Traveling in Italy

Last fall, I was thrilled to head to Italy to practice my Italian and share my ancestral homeland with my husband. Traveling in Italy recharged my creative spirit and grounded me.

Our first stop was Tuscany.

My maternal grandparents are from Coreglia Antelminelli, a tiny town in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is so small most Italians have not even heard of it. Though small, the village was known for its plaster figurines, mostly of religious iconography and cats. (I still need to figure out why cats.) My grandfather learned this skill, which aided him in his profession as a commercial sculptor in New York City and Boston after he immigrated to the United States. Growing up in Massachusetts, I could see examples of his artistry at Christmas time on the Boston Common’s nativity scene and a once giant green dinosaur at a mini golf in New England on I95 North.

He wasn’t the only artist in my family.

I come from a long line of painters, sculptors, and poets. My great-uncle Manlio Giannotti and my great-great-uncle Bruno Nutini were both painters. They stayed behind in Italy while the rest of the family left for America.

Since Coregelia is so small and has no inns or hotels, Airbnb is the only option. While searching for one, I was surprised that my great-great uncle’s house is now an Airbnb. It felt so special to stay there, inhabiting a space where my ancestors lived and made memories. I was moved to see there was even a painting of his hanging in the bedroom, keeping his legacy alive. When I left, I gifted the owners a hand-printed tea towel, leaving a little bit of me in my uncle’s home.

Next stop, Sperlonga.

Next, we traveled to Sperlonga, a seaside resort town between Rome and Naples. Since my last visit, I’ve been taking Italian lessons through Italki. My teacher, Irene, lives in Sperlonga. Meeting her in person and having a local guide to the area was a treat. Irene teaches through several teaching platforms and runs a business, Amyclae, a tour guide service to experience Italian vineyards, pasta making, and olive oil experience.

During our time in Sperlonga, we explored the ancient city with its narrow streets, tons of stairs, and unique and hidden doorways. We also hiked to one of the Big Benches. These benches are situated all around Italy and throughout Europe. Visiting more of them is a fun bucket list thing to do.

Since we were visiting in the off-season, we were able to book a private tour of Sciobaco, an organic winery, in Fondi, Italy. There, we walked through vineyards learning about the grapes, tasted the wines, then enjoyed an amazing lunch.

We also toured a beautiful, organic farm in Itri call Il Casale di Nonna Maria. We saw chickens and an herb garden there and learned to make pasta from scratch with farm-fresh eggs. This experience ended with a traditional six-course dinner with the family, enjoying our freshly made pasta as the final course. This meal brought back memories of Sundays at my grandparent’s home, spending time with my cousins and eating the delicious food my grandmother made for us.

Traveling in Italy was a respite in a busy fall.

It gave me pause. It was a time to connect with my (also very busy) husband and also my Italian roots. I enjoyed using the Italian I’ve been practicing and meeting my long-distance teacher. Best of all, I let myself have downtime to be inspired and recharge my creative batteries.

If you’ll be traveling in Italy soon, I highly recommend following these businesses on Instagram for some pre-travel inspiration.

Amyclae
Il Casale di Nonna Maria
Azienda Agricola D’Ausilio