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Picking up where we left off on Wednesday, Darcy explains the allure of the Dominican Friar's pharmacy near Santa Maria Novella—including perfumes made from ancient recipes that can still be purchased—as Nathaniel offers two museums that might not have made it to the top of your "must see" list: the zoological "La Specola" and the suspended-in-time Palazzo Davanzati.
Keep an eye on the weather and stay cool this week!
Below are links to the places we talk about in this episode:
Santa Maria Novella Pharmacy: called the Officina Profumo Farmaceutica Santa Maria Novella is the oldest continuous pharmacy in Italy - free to visit
La Specola: Science Museum of taxidermy animals, wax figures, and skeletons €10 per person*
Palazzo Davanzati: Restored 14th century home stuck in time €8-€12 per person*
*Prices as of August 2026
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
It's been a few weeks since we've gone off the beaten path, so we thought—given the heat threatening Florence and the ever present crowds—that this would be the perfect week for another.
Darcy takes us on a journey through three of Florence's most famous "Last Supper"s and ends with the orphanage-turned-museum at the Hospital of the Innocents.
Below are links to the "Last Supper"s we talk about in this episode as well as the to the Hospital of the Innocents.
- Oldest Last Supper Fresco in Florence at the Sant Croce Museum - €11 per person* - upcoming free dates in 2026: August 15th, September 14th, 26th, 27th, October 4th, November 8th, December 20th and 26th
- Last Supper by Domenico Ghirlandaio at the National Museum of San Marco €11 per person*
- Last Supper by Plautilla Nelli at the Opera per Santa Maria Novella €7.50 per person*
- If you're looking to see one for less expensive, the following cost €5 per person*
Cenacolo di Ognissanti
Cenacolo di Sant’ Apollonia
Cenacolo di San Salvi
- Hospital of the Innocents (Museo degli Innocenti) €9 per person*
*Prices as of August 2026
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
In our headlines episodes we typically try to talk about news that will affect your upcoming trip, like in this episode: the Pantheon and Colosseum will be open late to beat the heat, the Lepanto metro stop in Rome will be closed, and some horse-drawn carriages for tourists are being phased out. However this week, we're also taking about three big demonstrations that happened across Italy in July. We want to tell you about them to explain what's happening in Italy lately and some things people are thinking about.
TRIGGER WARNING: The first story in this episode talks about police violence and death. If you'd like to skip this story, jump to minute 12:20 in the episode.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Today, we're back with headlines! Some are for Europe in general (a new survey is out letting anyone vote on the designs for the new Euro bills, and what Europe's new €3 tax on everything purchased outside of the EU might mean for you), a handful of rail closures—but no major strikes!—and information are where wildfires are in Italy.
Links Mentioned:
New Euro Survey: https://surveys.ecb.europa.eu/10b/neweuro/
Wildfire Map in Europe: https://jasperbernaers.com/europe-wildfire-map/
The Bakery Darcy Mentioned (which is closed all of August): https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g187791-d2328022-Reviews-Biscottificio_Innocenti-Rome_Lazio.html
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
In our last episode, we waxed poetically (or rambled) about the magic of Pompeii and how indescribable it feels. In this episode, we're talking about the practicalities of the Archeological Park of Pompeii. We'll explain how to get there, with an insider tip for leaving from Naples*, break down the different types of tickets, and talk about some fun facts and interesting sites within the park.
*If you're taking the Circumvesuviana train to Pompeii from Naples, our tip is to board the train at the Porta Nolana Station, which is about a 10 minute walk from the central train station, Garibaldi. This station is much more calm, has an elevator (Garibaldi does not for the Circumvesuviana), and you're more likely to get a seat as the Circumvesuviana originates at Porta Nolana.
Pompeii Archeological Park Official Site Links
Homepage
Tickets
PDF Guide to Excavations - Explanations of the different sites in the park
Pompeii For All - Accessibility in the park
It's unclear if tours are available in ASL, but the Naples chapter of the National Agency for the Deaf, the organization who trains Pompeii guides who natively speak Italian Sign Language (LIS), can be contacted via their email at [email protected] if you have any questions.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Pompeii, the city covered in ash that's still being discovered. We spend most of this episode's 40-odd minutes trying to put into words why someone should go. Sure, it's old, but so is a lot of Italy. And while it's well-preserved, again, so is a lot of Italy (and the other remnants of the Roman Empire). It's also hard to imagine how much you might enjoy it until you're there. That's when the film between "now" and "then" gets pulled back and you might realize how special a place it is. And thanks to the comment of a listener, we actually start this episode talking about one of the weirder mysteries surrounding the actual event—the day of eruption.
Pompeii Archeological Park Official Site Links
Homepage
Tickets
PDF Guide to Excavations - Explanations of the different sites in the park
Pompeii For All - Accessibility in the park
It's unclear if tours are available in ASL, but the Naples chapter of the National Agency for the Deaf, the organization who trains Pompeii guides who natively speak Italian Sign Language (LIS), can be contacted via their email at [email protected] if you have any questions.
In this episode, we mention a free Yale course. Darcy mistakenly says "Pompeii Archaeology" instead of "Pompeii Architecture." More specifically the course is on architecture in Pompeii and Roman architecture. Here is the link on Course Site.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
One of the best things to do in Ravello is to just leisurely walk around and explore or to sit outside at a cafe and people-watch. It's a calm and relaxed little town with great views around the edge and a pretty piazza near the duomo.
You can also visit two famous sculpted gardens: Villa Rufolo and Villa Cimbrone. Villa Rufolo is in the center of town and costs €8 per person, while Villa Cimbrone is about an 11 minute walk from the center of town and costs €11 per person.
*Edit: In this episode, while talking about how you can stay at the Hotel Cimbrone, Nathaniel asked if there was a pool and I said I didn't think so, but there is in fact a pool!
If you're a fan of opera, symphonic music, baroque music or jazz, check out the Ravello Music Festival, which happens every year! This year's dates are July 4 through September 5, 2026.
If you're staying in Ravello, there are nearby towns for day trips to the beach like Atrani, Minori, and Maiori, all within a 20 to 30 minute drive with good traffic. Atrani can be reached by car, bus, or steep footpath. You can take the Sita Sud bus or hire a car to get to any towns on the Amalfi Coast for a day trip.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
This week we're talking about the best-known mountaintop town on the Amalfi Coast, Ravello. Situated above the sea with no beach access, this town offers stunning views over the sea, cooler breezes in summertime heat, and a bit of an escape from the crowds in Amalfi and Positano.
The only ways to get to Ravello are by bus, car, or footpath from Atrani, the town below on the sea.
Sita Sud is the public bus operator on the Amalfi Coast.
In this episode we mentioned the restaurant we ate at and really enjoyed, it's called Ristorante Vittoria. The pizza restaurant that looked good, but where we weren't able to get a reservation is called Da Nonno Alfonso.
If you have any questions about your trip or if you have tips for fellow listeners, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
Wrapping up our Need to Know week, we're sort of talking about the kitchen sink in this episode. We're talking about [the importance of] making reservations at a restaurant, using "aperitivo time" as a way to adventurously explore the food scene, the fact that some stores might have different items to what you're expecting or even lacking them (such as pharmacies, for example), using grocery stores as a first-stop for food souvenirs, how to use ATMs, the importance of rest time and making sure that someone else's itinerary is also your own, and finally, the need to bring your passport everywhere.
Like I said, it's a packed episode!
If you want further tips in traveling in Italy check out the episodes below.
Travel Tips You Didn't Know You Needed
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 1
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 2
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 1
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 2
Spotify Link
If you have any questions about your trip, you can join our chat on Patreon for free or contact us on onlyabag.com.
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
As the travel months are ramping up, we thought we'd take the time to quickly run through the "things we wish we knew before we went", or, perhaps more accurately, "the things we wish we had remembered to tell people before they came here".
To kick things off, we're talking about some flight pitfalls to be aware of, accommodation tips and scams to be aware of, and choosing the right kind of luggage (even down to the type of plastic used!).
EDIT: A big thank-you to one of our listeners, Karen, for an additional piece of information around the check-in bag! On a recent trip of hers, she (and a number of other people on her flight) were made to gate-check their roller carry-on luggage, leaving them with just the personal bag. So Karen recommends that you also bring a change of clothes in your personal bag, just in case your gate-checked luggage is left behind.
In this episode we wanted to tell you about some quick essentials, so if you want further tips in traveling in Italy check out the episodes below. Of course, in every episode we give specific tips on the destination we're talking about that week.
Travel Tips You Didn't Know You Needed
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 1
Spotify Link
Tips for Traveling With Someone Else: Part 2
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 1
Spotify Link
The Hidden Stresses of Traveling: Part 2
Spotify Link
Want to support the podcast? You can join our Patreon! Check out all of our tiers—free and paid—here: patreon.com/cw/theitalytravelpodcast
For articles written by us about Italy, check out our website onlyabag.com
If you'd like to support us by using affiliate links, but don't have the time to hunt them down, we have put them all in one place! Head over to www.onlyabag.com/affiliate-links and you can see all of the companies we have partnerships with and you can use them to support Only A Bag (which we deeply appreciate).
Thanks for listening!
xDarcy and Nathaniel
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