The latest news from the experts in Italian Travel
In the Castelvetere sul Calore episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy learns how to bake a special pastry baked in honor of the Madonna. A statue of the patron saint of Castelvetere sul Calore, Madonna delle Grazie, is taken out of her sanctuary and carried throughout the town on two days per year: April …
In the Castelvetere sul Calore episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy tastes “Castelvetere in a glass” – fortified cherry wine. The De Beaumonts are French barons who bought the feudal land of Castelvetere sul Calore in 1675. They continue to make wine here, including a special family recipe called Don Fa. Their special fortified …
In the Castelvetere sul Calore episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy learns about the legalities and possibility of obtaining her Italian citizenship. Italy recognizes citizens “Jure Sanguinis,” by blood. No matter where someone is born, if at least one parent is an Italian citizen at the time of the birth, their child is Italian …
In the Castelvetere sul Calore episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy is introduced to her closest living relative in Italy. Built in 1714, Castelvetere’s cemetery is one of the oldest in Italy, built before laws required bodies be interred outside towns in order to stop the spread of disease. Because of limited space in …
In the Castelvetere sul Calore episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy visits the mayor’s office to search for records of her family’s ancestry. Gaetano Petrillo, a local genealogist, brought Kathy and her mom to the office of the mayor of Castelvetere to look for the municipal records of their ancestors. Towns throughout southern Italy …
In the Castelvetere sul Calore episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy’s cousin, poet Livio Nargi, opens the episode with an excerpt from this poem. Castelvetere, you are the glory of beloved poems. Scenes of enchantment and dreams, divine in the spirit. You are the precious treasure of the people, the magical splendor upon the …
In the Basilicata episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy explores two beautiful towns of the region on a 4×4 off-roading adventure. Two of the most beautiful towns, not just in Basilicata, but in all of Italy are Castelmezzano and Pietrapertossa. They are nestled in the rocky landscape of the Dolomiti Lucane, the stunning local …
In the Basilicata episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy explores one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world in a fun, three-wheeled vehicle. Matera, one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, is also one of the world’s most visually unusual places, filled with sassi, ancient caves that were once inhabited by …
In the Basilicata episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy learns about the ancient tradition of stamping family initials on loaves of bread. Bread stamps have been used in Basilicata since ancient times. The wooden stamps, carved with initials, were used to distinguish between families’ loaves of bread that they prepared at home and baked …
In the Basilicata episode of the second season of Dream of Italy on PBS, Kathy interviews the famous Hollywood movie director, Francis Ford Coppola. Palazzo Margherita is Hollywood director Francis Ford Coppola’s love letter to Italy and the town of Bernalda. The 9-room hotel is where Coppola sat down with Kathy for an interview about his deep ties to Basilicata …
