Italian gifts

Fall is really the new year in Italy as people get back in town, schools resume and with them all the Italian rites: dinners out, Sunday lunches at nonni's or parents', parties and presents.

Halloween's vibes in Turin

Like many other people in continental Europe, Italians are very formal and somewhat conformist, the social judgement coexists with Italians being non-judgemental individually... unless it is an issue of good manners, fashion and food! This applies to presents and gift-giving rules too and after all each country and culture has its own rules.

As always, keep in mind that Italy is made up of 20 very diverse regions and customs can vary a lot. However, there are some common points: the average Italian lives in a small apartment and doesn't have much storage room. Also the Italian life-work balance revolves around social life leaving very little time for hobbies compared to other countries.
Finally, as most Italians don't have time and space to devote to a hobby on a regular and consistent basis, they never reach a professional or semi professional level, therefore, they usually buy presents rather than making themselves.

Good and bad faith play also a role in the Italian gift-giving rite because many people just regift those presents they received to other people... hence, gift wrapping is no minor detail in the boot.

First things first, the Italian social rules dictate as a sign of good manners to bring a gift every time you are invited over to somebody's place.

If you are invited over for a meal, you have plenty of choice among many high quality products with the idea that the host(s) will choose whether to share it with you, the giver, or not. If you know the host well, you have even more choice because you may buy something they will love and use, or collect, otherwise Italy is a lucky place with many designers and art objects that Italians always appreciate.

Among friends and family, Italians bring a dessert from a good bakery, a 'caffé pasticceria' with its own production, or if they are REALLY good - again read: professional level - something they made themselves that required many hours, dexterity and commitment. 

So don't be disappointed if when you invite Italians over, they just buy your present and give you wrapped it in the store wrapping paper. It is actually a sign of respect!! 
In fact, typically, Italians invest time and affection in weaving their relationships and devote their free time to catching up with family, friends and the people they do care about. 

As the boot is blessed with amazing weather, not many people have hobbies they pursue with professional commitment. 

Moreover, the cost of living is high compared to the salaries and with inflation, a present bought in a shop or ordered online is still the best option!

Turin's Roman ruines: the Palatine towers between Galleria Umberto I and the Royal Palace

In Italy, store-bought gifts are better quality compared to the rookie productions of occasional amateurs - but especially they are better received because the giftwrap is often a synonym of how much the giver has spent and thought about the recipient.

Clearly, this also implies that when the recipient will return the invitation, they will do the same or invite their guests out to the restaurant. 

Interestingly, whenever possible, Italians have their gifts wrapped in the shop where they purchase them. This is no minor detail as many cultures actually prefer the giver to put in the effort of wrapping their gifts. However, Italians find it convenient to declare where the item was bought and a gift receipt is also included, just in case, the gift needs to be exchanged.
Naturally, in Italy too there are those people who start their Christmas shopping in August or September, or maybe find some random gifts way before the occasions and in that case, well, they will gift wrap themselves and it will be acceptable too.

This is why you can find more and more shops where you can buy gift boxes and bags, but not tissue paper as that's really something Italians don't use... yet.

As you can gather, gift cards aren't popular at all either!
This is probably because Italians consider them just money. Online gift lists are also not as popular because Italians like to prove they did make an effort in finding just that one thing you did need or love. And obviously, they expect you to do the same. 

An online gift list is perceived as 'thoughtless' because in an old-fashioned mentality, you can just buy yourself whatever you like or need but 'I, the giver, wish to give you that one special thing you wouldn't get yourself'.

Fall's marrons glacés a pastry chef delicacy in Turin paired with candied violets

Bottles of wine or whiskey are generally never personally giftwrapped nor include a handmade case or bag that could be reused, and if the giver distilled limoncello or walnut liqueur themselves, they will still generally buy a nice gift bag to make it look professional. 

A common question that often arises at the end of the year and at the end of the school year is what to give the professionals who helped you or your kids.

Traditionally, Italians give their clients, collaborators or vital professionals who made a big contribution to their life a basket of seasonal products that these people can enjoy during the Holidays with their families. 

For example, in Turin, in December, the most famous wine shops and shops selling local specialties prepare boxes and baskets of different sizes containing a selection of local delicacies such as wine, liqueurs, beers, a box of artisan gianduiotti, a pack of cremini chocolates, nougat, some regional cookies, some jars of preserved porcini mushrooms or other vegetable, sometimes even cured meats, evoo bottles, jarms, a special rice (for risotto), dry egg pasta and of course panettone or pandoro.

These Christmas gift boxes are always treasured and kept to be filled with the Christmas tree ornaments, the baskets are used as containers that can be displayed. And if the Christmas present is supposed to be small in size but meaningful, still Italians give a bottle of a good Spumante or bubbly wine or a pricy panettone / pandoro that comes in a collectible metal box.

The Italian elementary school teachers usually receive only one present bought by the parents of the whole class at the end of the school year to show gratitude for their work. No Starbucks gift cards, nor mugs or other chain store cards are given, instead Italians give personal objects like a designer's silk scarf or bag, or a piece of jewelry. 

In all this, cards and hand written notes have almost disappeared as people are just communicating online. So, especially the older generations really appreciate hand written cards and artisan cards. 

nocciolini di Chivasso

We are also always asked what to give your Italian friends and family when visiting Italy. We usually recommend you openly ask if there is anything they wish from your country or area. Sometimes, certain items are not available or very expensive in Italy, yet extremely cheap abroad: make-up, sportswear, skincare, toys, small electronics or cellphone / computer /house gadgets. Typically, to your surprise it's things you would have never thought of giving and when you ask, you'll be given all the details!

If you need to buy something for somebody you don't know well or can't ask what they need / wish for, something formal and local will be very well recived: just remember sport-related things are more for young people, candles are considered a bad omen, and if you can, opt for something they can keep in their house or wear. 

Most of all: your 'ordinary' can turn out to be the most 'unusual' for them 😉  

Palazzo Scaglia di Verrua in Turin

Interestingly, when an Italian is visiting you, this is how they will reason too. So, if they ask you if there's anything they can bring you: don't be shy and let them know what you would like keeping within reasonable price ranges! 

If you don't do it, don't expect candies or cookies, Italians very rarely give candies because they consider it something more appropriate for locals.

In Turin though we are lucky because our royal candy maker Leone makes many cool candies in collectible tins and the chocolate spread in a tube, like a toothpaste but with chocolate spread!

We also love to give artisan candies and chocolate that may spoil during the trip or melt in the summer.

Even though most Italian cookies originated in Piedmont, Italians don't generally give them as a present when traveling because they are brittle, instead we rather give our chocolates, chocolate spreads (our post), wine bottles, dried porcini, hazelnuts, truffle oil (our post) or opt for something else.

As many famous Italian companies and brands are from Piedmont, Turin's wider region, it is always very easy to find some stunning designer's objects or artisan garment. This Alessi (our post), Bialetti (our post), Zegna (our post) and mentally add 20 more local names you have never heard about. 

You can never really be disappointed with the presents Italians will give you!

Photo courtesy of Alessi: officially a wooden spoon rest

As potluck dinners and parties, how to behave and what to bring over, we recommend you always double check with the host(s).

In Italy, these are informal occasions and everyone will be thrilled to try anything from your country. Usually, when you receive an invitation to a potluck dinner, you automatically inquire about what you are supposed to bring and if you already have an idea, feel free to make a suggestion when confirming your participation.

If you have no time / possibility to make anything yourself, you can propose to bring the wine, beer, soft drinks, a cheese / charcuterie board, gelato or a cake.

Italians are very gracious and forgiving, if you don't know, just ask and they will easily direct you.

Flowers or a plant for the host, a famous perfume for the ladies, a good bottle of wine for the men are evergreen ideas among Italians whenever they need something formal and can't ask what to give...

If you are considering moving over to Italy, remember to observe and act accordingly to avoid any faux pas. Once your Italian is good enough, you'll be able to ask for advice and suggestions or confirmations in the shops and everything will be a lot easier.

Most of all, the people close to you, like family, friends, colleagues and those professionals you frequently interact with will love anything from your home country or made by you and they will cherish it forever!

📧Please, email Lucia: turinepi@gmail.com 

for your boutique tours, experiences, private classes, consulting and relocation services.

Italian (in)tangible identities

 Italians are renowned for being very friendly and welcoming people but are they really? 

at Pepino's enjoying a pinguino!

Italian geography

Geography inspires travels, daydreams by giving many clues about the people who live in far and away lands. And Italian geography is an integral part of Italian culture and language because as all students of Italian 101 learn within the first week of class: the Italian spelling is done with the Italian cities. And all native Italians know all the Italian cities, where they are located and their wider regions.

People educated in Italian schools learn their own geography in elementary and middle school and like most Europeans, they know the major facts about the 20 regions that make up the boot. However, many non-Europeans who plan to visit or move to Italy judge Italian geography useless and most even refuse to learn the few Italian cities whose first letter make up their full name.

Unfortunately, when you can't spell your name with Italian cities, you can't book or make any reservations and Italians have no clue about non-Italian sounds, even more so when you have a non-Italian spelling...

One extra reason to savor Italian geography is that it comes with its diverse history, costumes, dialects, specific words, expressions and use of the grammar typical of only specific areas.

In fact, despite the stereotypes: Italy isn't a monoculture and the Italian friendliness you perceive is in most cases just a façade. This is even truer in business situations like long term renting, buying properties and doing business.

Therefore be aware of any Italian language class that doesn't teach the alphabet with the names of the Italian cities because you'll be missing a useful part and won't be able to spell your name properly. Plus, you'll be missing all the Italian culture bits that come with it...

Take private Italian classes with us: turinepi@gmail.com

Turin time

There are always interesting things to know about Turin before making it over here, even only to soften your landing, culturally speaking. Whether Turin is your 1st Italian destination or your 20th, most things will be newer to you than you had expected. Naturally, this applies to native Italians too because as you may already know: Italy is a tiny and very diverse boot made up of 20 very distinct regions.

During our cross cultural workshops and relocation sessions, we always explain how the concept of one whole monocultural Italy has never existed. Thus the lack of a national sense in favor of the more common 'campanilismo' or affectionate attachment to our own little village church belltower. 

Words and their origins always give us nice insights on the culture of the language they belong to and campanile is the church belltower where the bell rings every 15 minutes to mark the time and remind us where we are in our day. Yet, paraphrasing Kant, time and space are both universal and subjective and especially time is a very fluid dimension here in the boot.

Unlike what you see represented by most Non-Italian tv and cinema productions, and even if you have already visited other more touristy Italian places, once you are in Turin, you'll soon find out for yourself how what easily works out in Rome and Sicily doesn't necessarily work up in Northern Italy, especially here in the Northwest.

wandering in Turin

In the blink of an eye, May is almost gone, as well as the 37th International Book Fair of Turin where 'Lucia of Turinepi' was invited as a guest speaker by Dr Naila Clerici, the Italian expert about the Native Americans, First Nations and Aboriginal People of North America. In 2026 the Turin Book Fair will be on May 14-18.

If you can read and understand Italian, this is the perfect event for you because you'lI find all the Italian publishing houses, including the indie ones, plus tons of guests, presentations, talks and events within the book fair AND many more all around Turin. So, you'll get to hear many authors and will also have the possibility to buy many Italian books, often, those you don't usually find in bookshops.

Photo by Mr B. Menegatti: Dr Naila Clerici, Lucia Hannau and Maura Valleri

3-1 gin risotto

Surprisingly amici, we made it to Easter 🐇 and the Spring veggies and fruits 🍓and as customary, we are sharing with you one of our risotto recipes that you can make into 3 different versions, according to your preferences and occasions.

We are sure that at least one of these 3 versions will save your meal bringing you culinary stardom among your family and friends.

To us risotto is conforting, elegance, tradition, history and identity and this is why it is often what we teach in our cooking classes, available online too.

chocolate, one of Turin's core biz since the late 1600s

Why Turin or Piedmont?

It is officially spring 🌷 in Turin too where we have just finished the Special Winter Olympic Games and are now in full Easter mood with bakeries, pastry shops and grocery stores full of huge chocolate Easter eggs and our traditional dove cake.
Because many people are planning their summer trips and more are considering moving over to Turin, or Piedmont anyway, today we are sharing some of our considerations for travelers, movers and students.

For more resources, at the bottom of this post 👇we linked all our Social Network accounts. On Instagram and Facebook we do daily stories so you can get a real life impression of our vidaroyal 👑 and on our YouTube channel you'll find some sample Italian, yoga and pilates classes, and many other videos.

Mimosa cakes in Turin for the International Women's Day on March8th

moving to Turin or Piedmont

Our February means: Carnival 👯, Valentine's Day 🌹, the Turin Wine Salon (Feb 24- Mar 3) 🍷 approaching together with the Turin Chocolate Festival (Feb 27 - Mar 2) 🍫basically a short but intense month that honestly, this year, has been feeling more like a whole year!

So, if you need something to distract your mind and to help you visualize a different life, this is the post for you! Whether you are thinking about a short break or a trip to Italy, or if the idea of moving over is tickling you, we are going to give you some good points to support your project!

Merchants, gold and calendar

Like a Russian doll, the longer you'll spend in Turin, the more she will amaze you with a crescendo of surprises.
Most people are totally unaware of what Turin holds; a few know about Juventus (one of our two soccer teams); some are familiar with her industrial past thanks to FIAT, but only wine and culinary professionals can easily put her on the map. And yet, Turin has always occupied a very distinctive spot in the European map. 

Thanks to her central position, for over ten centuries, Turin has created a broad network of cultural and economical connections, granting her a privileged relationship with the European royal courts and the commoners who quickly integrated her name in their own language. This is why Turin has the same spelling in most languages.

At the European level, Turin has always been synonym of refinement in many domains, from art to technology, from education to economy, but especially agriculture and industrial innovation. This is how she won many nicknames like the Philadelphia, the Paris, the MoTown and the Chicago (because we have famous bulls too!) of Italy and her legacy is visible all around town from the university founded in 1404 to her many churches, especially the Chapel of Merchants, Shop Keepers and Bankers! 

This is a stunning Roman Catholic church following the usual Turin rule: unassuming from its façade and majestic when you enter. Renovated in 2017, this Baroque church is fully gilded and literally glistens during the service. 

Thanks to its excellent acoustics, it is also often used as a concert hall.

Located in Via Garibaldi 52, it was commissioned by the guild of merchants, shopkeepers and bankers as a place to pray and network; finally, in 1692 it was inaugurated. Interestingly, its decorations are about the Epiphany or the manifestation of Christ to the powerful people on earth. Consequently, this church celebrates January 6th - the Epiphany Day, as its official holiday.

Most paintings and decorations date back to the late 17th - early 18th centuries: all the paintings in the main hall are about the three wisemen visiting the baby Jesus, and they alternate along the walls, with statues of saints and popes.

In 1695, the beautiful fresco on the vault was completed with its representation of the Paradise, the prophets, the sybils (female seers who could foretell the coming of Christ) and episodes from the Bible.

Behind the 1797 altar and at both sides, there are two reliquaries and three paintings about the nativity, the adoration of the kings and the flight into Egypt.

Facing the altar on the opposite wall there is a 1700 pipe organ.

This Baroque church is definitely stunning on its own but the real gem is actually the sacristy aka 'the priest's locker room'- where the priest gets ready for the service.

Here you can see an altar piece about the Adoration of the Magi, different antique pieces of furniture like a small throne (1792), a 1712 closet, many religious objects, the archive of the guild and the perpetual calendar!

This perpetual calendar is a 1700 computer: a machine that perfectly calculates all the calendar information for 4000 years starting on year 0. The calculation of the lunations, days of the week and Christian holidays is extremely precise too.

Follow the yellow brick road to Turin, amici, get in touch with Lucia 📧 turinepi@gmail.com 

to plan your travel with all the insider's information you need to make the most of your time in Torino, Piedmont and Italy but especially, to book your private tours, tastings and private classes.

We recommend you:
- devote a whole week to discover Turin and her many gems, 
- land at TRN ✈ and 
- travel with an empty suitcase to stock up on all our local products🎁: art, wines, chocolates, cookies, candies, cashmere, and souvenirs just to tickle your fantasy 😜

Turin will amaze you!