The Italian Radio Hour

What do ancient witches, miraculous saints, mysterious rituals, and your grandmother's traditions have in common?Welcome to an Italy you may have never encountered before!In this fascinating episode of The Italian Radio Hour, host Viviana Altieri welcomes Dr. Gina M. Miele, Harvard-trained folklorist, professor at Montclair State University, and author of the beautiful new book Italian Folklore: Rituals, Celebrations, and Ancient Traditions.Together, we journey beyond Italy's famous landmarks to discover a world where the sacred and the supernatural intertwine, and where centuries-old traditions continue to shape everyday life.✨ In this episode, we explore:🐍 The extraordinary procession of San Domenico and the snakes of Cocullo, Abruzzo🧙‍♀️ The witches of Benevento and the mysterious world of Italian folk beliefs🙏 The Black Madonna, beloved saints, and the fascinating coexistence of Catholicism and ancient rituals👩‍🦳 The women who preserved Italy's traditions—healers, storytellers, midwives, and keepers of memory🌾 The foods and rituals that connect us to our ancestors, especially during November's commemorations of the dead📖 How folklore differs across Northern, Central, and Southern Italy💫 Why preserving family stories, dialects, and traditions matters more than ever in our rapidly changing worldFrom the malocchio to sacred celebrations, from village legends to the wisdom passed down through generations, Dr. Miele reminds us that folklore isn't simply about the past. It's a living part of who we are.📚 Featured Book: Italian Folklore: Rituals, Celebrations, and Ancient Traditions by Dr. Gina M. Miele📲 Follow our guest: Instagram @profgmm🎙️ Hosted by: Viviana Altieri | The Italian Radio Hour❤️ If you love Italy, its history, culture, and extraordinary traditions, subscribe to our channel, like this episode, and share it with fellow Italophiles around the world!Because behind every Italian tradition, there is a story waiting to be told. 🇮🇹✨

🍝❤️ Come for the pasta, stay for the Grannies!What started as one woman's mission to preserve a disappearing culinary tradition has become a worldwide phenomenon, capturing the hearts—and appetites—of millions! 🇮🇹✨🎙️ On this special episode of The Italian Radio Hour, Viviana Altieri welcomes back Vicky Bennison, the brilliant creator of Pasta Grannies, James Beard Award-winning cookbook author, and passionate storyteller behind some of Italy's most beloved home cooks.For over a decade, Vicky has traveled through Italy, stepping into the kitchens of extraordinary grandmothers, documenting not just their recipes, but their stories, wisdom, resilience, and the magic of traditions passed down through generations.❤️ But Pasta Grannies is about so much more than pasta. Some of the remarkable women Vicky filmed are no longer with us, yet their voices, laughter, and flour-dusted hands continue to inspire people around the world. What an extraordinary legacy!📖 We also celebrate Vicky's delicious third cookbook, ** Eat Everything **, a wonderful collection of home-cooked recipes that reminds us that Italian cuisine is rooted in simplicity, resourcefulness, and the joy of sharing a meal.🍅 In this engaging conversation, we explore:✨ The incredible journey of Pasta Grannies and what still inspires Vicky after ten years.👵 The remarkable women whose stories and culinary traditions deserve to be remembered.❤️ The importance of preserving family recipes and passing knowledge from one generation to the next.📚 Eat Everything, Vicky's latest cookbook, and her U.S. book tour.🍝 The evolution of Pasta Grannies, surprising culinary discoveries, and whether Vicky's own pasta-making skills have finally reached Nonna standards!Expect heartwarming stories, delicious discoveries, a sprinkle of British humor, and plenty of Italian amore! ❤️Because the greatest recipes don't just nourish our bodies. They connect generations, preserve memories, and keep our cultural heritage alive.🔗 Discover Pasta Grannies: www.pastagrannies.com🎧 Subscribe to The Italian Radio Hour for more inspiring conversations celebrating Italian culture, traditions, and extraordinary people making a difference around the world.🇮🇹 Buon ascolto e… buon appetito! 🍝❤️#PastaGrannies #EatEverything #VickyBennison #TheItalianRadioHour #ItalianGrandmothers #ItalianCooking #ItalianFood #ItalianCuisine #ItalianTraditions #CulinaryHeritage #NonnaKnowsBest #ItalianCulture #TraditionalRecipes #HomeCooking #FoodAndMemory #ItalianFoodLovers #PreservingTraditions

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - What happens when a musical language born on the streets of New York crosses the Atlantic, finds a new voice in Italy, and then returns to the very place where it all began?And what if that language could do more than entertain? What if it could challenge stereotypes, reclaim identities, and give a voice to those who have too often been unheard?Today on The Italian Radio Hour, we're exploring a side of Italian culture that might surprise you.My guests are Amir Issaa, an award-winning Italian rapper, writer, and educator who grew up in Tor Pignattara, a multicultural neighborhood of Rome, the son of an Italian mother and an Egyptian father and Prof. Clarissa Clo, Chair of Comparative International Studies at San Diego State University.From the graffiti-covered streets of Rome to international universities, from recording studios to classrooms and prisons, Amir has made rap a powerful instrument for expression, education, and social change.And now, he's bringing Italian rap to New York as the creator and artistic director of The Language of Rap, a groundbreaking festival connecting Italian and American hip-hop during the Week of the Italian Language in the World.Music, language, identity, and a remarkable cultural homecoming.#TheItalianRadioHour #AmirIssaa #TheLanguageOfRap #ItalianRap #ItalianHipHop #HipHopCulture #JosephSciorra #ItalianAmericanCulture #RapEducation #PowerOfWords #ItalianCulturalInstitute #NewYorkHipHop #ItalianMusic #CulturalIdentity #ThisIsWhatILiveFor #RapInClasse #FromRomeToNewYork #ItalianLanguageWeekAmir Issaa: https://open.spotify.com/artist/70KwF5p6fS97rw3rQxPht5?si=e21bdaf45cd54442

This week on the Italian Radio Hour - Do you have a parent, grandparent, or great-grandparent whowas born in Italy?Have you ever wondered whether that family connection couldmake you eligible for Italian citizenship — and whether the recent changes tothe law have affected your chances?For millions of Americans, reconnecting with the land of aparent, a grandparent, or even a great-grandparent is deeply personal. Italiancitizenship can be part of that journey — a way to reclaim a connection to yourfamily history, your culture, and the country your ancestors once called home.But Italian citizenship can also open importantopportunities for you and, in some cases, for your children: the ability tolive, work, and study throughout the European Union, access educationalopportunities, and, when applicable, benefit from services such as Italy’shealthcare system.In recent years, however, the rules surrounding Italiancitizenship by descent have changed significantly, leaving many ItalianAmericans asking the same question: Do I still qualify?Today, we are going to try to bring some clarity to what hasbecome a very complicated subject.My guest is attorney Maria Costanza Barducci, whose lawpractice operates on both sides of the Atlantic, with offices in the UnitedStates and in Italy, giving her a unique perspective on the Italian citizenshipprocess from both sides of the ocean.If Italian citizenship is something you have beenconsidering—or if you thought you qualified and are now wondering whether thenew rules have changed everything—this is an episode you do not want to miss.#ItalianCitizenship #DualCitizenship #ItalianAmerican #JureSanguinis #ItalianCitizenshipByDescent #ItalianHeritage #ItalianRoots #ItalianAncestry #ItalianPassport #CitizenshipByDescent #ItalyUSA #ItalianLaw #ItalianImmigrationLaw #ItalianAmericans #ItalianCulture #ItalianIdentity #ReconnectWithItaly #BarducciLaw #TheItalianRadioHour #IstitutoMondoItaliano

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - “My mom left Italy for America. I headed for Sicily and built my own culture.”“In Italy, I learned about my American self.”“Is my daughter Italian-American?”Three sentences. Three questions about identity, belonging, and what happens to us when cultures cross borders and generations.Who are we when we belong to more than one culture?Are we defined by where we were born? By our parents? By the language we speak? By the traditions we keep? Or by the identity we create for ourselves along the way?My two guests is that, in many ways, they have crossed the Atlantic in opposite directions.Anna grew up here in Pittsburgh with Italian roots and eventually moved to Sicily.Cristina grew up in Italy and built her adult life in New York.One went toward Italy.The other went toward America.And somewhere along the way, both began asking new questions about who they are.If you have ever felt caught between two cultures — or lucky enough to belong to both — you don’t want to miss this conversation.For this episode, we really would like to hear your comments on what "identity" means for you!Ready Anna's story at: https://www.publicsource.org/palermo-fulbright-sicilian-american-identity-pittsburgh/Read Cristina's story at: https://www.cartolinedacristina.com/perche-anno-sabbatico.html

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - What happens when a love story becomes a journey into the heart of Italy?In this episode of The Italian Radio Hour, I’m joined by Emmy-nominated, award-winning filmmakers Marylou and Jerome Bongiorno, the husband-and-wife creative team behind Amore nel Sannio, a 35-minute fiction-documentary premiering nationwide on PBS beginning October 1 in celebration of Italian-American Heritage and Culture Month.Together, we travel to Sannio, accompanied also by Maria Nuzzolillo and Dan Stemmer, founders of Vita Villaggi , and actress Isabella Chiantone Mustilli (Cantine Mustilli) to discover a beautiful and often overlooked corner of Campania, where a story inspired by love and marriage unfolds against a landscape of vineyards, ancient traditions, food, family, and deeply rooted connections.Marylou and Jerome take us behind the scenes of the film—how the idea was born, why Sannio became such an important character in the story, and what they discovered about this remarkable part of Italy along the way.It’s a conversation about love, heritage, filmmaking, Italian-American identity, and the unexpected stories waiting to be discovered beyond Italy’s most traveled roads.🎙️ The Italian Radio Hour — Food, Culture & Lifestyle of Italy#TheItalianRadioHour #AmoreNelSannio #Sannio #Campania #DiscoverItaly #ItalianCulture #ItalianAmerican #ItalianHeritage #ItalianCinema #PBS #HiddenItaly #ItalyBeyondThePostcard

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Every family has stories.Some are passed down around the dinner table.Others disappear forever...unless someone decides to go looking for them.Today's guest has spent years helping thousands of people reconnect with their Italian roots, but his own story may be one of the most fascinating of all.His own research began with nothing more than a calling card brought from Italy by his grandmother. That single artifact eventually led him from humble farming families in Puglia to an astonishing noble lineage connected to dukes, princesses, European royalty—and even a pope. Bob Sorrentino is the creator of the internationally followed Italian Roots & Genealogy Podcast, founder of the Italian Genealogy Blog, and author of Farmers & Nobles.Before becoming immersed in genealogy, Bob had an accomplished career as a banker. Today, instead of managing people's money, he's helping people reconnect with something equally important: their real wealth, aka their identity.To learn more about Italian Genealogy, visit: https://italiangenealogy.blog/

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Our guest has spent the last 30 years doing something remarkable: making Italians around the world laugh at themselves.Whether you're in Sydney, Toronto, London, New York, or right here in Pittsburgh, somehow Joe Avati knows your father, your mother, your uncle, your nonna, and that one relative who still won't talk to the family because of something that happened in 1987.Born in Australia to Calabrian parents, Joe has become one of the most successful ethnic comedians in the world, selling out theaters across multiple continents while proving that Italians everywhere share the same stories.And recently, after decades of talking about Calabria on stage, he traveled there to retrace his family's roots in an emotional journey that connected him to the villages his family left behind.Joe Avati will be performing live in Pittsburgh on Sunday, July 26 at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater. If you've ever had an Italian parent, an Italian grandparent, an Italian aunt, or even an Italian neighbor who thought they were your parent, this is a show you won't want to miss.TICKETS: https://kelly-strayhorn.org/events/joeavati/#JoeAvatiLive #ItalianComedy #ItalianDiaspora #PittsburghEvents #Calabrese #ItalianCulture #ItalianCommunity #TheItalianRadioHour

This week on The Italian Radio Hour - Today we're traveling through Italy in a way that most tourists never do—not through famous landmarks or crowded attractions, but through the heart and soul of local communities: Italy's sagre, festivals, historic celebrations, religious processions, and food traditions.Our guest is Katerina Ferrara, travel writer, podcaster, and author of the acclaimed Ultimate Festival and Travel Guide series. For more than twenty-five years, Katerina has explored Italy one festival at a time, documenting everything from centuries-old religious celebrations and medieval reenactments to truffle fairs, wine festivals, and village sagre that preserve traditions passed down through generations. Through her books, podcast, and travels, Katerina helps visitors experience an Italy that exists far beyond Rome, Venice, and Florence—an Italy where entire towns come alive to celebrate their history, their food, their saints, and their identity.#TheItalianRadioHour #KaterinaFerrara #ItalyTravel #ItalianFestivals #Sagre #TravelItaly #ItalianCulture #VisitItaly #HiddenItaly #AuthenticItaly #ItalianTraditions #FoodFestivals #ItalianFood #ItalyPodcast #SlowTravel #CulturalTravel #DiscoverItaly #ItalyLovers #ItalianHeritage #festivaltravel To learn more about Katerina's giudes, visit: https://katerinaferrara.com/

What do Campania, Calabria, Basilicata, and Puglia have in common?Volcanoes. Ancient vines. Greek history. Rugged landscapes. And some of the most extraordinary wines in Italy — wines that, for far too long, have remained overlooked outside their own territories.While much of the wine world continues to focus on Tuscany and Piedmont, Southern Italy has quietly preserved something deeply authentic: indigenous grapes, ancient farming traditions, dramatic volcanic terroir, and a profound connection between wine, culture, and identity.Our guest today has dedicated more than twenty years to documenting that world.Maria Christina Liotta is the author of the newly published Places of Origin: Wines of Southern Italy — Campania, Calabria, Basilicata and Puglia, an extraordinary journey through the vineyards, villages, volcanic slopes, and hidden wine territories of Italy’s South.Through years of travel, hundreds of producer interviews, and visits to all 65 protected wine appellations of Southern Italy, Maria has created one of the most comprehensive explorations ever written on the wines and cultures of the Italian South. Today we’ll explore not only wine, but also the deeper meaning of place, heritage, resilience, and what Southern Italy can still teach us about authenticity in a rapidly globalizing world.#MariaChristinaLiotta#PlacesOfOrigin#WinesOfSouthernItaly#ItalianWine#SouthernItaly#CampaniaWine#CalabriaWine#BasilicataWine#PugliaWine#ItalianCulture#WineStories#ItalianHeritage#Terroir#IndigenousGrapes#VolcanicWine#WineTravel#TheItalianRadioHour#MadeInItaly#ItalianWineCulture#DiscoverSouthernItaly