Last year, I wrote “Authentic Italian Food Is Not What The Internet Thinks It Is” about the unlikely places where traditional Italian cooking is found. One is Antica Trattoria Di Pietro, which opened in 1934 in the village of Melito Irpino. When an earthquake destroyed the ancient town, the government built a new Melito designed by Brutalist architects. The trattoria moved into its new home, where it remains today.

Since last year, I’ve gotten to know Anita Di Pietro a little better, and I was honored she opened the doors for me on their day off to record this episode. Officially, she is the chef but doesn’t feel comfortable with that title, which she’ll explain in this episode. Her mother, Teresa, who helmed the kitchen before Anita returned home at 27 years old to take over, was also there testing a new recipe while we chatted. Crescenzo, Anita’s father and one of the fiercest stewards of traditional Italian cuisine, was out shopping with Rafi Bildner, an American chef who fell deeply in love with the Di Pietro family, and you’ll hear all about his restaurant called Hilltown, which will recreate a piece of Melito in the Berkshires. You’ll also meet Sarah Pompei, a passionate ambassador for Irpinia’s food and winemakers who have so much to share but are challenging to find in the tourism marketplace.

I intended for this episode to explore traditional recipes in depth, but when you’re in Anita’s “magic circle,” you go where the conversation takes you. It’s an episode full of laughter, clanking forks, and a cameo from my dog Lenù, who ate her weight in steak that day.

We do also discuss dishes like minestra maritata, from which the Americanized “Italian wedding soup” derives. In Irpinia, it’s made with seven different kinds of wild greens, inexpensive pork cuts, and a crunchy piece of polenta. You’ll also hear me gush over the delicious involtinti di verza and cabbage-wrapped cheese, and I’ve included the recipe for our paid subscribers.

The episode also discusses the massive changes in Italian food culture, including the impact of the passing generations and the importance of local food and food makers.

00:24 Discovering Melito Irpino

01:16 Inside the Trattoria

01:41 Traditional Italian Recipes

04:22 The History of Antica Trattoria di Pietro from Melito to South Africa

06:32 Anita's Magic Circle

10:48 Cooking Classes Are Part of a New Era For the Trattoria

17:39 Why Anita Does Not Want To Be Called A Chef

23:07 Reflections on Simple Living

If you enjoy this episode, please share it on social media! This is a new podcast, and I want it to reach all those who will appreciate these stories about Italy's hidden treasures.

Last week, I helped one of my relatives harvest olives at Borgo La Pietraia. Giovanni reflected on his memories of when women collected olives entirely by hand and would place them in the folds of their aprons. We discussed this while watching the gardener use a mechanical weed whacker designed to knock the olives loose from the tree, and he said something wise. (Giovanni has many wise things to say; I call him my Italian Yoda.)

He said that we're no longer at the end of an era. We're firmly at the beginning of a new, very long era. And changes are occurring that we can't barely imagine. But we're also still at a place where we can look back and see how people have lived for centuries, especially in these small villages around southern Italy.  And they are very much worth looking back at because they have so much to teach us.

In this week’s episode, I’ll take you for a walk around Trentinara, one of my favorite small towns in Italy, and share how I look and notice all the small details that reveal so much.

00:17 Harvesting Olives with Giovanni

01:11 Exploring Small Villages in Italy

01:44 A Walk Through Trentinara

03:33 The Charm of Small Towns

08:06 The Wisdom of Small-Town Living

11:53 Revitalizing Small Villages

13:41 Finding and Visiting Small Villages and the Borghi Piu Belli

21:56 Conclusion and Community Invitation

Planning an Italy trip is difficult, especially considering the incredible range of experiences you can have in a geographically small country. This challenge is paired with many misconceptions that can lead you astray. In this episode of Tante Belle Cose, I’ll discuss the most common ones and give you a more accurate picture of iconic experiences like the Tuscan Villa and Amalfi Coast. I will address practical challenges such as driving necessities and hidden costs of renting a villa while debunking fear-mongering myths, particularly around pickpocketing.

I’ll also discuss why August can be the best month for travelers seeking a truly authentic experience of Italian life for those willing to leave the bucket list behind and get into Italy’s small towns in the mountains and along the coast.

It also offers strategies to navigate the crowded, popular sites impacted by cruise tourism, with tips on visiting during off-peak times and exploring lesser-known regions. And for the early-bird planners who fear that Italy is already sold out for 2025, I’ll explain how the sausage is made in the travel industry and why you’re not too late to book your trip.

00:12 Common Misconceptions About Italy Trips

01:13 The Tuscan Villa Experience

03:07 Challenges of Driving in Italy

05:00 The Reality of the Amalfi Coast

07:36 Navigating YouTube Travel Advice

11:11 August: A Controversial Travel Month

11:21 Debunking August Travel Myths

11:45 Discovering Authentic Italy in August

12:32 Exploring Italy's Summer Festivals

13:52 Tips for Visiting Italy's Small Towns

15:50 Navigating Italy's Tourist Hotspots

19:22 Planning for Your Italian Adventure

21:41 Join Our Subscriber Community

Do you want a one-on-one evaluation of your Italy travel plan?

Trip Audits are a professional evaluation of your travel plans and/or self-planned itinerary. Within 48 hours, you’ll receive a detailed video packed with my advice, recommendations, and tips.

Trip Consultations are a 60-minute conversation on Zoom with Danielle Oteri about your trip. It’s ideal for those overwhelmed by trip planning to skip the learning curve and get right to the best answers.

Last year, Michele Iorio gave me the most delicious olive oil I ever tasted. I was fresh off an overnight flight and had just stepped out of the shower when Arianna, my cousin and business partner, sent me a messagino to come say a quick hello to her friend. He, too, had a business with his American family.

Seeing my wet hair and tired eyes, Michele said, “I speak English!” which was a relief. He told me a little about his new olive oil company, Ventiolivi, which means twenty olives. Over one hundred years ago, his great-great uncle left Italy when he was just 16 years old to work in the Pennslyvania coal mines. He sent back money that allowed the family to purchase land with twenty olive trees and change their fates. Michele had stopped by Borgo La Pietraia to give samples to Arianna and Chef Mario Stellato, and he also gave me two small bottles.

Back home, I carefully rationed every drop of olive oil because not only did it taste brighter or fresher than anything I could buy in the US, but it also tasted like the herb-strewn land of Cilento—the place I love best and where my own family tree is rooted.

In this episode, I speak with Michele, who makes this olive oil from the thousands of olive trees that followed those first twenty. In June of 2024, we met again at Borgo La Pietraia to discuss his company and oleo tourism, which connects tourists with olive oil producers to have experiences similar to wine tastings and more deeply connect to Italy’s food culture. Michele is also a professor of oleo tourism at Università degli Studi Roma Tre.

Then, in August, I chatted with his American cousin, Michael Yorio. Michael met Michele when he traveled to Italy to run a half-marathon. He decided to go up in the hills and find his grandfather’s village. A local cop spent the afternoon digging through the village’s records and reconnected the family who had lost contact for decades. I spent the afternoon with Michael at The Cloisters in New York City, where you can hear birds chirping in the background.

I hope you will be inspired by this story, which taught me how beautiful life can be when you give attention and appreciation to the earth and all her gifts.

Vittoria Colonna was the most influential woman of the Renaissance, known for her 'male brains' and collaborations with Michelangelo. The discovery of a mummy in Naples may explain what happened to her body when she died and reveal an even more significant, history-changing secret.

00:00 A Love Story for the Ages

01:05 Exploring Naples and Ischia with Rita

01:44 The Aragonese Kings and Their Health Secrets

02:41 The Mysterious Mummy Discovery

03:53 Unraveling the Mystery of Vittoria Colonna

05:44 A Personal Journey to Ischia

08:57 The Life and Legacy of Vittoria Colonna

12:58 Michelangelo's Obsession

22:15 The Androgynous Ideal in the Renaissance

31:14 The Final Mystery and Conclusion

Subscribe on Substack to join our Travel Planning Community.

Before entering the travel business, I was a professional art history nerd. I was a lecturer at the Met Cloisters for 16 years and had the opportunity to hone my craft as a tour host and speaker, and it has made me very selective about the tours I choose for my travels. There’s a lot of junk out there, and knowing where to invest your time and money is not straightforward. For this episode, I chatted with Petulia Melideo of Context Travel about the overcrowding of the most famous sites and how to get the most out of your trip. It’s an honest, straightforward conversation that I hope will provide you with fantastic value.

00:16 My Journey from the Met Cloisters and the Secret of the Unicorn Tapestries

00:53 The Art of Being a Tour Guide

03:19 Choosing the Right Tour

05:44 The Impact of Over Tourism in Rome and Florence

10:38 Exploring Off the Beaten Path in Ostia Antica

21:26 Traveling with Kids in Italy Is So Much Easier Than You Think

26:29 A Slice of Local Life Near the Pantheon in the Piazza di Pietra

29:24 Conclusion and Invitation

Episodes are always free, but to join our Italy trip-planning community, subscribe on Substack at danielleoteri.com.

In this episode, I sit down with Francis Cratil and Cathy Lee, owners of Le Virtù, a South Philadelphia restaurant dedicated to Abruzzese cuisine. We explore the ancient Panarda, a 40-course feast held annually since 1657 in Villavallelonga, a tiny village in the Abruzzo mountains. The episode delves into the region’s rich traditions, including the ancient January fire festivals and the incredible food culture that remains largely undiscovered by tourists.

00:00 Introduction to Tante Belle Cose

00:55 Meet Francis and Cathy: The Heart of Le Virtù

01:55 The Abruzzo Connection: Francis’s grandfather and the old South Philly

03:44 The Birth of Le Virtù Restaurant: “Everything you don’t do”

08:01 La Panarda: A Feast of Tradition, a 40 course feast that has become a hot ticket every since Domenica Marchetti wrote about it for the Washington Post.

09:45 The Magic of Abruzzo in Philadelphia

15:58 The Mayor's Visit and a Special Invitation

19:08 A Magical Keyhole in the Cold Abruzzese Winter

30:12 Conclusion and Invitation to the Travel Community

In the inaugural episode, I’ll preview three types of episodes: 1) practical travel advice from Italy experts, 2) engaging stories that enrich the travel experience, and 3) trip consultations recorded at Red Sauce Studios in Manhattan’s Little Italy, home of the Italian American Podcast.

Additionally, I’ll introduce our new Italy Trip Planning Community for subscribers. I will moderate it with weekly opportunities for questions, resources, and post-episode discussions with me and other subscribers.

All episodes of Tante Belle Cose are free, but our community is paid, so I can give your questions the attention they deserve and ensure you get the best advice possible.

Show Notes

I discuss how social media algorithms shape our travel experiences, oversaturating popular destinations and leading to over-tourism. I outline the three types of episodes. The first is advice-driven discussions, where I will invite my favorite friends and colleagues in Italy to share tips and ideas.

The second is in-depth storytelling inspired by Anthony Bourdain. Expect to hear untold stories about Italy's lesser-known destinations so you can experience sightseeing and meaningful interactions that will reveal Italy’s magic. These episodes are designed to make you fall in love with places you never even knew you wanted to visit.

Finally, listeners can apply for a live trip consultation with me in New York City this November, December, and January. I’ll be posting a call for applications soon.

00:00 Welcome to Tante Belle Cose

00:30 The Birth of Tante Belle Cose

00:46 The Problem with Modern Travel Media

01:52 Overtourism and Its Consequences

03:24 The True Essence of Italy

04:19 Experiencing Italy's Less Well-Known Destinations

05:38 The Future of Travel and Overcoming Overtourism

06:22 What to Expect from Tante Belle Cose

07:32 Stories to Inspire Your Italian Journey

13:21 Join Our Italy Travel Community

14:55 Stay Connected and Subscribe

Thank you so much to everyone who participated in the poll I sent out in my last newsletter. The top request for 2024 was for more posts on travel planning, closely followed by a podcast.

Since it’s officially trip planning season, let’s start there.

Here’s a direct transcript from my most recent Trip Consultation, which succinctly illustrates what happens to most people when they start self-planning their Italy trip. My client said:

“I think we probably fell into the trap that everyone does. 

We've never been to Italy. 

So you read a little bit and then you book some things because that's what's popular. 

And then after you book it, you read more and then you're like, oh my God, should I just go somewhere I've never heard of? 

And so I'm just in the middle of that decision and I'm at the point where you read too much and everyone has a different opinion. And so…I don't know if I'm making good decisions!”

The solution

If you want to cut through the noise of all the information and opinions you have absorbed, answer these two questions:

* What are the experiences you most want to have?

* What is your budget?

My client and I continued talking, and she said that she had chosen three locations for her two-week trip: Venice and Rome because they are iconic, and Sorrento for a full week. When we discussed experiences, she said she wanted to see famous sites, especially the Sistine Chapel, but she chose Sorrento as a place to relax, not have any real plans, avoid crowds, swim, wander, and explore quaint seaside villages. Unfortunately, this vision does not align with the reality of tourist-heavy Sorrento, even though that’s the image the mass tourism market sells you.

So we moved on to the next question: what is your budget? With that in mind, it was very easy to choose a different location where she could have the easy, relaxed experience she wanted.

Get specific

If you’ve spent too much online, this question might confuse or even annoy you. Aren’t there things you must see, like the Colosseum or Michelangelo’s David? Aren’t the Cinque Terre and the Amalfi Coast unmissable destinations? If these are the ideas guiding your trip planning, I invite you to list the things you are truly interested in doing and seeing without worrying about anyone else’s judgment. Be honest about how you feel about heat and crowds, and don’t expect nice hotels or skip-the-line tickets to solve those issues completely.

A few months back, I had clients who had chosen Rome as the single destination for their one-week vacation, and they were having a hard time choosing the right neighborhood to book an apartment stay. Their list included:

-Want to see a local tradesman/artisan shops

-Interested in buildings and architecture more than churches

-Unique food experiences: We don’t care about social media favorites; we prefer family-run places with true, authentic character. We hate lines and don’t want to have to make all of our reservations ahead of time.

Rome has always been a capital and a pilgrim city, not an artisan hub. The bigger problem is that few decent restaurants are in the city center, all requiring reservations made two months ago. This couple wanted to do everything on foot, so traveling each evening by taxi to the restaurants where Romans eat did not match their vision.

I suggested they instead consider Modena, where they could wander around the Mercato Albinelli, take the train to Parma to admire the architecture and decide where they wanted to eat spontaneously without receiving the dreaded laminated menu with photographs. After the trip, they told me that it was the perfect location, that they barely scraped the surface of all the wonderful things to see and eat, especially in Parma, and they plan to return.

Che emozione

Italians frequently use the expression “che emozione” which does not translate well into English. Literally, it means “what an emotion,” and you may see tours that promise to “give you emotions” or the spa menu in a hotel lists “an emotional shower.” The sentiment conveys something more akin to “how thrilling” or “how moving.” So, when considering the experience of Italy you want to have, ask yourself what makes you feel awe and wonder. Is it art, music, or being in nature? A suit cut to your exact measurements by a Neapolitan tailor or simply being in the company of interesting people? Identify what you want to experience, and you’ll escape the FOMO trap.

Let’s talk money

This is frequently an uncomfortable question, and I’m still surprised by how often people don’t want to think about it. But it’s critical, even if your budget is open-ended, because the luxury market is especially rife with hollow experiences.

A huge mistake is to shop the travel market like a grocery store. If you find yourself on Viator or GetYourGuide, you’ll feel inclined to price shop for Colosseum tours and “pizza and gelato” cooking classes and be led in circles by the algorithms and reviews. Like at the grocery store, you may splurge on one or two items, but overall, you feel assured you are spending a reasonable amount of money based on what the Internet tells you are the best things to do in Italy. Don’t do this.

There’s no average cost for a trip to Italy, and the best experiences in Italy are not on those platforms with outrageous commission structures that are slowly gutting small businesses.

This is where the two questions meet and show you the way: Do you really want to see the Colosseum? Maybe so, but don't if you only buy those tickets because you feel you must. The money and time spent might be better used on an experience of something you think you can’t afford, but it makes you say, “Che emozione!”

A few ideas

Here are a few experiences that made me feel Italian emotions:

* The Vatican Key Master’s Tour is outrageously expensive yet worth every penny for an art history nerd like me.

* The tripe sandwiches at Tripperia Pollini in Florence. Nope, I'm not kidding.

* Seeing the ragù pot at Antica Trattoria di Pietro. (I was moved to tears.)

* The Temple of Mercury at Baia. My jaw is still somewhere on the floor.

Was this helpful? Let me know what you’re thinking about in the comments.

The last day to register for my Spring Food & Wine Workshop in South Italy is February 5th! If you’re considering joining us but have questions, get in touch so we can make an appointment to chat by phone or Zoom.