally catch foreign visitors off guard – or even cause them offence in some cases. 

From where and how to pay to the controversial coperto charge and the tip/no tip dilemma, here’s an overview of what to do (and what not to do) for a stress-free experience next time you’re paying the bill in Italy.

What to do (and avoid) when paying a restaurant bill in Italy

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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