Italy Answered: Your Guide to Authentic Italian Experiences

Italian Heritage in Canada | Daniela Sfara on Identity, Tradition & Slow Food

What does Italian heritage mean to newer generations growing up outside of Italy? In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales speaks with Daniela Sfara, founder of Italus, about preserving Italian culture, regional identity, artisanal traditions, and intergenerational storytelling in Canada. Raised between Toronto and Calabria, Daniela grew up immersed in both Italian and multicultural Canadian life. Today, through culinary experiences, digital storytelling, and cultural education, she helps younger generations reconnect with Italy beyond stereotypes and surface-level tourism. Released during Italian Heritage Month in Canada, this conversation explores the evolving relationship between Italy and the Italian diaspora while reflecting on the traditions, dialects, recipes, and values that continue to shape generations of Canadians with Italian roots. In this conversation, we explore: • Growing up between Toronto and Calabria • The importance of dialect and regional identity • Why younger generations are reconnecting with Italy • Slow Food philosophy and cultural preservation • Food as memory, identity, and community • The evolution of Italian heritage in Canada • Building Italus through storytelling and culinary experiences Daniela also reflects on how traditions continue evolving across generations while remaining deeply connected to family, place, and community. Read the full article and transcript: https://liveinitalymag.com/category/italy-answered/ Follow Daniela Sfara and Italus: Instagram: @danielasfara Instagram: @italus.patrimonio Website: danielasfara.com Follow Daniela Sfara and Italus: Instagram: @danielasfara Instagram: @italus.patrimonio Website: danielasfara.com

Raising a Family in Italy | Charlotte Fortier-Mutzl’s Life in Sardegna

What does it really look like to leave North America behind and raise a family in Italy? In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales speaks with Charlotte Fortier-Mutzl, the Canadian creator behind American Mom in the Med, about her journey from Quebec and Florida to a new life in Sardegna (Sardinia). What began as a solo backpacking trip through Europe eventually led Charlotte to Rome, where she met her husband before later relocating to Sardegna to build a slower and more intentional family life surrounded by nature, community, and the sea. Today, Charlotte shares her experiences raising bilingual children in Italy, navigating entrepreneurship abroad, embracing Sardinian culture, and documenting daily life through social media and her new podcast, Passport to Pasta. In this conversation, we explore: • Moving from Canada to Italy • Raising bilingual children in Sardegna (Sardinia) • Why Charlotte left Rome for island life • The realities of building businesses abroad • Blue Zone living and slower family rhythms • What makes Sardegna different from the rest of Italy • Creating a sense of home abroad For anyone dreaming about raising a family in Italy or starting over in a new country, Charlotte’s story is both inspiring and refreshingly honest. Read the full article and transcript: https://liveinitalymag.com/category/chat-with-an-expat/ [https://liveinitalymag.com/category/chat-with-an-expat/] Follow Charlotte Fortier-Mutzl: Instagram: @americanmominthemed Podcast: @passporttopasta We’d love to hear your feedback. Email us at lisa @ liveinitalymag.com

Chat with Nicolangelo Gelormini | La Gioia & Italian Cinema

In this special on-location episode of “Italy Answered,” the podcast edition of Live in Italy Magazine, we speak with Italian director Nicolangelo Gelormini at the Miami Film Festival about his film “La Gioia.” Blending architecture, emotional storytelling, and contemporary Italian cinema, “La Gioia” explores themes of love, illusion, manipulation, and the human desire to feel seen. In this bilingual conversation, Gelormini discusses: • his transition from architecture to filmmaking • the emotional concept of “diseducazione sentimentale” • the meaning behind Gioia’s character • contemporary Italian society and relationships • and presenting the film to an international audience in Miami The interview is presented in Italian with English questions and subtitles available in the video version. Read the accompanying article:https://liveinitalymag.com/cinema-as-encounter-la-gioia-and-the-emotional-architecture-of-italian-film/ [https://liveinitalymag.com/cinema-as-encounter-la-gioia-and-the-emotional-architecture-of-italian-film/] Thank you to Nicolangelo Gelormini, the Miami Film Festival, and the Istituto Italiano di Cultura Miami. Photos & B-roll Courtesy of The Miami Film Festival (film stills by the La Gioia production team.)

Moving to Italy Solo: Stefanie Reilly’s Leap at 40

What does it really take to move to Italy on your own later in life? In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales speaks with Stefanie Reilly, an Italian-Australian communications professional who made the bold decision to move to Italy solo shortly after turning 40. What began as a personal journey to reconnect with her Italian heritage eventually led Stefanie to build a new life in Lecce, in the region of Puglia, and launch To Italy and Back, a relocation service helping others navigate Italian citizenship, visas, and the realities of starting over in another country. Stefanie shares what it was like to leave a successful career in Australia, face the complexities of Italian bureaucracy, and arrive in southern Italy without knowing anyone. In this conversation, we explore: • Moving to Italy as a single woman • Navigating the citizenship process • Why Lecce in Puglia became home • Building friendships and community abroad • The emotional and practical realities of relocating later in life For women considering a new chapter in Italy, Stefanie’s story is both inspiring and refreshingly honest. Read the full article and transcript: https://liveinitalymag.com/moving-to-italy-solo-at-40-chat-with-stefanie-reilly/ [https://liveinitalymag.com/moving-to-italy-solo-at-40-chat-with-stefanie-reilly/] We’d love to hear your feedback. Email us at lisa @ liveinitalymag.com

Sara Digiesi on Sustainable Hospitality and Leadership in Italy

In this episode of Italy Answered, Lisa Morales sits down with Sara Digiesi, Chief Executive Officer of BWH Hotels Italy & South-East Europe, for a conversation on sustainable hospitality, women’s leadership, and Italy’s evolving role on the global stage. From her roots in southern Italy to leading nearly 185 properties across the country, Sara shares her journey through marketing, distribution, sustainability, and executive leadership. She explains what ESG truly means in hospitality, why “net positive hospitality” requires giving back more than you take, and how leadership must extend beyond profit to people and place. Together, they discuss: ● What hospitality leadership in Italy looks like today ● The meaning of “net positive hospitality” ● Supporting autistic guests, families, and inclusive travel ● Sustainable growth beyond traditional tourism models ● The evolution of boutique and experiential luxury travel ● What women bring to executive leadership roles ● The emotional experience of carrying the Olympic torch This episode is part of the Chat with an Expert series and is presented alongside a full, follow-along transcript on Live in Italy Magazine — ideal for readers who prefer to listen and read together. 🎧 Listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts 📖 Read the full transcript on Live in Italy Magazine [https://liveinitalymag.com/sara-digiesi-on-sustainable-hospitality-womens-leadership-and-what-festa-della-donna-means-today/] 💛 Support independent storytelling on Patreon