July is the hottest month of the year in Italy. Gelato which tastes magnifico was invented in Italy and is enjoyed year round in Italy but especially in the summer months like July. Gelato which mean frozen in Italian is made of cream, milk, and sugar and flavored with fruit and nut purees. Italian gelato is rich in taste because it has less air and more flavoring than gelato made in other countries. In Italy by law, gelato must have at least 3.5% butterfat. Florence native Bernardo Buontalenti and Sicilian born Francesco Procopio are credited for their discovery of "gelato" and now it can be enjoyed all over Italy from Bologna to Sardinia. Gelaterie is a gelato shop. A gelato vendor is a gelatai. There are many flavors of gelato.....bacio, fragola, limone, stracciatella, and zabaione are a few. When in Italy.....eat lots of gelato. Buon Appetito!