Danielle Oteri's Italy

In this festive episode, I delve into the origins and traditions of the Feast of the Seven Fishes, a cherished Italian American Christmas Eve celebration. Joined by Patrick O'Boyle from the Italian American Podcast, I explore the history and myths surrounding the 'seven fishes' notion, its sudden popularity in the 1980s, and how different fish dishes evolved. We share personal anecdotes, regional variations, and insights from chef Anita DiPietro on the significance of numbers in Italian culinary traditions. The episode also features a detailed account of Christmas Eve preparations and recipes from my dear friend Jennifer Federico, spotlighting the cultural richness and adaptability of Italian American holiday customs.

00:00 Introduction to the Feast of the Seven Fishes

00:39 Origins and Theories of the Seven Fishes

02:44 Italian American Traditions and Memories

05:37 Post-War Changes and Modern Adaptations

08:40 Cultural Significance and Personal Stories

19:28 Conclusion and Future Plans

This episode features a live trip consultation with Krista Senatore over Zoom. We discuss her upcoming trip to Italy with her 13-year-old daughter. We explore logistics, including traveling to Naples, renting a car, and visiting historical sites like Pompeii, Herculaneum, Oplontis, Matera, and various coastal towns in Cilento and Puglia. I provide detailed recommendations on accommodations, transportation, and unique experiences, such as the underwater archaeological site in Baia. We also discuss potential beach destinations and how to incorporate authentic cultural experiences into their trip.

The episode aims to offer valuable insights and practical advice for anyone planning a trip to Italy, mainly focusing on less touristy and more enriching experiences.

00:00 Welcome to Tante Belle Cose

00:14 Live Trip Consultation Introduction

01:33 Meet Krista and Her Travel Plans

03:15 Travel Logistics and Flight Options

05:45 Exploring Matera: The Cave City

15:13 Pompeii and Surrounding Archaeological Sites

22:30 Driving in Italy: Tips and Advice

25:43 Navigating Matera: Parking and Hospitality Tips

26:21 Exploring Matera: Hotels and Walking Tips

27:20 Discovering Matera's Historical Sites

27:44 The Murgia Valley: Cave Churches and Ancient Footprints

28:28 The Cave of the Original Sin: A Unique Experience

31:37 Exploring Altamura and Nearby Beaches

34:44 Puglia: Beaches, Cities, and Budget Tips

41:58 Returning to Naples: Must-See Sites and Tips

46:33 Planning Your Trip: Final Tips and Resources

If you’d like to book your Trip Consultation, visit: https://www.feasttravel.com/travel-consultation

When I sat down to update our free guide, Five Essential Things to Know Before Planning Your Italy Trip, I realized it deserved more than a refresh—it needed to become a podcast episode that could be easily shared. With overtourism’s effects becoming increasingly visible, it’s important to have a realistic picture of what to expect so you can plan well. This episode distills the guide into actionable advice with fresh insights added.

I’ve also decided to offer a live Q&A for our subscribers. Put December 2 at 8 PM ET on your calendar. I’ll answer your travel questions live, and if you can’t attend, put your question in the subscriber chat, and I’ll answer it. Subscribers will also get a link to the Zoom recording the following day.

If you're already a subscriber, you don’t need to do anything. I’ll send you the Zoom link before the call—just mark the date. And if you’re not yet a subscriber…

00:38 Upcoming Changes for 2025

02:14 Trip Planning Essentials

03:07 Overtourism and Pricing

04:57 Exploring the Amalfi Coast

09:24 Rome Travel Tips

12:42 Venice Is Not A Day Trip

14:24 Wine Tasting Beyond Tuscany

16:31 Debunking Myths About Naples

18:45 Bonus Round!

20:04 Conclusion and Q&A Reminder

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