«In 1983, when I arrived in Italy for the first time, I knew how to say only one sentence in Italian: “Non parlo italiano”... “I don’t speak Italian”.» Thus – in a deliberately clichéd style – begins the love story with Italy as told by Dianne Hales. Thereafter, the American journalist studied the language in every possible way, and has above all travelled extensively, made countless Italian friends and acquaintances and explored Italian art, music, literature, cinema, dialects and customs. Written with the aim of recommending little known places and aspects of Italy for tourists, La Bella Lingua offers an original and interesting perspective to Italians as well as travellers.