ITALIA MIA, ITALY AND ITALIAN CULTURE

An English-language magazine about Italian culture, travel, people and products, written with an Italian perspective

Latest Italy Travel Articles

Unexpected Italy: Stories from My Recent Travels

The Little Fish That Changed My Swim in Puglia

I expected clear water and good food during five nights on Puglia’s Ionian coast. I did not expect the little fish in the sea to become one of my favorite memories.

Gifts & Books

10 Italy Travel Books Worth Packing or Reading Before You Go

Choose an Italy guidebook that fits your route, then find a travel memoir or collection of essays to bring the journey to life.

Hotels & Stays

Italy’s Best Thermal Spa Towns: Where to Stay for Hot Springs and Wellness

From Lake Garda and the Maremma to Ischia and the Alps, choose the Italian thermal destination that fits your trip—and understand what your hotel booking includes.

Unexpected Italy: Stories from My Recent Travels

The Sketch That Followed Me Through Pietrasanta

A coastal bike ride becomes an afternoon in Pietrasanta, with aperitivo, a walk among the square’s artworks, and a fictionalized chance encounter that changes the view.

Things to Do

How to Attend a Soccer Match in Italy: Tickets, Stadium Seating and Family Advice

Plan an Italian football outing with official club ticket links, advice on identification and changing fixtures, and practical guidance for seating and children.

Plan Your Trip

Why an eSIM Makes Traveling in Italy Easier: A Practical Guide to Staying Connected

A travel eSIM can put maps, tickets, messages, and bookings within reach as soon as you arrive in Italy. Here is how it works, when it makes financial sense, and what to check before buying.

Read our Latest Articles about Living in Italy

Living in Italy

Finding a Job in Italy: In-Demand Jobs and Expat Guide

Looking for work in Italy? This comprehensive guide explains the most in-demand professions, best cities, employment websites, language expectations, work permits, contracts and job-search strategies for foreigners.

Living in Italy

Moving to Italy: Complete Guide for Expats in 2026

A complete guide to moving to Italy, covering visas, residence permits, housing, healthcare, employment, taxes, transportation and everyday expat life.

Living in Italy

Life in an Italian Village: Benefits, Challenges and Daily Routines

Life in an Italian village offers beauty, community and a slower rhythm, but it can also involve limited transportation, fewer services and winter isolation. This guide examines the benefits, challenges and everyday realities of living in a small Italian community.

Living in Italy

Cost of Living in Italy: A Realistic Monthly Budget

Explore the real cost of living in Italy, with practical monthly budgets for singles, couples and families, plus realistic estimates for housing, food, utilities, healthcare and transportation.

Living in Italy

Getting an Italian Driving Licence: Rules, Tests and Foreign-Licence Conversion

A practical guide to getting an Italian driving licence, from documents, medical checks and examinations to the rules for EU and non-EU licence holders living in Italy.

Culture

Characteristics of Work Culture in Italy

Italy is a country that excels in a number of industries (including production, machinery, automobiles, and aerospace) and it is home to a plethora of national, multinational, and international companies that uphold the highest professional standards.

Read our Latest Articles about Italian Culture

Biographies

Lucio Dalla: The Voice of Bologna, “Caruso” and a Life Without Musical Borders

From Bologna’s jazz scene to “Caruso” and the Banana Republic concerts with Francesco De Gregori, Lucio Dalla followed a musical path entirely his own.

Cuisine

Is Italian Food Healthy? Italian Cuisine and the Mediterranean Diet

Italian cuisine offers many nutritious meals, but its health benefits depend on ingredients, portions and eating habits—not nationality alone.

Italian Movies

Il sorpasso (The Easy Life): Dino Risi’s Classic Italian Road Movie

Dino Risi’s Il sorpasso pairs Vittorio Gassman and Jean-Louis Trintignant in a summer road trip that reveals the pleasures and contradictions of modern Italy.

Italian Movies

Divorce Italian Style: Pietro Germi’s Brilliant Comedy of Marriage, Murder and Hypocrisy

Marcello Mastroianni turns a murderous Sicilian baron into an unforgettable comic character in Pietro Germi’s satire of marriage, honor and hypocrisy.

Italian Movies

Cinema Paradiso: Sicily, Memory and a Lifelong Love of Movies

Giuseppe Tornatore’s Cinema Paradiso brings together Sicily, childhood, friendship and the love of movies. Read about its story, awards, filming locations, different versions and viewing options.

Cuisine

Italian Recipes in English: Lidia Bastianich, Giada and More

Find inspiration for your next Italian meal with English-language recipe previews from Lidia Bastianich and Italian Food Forever, plus selected collections from Giada and Italian chefs.

Read our Latest Articles about Italian Shopping

Kitchen & Coffee

How to Make Italian Coffee at Home

My practical approach to making Italian coffee at home, from filling a moka pot to preparing espresso and cappuccino, with guides to beans, machines, and cups.

Gifts & Books

10 Italian Literary Classics to Read at Least Once

A reader-friendly route through ten Italian classics, with notes on translations, complete editions, and choosing your first book.

Gifts & Books

10 Italy Travel Books Worth Packing or Reading Before You Go

Choose an Italy guidebook that fits your route, then find a travel memoir or collection of essays to bring the journey to life.

Gifts & Books

10 Italian Novels to Read Next

From Elena Ferrante and Umberto Eco to Andrea Camilleri and Paolo Cognetti, these ten Italian novels offer a starting point for every kind of reader.

Gifts & Books

10 Italian Christmas Gifts for Friends I’d Be Happy to Give

I would choose an Italian Christmas gift for a friend by thinking about the moments we share. These ten ideas bring food, coffee, cooking, design, and a little time together into the decision.

Gifts & Books

10 Essential Books for Understanding Italian History

A reading path through Italy’s past: ten books that explain its regions, rulers, national unification, and modern political life.

BOOK YOUR FLIGHT, HOTEL, CAR IN ITALY WITH EXPEDIA

Discover Italy with Italia Mia

Italia Mia is an online magazine about Italy, Italian culture and everyday Italian life. Whether you are planning a journey, researching your Italian heritage, considering a move or simply fascinated by the country, you will find practical information and original articles written for an international audience.

Plan Your Journey Through Italy

Explore our Italy travel guides for inspiring destinations, suggested itineraries, transportation advice, hotels, museums and practical planning tips. Our Italian regions section travels across all 20 regions—from celebrated destinations such as Tuscany, Sicily, Puglia and Veneto to less familiar corners of Abruzzo, Molise, Basilicata and Friuli-Venezia Giulia. We look beyond the famous landmarks to introduce historic towns, beaches, mountain landscapes, archaeological sites and local traditions. Whether you want to travel through Italy by train, plan a road trip or choose the best base for a longer stay, Italia Mia can help you experience the country more confidently.

Experience Italian Culture, Food and Creativity

Italy’s identity has been shaped by centuries of art, architecture, cinema, music, literature and craftsmanship. Our Italian culture articles explore these subjects through accessible guides, detailed biographies and stories about the people and ideas that influenced Italy and the wider world. Discover the masters of Italian art, the directors and actors of Italian cinema, the traditions of Italian music and the regional dishes featured in our Italian food and cuisine section.

Living in Italy

Italy is not only a destination—it is also home. Our practical guides to living in Italy cover visas, residency, employment, healthcare, housing, taxes, retirement, bureaucracy and the real cost of everyday life. They are designed for expats, retirees, dual citizens, digital nomads and anyone considering a permanent or temporary move. You can also meet the artists, filmmakers, musicians, writers and public figures who have shaped the country in our collection of Italian biographies.

Italy Today and the Best of Made in Italy

Follow Italian news in English for selected headlines, useful context and links to authoritative sources. For Italian design, fashion and craftsmanship, browse our Italian shopping guides featuring established brands and distinctive products made or designed in Italy. From ancient Rome to contemporary Italian life, Italia Mia brings together the destinations, traditions, people and ideas that make Italy endlessly fascinating. Benvenuti—welcome to Italia Mia.