About Italy Answered: Your Guide to Authentic Italian Experiences
Welcome to "Italy Answered," the official podcast of Live in Italy Magazine. Hosted by Lisa Morales, we explore Italy's culture, art, food, wine, and travel tips. Each episode features "Chat with an Expat," where Lisa interviews those who’ve made Italy their home and native Italians building bridges between Italy and the English-speaking world. Whether you're planning a trip or dreaming of living in Italy, tune in for inspiration and insights to connect with Italy like a local. Subscribe now and immerse yourself in the Italian lifestyle!
Why We Return to Our Roots: Marco Toscano of We Are Paesani
What draws us back to a place our ancestors left generations ago?
In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales speaks with Marco Toscano, co-founder of We Are Paesani, about migration, genealogy, and the powerful connection between family history and place.
Born and raised in Cosenza, Calabria, Marco traces the inspiration for We Are Paesani to his own family. One branch left Calabria for Argentina in the early 1900s, while another established new roots in the United States. Decades later, descendants of the Rizzo family returned to Calabria searching for the places their ancestors had left behind—an encounter that helped inspire Marco and his brother’s work reconnecting descendants of Italian emigrants with their origins.
Their free digital archive is only part of that journey. For Marco, genealogical research can lead to something more personal: walking the streets where an ancestor once lived, entering the church where they were baptized or married, hearing a familiar dialect, or visiting a family cemetery. These experiences create what he describes as a true “sense of place.”
In this conversation, we explore:
How Marco’s own family migration stories inspired We Are Paesani
Calabria’s long history of emigration
Searching for Southern Italian ancestors through genealogy
Why returning to an ancestral village can complete the research journey
The connection between dialect, community, memory, and identity
How churches, cemeteries, and everyday places bring family history to life
Why Marco believes the desire to return to our roots is innate
The parallels between historic Italian emigration and young Italians leaving today
Why interest in family history often deepens later in life
How understanding the past can give us a stronger foundation for the future
Read the full article and follow along with the edited English transcript: [ARTICLE LINK]
We’d love to hear your feedback. Email us at lisa@liveinitalymag.com
26 Sept 2026
Why Italy Feels Like Home: Angela Isherwood on Heritage & Travel
What makes Italy feel like home—even when you weren't born there?
In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales speaks with Angela Isherwood, founder of Olive & Atlas Travel Design, about Italian American heritage, family traditions, and how a lifelong connection to Italy eventually shaped her approach to travel.
Raised in Milwaukee in an Italian American family with roots in Sicily, Naples, and Calabria, Angela grew up with traditions centered on food, family, and time spent together. When she first visited Italy as a teenager, traveling south toward Sorrento stirred an unexpected feeling: she had arrived home.
Today, that connection influences the bespoke journeys she creates through Olive & Atlas. For Angela, meaningful travel isn't about checking destinations off a list. It's about slowing down, understanding Italy's distinct regions, connecting with local people, and having the freedom to be fully present.
In this conversation, we explore:
• Growing up Italian American and carrying traditions forward
• Why Southern Italy immediately felt like home• What “bespoke” and “luxury” really mean in travel
• Experiencing famous destinations without sacrificing authenticity• The reality behind la dolce vita
• Why Italy's regional identities matter• What travelers can bring home from Italy beyond souvenirs
• Passing Italian heritage on to the next generation• Angela's vision for Olive & Atlas and traveling deeper in Italy
Read the full article and follow along with the edited transcript: www.liveinitalymag.com
We'd love to hear your feedback.
Email us at lisa@liveinitalymag.com
15 Jul 2026
Trading Burnout for Balance: Dustin & Luigi's Move from Canada to Italy
What happens when you trade the fast pace of city life for a slower rhythm by the Adriatic Sea?
In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales speaks with Dustin Cox and Luigi Albanese, a creative couple who left Toronto in 2024 to begin a new chapter in Abruzzo, one of Italy's most up-and-coming regions for those seeking a different quality of life.
After years of balancing demanding careers in Canada, they found themselves longing for something more meaningful: time, creativity, community, and a closer connection to family. Today, they're navigating the realities of everyday life in Italy while building careers, learning the language, and dreaming of opening an artistic B&B that celebrates the culture and beauty of Abruzzo.
With their move still fresh, Dustin and Luigi offer an honest perspective on the excitement—and challenges—of relocating to Italy, from bureaucracy and learning Italian to discovering why slowing down has become one of life's greatest rewards.
In this conversation, we explore:
• Why they decided to move from Canada to Italy
• Choosing Abruzzo over Italy's more well-known regions
• Learning Italian and navigating Italian bureaucracy
• Finding community in a small town near Pescara
• How a slower lifestyle has transformed their creativity
• Their vision for an artistic B&B showcasing authentic Abruzzo
• Why Dustin prefers the term "immigrant" over "expat"
Read the full article and follow along with the edited transcript: https://liveinitalymag.com/trading-burnout-for-balance-why-two-creatives-chose-life-in-abruzzo/ (https://liveinitalymag.com/trading-burnout-for-balance-why-two-creatives-chose-life-in-abruzzo/)
We'd love to hear your feedback.
Email us at lisa@liveinitalymag.com
Who has been a guest on Italy Answered: Your Guide to Authentic Italian Experiences
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Marco Bersani
Danilo Romolini
Sara Vezza
Elizabeth Graceffo
Risa
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 32 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
64
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
0
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