In most big cities and heavily touristed areas in Italy, hotel and restaurant staff, shopkeepers, and museum attendants will almost certainly speak at least some English. But venture to smaller towns ...

I’m Italian. I’m one of those obnoxious Italians that has also made it one of the founding components of my personality. Most of the excuses I make for my behaviour are simply ‘because I’m Italian’.

Italian officials better start pronouncing “bruschetta” correctly or they could face up to a six-figure fine. New legislation introduced recently by Italy’s right-wing ruling party seeks to ban the ...