Beekeeping in a Tuscan retreat

colourful beehives for beekeeping in Tuscany

Amy McPherson takes a tour of the apiary of Borgo Pignano and finds a heaven not only for the guests enjoying the luxury surrounds of this Tuscan retreat, but also a sustainable paradise for the estate’s bees as well Francesca Orlandini carefully picks up a struggling bee from the ground, then deposits it in the […]

Mushroom, Ham and Cheese Rotolo recipe

Mushroom, Ham and Cheese Rotolo recipe

Mario Matassa shares his passion for mushrooms in this rotolo recipe – a golden, flaky roll filled with savoury mushrooms, ham, and cheese Renato held the mushroom in both hands, admiring its impressive size. It must have been at least 500 grams – a real beauty. I glanced down at my two modest finds and […]

10 reasons to visit the Dolomites in Alta Badia

reasons to visit the dolomites

Set amid one of the most inspiring mountain landscapes on earth, Mark Nicholls suggests ten reasons to visit the Dolomites as an all-year-round destination Sweeping across northeastern Italy, the Dolomites form an ancient and mesmerising landscape. They set the ambience of this fabulous outdoor playground; an eternal lure for skiers and winter sports enthusiasts in […]

Mushroom tagliatelle with fresh porcini and chanterelles

Mushroom tagliatelle with fresh porcini and chanterelles

Mario Matassa’s mushroom tagliatelle recipe is full of flavour and made with passion. Try it for yourself! Recipe, words and photo © Mario Matassa Italians will go the extra mile for mushrooms. I know. I’ve broken a car exhaust, a collar bone and almost my neck in the pursuit of them. But, as anyone who […]

Gazzetta Italia: When Puglia hosted the G7 summit

hotel Borgo Egnazia, host of G7 summit in Puglia, Italy

In this edition of our bilingual feature, Tom Alberto Bull reports on the recent G7 summit hosted by Italy at luxury hotel Borgo Egnazia in Puglia Words by Tom Alberto Bull Key words Useful Italian words and phrases to add to your vocabulary. Ci deve essere stata There must have been In realtà ha molto […]

Gorgonzola, mascarpone and walnut pâté

Gorgonzola, mascarpone and walnut pâté

This recipe makes a stunning gorgonzola, mascarpone and walnut pâté, which is sure to impress in a festive antipasti or after-dinner formaggi e frutta Words, recipe and photos © Mario Matassa At Christmas, along with meat and fish pâté, Italian supermarkets offer huge cakes of mascarpone and gorgonzola garnished with walnuts, essential components to a […]

Hazelnut, almond and chocolate biscuits

hazelnut almond and chocolate biscuits

These hazelnut, almond and chocolate biscuits are wonderful in the morning with a cappuccino or after lunch with a glass of white wine… Words, recipe and photos © Mario Matassa For something sweet, these biscotti (or cookies), are a sideboard essential. They’re wonderful in the morning with a cappuccino and equally good after lunch with […]

Rolled turkey breast with hazelnut and raisin stuffing

Rolled turkey breast with hazelnut and raisin stuffing

Give your festive roast an Italian twist with Mario Matassa’s recipe for rolled turkey breast with a hazelnut and raisin stuffing… Words, recipe and photo © Mario Matassa Christmas would not be the same without turkey, in some form. Here in Italy, turkey has never achieved the status it has at Christmas as in the […]

Is it easy to get Italian citizenship? Here’s what you need to know

Group of people waving italian flags

Discovering that you can claim Italian citizenship through your parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, and in some cases even great-great-grandparents can be very exciting. But what is the process like, and is it easy to get Italian citizenship? Compared to other countries, Italian citizenship by descent is one of the simplest to acquire for a variety of […]