May 30, 2025 • 17 mins
Podcast lovers, today we're sharing our favorite pods to get you immersed in Italian history, culture and language before your trip. From exciting history to modern Italian culture and creative new ways to stay up to date with Italian news all while learning your passato prossima verb conjugations.. there's a podcast to keep you entertained on a very long flight or even your daily walk.
Read the full episode show notes here > untolditaly.com/275
NEW! - the Untold Italy app - DOWNLOAD FOR iOS • DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
The app is FREE to download and check out our Milan guide and general travel content. Upgrade to PREMIUM for a one time fee to access Rome, Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Tuscany, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Veneto, Lombardy, Campania and Lazio with much more to come
Support the show
Join our mailing list and get our FREE Italy trip planning checklist - subscribe here | Join us on tour: Trip schedule | Discover our Trip Planning Services | Visit our online store | Follow: Instagram • Facebook • YouTube • Italy Travel Planning Community • Online travel assistant
The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke - yes there are two of us!
Support the show
Editorial Information
The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke
Read the full episode show notes here > untolditaly.com/275
NEW! - the Untold Italy app - DOWNLOAD FOR iOS • DOWNLOAD FOR ANDROID
The app is FREE to download and check out our Milan guide and general travel content. Upgrade to PREMIUM for a one time fee to access Rome, Florence, Venice, Sorrento, Cinque Terre, Amalfi Coast, Capri, Ischia, Tuscany, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Veneto, Lombardy, Campania and Lazio with much more to come
Support the show
Join our mailing list and get our FREE Italy trip planning checklist - subscribe here | Join us on tour: Trip schedule | Discover our Trip Planning Services | Visit our online store | Follow: Instagram • Facebook • YouTube • Italy Travel Planning Community • Online travel assistant
The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke - yes there are two of us!
Support the show
- Subscribe to our mailing list and get our FREE Italy trip planning toolkit - subscribe here
- Need help with your trip? Check out our Trip Planning Services
- Join us on tour. Browse our Trip schedule
Editorial Information
The Untold Italy travel podcast is an independent production. Podcast Editing, Audio Production and Website Development by Mark Hatter. Production Assistance and Content Writing by the other Katie Clarke
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Want a quick brush up on your Italian history and
culture knowledge before your trip. These days, there are so
many fun ways to learn about Italy and Italian history
and food, so you've got some context before you go.
Listen on to hear our favorite podcast about Italy.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And beyond, Tawatuti and Benvenuti tu One Told Italy. The
travel podcast to where you go to the towns and villages,
mountains and lakes, hills and coastlines of Bella, Italia. Each week,
your host Katie Clark takes you on a journey in
(00:37):
a search of magical landscapes, history, culture, wine, gelato, and
of course a whole lot of pasta. If you're dreaming
of Italy and planning future adventures there, you've come to
the right place.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Do you. If you dream of speaking Italian but feel stuck,
I hear you. Whether you want to connect with your
Italian heritage a partner, or you want to live in Italy,
finding the right tools to match your learning style is important.
My friend Michelle from Intrepid Italian offers a practical approach
to learning Italian with her unique eighty twenty method, teaching
you only what you need to know as an adult
(01:22):
learner herself with Italian heritage, she really knows how to
bridge the gap between English and Italian, As Angela from
Australia said, I put my inability to learn down to
my senior stage of life, but with Intrepid Italian, it
seems to just fit. To find out how Intrepid Italian
can help you learn Italian, and to claim an exclusive
(01:43):
twenty dollars coupon code that you can use on any
of Michelle's online courses from beginner to intermediate, visit untold
Italy dot com, forward slash Italian or visit the link
in the show notes. As a bonus, you'll also get
a downloadable travel phrase guide absolutely free, So visit unto
Italy dot com, forward slash Italian to accelerate your Italian one.
(02:06):
John our friends Commas Day, How are things with you?
I'm on the countdown to my next trip to Italy
and I thought i'd chair some of the important things
that I do to prepare for the twenty four hour
journey from my home in Melbourne, Australia to Rome. It's
a trip of two flights. One is thirteen hours to Dubai.
Because I like to fly Emirates and the other is
around eight onwards to Rome plus the layover time. Yes,
(02:29):
that sounds pretty horrific, doesn't it. It is not a
lot of fun, I have to tell you. But we
Ozzie's are tough and love to travel, so putting up
with the journey is the price that we pay for
our adventures. And you know, these days, there are so
many great ways to pass the time on the plane,
even if your seat entertainment isn't working, thank you, contest.
(02:49):
That's what happened to us on our way back from
Europe earlier this year. Honestly, I thought my kids were
going to riot, but luckily we were prepared. Now. Because
my job involves looking at a screen for the best
part of the day, I actually don't watch a lot
of TV or movies. Also, I really can't bear stories
about crime or violence or people generally being mean to
each other. And that's so hard to avoid these days,
(03:12):
don't you think I don't understand why is no one
making great romantic comedies or just comedies or even dramas
these days? Anyway, I digress, and this may not surprise you.
I prefer to listen to podcasts, especially history ones, which
I am now realizing is quite ironic because as if
history isn't just a series of violent events. Therefore, I
(03:34):
guess I like learning from the past, hopefully we all do,
and not projecting nastiness into the future. So as I
get things together for my trip, I'm downloading podcasts like
crazy onto my phone, and I thought I would share
some favorites with you, as obviously you also enjoy podcasts,
And as a quick little update on the entertainment system fiasco,
(03:57):
I did have my podcasts loaded and my kids had
their iPads, and if you are traveling with kids, iPads
are your best friend. Anyway, onto my favorite podcasts. Now.
History will always be my first love, and I cannot
get enough of the different perspectives, new research and findings
that continue to turn assumptions on their head. Now you
(04:19):
need to forget the stuffy history approach that you may
have experienced at school. Luckily I didn't, But these days
these podcasts are so fun, creative, and they look at
situations from different angles. Don't you think it's amazing that
you can hear professors with deep knowledge talk about their
research without having to pay six figures plus for an
IVY league or elite college degree. This is amazing if
(04:44):
you ask me. Even better when you get to Italy,
armed and dangerous. With these stories and insights, everything becomes
so much more alive. So my favorite history podcasts, they're
mainly general ones, not specifically about Italy, but they do
have we have a really strong focus on history in general.
(05:04):
But you can find some excellent podcast episodes about Italian history,
especially ancient history. And one of my favorites is called
The Rest is History. It does cover history generally. However,
the host Tom Holland, not the actor, this is a
different guy. He's still British, just to confuse you. And
Dominic Xambruk is the other host, and they're well known
(05:25):
lovers of ancient history. So Tom Holland wrote books Packs
and Rubicon, which delve deep into really specific topics around
ancient Roman history, and they tell history in story format
with all the intrigues and curiosities laid bare. Let's face it,
what's happened over the course of human existence largely falls
(05:46):
into the you couldn't make that up category, so there
is plenty of content for them to riff off. Currently,
The Rest Is History has a mini series exploring the
life of Hannibal, also known as Rome's greatest enemy. But
in their over five hundred episodes, there are series on
Roman emperors and influential women in Rome, The Romans in Britain,
(06:07):
The Real Story of Cleopatra and her relationships with Julius
Caesar and Mark Antony, Lord Byron's Adventures in Italy, and
lots loots more. If you're familiar with, then appreciate British banter,
then this is the podcast for you, as Holland and
Sambrooke walking through critical events in history with a keen
eye and deliver merciless critiques of some of history's great protagonists.
(06:30):
In a similar vein The Empire podcast explores the history
of empires and the impact they've had on our world today.
Hosts Anita Anand and William Dalrymple, also British and with
similar deprecating humor to the team from The Rest Is History,
have many episodes on ancient Rome. I also really enjoyed
their discussion about Byzantine Empress Theodora, who was a force
(06:51):
of nature and is featured in a series of spectacular
mosaics in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna. What
is really fascinating about this podcast is that it opens
your eyes to non Western civilizations, especially India and Persia.
And so while we may all be a little bit
obsessed with Rome and the goings on there, what happened
(07:13):
over in the East as arguably as, if not more impressive.
What I learned from this podcast is that humans are
amazing and creative beings, but also hugely flawed and have
been for millennia. Next up is one for you Ancient
Rome diehards, and definitely one for those of you who
enjoy an Australian accent. Don't mind if I do. If
(07:36):
you do like those things, tune into The Emperors of
Rome podcast, which is a collaboration between members of the
Faculty of the Australian, the National University and Litroy University.
They dive deep into the character's ancient Rome, the Republic
and the Empire and aspects of life in those times,
from dining to gladiatorial battles. Another podcast that's a history
(07:58):
podcast that I really love is called The Ancients, and
it's specifically focused on the ancient world, as it's aptly titled.
Hosted by Tristan Hughes and featuring a mind boggling cast
of supremely qualified historians and archaeologists. The episodes dig deep
into the origins, challenges, and mysteries of ancient civilizations. Of course,
(08:18):
there is a wealth of episodes on the ancient Romans,
but what I've found most interesting are the episodes about
the Etruscans, a mysterious civilization from today's central Italy predating
the Roman Republic and one that we're learning much more
about thanks mainly to archaeologists, because these people, the Etruscans,
left very few written records behind. Okay, now we're going
(08:41):
to skip through a few centuries to reach the Middle Ages,
and if you're interested in this era, then you'll want
to tune into Gone Medieval. Who knew historians had such
a wicked sense of humor, but this is the reason
I love tuning into this podcast. Hosted by doctor Eleanor
Janneger and Matt Lewis, they cover a lot of ground,
again bringing in experts on very niche subjects to uncover
(09:04):
the stories of the Middle Ages, from the Magna Carta
to medieval Booze. There's some great Italian content in there too,
like their interview with Delitzia the Epic History of Italians
and their Food author John Dickie, who is the professor
of Italian Studies at the University College London. They talk
to John about the medieval origins of Italian food and
(09:27):
if you've read his book you'll know that it's quite
an interesting and nuanced topic that really informs what we
know about Italian food today. There's also a full episode
on medieval Italy, which, as it turns out, that's a
complicated situation to unravel due to the prevalence of competing
(09:48):
city states and rivalries from north to south. Okay, let's
soom forward into the Renaissance and another one of my
favorite podcasts, which is not just the Tutors. This is
another British led podcast and it's hosted by professors whose
Anelipskum and it features experts on this era of history,
particularly in the UK and also in Europe. This is
(10:10):
a brilliant pod for those of you who are enthralled
by the stories of Henry the Eighth and his revolving
door of wives. So weird and dysfunctional, which does make
for great stories though, and it's sad to admit that
those women were absolute collateral damage. There is a great
little series if you want to learn more about the
Medici and their rise to power in Florence, and another
mini series of the powerful Borgia family in Rome, plus
(10:34):
an episode on Giordano Bruno if you were curious about
his brooding statue in the middle of Campo di Fiori
in Rome. If you're a music lover, there is an
enthralling story about Venetian orphan Anna Maria della Pieta, who
developed into a musical prodigy and Vivaldi's favorite student. So
they're in the history podcast and look, you can go
(10:56):
down and find a lot lot more. But these are
just happened to be my favorites and ones that I
generally tune into every week, and they're really fantastic, and
I really do encourage you to give them a listen.
The next category of podcasts is Italian language, and as
some of you know, I've ramped up my Italian language
learning this year and part of the plan is to
(11:16):
listen to podcasts so that I'm immersed in the language.
And my goodness, there are some clever teachers out there
producing some absolutely fantastic work. Two of my favorites are
the first one is coffee Break Italian and I really
enjoy these bite sized episodes with Francesca and Mark. And
it's really interesting because Mark is a Scottish guy who
(11:37):
speaks great Italian, and I always wondered what Italian would
sound like being spoken by a Scottish person, and now
I know he has a very, very thick Scottish accent.
But I digress. The show focuses on a particular quirks
of the Italian language, including specific phrases and word placement,
and it's really useful and done in a really fun
(11:58):
and engaging way. The next one is something that, again
people are so creative. I love it. This one is
called News in Slow Italian and it's exactly what it
says on the box. It's a podcast where they really
go through the issues of the day, speaking slowly for
people who are learning Italian, and it's great for learning
(12:19):
new vocabulary, hearing the correct pronunciation, understanding grammar in context,
and learning about current topics and Italian culture in Italian.
It's available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, and you
know what, I'm looking forward to progressing to intermediate one
of these days, hopefully soon. But it's really interesting to
(12:40):
hear how Italians speak about the issues of the day
in their own language, and I really do enjoy the
news in slow Italian. Now, if you want some insights
into life in Italy that aren't focused on history, travel
and language, these podcasts are great and in fact, both
of the hosts have been guests on Untold Italy. So
the first one is chao Bella and this one is
(13:03):
hosted by writer Erica Fierpo, who was actually one of
the first guests on Untold Italy during those dark COVID days.
Erica's podcast, Chaubella is really a wonderful insight into modern
Italian culture and life, and I love that she covers
a broad range of topics from art and fashion to food,
wine and cocktails. So go check out Chawbella. The next
(13:25):
one is for those of you who, like me, absolutely
are obsessed with all things Venetian. Then you've got to
tune into Venice Talks by Monica Chestrautu. Monica talks to artisans,
historians and the people of Venice, giving an invaluable insight
into the world of this unique and magnificent city built
of water. Now, to wrap up this episode, I really
(13:47):
wanted to give a shout out to some fellow creators
that create travel podcasts about specific countries outside of Italy,
because I do actually get asked quite a bit if
there are any other country specific travel cast that I'd recommend,
and yes I do have a few. My friend Carolyn
has a wonderful show called Holidays to Switzerland where she
(14:08):
takes you up mountains and across shimmering lakes with a
healthy dost of cheese and chocolate. Her show is sponsored
by the Swiss Tourism Board, who have a great respect
for her work, as is do I, and so definitely,
if you are interested in visiting Switzerland, then you should
definitely check out Holidays to Switzerland. If you're going to
the UK, definitely tune in to UK Travel Planning. Tracy
(14:32):
and Doug take you from London to the Lake District
and up to Scotland with lots of practical tips and
advice on traveling in the UK. Now they do some
excellent jobs of giving you budget travel tips too, which
is extremely important wf you're going to the UK. I
just looked at some hotels for a friend going in
September and yikes, it does actually make Rome look like
(14:53):
a budget destination. If you need travel tips for the UK,
go and listen to UK Traveler. Last, but not least,
I wanted to do a shout out to Annie Sargent
from the Join Us in France podcast. Many years ago
when this journey first began, I started following her podcast,
which dives deep into travel and life in France, and
it's just wonderful. It's been a huge inspiration for me.
(15:16):
So make sure you take a listen if you're going
to France because you will get so many Untold style ideas,
similar to what we showcase on Untold Italy. So there
you go, podcast lovers. They are some of my favorite
shows to pass the time on the twenty four hour
marathon trip to get to Italy and when I'm wandering
(15:36):
around the house doing odd jobs or taking the dog
for a walk. How lucky are we to live in
a time where we have so much great entertainment and
learning so readily available. Creating a podcast is lots of fun,
but it's also a lot of work, and I have
huge respect for my fellow creators and also my amazing
production team Mark and Katie who keep everything rolling along smoothly.
(15:59):
One day we'll do it. Bloop is real with all
my tongue ties and silly phrases that I asked Mark
to edit out, but secretly I am hoping they are
in some digital hole never to be heard again. Now.
Of course, if you're keen to start listening to the
podcast that I mentioned in this episode, we have of
course linked to them in our show notes. Just head
on over to our website Untold Italy dot com forward
(16:21):
slash two seventy five for episode number two hundred and
seventy five and you'll find them there. And if you're
keen to support our podcast, a great way to do
that is to download our app and upgrade to the
premium version, where you'll have all the past episodes organized
by topic and free of programmed ads. Plus you get
all our travel guides and travel tips in one spot
(16:43):
and it's only the cost, and it's a one time
cost of a travel guidebook. Before I wrap up, if
you have some great podcasts that you can recommend, drop
me a line and I'll check them out. I didn't
cover them here, but I also listened to Parenting, Hello, Doctor, Lisa,
Business and the Carrot Affairs shows. I really do love
a podcast Okay, that's all for this week. Next time,
(17:06):
Carina is back hooray, and we're doing a quick fire
round of tips and tricks for first time travelers to Italy.
But until then, it's chow for now. The Untold Italy
podcast is an independent production podcast editing, audio production and
website development by Mark Hatter, Production assistance and content writing
(17:27):
by the are they kJ Clark? Yes, there are two
of us. For more information about Untold Italy, please visit
Untold Italy dot com.
Want a quick brush up on your Italian history and
culture knowledge before your trip. These days, there are so
many fun ways to learn about Italy and Italian history
and food, so you've got some context before you go.
Listen on to hear our favorite podcast about Italy.
Speaker 2 (00:14):
And beyond, Tawatuti and Benvenuti tu One Told Italy. The
travel podcast to where you go to the towns and villages,
mountains and lakes, hills and coastlines of Bella, Italia. Each week,
your host Katie Clark takes you on a journey in
(00:37):
a search of magical landscapes, history, culture, wine, gelato, and
of course a whole lot of pasta. If you're dreaming
of Italy and planning future adventures there, you've come to
the right place.
Speaker 1 (00:59):
Do you. If you dream of speaking Italian but feel stuck,
I hear you. Whether you want to connect with your
Italian heritage a partner, or you want to live in Italy,
finding the right tools to match your learning style is important.
My friend Michelle from Intrepid Italian offers a practical approach
to learning Italian with her unique eighty twenty method, teaching
you only what you need to know as an adult
(01:22):
learner herself with Italian heritage, she really knows how to
bridge the gap between English and Italian, As Angela from
Australia said, I put my inability to learn down to
my senior stage of life, but with Intrepid Italian, it
seems to just fit. To find out how Intrepid Italian
can help you learn Italian, and to claim an exclusive
(01:43):
twenty dollars coupon code that you can use on any
of Michelle's online courses from beginner to intermediate, visit untold
Italy dot com, forward slash Italian or visit the link
in the show notes. As a bonus, you'll also get
a downloadable travel phrase guide absolutely free, So visit unto
Italy dot com, forward slash Italian to accelerate your Italian one.
(02:06):
John our friends Commas Day, How are things with you?
I'm on the countdown to my next trip to Italy
and I thought i'd chair some of the important things
that I do to prepare for the twenty four hour
journey from my home in Melbourne, Australia to Rome. It's
a trip of two flights. One is thirteen hours to Dubai.
Because I like to fly Emirates and the other is
around eight onwards to Rome plus the layover time. Yes,
(02:29):
that sounds pretty horrific, doesn't it. It is not a
lot of fun, I have to tell you. But we
Ozzie's are tough and love to travel, so putting up
with the journey is the price that we pay for
our adventures. And you know, these days, there are so
many great ways to pass the time on the plane,
even if your seat entertainment isn't working, thank you, contest.
(02:49):
That's what happened to us on our way back from
Europe earlier this year. Honestly, I thought my kids were
going to riot, but luckily we were prepared. Now. Because
my job involves looking at a screen for the best
part of the day, I actually don't watch a lot
of TV or movies. Also, I really can't bear stories
about crime or violence or people generally being mean to
each other. And that's so hard to avoid these days,
(03:12):
don't you think I don't understand why is no one
making great romantic comedies or just comedies or even dramas
these days? Anyway, I digress, and this may not surprise you.
I prefer to listen to podcasts, especially history ones, which
I am now realizing is quite ironic because as if
history isn't just a series of violent events. Therefore, I
(03:34):
guess I like learning from the past, hopefully we all do,
and not projecting nastiness into the future. So as I
get things together for my trip, I'm downloading podcasts like
crazy onto my phone, and I thought I would share
some favorites with you, as obviously you also enjoy podcasts,
And as a quick little update on the entertainment system fiasco,
(03:57):
I did have my podcasts loaded and my kids had
their iPads, and if you are traveling with kids, iPads
are your best friend. Anyway, onto my favorite podcasts. Now.
History will always be my first love, and I cannot
get enough of the different perspectives, new research and findings
that continue to turn assumptions on their head. Now you
(04:19):
need to forget the stuffy history approach that you may
have experienced at school. Luckily I didn't, But these days
these podcasts are so fun, creative, and they look at
situations from different angles. Don't you think it's amazing that
you can hear professors with deep knowledge talk about their
research without having to pay six figures plus for an
IVY league or elite college degree. This is amazing if
(04:44):
you ask me. Even better when you get to Italy,
armed and dangerous. With these stories and insights, everything becomes
so much more alive. So my favorite history podcasts, they're
mainly general ones, not specifically about Italy, but they do
have we have a really strong focus on history in general.
(05:04):
But you can find some excellent podcast episodes about Italian history,
especially ancient history. And one of my favorites is called
The Rest is History. It does cover history generally. However,
the host Tom Holland, not the actor, this is a
different guy. He's still British, just to confuse you. And
Dominic Xambruk is the other host, and they're well known
(05:25):
lovers of ancient history. So Tom Holland wrote books Packs
and Rubicon, which delve deep into really specific topics around
ancient Roman history, and they tell history in story format
with all the intrigues and curiosities laid bare. Let's face it,
what's happened over the course of human existence largely falls
(05:46):
into the you couldn't make that up category, so there
is plenty of content for them to riff off. Currently,
The Rest Is History has a mini series exploring the
life of Hannibal, also known as Rome's greatest enemy. But
in their over five hundred episodes, there are series on
Roman emperors and influential women in Rome, The Romans in Britain,
(06:07):
The Real Story of Cleopatra and her relationships with Julius
Caesar and Mark Antony, Lord Byron's Adventures in Italy, and
lots loots more. If you're familiar with, then appreciate British banter,
then this is the podcast for you, as Holland and
Sambrooke walking through critical events in history with a keen
eye and deliver merciless critiques of some of history's great protagonists.
(06:30):
In a similar vein The Empire podcast explores the history
of empires and the impact they've had on our world today.
Hosts Anita Anand and William Dalrymple, also British and with
similar deprecating humor to the team from The Rest Is History,
have many episodes on ancient Rome. I also really enjoyed
their discussion about Byzantine Empress Theodora, who was a force
(06:51):
of nature and is featured in a series of spectacular
mosaics in the Church of San Vitale in Ravenna. What
is really fascinating about this podcast is that it opens
your eyes to non Western civilizations, especially India and Persia.
And so while we may all be a little bit
obsessed with Rome and the goings on there, what happened
(07:13):
over in the East as arguably as, if not more impressive.
What I learned from this podcast is that humans are
amazing and creative beings, but also hugely flawed and have
been for millennia. Next up is one for you Ancient
Rome diehards, and definitely one for those of you who
enjoy an Australian accent. Don't mind if I do. If
(07:36):
you do like those things, tune into The Emperors of
Rome podcast, which is a collaboration between members of the
Faculty of the Australian, the National University and Litroy University.
They dive deep into the character's ancient Rome, the Republic
and the Empire and aspects of life in those times,
from dining to gladiatorial battles. Another podcast that's a history
(07:58):
podcast that I really love is called The Ancients, and
it's specifically focused on the ancient world, as it's aptly titled.
Hosted by Tristan Hughes and featuring a mind boggling cast
of supremely qualified historians and archaeologists. The episodes dig deep
into the origins, challenges, and mysteries of ancient civilizations. Of course,
(08:18):
there is a wealth of episodes on the ancient Romans,
but what I've found most interesting are the episodes about
the Etruscans, a mysterious civilization from today's central Italy predating
the Roman Republic and one that we're learning much more
about thanks mainly to archaeologists, because these people, the Etruscans,
left very few written records behind. Okay, now we're going
(08:41):
to skip through a few centuries to reach the Middle Ages,
and if you're interested in this era, then you'll want
to tune into Gone Medieval. Who knew historians had such
a wicked sense of humor, but this is the reason
I love tuning into this podcast. Hosted by doctor Eleanor
Janneger and Matt Lewis, they cover a lot of ground,
again bringing in experts on very niche subjects to uncover
(09:04):
the stories of the Middle Ages, from the Magna Carta
to medieval Booze. There's some great Italian content in there too,
like their interview with Delitzia the Epic History of Italians
and their Food author John Dickie, who is the professor
of Italian Studies at the University College London. They talk
to John about the medieval origins of Italian food and
(09:27):
if you've read his book you'll know that it's quite
an interesting and nuanced topic that really informs what we
know about Italian food today. There's also a full episode
on medieval Italy, which, as it turns out, that's a
complicated situation to unravel due to the prevalence of competing
(09:48):
city states and rivalries from north to south. Okay, let's
soom forward into the Renaissance and another one of my
favorite podcasts, which is not just the Tutors. This is
another British led podcast and it's hosted by professors whose
Anelipskum and it features experts on this era of history,
particularly in the UK and also in Europe. This is
(10:10):
a brilliant pod for those of you who are enthralled
by the stories of Henry the Eighth and his revolving
door of wives. So weird and dysfunctional, which does make
for great stories though, and it's sad to admit that
those women were absolute collateral damage. There is a great
little series if you want to learn more about the
Medici and their rise to power in Florence, and another
mini series of the powerful Borgia family in Rome, plus
(10:34):
an episode on Giordano Bruno if you were curious about
his brooding statue in the middle of Campo di Fiori
in Rome. If you're a music lover, there is an
enthralling story about Venetian orphan Anna Maria della Pieta, who
developed into a musical prodigy and Vivaldi's favorite student. So
they're in the history podcast and look, you can go
(10:56):
down and find a lot lot more. But these are
just happened to be my favorites and ones that I
generally tune into every week, and they're really fantastic, and
I really do encourage you to give them a listen.
The next category of podcasts is Italian language, and as
some of you know, I've ramped up my Italian language
learning this year and part of the plan is to
(11:16):
listen to podcasts so that I'm immersed in the language.
And my goodness, there are some clever teachers out there
producing some absolutely fantastic work. Two of my favorites are
the first one is coffee Break Italian and I really
enjoy these bite sized episodes with Francesca and Mark. And
it's really interesting because Mark is a Scottish guy who
(11:37):
speaks great Italian, and I always wondered what Italian would
sound like being spoken by a Scottish person, and now
I know he has a very, very thick Scottish accent.
But I digress. The show focuses on a particular quirks
of the Italian language, including specific phrases and word placement,
and it's really useful and done in a really fun
(11:58):
and engaging way. The next one is something that, again
people are so creative. I love it. This one is
called News in Slow Italian and it's exactly what it
says on the box. It's a podcast where they really
go through the issues of the day, speaking slowly for
people who are learning Italian, and it's great for learning
(12:19):
new vocabulary, hearing the correct pronunciation, understanding grammar in context,
and learning about current topics and Italian culture in Italian.
It's available in beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, and you
know what, I'm looking forward to progressing to intermediate one
of these days, hopefully soon. But it's really interesting to
(12:40):
hear how Italians speak about the issues of the day
in their own language, and I really do enjoy the
news in slow Italian. Now, if you want some insights
into life in Italy that aren't focused on history, travel
and language, these podcasts are great and in fact, both
of the hosts have been guests on Untold Italy. So
the first one is chao Bella and this one is
(13:03):
hosted by writer Erica Fierpo, who was actually one of
the first guests on Untold Italy during those dark COVID days.
Erica's podcast, Chaubella is really a wonderful insight into modern
Italian culture and life, and I love that she covers
a broad range of topics from art and fashion to food,
wine and cocktails. So go check out Chawbella. The next
(13:25):
one is for those of you who, like me, absolutely
are obsessed with all things Venetian. Then you've got to
tune into Venice Talks by Monica Chestrautu. Monica talks to artisans,
historians and the people of Venice, giving an invaluable insight
into the world of this unique and magnificent city built
of water. Now, to wrap up this episode, I really
(13:47):
wanted to give a shout out to some fellow creators
that create travel podcasts about specific countries outside of Italy,
because I do actually get asked quite a bit if
there are any other country specific travel cast that I'd recommend,
and yes I do have a few. My friend Carolyn
has a wonderful show called Holidays to Switzerland where she
(14:08):
takes you up mountains and across shimmering lakes with a
healthy dost of cheese and chocolate. Her show is sponsored
by the Swiss Tourism Board, who have a great respect
for her work, as is do I, and so definitely,
if you are interested in visiting Switzerland, then you should
definitely check out Holidays to Switzerland. If you're going to
the UK, definitely tune in to UK Travel Planning. Tracy
(14:32):
and Doug take you from London to the Lake District
and up to Scotland with lots of practical tips and
advice on traveling in the UK. Now they do some
excellent jobs of giving you budget travel tips too, which
is extremely important wf you're going to the UK. I
just looked at some hotels for a friend going in
September and yikes, it does actually make Rome look like
(14:53):
a budget destination. If you need travel tips for the UK,
go and listen to UK Traveler. Last, but not least,
I wanted to do a shout out to Annie Sargent
from the Join Us in France podcast. Many years ago
when this journey first began, I started following her podcast,
which dives deep into travel and life in France, and
it's just wonderful. It's been a huge inspiration for me.
(15:16):
So make sure you take a listen if you're going
to France because you will get so many Untold style ideas,
similar to what we showcase on Untold Italy. So there
you go, podcast lovers. They are some of my favorite
shows to pass the time on the twenty four hour
marathon trip to get to Italy and when I'm wandering
(15:36):
around the house doing odd jobs or taking the dog
for a walk. How lucky are we to live in
a time where we have so much great entertainment and
learning so readily available. Creating a podcast is lots of fun,
but it's also a lot of work, and I have
huge respect for my fellow creators and also my amazing
production team Mark and Katie who keep everything rolling along smoothly.
(15:59):
One day we'll do it. Bloop is real with all
my tongue ties and silly phrases that I asked Mark
to edit out, but secretly I am hoping they are
in some digital hole never to be heard again. Now.
Of course, if you're keen to start listening to the
podcast that I mentioned in this episode, we have of
course linked to them in our show notes. Just head
on over to our website Untold Italy dot com forward
(16:21):
slash two seventy five for episode number two hundred and
seventy five and you'll find them there. And if you're
keen to support our podcast, a great way to do
that is to download our app and upgrade to the
premium version, where you'll have all the past episodes organized
by topic and free of programmed ads. Plus you get
all our travel guides and travel tips in one spot
(16:43):
and it's only the cost, and it's a one time
cost of a travel guidebook. Before I wrap up, if
you have some great podcasts that you can recommend, drop
me a line and I'll check them out. I didn't
cover them here, but I also listened to Parenting, Hello, Doctor, Lisa,
Business and the Carrot Affairs shows. I really do love
a podcast Okay, that's all for this week. Next time,
(17:06):
Carina is back hooray, and we're doing a quick fire
round of tips and tricks for first time travelers to Italy.
But until then, it's chow for now. The Untold Italy
podcast is an independent production podcast editing, audio production and
website development by Mark Hatter, Production assistance and content writing
(17:27):
by the are they kJ Clark? Yes, there are two
of us. For more information about Untold Italy, please visit
Untold Italy dot com.
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