Italy
COUNTRYBOOK
Southern Europe
A long country of coasts, hill towns and food that changes every hundred kilometres.
See
- 01Hill townsStone walls on a ridge, one gate, one square, one bell.
- 02Coastal cliffsVillages stacked above water on ledges cut by hand.
- 03Roman stoneArches, roads and aqueducts still standing in daily use.
- 04Marble mountainsWhite scars high on the slopes where the quarries run.
Do
- 01Evening walkThe whole town moves outside for the hour before dinner.
- 02Market morningVegetables, cheese and noise under a temporary roof.
- 03Swim off rocksFlat stone, deep water, no sand to walk across.
- 04Mountain roadsHairpins through chestnut woods between one valley and the next.
Eat
- 01Pasta by regionThe shape changes with the town, and so does the sauce.
- 02PizzaDough, tomato, fire; the argument is about the crust.
- 03GelatoDenser and colder than ice cream, eaten while walking.
- 04Espresso standingTaken at the counter in under two minutes.
Make
- 01LeatherTanned and stitched in workshops behind the shop fronts.
- 02CeramicsPainted plates and jugs, each town with its own pattern.
- 03GlassBlown and shaped by hand in furnaces on the lagoon.