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PODCAST

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast

Darcy Melton | Nathaniel Mellor

New episodes every Wednesday and Friday! Your guide to Italy travel! Hosts Darcy and Nathaniel—two tourists-turned-locals—offer advice like how to get off the beaten path (like going south), how order coffee like a local (at the bar), and most importantly, where to find authentic Italian food and gelato. Visit Italy with us every week from home or in the car. Whether you’re planning an Italy vacation or looking to move here, Darcy and Nathaniel guide you along the way. Follow us wherever you listen

society & culture places & travel

All Episodes

00:52:34

Off the Beaten Path: Capua's Ancient Amphitheater

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/04/10

We're off the beaten path again in this episode and we're talking about the Amphitheatre of Capua. This amphitheater dates back to the first century BCE and was the site of the first gladiator school. We'll tell you about everything from the massive size a classic shape of the amphitheater that was the model for the Coliseum to the civil war that ultimately destroyed a significant part of it. A lot of the Amphitheatre of Capua still stands and you can visit it today! Check out the

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00:39:35

Off the Beaten Path: Rome's Monte Testaccio

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/04/08

We're back and we're off the beaten path again! Today we're talking about the ancient landfill-turned-mountain of Monte Testaccio in Rome's Testaccio neighborhood. What awaits you at the top are beautiful views of Rome, the sense of accomplishment that you've scaled a pile of trash, and underfoot—all along the way—you'll see carefully broken pottery, neatly stacked and placed to create paths, walls, and the entirety of the mountain you're standing on. To book and for more

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00:44:28

Siena Revisited: What to Eat and What to See

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/04/03

In this episode we're continuing our revisit of Siena. We run a little long on talking about what to eat, but if you've listened to this podcast before, then you know that's nothing new! If you're new here, "welcome!" we love food and talk about it a lot. We also talk about some of the major sites to see in Siena and few off the beaten path ones as well. If you're looking for more info about the sites we mention in this episode, you can check out their official links

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00:38:19

Siena Revisited: Getting There, Getting Around, Where...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/04/01

We last talked about Siena almost 2 years ago, so we thought what better to talk about during this rainy period than a city famously under the Tuscan sun? In this episode, we go over the basics of getting there on trains, buses, or by car, getting around (mostly walking in historic center), and the best neighborhoods to stay in. If you're looking for hotels in Siena, you can check out our hotel recommendations below. These are affiliate links and if you book through them we receive a small

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00:27:54

Headlines: Hep A in Naples, Unrelated Explosions in...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/27

Today's episode is a sort of kitchen sink of news. We're talking about some things happening in Italy that may seem worrying from the Hepatitis A outbreak in Naples to two unrelated explosions in Rome. We also have an update on the Teatro Sannazaro after the fire and we'll take a look at rising gas prices. In happy news, Only a Bag is having a glow-up! We'll be changing our name to "The Italy Travel Podcast" as well as our podcast cover art in about 4 weeks. Plus we started a Patreon! To learn more

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00:38:37

Headlines: Upcoming Strikes and the Constitutional...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/25

In this episode we're talking about upcoming strikes at the end of March through April 2026. Listed below are links for more information on strikes from official websites. We're also talking abut the recent Constitutional Referendum that has been the talk-of-the-town (and country) in the last week. We'll give you a brief explainer on what it was and how it has affected Italy. In other headline news, we will be changing our name to "The Italy Travel Podcast"! We're doing our

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00:32:42

Fireside Chat: Name Change, New Patreon, and the...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/25

How else to better announce a name change (and minor updates) than an episode dedicated to it?That's right, a name change! In 4~ weeks, on April 22nd (Earth day, woohoo!) we will officially change our name to "The Italy Travel Podcast". But before we did so, we wanted everyone to have a chance to familiarize themselves with the new name, check out this episode, and even offer their feedback if there's something we missed! You can check out our Patreon here

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00:44:40

Cilento: The Medieval City of Teggiano

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/20

This week we're in the Cilento, on Wednesday we talked about the Certosa di San Lorenzo di Padula, today we're talking about the medieval town of Teggiano.In this episode, we're talking about everything from Teggiano's origins in the 11th century and the drama filled Conspiracy of the Barons in the 15th century to the city's modern day charm. We'll also tell you about the practicalities of getting there. We're in southern Italy where public transportation is limited, but

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00:41:59

Cilento: Certosa di San Lorenzo di Padula

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/18

NOTE: Our original upload had Nathaniel talking over himself—a cut audio part that never got cut, apparently! As of 13:20GMT we've updated the episode. If around the 9~minute mark you hear Nathaniel talking over himself, you might need to re-download the episode. Sorry for the confusion, everyone!This week we're headed back to the Cilento to talk about two fairly "hidden" locations that should be on anyone's southern Italian tour: the Certosa di Padula and the town of Teggiano

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00:31:14

Off the Beaten Path: Where Escher Meets Dalí in...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/13

We're continuing the theme of "Architectural Madness" in this episode as part of our second installment of our Off the Beaten Path series. Today we're talking about La Scarzuola, a castle-like sculpture garden and architectural complex in Umbria. If you'd like to visit La Scarzuola, you can make reservations and read more about it at lascarzuola.com. If you're looking to stay in a small town near La Scarzuola, we recommend these hotels:Hotel Vannucci in Città della

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00:40:39

Off the Beaten Path: A Blend of Styles in Emilia-Romagna

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/11

It's our second installment of our Off the Beaten Path series and in this episode we're talking about Architectural Madness. In particular, the Rocchetta Mattei. A fever dream mash-up of Moorish, Italian Art Nouveau, and Medieval styles in a 19th century mountaintop castle between Bologna and Florence. What started out as a dream and a sanatorium became a life-long project, and then a second life-long project. As mentioned in the episode, Rocchetta Mattei is reachable from Florence and

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00:41:47

Paestum: Getting Around and What to See

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/06

Today we're continuing our discussion about Paestum. We're talking about all of the cool things you can visit including three greek temples, a museum, an ancient neighborhood, sacred sites, and a Roman forum. Plus we'll get into the practicalities of getting there and getting tickets. You can find more information on the park and buy tickets on the official Paestum and Velia website. If you're looking to book a hotel in or around Paestum, we recommend the hotels below. There are

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00:29:59

Hidden Temples of the South: Paestum

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/03/04

In this episode, Nathaniel gives us the briefest of histories on this ancient site located in the region of Campania in southern Italy. From early tribes like the Enotrians and Greek settlers from Sybaris to the Grand Tour and WWII, Paestum has endured and served many purposes through thousands of years. We'll tell you all you need to know before you go. You can find more information on the park and buy tickets on the official Paestum and Velia ⁠website⁠. If you're looking to book a hotel in

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00:35:08

Headlines: Re-opened Terrace in Rome, the Gardens of...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/27

In this epsiode we talk about some newly opened sights, the Belvedere Antonio Cederna, a public terrace in Rome with a panoramic view of the Colosseum and the Garden if Ninfa, an English-style garden in Cisterna di Latina, a town south of Rome. We also discuss the renovations that will be ongoing at Giotto's Bell Tower in Florence and at the Teatro Sannazaro in the Chiaia neighborhood of Naples. Plus we talk about the collapse of the "Lover's Arch" near Lecce and some new metro stops in Rome. If

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00:30:30

Headlines: Strikes, Cancelled Strikes, Global Entry

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/25

We're back with headlines and today we're jumping straight into the important bits: strikes in the rest of February and March! Likewise, we also wanted to mention the recent news that the United States has suspended Global entry but only for the United States, not for everywhere. So if you're still planning on purchasing or using Global Entry for Italy, you can do so! *Edit: We realized that Mr. Snuffleupagus is from Sesame Street and "heffalumps" are from Winnie the Pooh

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01:10:15

The Rise of Access to Travel as it Relates to...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/20

In this episode we're continuing our conversation about overtourism. Why are there so many tourists? Can we, as tourists, do anything to curb the problems? Why do many locals want more restrictions or bans on short-term vacation rentals? We'll answer those questions and talk about how the problems with over tourism can be solved and who can solve them.In this episode we talked about the Venice Entry fee and how it's affected tourism. You can check out Darcy's article "⁠What is

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00:52:07

The Four Pillars of Overtourism and Venice as a Case...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/18

This week we're talking about overtourism. Yes, we've talked about overtourism before, but we wanted to do a bit of a deep dive. Is this just a buzz word thrown around, or does it actually mean something? Is it getting worse, or is it just something news outlets say in order to get clicks? And most importantly, who is at fault, and is it the tourists themselves?So strap in! In today's episode we're breaking down what "overtourism" means, what contributes to it, and why

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00:36:19

Off the Beaten Path: The Alchemist's Door in Rome and...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/13

As part of our new series, which we'll be doing one week per month, we're talking about an off the beaten path site in Rome and several in Turin. Because this episode publishes on Friday the 13th, we thought we'd talk about something a little otherworldly: alchemy and magic! First we'll tell you the tale of the Alchemist's Door in Rome and where to find it. Then we're talking about Turin, it's mythical alchemical caves and where to find the so called "centers of

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00:29:53

Off the Beaten Path: The Pyramid of Cestius in Rome

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/11

We're starting a new series called "Off the Beaten Path." This is our first episode of the series and we're talking about the pyramid of Cestius in Rome. If you've been to Rome, you might have seen it and wondered why there's a pyramid in the middle of the city. Well, wonder no longer! We'll also briefly talk about the cemetery for non-Catholics in Rome and where the steps of the Vatican came from. To see when the pyramid of Cestius is open to the

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00:50:07

Common Scams and Things That Are Not Scams in Italy:...

Only A Bag - An Italy Travel Podcast ·

2026/02/06

We're continuing our discussion about common scams you may encounter on your trip to Italy. In this episode we're talking about scams you may encounter on transportation, on buses and in taxis as well as when purchasing tickets. We're also talking about things that may seem likes scams but actually are not. We'll answer questions like "All of the Italians are staring at me. Is that normal?" and "The hotel asked me to pay the city tax in cash, was that a scam?" As

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