why dub livia?

Does anyone know exactly what "function" Livia plays in this great series? Why is she part-time, just flies down for a visit now and again, or seen at the end of the phone. Is it so Montalbano can be exposed to the charms of other women, but not get involved? You have to admit, for an Italian, he's very faithful , the way he beats them off every week!

In fact, Katharina Böhm was dubbed as well. Liva both past & present (as well as her voice on the phone in seasons 5-8) is voiced by the Italian actress & voice artist Claudia Catani. The reason why a non-Italian actress was chosen must surely lie in the fact that the series is a co-producton between different countries, obliging the producers to have at least one regular character played by a foreign actor. As her character makes only sporadic appearances, it was probably deemed easier to have her dubbed that any of the other regulars.
The only Livia who speaks herself is her younger incarnation in Il Giovane Montalbano where she is played by Sarah Felberbaum. Though English by birth she has been living and working in Italy since being a teenager and speaks Italian perfectly.

I just saw "A Delicate Matter" yesterday.

It's a matter of taste, but I still prefer Katharina Böhm's Livia. Too bad they were unable or unwilling to get her to resume the role.

I've only seen the series on Mhz Network over-the-air "free" TV, except for buying a couple of the DVDs. Over the years, Mhz only aired them infrequently as part of their "International Mystery" series, and once they started their paid streaming channel "Montalbano" all but vanished entirely behind the paywall. So I haven't seen all the episodes, much less seen them in order.

But I'd noticed a disappointing trend in recent episodes on Mhz: a recurring plot point of Montalbano being smitten, against his will, or better judgment, by stunningly gorgeous femme fatales.

I don't mean to look gift stunningly gorgeous femme fatales in the mouth, but they were a little too perfect-- and even photographed with effects used for fashion-model photography. It seemed overdone to me.

Sonia Bergamasco is lovely enough, but I wonder if they chose a less-glamorous looking Livia this time around (even compared to her Livia predecessors) because they also felt they'd overdone the exotic beauty casting, and decided to choose a more "realistic"-looking Livia.

"Realistic" is not the right term, but I can't think of a way to characterize a woman who is good-looking but not in that "perfect" cover-girl way.