This episode is about the magic of Fra Angelico, the Renaissance “angelic painter” behind Florence’s most tranquil and moving frescoes. I’m joined by historian Alexandra Lawrence, who shares the thrill of experiencing art in its original context, and what visitors can expect from Florence’s major fall exhibition at Palazzo Strozzi and San Marco.

Plus: personal stories about being transformed by Italian art, teaching and learning through travel, and a candid conversation about the difference between Florence and Naples.

* Here’s the link to join Heaven Bound: The Life and Art of Fra Angelico, Alexandra’s online course that starts on September 4th.

* Subscribe to Alexandra’s newsletter Illuminare

* Finally, are you planning a trip to Florence and want insight, not just information, plus a detailed itinerary that you can modify for your trip dates? Get my brand new Destination Deep Dive: Florence.

Warning: this episode contains grisly descriptions of a historical double murder.

Episode 25 looks at the brilliant and violent life of Carlo Gesualdo — the Renaissance prince who murdered his wife and her lover, then retreated to his castle in rural Southern Italy, where he wrote music and had himself flagellated, among many other strange activities. Although Gesualdo faced no legal punishment, his crimes haunted him and manifested in his music, which was both beautiful and weird, and wildly ahead of its time.

This episode features my conversation with Michael Cirigliano II, author of the newsletter Shades of Blue, who explains how you can hear Gesualdo’s emotional breakdown in music that was also wildly innovative, it wouldn’t be fully appreciated for another 250 years.

We also discuss:

* The official report of the murders in Naples, the horrifying scene, and the eyewitness’s account of Gesualdo’s actions.

* Gesualdo’s exile to his hilltop town of Gesualdo in Irpinia and the spooky, isolated life he led there.

* The two creative periods in his output: the refined madrigals written in Ferrara at the Court of Este, and the sonically weird madrigals written at the end of his life.

* Why twentieth-century composers like Stravinsky re-discovered him and why his music continues to fascinate performers and listeners.

* How to travel to Gesualdo’s castle, and the Sansevero Chapel in Naples (home to the Veiled Christ) with Gesualdo’s music playing in your AirPods.

I also discuss Werner Herzog’s absolutely bonkers 1990 documentary and how local lore and modern storytelling shape what we think we know about Gesualdo. The episode weaves music, travel, and history.

And if you want to go deeper into Gesualdo’s life, Alex Ross’s article in The New Yorker is an exciting read and an excellent summation of decades of scholarship.

Thanks to Michael, here is a concise listen to Gesualdo’s descent into genius and madness:

I. An example of Gesualdo's early madrigals:Book 1: "Baci, soavi, e cari" (1594, written in Ferrara)

* Text and translation

II. Two examples of Gesualdo's late, chromatic, nightmarish madrigals:Book 6: "Moro, lasso, al mio duolo" (1611, written in Gesualdo)

* Text and translation

Book 6: "Beltà, poiché t'assenti" (1611, written in Gesualdo)

* Text and translation

III. And an example of his rare foray into sacred music. Here, Gesualdo is more conservative in his writing, likely because he's seeking penitence and absolution (this was published shortly after he commissioned Il Perdono di Gesualdo)"O vos omnes," from Tenebrae Responsoria: Responsory at Matins for Holy Saturday (1611, written in Gesualdo)

* Text and translation

Finally, Michael and I reconnected after working on this essay about Manhattan Castles for the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Years later, I wrote this essay, which features Henryk Gorecki’s Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, which Michael explains here.

If you enjoyed this episode, please consider becoming a subscriber. I want to continue creating episodes that can deepen your experience of Italy and provide you with stories that you can transform into your own travel adventures. They require lots of research and editing, and the more support I receive through subscriptions, the more I can offer.

Upcoming Events for Paid Subscribers🗓️ Ask Me Anything About Italy – Wednesday, July 24 at 8 pm ET - The Zoom link will be sent to subscribers on Thursday afternoon!🗓️ Destination Deep Dive: Florence – Wednesday, July 31

If you're a paid subscriber, you'll receive access to both Zoom events — ask your travel questions live on the 24th, and then join me for an immersive cultural deep dive into Florence, its Renaissance treasures, and its hidden gems on the 31st.

💌 Not a paid subscriber yet? Subscribe here to unlock all Italy travel resources, including itineraries, deep dives, and replays.

This week’s question comes from Kristin on Instagram, who asks, “What the heck is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?”

Whenever I help someone plan their trip to Italy, I try to include what I call an Indiana Jones moment. This place invites a sense of wonder and curiosity, where history comes alive and you're completely immersed in the experience.

One of the best places to look for ideas? Italy’s UNESCO World Heritage list.

In this episode, I discuss the stories behind some of the most famous sites, including the historic centers of Rome and Florence, as well as lesser-known places like Matera, the Arab-Norman architecture in Palermo, and the monumental Certosa di Padula monastery in the Cilento.

You'll hear why these sites matter, how they got their designation, and what happens after — including both the benefits and some of the criticisms of the UNESCO system. I also discuss what it means for travelers like us and how to find meaningful experiences, not just the Instagrammable ones.

So if you're looking for inspiration — especially something a little more adventurous — this episode is a great starting point.

00:00 - 02:00: Introduction to UNESCO and its role in preserving cultural heritage.

02:01 - 05:00: Italy's prominence with 59 UNESCO sites and what it means.

05:01 - 08:00: The transformation of Matera and its historical significance.

08:01 - 11:00: Discovering the Certosa di Padula and its architectural wonders.

11:01 - 14:00: The Arab-Norman cathedrals in Sicily and their cultural fusion.

14:01 - 17:00: The impact of UNESCO designation on tourism and preservation.

17:01 - 20:00: Tips for visiting and incorporating UNESCO sites into your itinerary.

Subscribe to support this podcast and get access to exclusive monthly Zoom Q&As and Destination Deep Dives for just $8/month or $80/year at danielleoteri.com.

This week, in honor of the 4th of July, I’m taking you to a piece of Italy in the United States—Little Italy in the Bronx, better known as Arthur Avenue.

This episode also celebrates the publication of A Shopper’s Guide to Arthur Avenue, which I wrote to help you discover the best bites in each of the historic, family-run Italian food shops in Little Italy in the Bronx.

My great-grandparents opened a baccalà shop there in 1918. Their son John took it over in 1950 and turned it into a butcher shop, which was also used for the opening scenes of Marty, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1955. It remains a butcher shop today, now known as Vincent’s Meat Market.

In 2010, I started Arthur Avenue Food Tours to help people experience the rich legacy of this unique neighborhood and help support and sustain this enclave of family-run food businesses. But as a historian, I was also curious to learn more about the origins of the neighborhood.

The “official” story of Arthur Avenue’s foundation is that the area quickly became an Italian enclave after Catherine Lorillard Wolfe donated land to form what is now the New York Botanical Garden and also sold tracts of land to the city of New York. It was first published in a 1984 history book by the Bronx Historical Society that she had requested that the main thoroughfare be named after Chester A. Arthur, 21st President of the United States.

Upon examining old maps, it was immediately clear that this story was false. The urban grid you see today was there as far back as the 1870s, and Arthur Avenue was named Arthur Street before Chester Allen Arthur was even born. Moreover, Catherine Lorillard Wolfe never owned any of this land, though ancestors who were not in her direct line of descent did own farmland in the area.

The real founder of Little Italy in the Bronx was an Italian immigrant named Pietro Cinelli. He bought land, developed apartment houses, and petitioned the Archdiocese of New York for an Italian church. He also fought off threats from the Black Hand, a vicious criminal syndicate with its origins in Southern Italy that was the precursor to the Italian mafia that rose during and after World War II.

The big question is this: Why was Pietro Cinelli written out of the official record? In this episode, I’ll share with you the story of his daughter’s kidnapping, and then invite you to help me figure out the larger mystery.

00:00 Introduction to Little Italy in the Bronx

00:37 The Historical Significance of Arthur Avenue

05:36 The Mystery of Pietro Cinelli

12:27 Uncovering the Truth Behind Arthur Avenue's History

20:58 The Importance of Personal Stories in Immigration History

—🛒 A Shopper’s Guide to Arthur Avenue is now available on Amazon🎧 Paid subscribers get full access to my travel deep dives, including this month’s focus on Florence📍 Subscribe at danielleoteri.com

In this new Q&A episode, I answer three listener questions with the candidness you've come to expect from me. :)

* You keep saying Cilento, but the rest of planet Earth says Amalfi. I believe you, but I’m not convinced. What’s the deal?(Let’s talk about commissionable networks, affiliate travel content, and why repetition creates false assurance.

* My flight lands in the morning — should I plan something for that first day?(Short answer: no.) But I’ve got a surprising answer about what you should do.

* What about renting a car, and is driving in Italy totally insane?(It depends on where you’re going.) Additionally, I share with you what you need to watch out for when driving in Italy, coming from someone who learned to drive from a New York City bus driver!

You’ll also hear about this month’s Destination Deep Dive: Cilento, available for free now. Starting in July, Deep Dives will be available only to paid subscribers, beginning with Florence.

👉 Support this work and get access to all Deep Dives by becoming a paid subscriber at danielleoteri.com

🎙️ Have a question you’d like me to answer? Record a voice note on your phone (under 60 seconds) and email it to: [email protected]

I’m thrilled to introduce the Destination Deep Dive — a live Zoom session where I will unfold one destination or itinerary in Italy.

This isn’t a tidy region-by-region breakdown a la Stanley Tucci. (No offense to the Tooch, he’s great.) Instead, these are strategies for people like you who are planning meaningful trips that may include popular spots like Rome or Florence, but who want to go deeper and live their own story.

Each session will discuss:

* Why the destination is worthy of your time and money

* What to see, eat, drink, and also what to skip

* Lots of history and stories, as well as practical tips

* A downloadable itinerary so you can make this trip your own

This month’s session is free for all subscribers, and we’re starting in Cilento — my second home and one of Italy’s best unsung places. We’ll cover the temples of Paestum, the origins of the Mediterranean Diet, the Cilento Coast’s best villages and beaches, and where to find the most heavenly buffalo mozzarella.

➡️ Join us live on Zoom or watch the replay, which will be sent out on June 20th.🗓️ Thursday, June 19th at 8 pm ET📍 Click for Zoom link

Paid subscribers will also receive a full itinerary after the session. Starting next month, these Deep Dives will be available only behind the paywall, so now’s a great time to upgrade if you’ve been thinking about it. As the archive grows, so does the value.

Hope to see you there!Danielle

Cooking classes are now on nearly every Italy itinerary—and for good reason. Food is one of the most intimate ways to understand Italy’s culture and traditions. But as tourism to Italy has exploded, so has the number of cooking classes—many of them aggressively mediocre experiences offering pizza, pasta, and gelato in every city.

In this episode, I explore what it means to take a meaningful cooking class in Italy—one that connects you to a region’s real foodways, people, and stories. You’ll hear from two women who offer exactly that:

Pamela Sheldon Johns has been living and cooking in Tuscany for over 20 years. She has written a large pile of books on Italian cuisine and teaches classes rooted in cucina povera. Pamela was running her own cooking school in Santa Barbara, California, when she started leading culinary tours to Italy in 1992. In 2001, she made the leap, bought a farmhouse, and moved her family to the Tuscan countryside, the beauty of which still amazes her.

Giovanella Russo runs Masseria Battaglini in Puglia, where she teaches traditional regional recipes as well as historic dishes passed down from the Neapolitan monarchy. After a career in Naples’ corporate world, she now grows lentils and chickpeas and hosts guests from around the world in her trullo. Giovanella has “big baronessa energy,” and a cooking class with her is the experience of a lifetime.

We also touch on:

* Why “pizza and gelato” classes are everywhere—and why I don’t like them

* How regional food in Italy differs dramatically

* Why tiramisu isn’t actually a traditional dessert

* How to choose a cooking class that gives you a deep cultural experience

If you're planning a trip and want to have an experience that’s truly local and memorable, this episode is for you.

Listen to discover what to look for in a cooking class—and why these two women are my go-to recommendations.

00:00 Introduction to Italian Cooking Classes

00:39 The Evolution of Italian Cuisine

01:05 The Importance of Regional Specialties

01:52 Meet Pamela Sheldon Johns

03:10 Pamela's Tuscan Lifestyle

07:48 The Shift in Tuscan Food Culture

16:10 Meet Giovanella Russo

18:25 Giovanella’s Culinary Journey

22:01 Traditional Pugliese Recipes You Don’t Know

29:22 Conclusion and Additional Recommendations

In this episode, I share personal conversations with two independent and savvy travelers - Matt Littlejohn and Caroline Rausch. Matt's Italy trip began with a Zoom call with me during the COVID lockdowns, which gave me an idea for a new business offering that, over time, evolved into my signature Trip Consultations. His recent trip to Naples was preceded by months of reading books and watching movies in anticipation of his trip, which he explains made it richer for both him and his family.

I met Caroline shortly after I formalized Trip Consultations into a service and launched it on another Italy podcast. We worked out the details for a trip to Cilento and Calabria to search for family roots. Caroline is a master planner who loves considering every detail, but the most memorable thing that happened on her trip is an experience that could never be anticipated — and it will give you chills!

I’m sharing these conversations because both Matt and Caroline love research and planning, and yet they hit the same walls that everyone hits when trying to travel beyond Venice, Florence, Rome, the Cinque Terre, and the Amalfi Coast. I enjoyed geeking out with them and hope you will also enjoy listening and take inspiration from how their deep dives into history and culture made their trips unforgettable.

00:00 Introduction 00:10 Matt Littlejohn: The First Consultation

01:37 Caroline Raush: Heritage Trip to Calabria

02:33 The Importance of Research in Travel

03:41 Matt's Journey to Naples

08:03 Falling in Love with Naples

09:46 The best part of Naples: The People

16:46 “One of the best things I ever saw”

22:26 Exploring Naples: A Blend of History and Modernity

23:01 Planning the Perfect Trip: Research and Preparation

24:30 Buying a suit in Naples

26:04 Discovering Calabria: A Journey to the Roots

27:08 Falling in Love with Italy By Cheating on France

29:22 Deep Dive into Italian Culture and History

30:44 Uncovering Hidden Gems

38:41 The Magic House in Calabria

42:06 Reflections on Travel and Culture

45:05 Conclusion: Crafting Meaningful Journeys

Turin is one of Italy’s major cities. It’s an affordable, walkable city full of history, culture, centuries-old cafes, and chocolate shops. Prestigious locations like Barolo and Alba surround it, yet the city has no mass tourism. Did I mention it’s only an hour by train from one of the biggest airports in Europe? Or that it has the largest open-air food market in Europe?

This episode introduces Turin, drawing from my explorations there in late March 2025. Research is the best part of my job, and testing out cafes, cocktail bars, and chocolate shops was one of the better assignments I’ve ever given myself.

As you’ll hear, I recommend you start your visit at Cafe al Bicerin, and then let your Turin adventure unfold from there. To expand more on food in Turin, especially the truly amazing Porta Palazzo Market, I interviewed Marco Romeo, founder of Streaty Food Tours, who recently launched a tour in Turin. His marketing agency said there aren’t many searches for food tours in Turin, so it may not be a good market for business, but he says it is all the better for those who visit because Turin is the real Italy.

The next “Ask Me Anything About Italy” is happening on May 15th at 8pm ET. Paid subscribers will receive the Zoom link via email on May 14th, along with a link to add your question if you can’t join us live. The session will be recorded and the replay sent to subscribers the following day.

In this episode, I discuss the unexpected passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday and its significant historical context given the ongoing Papal Jubilee. For insight into what to expect, especially for those wondering if their Vatican tours will be cancelled, I spoke with Margherita Capponi, our most trusted guide in Rome. She is an archaeologist and a seventh-generation Roman, who provides insights into the historical traditions and logistical arrangements for the forthcoming papal funeral and the election of a new pope. The episode covers the special ceremonial events in Rome, the role of pilgrims during the Jubilee year, and the impact on Vatican tours. We also discuss the conclave process, and Margherita answers my burning question about what the cardinals will eat while they’re in Rome!

If you’re coming to Rome, or want to know more about this piece of history about to be written, listen first to Margherita.

00:00 Breaking News: Pope Francis Passes Away

00:30 Interview with Margherita Capponi

02:48 Understanding the Papal Jubilee

05:41 Upcoming Events and Changes in Rome

09:12 The Conclave: Electing the New Pope

13:28 Touring Rome During the Jubilee Year

22:31 Final Thoughts and Travel Tips

If you'd like to explore Rome with Margherita, please get in touch! We work together to organize tours of all the major sites, but highly recommend getting off the beaten path with Margherita as well. Last June, Margherita took us on a tour of the Museum of the Walls, the Via Appia, the catacombs, and then finally to lunch in Testaccio for a classic Roman meal. Nothing was crowded, and we learned so much.

This podcast is free, but if you become a paid subscriber on Substack, you’ll gain access to our monthly Zoom calls, where you can ask all your trip planning questions.

If you'd like to delve deeper and have me strategize your entire trip, consider a Trip Consultation. In just one hour, I will save you months of research, eliminate confusion, and provide you with all the resources you need to book your ideal trip to Italy.