Venice Talks

About Venice Talks

🎙️ Venice Talks — Voices, stories, and secrets from the world’s most fascinating city. Hosted by Monica Cesarato, Venetian author, podcaster, and culinary guide, the show explores the real Venice through the people who shape it — artisans, chefs, historians, dreamers, and custodians of tradition. Each conversation reveals a side of Venice rarely seen: authentic, creative, and deeply human. Whether you are exploring the lagoon or simply dreaming from afar, Venice Talks invites you to listen, learn, and fall in love with Venice — one story at a time. 📍New episodes weekly. 🎧 Tune in and discover the soul of Venice through its voices.

Publisher

Monica Cesarato

Category

education · leisure · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Aug 2022

Latest episode

15 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

122 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   15 Oct 2026

   S4 Ep.18 - Inside Venice Noir: Crime Writing Comes to Venice

   In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica sits down with Gregory Dowling, Philip Gwynne Jones and David Hewson, the three writers behind Venice Noir, Venice’s international festival dedicated to crime writing, noir and the darker side of storytelling. What began as an ambitious literary idea has grown into a distinctive festival bringing together Italian and international authors, historians, journalists and readers in the heart of Venice. We talk about how Venice Noir has evolved, how the programme is shaped, the relationship between Italian crime writing and the international noir scene and what happens when three crime writers have to agree on what actually belongs in a noir festival. There is also plenty of discussion about growth, identity, literary festivals, dream guests and, inevitably, a little friendly disagreement. Key Notes from This Episode How Venice Noir has evolved from an idea into an international literary festival The role of Italian authors within an international programme The relationship between Italian giallo and English-language crime fiction How Gregory, Philip and David choose writers, themes and events How broad the definition of “noir” can really become The festival’s relationship with the international crime-writing world What organising a literary festival teaches writers about being guests themselves How the three founders balance different tastes and ideas The challenges of growing while keeping the festival intimate The authors they would love to invite in the future A conversation about books, murder, Venice and the dark literary creature that Gregory Dowling, Philip Gwynne Jones and David Hewson continue to shape year after year. If you enjoy Venice Talks, follow the podcast and subscribe on your favourite platform so you never miss a new episode. And if you enjoyed this conversation, share it with someone who loves Venice, books and a good mystery. Remember to follow and subscribe to Venice Talks so you never miss a new conversation with the people who make Venice the extraordinary, complex and endlessly fascinating city it is. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in. ✨ Credits: Hosted by Monica Cesarato Produced by Monica Cesarato (https://www.monicacesarato.com/blog/), Vivace Media (https://vivacenetwork.com/) Guest: Gregory Dowling, Philip Gwynne Jones and David Hewson From Venice Noir (https://venicenoir.com/en/) If you love hearing the voices of Venice, subscribe and leave a review — it helps others discover these stories too. 💌 Want to share your own Venice? Send me a short audio clip (1 minutes max) telling me what you loved most about the city — at info@monicacesarato.com.

2. 

   8 Oct 2026

   S4 Ep.17 - The Forgotten Women of Venice with History of Venice Podcast

   In this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with Simon and Jess from The History of Venice Podcast about the women who lived, worked and helped shape Venice across the centuries. Moving beyond the better-known stories of noblewomen and courtesans, the conversation explores what everyday life was really like for Venetian women from different levels of society. From work and family life to money, independence, marriage and social expectations, Simon and Jess bring to light the stories of women whose contribution to Venice has often remained in the background. The episode also looks at lesser-known female figures, the kinds of jobs women carried out and what historical records can reveal about their lives. A fascinating journey into another side of Venetian history: the city seen through the experiences of its women. Show Key Notes Simon and Jess from The History of Venice Podcast on telling the story of Venice through the people who lived it. Lesser-known women whose stories deserve a place alongside Venice’s more famous female figures. What everyday life looked like for women from different social classes. The jobs and trades carried out by Venetian women. Women as artisans, shopkeepers, servants, market sellers and workers. Money, property and the economic independence available to women. Marriage, widowhood and the options open to women outside traditional family structures. The differences between the lives of noblewomen and working women. Women from Venice’s different communities and backgrounds. What archives, legal records and other historical sources can tell us about women’s lives. How women contributed to the economic and social life of the Venetian Republic. Why so many of these stories have remained less visible in traditional accounts of Venetian history. Tune in for a journey beyond the familiar names and discover the women whose work, choices and everyday lives were part of the fabric of Venice. Listen now and subscribe to Venice Talks for more stories about Venice, its history, its people and its culture. And remember to follow and subscribe to Venice Talks so you never miss a new conversation with the people who make Venice the extraordinary, complex and endlessly fascinating city it is. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in. ✨ Credits: Hosted by Monica Cesarato Produced by Monica Cesarato (https://www.monicacesarato.com/blog/), Sentire Media (https://www.sentiremedia.com/) Guest: Simon & Jess from History of Venice Podcast (https://histvenicepod.podbean.com/) If you love hearing the voices of Venice, subscribe and leave a review — it helps others discover these stories too. 💌 Want to share your own Venice? Send me a short audio clip (1 minutes max) telling me what you loved most about the city — at info@monicacesarato.com.

3. 

   20 Aug 2026

   S4 Ep.16 - The Drinking Culture of Venice - A chat with Susan L. Schwartz

   n this episode of Venice Talks, Monica speaks with drinks writer, podcaster and author Susan L. Schwartz about her new book, A Guide to Drinking in Venice. Venice is a city where drinking is never just about what is in the glass. It is about ritual, place, history and the people behind the bar. Susan takes us through the research and stories behind the book, from traditional bacari and Venetian drinking habits to cocktails, wine, coffee and the changing bar scene of the city. We also talk about what surprised her while researching the book, how Venice’s drinking culture differs from what visitors often expect and why understanding where and how Venetians drink can reveal so much about the city itself. Key Notes from This Episode How the idea for A Guide to Drinking in Venice began What inspired Susan to dedicate an entire book to Venice’s drinking culture The research behind the book and the people she met along the way Why Venice is about much more than just Spritz Bacari, wine bars, cocktail bars and the different ways of drinking in the city The role of tradition in Venetian drinking culture How Venice’s bar and cocktail scene has evolved in recent years What visitors often misunderstand about drinking in Venice Some of Susan’s favourite discoveries while researching the book How a drink can become a way of understanding the history and identity of a place If you love Venice, food, wine, cocktails and the stories hidden behind everyday Venetian rituals, this is an episode to listen to with a glass in hand. Remember to follow and subscribe to Venice Talks so you never miss a new conversation with the people who make Venice the extraordinary, complex and endlessly fascinating city it is. 🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you tune in. ✨ Credits: Hosted by Monica Cesarato Produced by Monica Cesarato (https://www.monicacesarato.com/blog/), Vivace Media (https://vivacenetwork.com/) Guest: Susan L. Schwartz from A Lush Life Manual (https://alushlifemanual.com/) If you love hearing the voices of Venice, subscribe and leave a review — it helps others discover these stories too. 💌 Want to share your own Venice? Send me a short audio clip (1 minutes max) telling me what you loved most about the city — at info@monicacesarato.com.

Who has been a guest on Venice Talks

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Valeria Boncompagni
• Judi Harvest
• Laura Pritchard
• Cesare Peris
• Antonia Sautter

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

7,034

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

13 ratings

Spotify

4.9 / 5

13 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

64

Social presence

0

YouTube

74

Engagement

85

Contact Venice Talks

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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