How to Apply for Italy’s (newly released) Digital Nomad Visa?   I can barely contain my excitement.   I’m doing a happy dance on the inside.   Italy’s digital nomad visa is officially here. This visa has been floating around the interwebs since it was initially announced back in 2022.   And then for the next two years essentially nothing happened – and to be completely honest a lot us started to wonder if it just wasn’t going to e ..read more

We got professional help decorating our home. It was perhaps the best illogical thing I have ever done in my life. Why was it illogical? Because we currently live in a rental property, we knew that we would be moving out sooner rather than later. Hahaha, but this is definitely on an Italian timeline, so to me, “sooner” meant a year off. Italians can be very territorial. Changing homes and/or locations isn't something done with the ease that Americans do. In fact, 8-year rental contracts are pretty standard in Italy. Curious about that? You can read about that here. But I digress. Why was it o ..read more

By Ken Pope I have been remiss in my postings here but I'm going to blame it on August, the time of year when all of Italy goes on holiday. While some smart shoppers take their break in July (or even less frequently in June or September), the traditional time to get away is August. In the cities, most businesses are shuttered for at least half of the month (and often more, which actually makes it rather pleasant for the people that remain—there's less traffic, less pressure, less work, less reason to do anything productive, though even that is easier if one is so inclined, as nobody is callin ..read more

This post contains affiliate links. I may received a commission if you make a purchase from the links I’ve provided. The opinions in the post are totally mine. I don’t know about you guys, but the topic of how to send money to/from Italy and the US was not something I thought about before I actually moved to Italy the first time. Back then, my mind was focused on stuff like finding actually getting the visa to legally live in Italy or in finding a place to stay. But once I got to Italy boy did I realize how important it was. But then again, there I was a shinny eyed American who first came to ..read more

The sea in Salento (Puglia) gives the Caribbean a run for its money Oh hi. My name is Ken, and Thea has engaged me to give some insight to our adopted homeland for the Doing Italy blog. For my first post, I thought a little introduction was in order. My nutshell: raised in NJ, went to engineering school in upstate NY before falling into magazine publishing in NYC. Met a crazy Italian guy one night out at a bar, did the long distance thing for a year or so before deciding to see what Italy has to offer. That was in 2000 so officially I'm more Milanese than New Yorkese (that freaks me out a lit ..read more

U barba - Photo Credit - Thea The humid summer weather has well and truly arrived in Milan, and after months of on and off lockdowns, you can feel a change in the air. The Milanese are happy to be outside amongst friends, finally enjoying social aperitivi, and long, lazy meals (not made at home). Don’t get me wrong – you know I love cooking! But well – we all know what these past 18 months have involved, and it’s nice to be out and about once again. With Milan set to enter the ‘white zone’ on June 14, I thought I’d celebrate by sharing some of my favorite Milanese restaurants and pasticcerie ..read more

This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a commission if you purchase something from one of these sites. All of the opinions expressed are mine own. What feels to be a gazillion years ago, while I was attending Universita’ Bocconi, one of my professors mentioned a book: “L’elefante invisibile” (The Invisible Elephant), by Giuseppe Mantovani; the elephant being culture – the thing that takes up so much space, and yet we don’t see.  Like the book, the phrase – told to me more than a decade ago – has remained with me. Living between worlds, as one does when one moves to another cou ..read more

Like so many expats living in Italy, Elena Cipretti’s story of moving from New York City to Milan isn’t linear. She originally visited Italy as a high school student, and then made it her mission to create a life in Italy. A friend of mine, her passion and drive have always been inspirational to me. I really admire the way she sets her mind on something and takes active steps to achieve that goal. She’s created a wonderful life for herself not just in Milan, but also Palermo, which is why I’m so excited to feature her today on our Expat Stories series. WHY DID YOU MOVE TO ITALY? AND WHEN? I m ..read more

If you're reading this, I'm guessing it's because you're thinking about moving to Italy. Perhaps you dream of lazy Italian days by the seaside, perhaps you dream of exploring everything from Italy's small volcanic islands to its snowy mountain slopes. You are sure though that you would love nothing more than to call Italy home.   The next question though is where?! Italy is home to 20 wonderfully diverse regions, each with its own history, culture, and oftentimes, language (known as dialects). Far from just lines on a map, Italy's regions are marked by different scenery and weather, as w ..read more

BONFISSUTO: UNMISSABLE SICILIAN DESSERTS If you’ve been following along with Doing Italy’s Christmas fun over these past few weeks, then there’s a good chance you’ve heard of Bonfissuto. In case you missed it though, Bonfissuto is a Sicilian Pasticceria dedicated to reimagining Sicily’s best sweets (without offending Italian sensibilities). Imagined and run by the Bonfissuto brothers, you’ll not only be treated to moreish desserts but a whole world of Sicilian confectionaries including jams, creams, and Sicilian cookies. The best news? You can order their desserts online, no matter where you a ..read more