If I start to wax on about how much Italy has changed in the 15 years I’ve lived here, and how crowded it’s become, someone please stop me. Yes, it’s true the crowds have increased, overwhelmingly so in some places.

And yes, globalism and the global pandemic have ruthlessly affected small-scale retailers and artisanal producers of every type. Much of the Italy that confronts visitors seems a bit too polished, like a cleaned-up, curated version of the real thing. After all these years, it sometimes feels like there’s nothing new under the Italian sun.