The Italy Travel Podcast - An Only A Bag Podcast

It's our second installment of our Off the Beaten Path series and in this episode we're talking about Architectural Madness. In particular, the Rocchetta Mattei. A fever dream mash-up of Moorish, Italian Art Nouveau, and Medieval styles in a 19th century mountaintop castle between Bologna and Florence.

What started out as a dream and a sanatorium became a life-long project, and then a second life-long project.

As mentioned in the episode, Rocchetta Mattei is reachable from Florence and Bologna, perfect for a day-trip if you've already knocked a lot off the rest of your list.

If you’re looking to book a hotel in Florence, we recommend the three below:

FH55 Hotel Calzaiuoli: -well-situated, traditional and luxuriously cozy- Expedia | Booking

Albergo Firenze: -incredible location, 24hr front desk- Expedia | Booking

Hotel La Scaletta Al Ponte Vecchio: -other side of the river, bright, open, with a terrace overlooking the city of Florence-  Expedia | Booking

If you're looking to book a hotel in Bologna, we recommend the hotels below:

Hotel Metropolitan -upscale, in the city center - Expedia | Booking

Hotel Panorama - budget option in the city center - Expedia | Booking

Starhotels Excelsior - near the train station - Expedia | Booking

These hotel links are affiliate links, and while we don’t represent any of the companies listed, we do receive a small commission if you book a hotel through any of the links.

If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

Today we're continuing our discussion about Paestum. We're talking about all of the cool things you can visit including three greek temples, a museum, an ancient neighborhood, sacred sites, and a Roman forum. Plus we'll get into the practicalities of getting there and getting tickets.

You can find more information on the park and buy tickets on the official

Paestum and Velia website.

If you're looking to book a hotel in or around Paestum, we recommend the hotels below. There are several different areas to stay in when you visit Paestum, near the archeological park, in the modern city, or near the beach. Next to each hotel we have listed the general area it is in. 

Tenuta Duca Marigliano Boutique Hotel - near the archeological park of Paestum -  ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking*⁠

Hotel Villa Rita - near the archeological park of Paestum - ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking*⁠

Savoy Hotel & Spa - near the beach of Paestum - ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking*⁠

Mec Paestum Hotel - in the modern city of Paestum - ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking*⁠

Hotel Royal Paestum - best budget hotel near the beach of Paestum - ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking*⁠

Hotel Dei Templi - best budget hotel near the archeological park of Paestum - ⁠Booking*⁠

If you're interested in taking a tour of Paestum, we recommend our friend Viviana! You can see her website and tours ⁠here⁠.

Or check out these tours on Viator:

Small group tour of Paestum with an archeologist ⁠Viator*⁠

Private tour of Paestum with an archaeologist ⁠Viator*⁠

*These hotel and tour links are affiliate links, and while we don't represent any of the companies listed, we do receive a small commission which goes towards supporting Only A Bag. We appreciate your support! 

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

In this episode, Nathaniel gives us the briefest of histories on this ancient site located in the region of Campania in southern Italy. From early tribes like the Enotrians and Greek settlers from Sybaris to the Grand Tour and WWII, Paestum has endured and served many purposes through thousands of years. We'll tell you all you need to know before you go.

You can find more information on the park and buy tickets on the official

Paestum and Velia ⁠website⁠.

If you're looking to book a hotel in or around Paestum, we recommend the hotels below. There are several different areas to stay in when you visit Paestum, near the archeological park, in the modern city, or near the beach. Next to each hotel we have listed the general area it is in. 

Tenuta Duca Marigliano Boutique Hotel - near the archeological park of Paestum -  Expedia | Booking*

Hotel Villa Rita - near the archeological park of Paestum - Expedia | Booking*

Savoy Hotel & Spa - near the beach of Paestum - Expedia | Booking*

Mec Paestum Hotel - in the modern city of Paestum - Expedia | Booking*

Hotel Royal Paestum - best budget hotel near the beach of Paestum - Expedia | Booking*

Hotel Dei Templi - best budget hotel near the archeological park of Paestum - Booking*

If you're interested in taking a tour of Paestum, we recommend our friend Viviana! You can see her website and tours here.

Or check out these tours on Viator:

Small group tour of Paestum with an archeologist Viator*

Private tour of Paestum with an archaeologist Viator*

*These hotel and tour links are affiliate links, and while we don't represent any of the companies listed, we do receive a small commission which goes towards supporting Only A Bag. We appreciate your support! 

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

In this epsiode we talk about some newly opened sights, the Belvedere Antonio Cederna, a public terrace in Rome with a panoramic view of the Colosseum and the Garden if Ninfa, an English-style garden in Cisterna di Latina, a town south of Rome. We also discuss the renovations that will be ongoing at Giotto's Bell Tower in Florence and at the Teatro Sannazaro in the Chiaia neighborhood of Naples. Plus we talk about the collapse of the "Lover's Arch" near Lecce and some new metro stops in Rome. 

If you're looking for where to stay in Rome, here are some recommendations

Palazzo Cardinal Cesi: Expedia | Booking

Trastevere Roma | UNA Esperienze: Expedia | Booking

Palazzo Montemartini Rome: Expedia | Booking

If you're looking for where to stay in Florence, check out the hotels

FH55 Hotel Calzaiuoli: Expedia | Booking

Albergo Firenze: Expedia | Booking

Hotel La Scaletta Al Ponte Vecchio: Expedia | Booking

If you're looking for where to stay in Naples, here are a few of our recommendations

Art Resort Galleria Umberto Expedia | Booking

Starhotels Terminus Expedia | Booking

Pinto Storey Hotel Expedia | Booking

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

We're back with headlines and today we're jumping straight into the important bits: strikes in the rest of February and March!

Likewise, we also wanted to mention the recent news that the United States has suspended Global entry but only for the United States, not for everywhere. So if you're still planning on purchasing or using Global Entry for Italy, you can do so!

*Edit: We realized that Mr. Snuffleupagus is from Sesame Street and "heffalumps" are from Winnie the Pooh. Sorry for the mix-up!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

In this episode we're continuing our conversation about overtourism. Why are there so many tourists? Can we, as tourists, do anything to curb the problems? Why do many locals want more restrictions or bans on short-term vacation rentals? We'll answer those questions and talk about how the problems with over tourism can be solved and who can solve them.

In this episode we talked about the Venice Entry fee and how it's affected tourism. You can check out Darcy's article "⁠What is the Venice Entry Fee in 2026?⁠" to see how it may affect your trip.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

This week we're talking about overtourism. Yes, we've talked about overtourism before, but we wanted to do a bit of a deep dive. Is this just a buzz word thrown around, or does it actually mean something? Is it getting worse, or is it just something news outlets say in order to get clicks? And most importantly, who is at fault, and is it the tourists themselves?

So strap in! In today's episode we're breaking down what "overtourism" means, what contributes to it, and why it's a problem. We're also talking about how Italians feel about tourism and whose fault overtourism is, plus we've got statistics aplenty! So let's get into it.

In this episode we talked about the Venice Entry fee and how much money it has made in the last few years. You can check out Darcy's article "What is the Venice Entry Fee in 2026?" to see how it may affect your trip.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

As part of our new series, which we'll be doing one week per month, we're talking about an off the beaten path site in Rome and several in Turin. Because this episode publishes on Friday the 13th, we thought we'd talk about something a little otherworldly: alchemy and magic! First we'll tell you the tale of the Alchemist's Door in Rome and where to find it. Then we're talking about Turin, it's mythical alchemical caves and where to find the so called "centers of light and dark magic" in the city.

If you're looking for a hotel in Rome, here are three of our recommendations:

Palazzo Cardinal Cesi (near the Vatican): ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠

Trastevere Roma | UNA Esperienze (in the Trastevere neighborhood): ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠

Palazzo Montemartini Rome (near Termini train station): ⁠Expedia⁠ | ⁠Booking⁠

If you're looking for a hotel in Turin, here are three of our recommendations:

DoubleTree by Hilton Turin Lingotto (in the Lingotto neighborhood): Expedia | Booking

(this hotel is in a former Fiat factory with a former race track on the roof)

Hotel Urbani (near Porta Nuova train station): Expedia | Booking

Opera35 Boutique Hotel (in the city center): Expedia | Booking

The hotel links above are affiliate links. We don't represent any of these companies, and book a hotel using one of the affiliate, we receive a small commission which supports the podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

We're starting a new series called "Off the Beaten Path." This is our first episode of the series and we're talking about the pyramid of Cestius in Rome. If you've been to Rome, you might have seen it and wondered why there's a pyramid in the middle of the city. Well, wonder no longer! We'll also briefly talk about the cemetery for non-Catholics in Rome and where the steps of the Vatican came from.

To see when the pyramid of Cestius is open to the public:https://soprintendenzaspecialeroma.it/luoghi/piramide-di-caio-cestio/.

If you're looking for a hotel in Rome, here are three of our recommendations:

Palazzo Cardinal Cesi (near the Vatican): Expedia | Booking

Trastevere Roma | UNA Esperienze (in the Trastevere neighborhood): Expedia | Booking

Palazzo Montemartini Rome (near Termini train station): Expedia | Booking

The hotel links above are affiliate links. We don't represent any of these companies, and book a hotel using one of the affiliate, we receive a small commission which supports the podcast!

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag

We're continuing our discussion about common scams you may encounter on your trip to Italy. In this episode we're talking about scams you may encounter on transportation, on buses and in taxis as well as when purchasing tickets.

We're also talking about things that may seem likes scams but actually are not. We'll answer questions like "All of the Italians are staring at me. Is that normal?" and "The hotel asked me to pay the city tax in cash, was that a scam?"

As with our previous episode, we'll tell you how to spot and avoid these common scams and warn you about things that may feel weird, but are totally normal.

To see our episodes on scams in article form, check out Darcy's article "⁠15 Common Scams (and not Scams) in Italy and How to Avoid Them⁠" on ⁠onlyabag.com⁠.

For clarity and transparency, we recommend booking train tickets directly through the train provider like TrenItalia and Italo. However, there are sometimes good deals on Omio*, a third-party site we use. It's best to compare prices by looking at TrenItalia's Italian language site (we recommend TrenItalia over Italo) and Omio in your native language.

We recommend looking into travel insurance for your trip. This can cover things like lost or stolen credit cards, missed connections, rental car damage and more. ⁠World Nomads⁠* is a great place to start when looking for travel insurance.

*Links with an asterisk are affiliate links. We do not work for or represent these companies. If you purchase services through these links we receive a small commission.

If you enjoyed this episode please leave a review and follow Only a Bag wherever you listen to podcasts!

If you'd like to get in touch, you can send us a message on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠onlyabag.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Likewise, if you'd like to read our "Retrospective" of the year, you can check it out on Substack: "⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠A Year in Retrospect: Ai Tempi Belli⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠".

Want to help the podcast? You can check out all of our affiliate links ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! If you book through any of them, we receive a small commission, and it helps to keep us going! 

You can also donate to Only a Bag on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ko-fi.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to keep the podcast going! As always, thank you all so much for listening.

x Darcy and Nathaniel 

Only A Bag