(PODCAST SCRIPT)

And welcome to On the Wings of the World. I’m Melania Palmiero and today, unlike any other time I’ll be my own host, can you guess why?

In this episode we’re going to talk about Italy, which happens to be my native country. As always, we’ll explore different subjects, like history, arts, geography, a bit of culinary and some random facts, as we always do. What are we waiting for then…let’s get right into it. 

Starting with a bit of history, Italy has been inhabited by numerous different populations since 850,000 years ago, more or less. We recall the most known ones like Etruscans, Samnites, Latins, Celts and Magna Graecia colonists. Then we get to the Romans, after a series of wars for the territory, and all of the phases of their domination. 

And guess what? You have the possibility to travel back in time and admire multiple ancient ruins and walk through them. Take a close look at the way ash from the Vesuvius eruption preserved the buildings, art and even people underneath. The Forum Romanum, central part of the vibrant urban city, Sassi of Matera, where you’ll be surrounded by tufa rocks that were used as houses, or the archaeological park of Saepinum, and so on. 

We won’t go into details, but if you’re interested I highly recommend checking the other podcast on my channel, On the Wings of time, about the history of each country. Following the Roman Empire decline, many peoples take control of the land, which ends up divided into kingdoms. 

Over the eighth and the ninth centuries cities like Venice and Florence began to grow wealthier from Mediterranean trade and expand more and more, emerging even after the Imperial dominance. 

Years pass and we come to the Renaissance, covering the 15th and 16th centuries: a period of great artistic achievement, influenced by the ideals of Ancient Roman and Greek culture in various fields like architecture, sculpture, painting, music, philosophy, literature, science, technology and exploration. 

Among its exponents, we can find Leonardo daVinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Galileo Galilei, Brunelleschi, de Medici family and many more. Regarding the latter, they say the wedding of one of its members, Lorenzo de Medici, lasted over three days and included five different banquets. That’s because weddings were huge events in this period of time; so big that there was an actual law limiting their duration. 

Skipping over some events, we get to the revolutions preceding the final Italian Unification, which occurred in 1861 (excluding some cities that were added after the two world wars), even though still under a king. In fact, Italy became a republic only on June 2nd 1946, following the fall of fascism and the end of the WW2: on this day is celebrated the Festival of the Italian Republic, or “Festa della Repubblica” as a national public holiday, during which offices, many businesses and schools are closed. 

I’d say this is enough to give us a general understanding of the cultural mosaic represented in the country we’re analyzing, therefore we can move on to another subject like geography…don’t worry we’ll explore different fields at the same time so I’m sure you’ll find something that will particularly interest you!

If you ever fantasized about traveling to Italy and wondered where you should stop by, consider yourself lucky because I’m going to give you ideas on this matter. 

Did you know that 13 of Shakespeare’s 38 plays are set in Italy? Including some of his most popular works, for example Romeo and Juliet, set in Verona, where you have the possibility to visit “Juliet’s Balcony”!

So every city has its own unique history, however, as we all know, some cities are better known than others, but let’s proceed with order.

Starting with Rome, aka Caput Mundi (from latin words meaning “capital of the world”) the capital of Italy since 1871, despite being way older than Italy as a whole. It was founded in 753 BC according to the myth in which two twin brothers were raised by a she-wolf after being abandoned on the banks of the Tiber. In the course of founding the renowned city on the Seven Hills, they quarreled and Romulus killed Remus, becoming the first of the seven kings.

After this brief story, I’d like to bring up some facts about the city itself.

For example, there are numerous churches, among which we have the Pantheon, and fountains, like the Trevi Fountain, undoubtedly the most famous. Have you ever heard or seen people throwing coins in this fountain and asked yourself the reason?

Well, I’m about to tell you: according to a legend if you throw one coin you’ll return to Rome, two coins and you’ll fall in love with an attractive Italian and three means you’ll marry the person you met; and there’s also another condition: you have to throw the coin with your right hand over your left shoulder. 

It might seem crazy but at the moment around a million coins are taken from the fountain and donated to charity.

Of course we can’t not mention the colosseum, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, illustrious and large amphitheater where gladiatorial shows took place.

Last but not least, the Vatican City in Rome is the world’s smallest country and is also home to the Sistine Chapel, whose ceiling was painted by Michelangelo.

Many other things can be admired in this beautiful metropolis, however I’m afraid we’ll have to leave them out…after all it’s impossible to recount and describe everything, especially in such a wonderful and multi-faceted country, isn’t it?

That being said, we’ll go through a few other places worth visiting located in different towns. 

Milan, with the tallest building in Italy, the crowded Piazza del Duomo (the largest gothic cathedral in the city), Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, a glass-ceilinged arcade that connects the piazzas of the Duomo and the Teatro alla Scala opera house and is lined with cafes and high-end boutiques, such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton and Prada. These are, of course, the most famous ones. We wouldn’t have time to list them all, the same applies for the other locations mentioned. 

Venice, one of the most picturesque towns in Italy, renowned for its bridges and the gondolas crossing the infinite canals that spread out like branches. We must not forget the Carnival celebrations, as vibrant as the islands all around the city.

Moving on, we find Florence, the second capital of Italy before Rome and after Torin. Its entire Historic Centre is a UNESCO site and is an art mosaic, with works of great masters such as the ones mentioned in the beginning, like Giotto, Brunelleschi, Botticelli and Michelangelo. 

Proceeding towards the south we have Pisa and its famous leaning tower.

Then Caserta with the Royal Palace, 5 floors, 1200 rooms and an immense garden.

Just below there’s Naples (as a province) in the shadows of Vesuvius. 

In the same region, the Amalfi Coast stretches for 50km, sprinkled with colorful seaside towns boasting a classic Mediterranean landscape. 

Alberobello, on the other side of the peninsula, known for its unique trullo buildings, and so many other cities.

Moreover, Italy is home to different types of landscapes: the Alps, on top, another long mountain range crossing the country like a spinal cord, sparkling lakes, rivers, coasts, even falls, like the Marmore Falls, which is a man-made waterfall created by the ancient Romans. 

But now let’s leave it all to the side to talk about food before concluding this episode.

As you all probably already know, Italian cuisine is very popular worldwide and has influenced many nations, as well as the US, probably because the quality of the ingredients, nothing but fresh, make the dishes taste delicious despite their simplicity, and they’re also generally healthy. 

Naturally Italy is packed with diverse culinary cultures and traditions, so the types of dishes produced go from seafood to simple rustic specialities. 

Now I’ll list the ones you MUST try if you ever decide to visit Italy. 

Starting with pizza that, even though it had been adopted by many countries, originates from Naples; the classic one, called Margherita, is composed of tomatoes, mozzarella, fresh basil and olive oil. 

Right after we have lasagna: generally made with bolognese sauce and topped with parmesan cheese and mozzarella; however there are different, yet less popular, flavors.

Then how can we not mention pasta, different kinds and various ingredients it can be seasoned with; I’ll name a few specialities like Carbonara, Amatriciana, cacio e pepe, etc.

On the other hand, risotto is a typical northern Italian dish that can also be cooked in an infinite number of ways: with mushrooms, seafood, saffron, etc.

The typical sauce, moving on, is pesto, traditional and simple, prepared with seven essential ingredients: Genoese basil DOP, extra virgin olive oil, Parmesan cheese, Pecorino cheese, pine nuts, garlic, and salt; often used for seasoning pasta. 

We also find multiple kinds of meat and cheese such as prosciutto, mortadella coppa, Parmesan cheese, Gorgonzola, Pecorino Romano, Provolone and so on. 

Again, there are so many more that I have not talked about, but just as delicious.

Regarding beverages, we must include wine, which sometimes people like to consume during meals and coffee, ideal in the morning as well as after meals.

We finish this culinary journey with one of the most famous national desserts: tiramisu. Originally from Veneto, it consists of a base of Savoiardi biscuits, dipped in coffee, covered with mascarpone cream, eggs, and sugar, cocoa sprinkled on top. 

And with that, I’d say our brief trip in Italy is over. I hope you enjoyed it and are now more informed about this marvelous country, maybe even planning to go there. Don’t forget to subscribe and leave a rating or review. To know more about the history and culture of the nations around the world check out my channel on instagram, facebook and twitter: @cultureispower, for more updates. Remember you can listen to these podcasts on iHeartRadio and Spotify for free. 

Thank you for spending some of your time with me listening to this episode of On the Wings of the World and see you on our next journey!