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Living a Life in Colour

a guide to Italian food, wine and culture

ITALY

 

Italy

The 20 Regions of Italy

Italy- A Generalisation?

When people talk about “Italian food” they are inevitably focusing on a single region. Considering Italy has only been a unified country since 1861, it is unsurprising that many Italians identify firstly with their region and secondly as being Italian. When travelling to different regions in Italy, the bias in cooking towards certain ingredients or cooking methods is evident. Click on the name of the region below to read its description and discover how different they are. Each region has a description of the what makes that region unique, which places to visit, the type of local ingredients, the traditions and flavours of the dishes, and a sample menu of that region’s dishes.

© Indos82 | Dreamstime.com

Image Map

The Italian Regions

Valle d’Aosta(Aosta Valley) →

Courmayeur

Courmayeur photographed by Mauro Fuentes Alvarez

Aosta, Courmayeur, Gran Paradiso

Piemonte(Piedmont) →

Nieve by Rachel Black

Nieve, Piemonte photographed by Rachel Black

Torino (Turin), Langhe

Liguria →

Portofino by Konrad Jagodzinski

Portofino photographed by Konrad Jagodzinski

Genova (Genoa), Cinqueterre, San Remo, Portofino

Lombardia(Lombardy) →

Isola Bella by Andrea Costa

Isola Bella, Lombardia by Andrea Costa

Milano, Lago di Como (Lake Como), Lago Maggiore (Lake Maggiore), Cremona, Mantova

       
Friuli-Venezia Giulia →

Grado by Andrea Rossi

Grado by Andrea Rossi

Trieste, Udine, Cividale del Friuli

Trentino-Alto Adige →

Vigo di Fassa

Vigo di Fassa by Andrea Costa

Bolzano, Merano, Bressanone, Grande Strada delle Dolomiti

Veneto →

Venezia by Rodrigo Soldon

Venezia, Veneto by Rodrigo Soldon

Venezia (Venice), Padova (Padua), Verona, Valpolicella

Emilia-Romagna →

Bologna by LinnBJ

Bologna, Emilia-Romagna by LinnBJ

Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrara, Parma, Modena, San Marino

       
Toscana (Tuscany) →

Toscana by Any Colour You Like

Purple skyline in Toscana by Any Colour You Like

Firenze (Florence), Siena, Pisa, Montepulciano, Montalcino, Chianti, Arezzo, Lucca, Cortona

Umbria →

Basilica San Francesco, Assisi by Stefano Pertusani

Basilica, Assisi, Umbria by Stefano Pertusani

Assisi, Gubbio, Orvieto, Perugia, Norcia, Mount Sibillini National Park

Le Marche(The Marches) →

Riviera del Conero by Otrocalpe

Riviera del Conero, Le Marche by Otrocalpe

Ascoli Piceno, Urbino, Numana, Riviera del Conero, Fermo

Lazio →

Piazza San Pietro and Rome by Giampaolo Macorig

Piazza San Pietro and Roma by Giampaolo Macorig

Roma (Rome), Vatican City

       
Abruzzo-Molise →

Sant'Eufemia a Mailla by Christopher Schoenbohm

Sant’Eufemia by Christopher Schoenbohm

Parco Nazionale d’Abruzzo (Abruzzo National Park), Parco Nazionale della Majella (Maiella National Park), Sulmona

Campania →

View from Palazzo Sasso by MDIANEM

View from Palazzo Sasso, Campania by MDIANEM

Napoli (Naples), Capri, Ischia, Amalfi coast: Positano, Amalfi, Ravello, Monte Vesuvio (Mount Vesuvius), Pompeii, Ercolano (Herculaneum)

Puglia (Apulia) →

Trullo by Henri Louis Hirschfeld

Trullo in Puglia by Henri Louis Hirschfeld

 Terra dei Trulli: Albarello, Promontorio del Gargano (Gargano Promontory), Tremiti Islands, Lecce

Basilicata →

Maratea by Basilicata Turistica

Christ Statue, Maratea by Basilicata Turistica

Matera

       
Calabria →

Stilo photographed by Giovanni Battista Salvietti

Stilo, Calabria by Giovanni Battista Salvietti

Tropea, Capo Vaticano, Costa degli Dei, Gerace, Reggio Calabria, Parco Nazionale della Sila (Sila National Park)

Sicilia (Sicily) →

Chiesa di San Cataldo

Chiesa di San Cataldo, Palermo by Federico Soffici

Palermo, Ustica, Agrigento, Isole Eolie (Aeolian Islands), Erice, Siracusa, Taormina

Sardegna(Sardinia) →

Porto Cervo Marina, Costa Smeralda

Porto Cervo, Costa Smeralda by Diane Byrne

Costa Smeralda, Arcipelago della Maddalena (Maddalena Archipelago), Barumini, Castelsardo

 
       


Food

Food in every region of Italy is excellent, but this list will give you an idea of what foods each regional cuisine emphasizes.

Polenta concia

Polenta with cheese by Ferruccio Zanone

Valle d’Aosta: soups, cheese, polenta, meat and game, cabbage, potatoes, lardo, chestnuts, chocolate, apples and rye bread

meimanrensheng.com tagliolini al tartufo bianco-1

Tagliolini al tartufo bianco (tagliolini with white truffle)

Piemonte (Piedmont): big French influence; grissini (breadsticks), cheese, white truffles, hazelnuts, red wine, agnolotti (stuffed pasta), risotto, chocolate, chestnuts, beef, cardoons, game, red wine and sweet peppers.

Trofie col pesto by Meimanrensheng

Trofie col pesto (trofie with pesto sauce)

Liguria: focaccia bread, olive oil, vegetables (artichokes, zucchini, borage, etc), marjoram, pesto sauce, seafood, savoury pies and pastas

Carnaroli risotto by Javier Lastras

Carnaroli risotto by Javier Lastras

Lombardia (Lombardy): risotto, polenta, cheese, bresaola, fresh stuffed pasta, gnocchi, costoletta alla milanese (breaded and fried veal chop), ossobuco (braised veal shank), lake fish, donkey, horse, soups and panettone

Polenta on a fogolar (traditional Friulian fireplace) by Elido Turco

Polenta on a fogolar (traditional Friulian fireplace) by Elido Turco

Friuli-Venezia Giulia: big Central Eastern European influence; polenta, cheeses, smoked ricotta, soups, dumplings made of pumpkin, stale bread soups, or potatoes, prosciutto di San Daniele, grappa, fermented turnips, horseradish, greens, herbs, fresh and saltwater fish, seafood, gulasch (beef stew), roasted or grilled pork, beef, or lamb, fruit, nuts and spices

Pastries from Alto Adige

Pastries from Alto Adige by Rubber Slippers in Italy

Trentino Alto Adige: Germanic influence; soups, stews, bread dumplings, polenta, mushrooms, speck, rye bread, caraway seed, cured beef, game, game birds, smoked meats, sauerkraut, potatoes, turnips, wild greens, apples, cakes, sweet breads and fruit fritters.

Carnival Bugie by Elora Daphne

Carnival Bugie by Elora Daphne

Veneto: Oriental influence; seafood, fish, rice, beans, radicchio, cheese, game birds, horse, donkey, white polenta, salt cod, bigoli (thick spaghetti), sweet and sour fish, pumpkin, asparagus and doughnuts.

Lasagne alla bolognese by Sandro Cuccio

Lasagne alla bolognese by Sandro Cuccio

Emilia Romagna: Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Parma ham, balsamic vinegar, fresh egg pastas, fresh stuffed pastas, lasagna, ragu Bolognese, eels, roasted meats, mushrooms, piadina, sausages and salami.
meimanrensheng.com pappardelle sul cinghiale Toscana (Tuscany): beans, bread, olive oil, soups, grilled meat, steak, stews, pecorino cheese, salumi, wild boar, cabbage, mushrooms, bruschette, crostini and gelato.
meimanrensheng.com spaghetti al tartufo di Norcia Umbria: pork (porchetta), olive oil, black truffles, salumi, lentils, freshwater fish, roasted or grilled meat or game birds, and meat or fish in porchetta.

Vincisgrassi by Mikko Kuhna

Vincisgrassi by Mikko Kuhna

Le Marche: seafood and fish, brodetto (fish soup), freshwater fish, meat, mushrooms, truffles, vegetables, pecorino cheese, prosciutto, skewered and roasted game birds, olive all’ascolana (fried stuffed olives), porchetta (roast pork), potacchio (stewed fish, chicken or rabbit) and vincisgrassi (lasagna with chicken livers and black truffles).
meimanrensheng.com spaghetti carbonara Lazio: guanciale, offal (rigatoni con la pajata), coda alla vaccinara (oxtail stew), artichokes, puntarelle, agretti, misticanza (mixed salad leaves), vignarola (vegetable stew), spaghetti all’amatriciana (spaghetti tomato and guanciale),spaghetti alla carbonara (spaghetti with guanciale and egg), gnocchi alla romana (baked semolina gnocchi with butter and cheese), saltimbocca (veal with prosciutto and sage), and porchetta (baked boned and stuffed pig).

Diavolicchi by Brigitte Wohack

Diavolicchi by Brigitte Wohack

Abruzzo-Molise: cheese, chillies (diavolicchi), honey, cured pork, vegetables, grilled fish and seafood, lamb, pork, sausages, pastas such as maccheroni alla chitarra, spicy tomato sauce, virtù (pork, pasta, and vegetable soup), ‘ndocca ‘ndocca (pork stew) and torrone.
meimanrensheng.com pizza -10 Campania: pizza, lemons, vegetables, aubergine Parmesan (eggplant Parmesan), tomatoes, tomato sauce, caprese salad, fish, dried pasta, spaghetti aglio olio, puttanesca, gnocchi sorrentina, cheese (especially mozzarella type cheeses), fish, seafood, spaghetti with clams, doughnuts, sfogliatella, pastiera, babà, sorbets, and limoncello.
meimanrensheng orecchiette con broccoli Puglia (Apulia): orecchiette pasta, taralli crackers, calzone, pizzas, olive oil, shellfish (especially oysters and mussels), plum tomatoes, lamb, salamis, mozzarella, scamorza, tiella (casseroles), aubergine, tomatoes, onions, peppers, lampascioni (wild grape hyacinth bulbs), green and black olives, and desserts with honey, nuts and/or ricotta cheese.

Burrata

Burrata by Cathy Arkle

Basilicata: spicy food, pasta with tomato sauce, vegetables, beans, bread, pasta, aubergine Parmesan (eggplant Parmesan), grilled, baked or braised lamb or pork, salumi, cheese, nuts and oranges.

Chillies by Marco Lazzaroni

Chillies by Marco Lazzaroni

Calabria: chilli peppers, bergamot, citron, seafood, lamb, pork, sausages, swordfish, tuna, beans, sweet Tropea onions, citrus including bergamot, bread, pitta bread, aubergine Parmesan (eggplant Parmesan), murseddu (a spicy beef and pork liver and offal pate), gelato, spit-roasted goat, sagne chine (lasagna with meat and hard-boiled eggs) and pasta cu’ ra muddica (pasta topped with flavoured breadcrumbs).

Sicilian blood oranges

Sicilian blood oranges by Rob Diamond

Sicilia (Sicily): citrus fruit (especially blood oranges, lemons and mandarins), artichokes, olives, almonds, pistachios, cactus pears, swordfish, tuna, calamari, red prawns, sweet and sour, spiced food, saffron, pasta, couscous, roasted meat and fish, pasta alla Norma (pasta with aubergine and tomatoes), pasta con le sarde(pasta with sardines and wild fennel), aubergine Parmesan (eggplant Parmesan), arancini (rice fritters), caponata (sweet and sour aubergine), marzipan, cannoli, cassata, granite and fruit gelato.

Roast suckling pig by Alpha

Roast suckling pig by Alpha

Sardegna (Sardinia): pane carasau (crispbread), pecorino cheese, sheep, honey, lobster, bottarga (pressed grey mullet roe), olive oil, pasta (including malloreddus), porcetto (spit-roast suckling pig), stews, fish soups, fish, eels and desserts made of honey, nuts, spices and/or candied or dried fruit.

Cities

A guide to the regions with the most unmissable cities in Italy:

Venezia by Rodrigo Soldon

Venezia by Rodrigo Soldon

Venezia (Venice) in Veneto

Duomo, Firenze by Marco Meoni

Duomo, Firenze by Marco Meoni

Firenze (Florence) in Toscana

Piazza San Pietro and Rome by Giampaolo Macorig

Piazza San Pietro and Roma by Giampaolo Macorig

Roma (Rome) in Lazio

Beaches

Guides to the regions with the best beaches in Italy:

Alassio by Martina Rathgens

Alassio by Martina Rathgens

Liguria

Sorrento sunrise by Matthew Bordignon

Sorrento sunrise by Matthew Bordignon

Campania
 

Capo Vaticano by Anna Hesser

Capo Vaticano by Anna Hesser

Calabria

Sardinia

Sardinia by Valentina A

Sardegna (Sardinia)

Wine

A guide to the best wine growing regions in Italy:

Nieve by Rachel Black

Nieve by Rachel Black

Piemonte (Piedmont): Barolo and Barbaresco

Vines in Chianti by Francesco Sgroi

Vines in Chianti by Francesco Sgroi

Toscana (Tuscany): Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscans

Valpolicella vineyards by Ryan Opaz

Valpolicella vineyards by Ryan Opaz

Veneto: Amarone

Lakes

These regions have the most stunning lake scenery in Italy:

Isola San Giglio by Xerones

Isola San Giglio by Xerones

Lombardia (Lombardy): Lago Maggiore, Lago di Como, Lago di Garda and Lago d’Iseo

Lago di Misurina by Marco Gialdi

Lago di Misurina by Marco Gialdi

Veneto: Lago di Garda

Islands

Guides to the regions with the best islands in Italy:

Capri by Francesco Sgroi

Capri by Francesco Sgroi

Capri in Campania

Agrigento

Agrigento by Matteo Mignani

Sicilia (Sicily)

Maddalena Archipelago National Park

Maddalena Archipelago National Park by Cristiano Cani

Sardegna and the Maddalena Islands in Sardegna (Sardinia)

Skiing

A guide to the regions with the best skiing in Italy:

Courmayeur

Courmayeur by Mauro Fuentes Alvarez

Valle d’Aosta :Courmayeur, Breuil-Cervinia, La Thuile, Gressoney la Trinitè, and Monte Rosa

Nuns admiring the scenery by Lorenzo Maddalena

Nuns admiring the scenery by Lorenzo Maddalena

Veneto : Cortina d’Ampezzo

Skiing in Madonna di Campiglio

Skiing in Madonna di Campiglio by Il Della

Trentino-Alto Adige: Vigo di Fassa, Canazei, Madonna di Campiglio, Selva di Val Gardena, Corvara in Val Badia and San Martino di Castrozza

Art

A guide to the regions housing some of the best Italian art:

Primavera by Sandro Botticelli in the Uffizi by Lynn

Primavera by Sandro Botticelli in the Uffizi by Lynn

Firenze (Florence), Toscana (Tuscany): the Uffizi, Bargello Museum, Galleria Palatina and the Galleria dell’Accademia

Pinacoteca Nazionale museum in Bologna by Marco Assini

Pinacoteca Nazionale museum in Bologna by Marco Assini

Bologna, Emilia Romagna: Pinacoteca Nazionale

La Pieta by Michelangelo by Dennis Jarvis

La Pieta by Michelangelo by Dennis Jarvis

Roma (Rome), Lazio: Cappella Sistina (the Sistine Chapel), the art inside Basilica di San Pietro (St. Peter’s), Musei Vaticani (Vatican Museums), National Etruscan Museum, Galleria Borghese and Musei Capitolini.

Palazzo di Priori, Perugia by Federico Filipponi

Palazzo di Priori, Perugia by Federico Filipponi

Perugia (Umbria): Galleria Nazionale dell’Umbria (National Gallery of Umbria)

Cenacolo by Sarmale Olga

Cenacolo by Sarmale Olga

Milano (Milan), Lombardia (Lombardy): Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Picture Gallery) and the Castello Sforzesco

Fresco by Giotto di Bondone in Cappella degli scrovegni, Padova by Carla216

Fresco by Giotto di Bondone in Cappella degli scrovegni, Padova by Carla216

Venezia (Venice), Veneto: Gallerie dell’Accademia (Academy Gallery), I Frari church and the Collezione Peggy Guggenheim (Peggy Guggenheim Collection)

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Comments

  1. Hoover Chen says

    September 5, 2015 at 4:24 pm

    Dear Janet,

    I love your writings very much.

    Reply
    • wooweiduan says

      September 6, 2015 at 4:12 am

      Thank you!!!

      Reply

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