Shows
15 with FoscaMinobossi: Made in Florence with Love featuring Monica BonaiutiMinobossi: Made in Florence with Love featuring Monica Bonaiuti “It’s important to give possibilities for conscious buying because nowadays people know very well what's behind an object and they don’t buy it because of a logo but because they want to know what's really behind these two, three pieces of leather. There must be something that gives the buyer a sense of fairness, of being happy to say they bought something which really has value.” Monica Bonaiuti In 1979 two lifelong best friends realized their dream of becoming...2025-05-0945 min
15 with FoscaTime, Again: A digital detox story featuring Sandrine KomTime, Again: A digital detox story - and a new way of being for solopreneurs, leaders, and seekers featuring Sandrine Kom Last month I participated in a retreat led by Sandrine Kom that aimed to transform stressed out superwomen into Zen superwomen. I embraced the opportunity, shut off my phone, and spent a glorious weekend free of it and my other devices. In this week’s episode Sandrine interviews me about how I was feeling before and during the retreat and the many ways the e...2025-05-0256 min
15 with FoscaPivoting for Success featuring Donna ScharnaglA lot of people say, I want to go to Italy, I want to go to Tuscany, I want to live there and then they get here and they're like, oh, I didn't realize it was going to be so hard. Yes it is hard, and a lot of times I just trudged along anyway and I did it and I think it was just the pure positive energy of I'm going to get this done. Donna ScharnaglWhat happens when you truly stumble upon your destiny, when life gives you an opportunity, you seize it and...2025-04-251h 00
15 with FoscaWriting Florence featuring Lori Hetherington and Monica Sharp, The Florence Literary SocietyWriting Florence featuring Lori Hetherington and Monica Sharp, The Florence Literary Society The real value of the Literary Society is that information exchange and sharing. When you sit down at your computer or with your notepad or notebook, it’s a solitary activity,but so many other aspects of writing involve others. Whether it's brainstorming an idea, getting feedback on a first draft, finding a beta reader, or later, when you do move into the publishing sphere, an agent, someone who can help you with marketing and all those other things related to books and publishing ...2025-04-1849 min
15 with FoscaBeauty with a Twist featuring Louise OlkoWhat I look for in my street photography is the expression of people in everyday situations, their stories, something that's got a little twist to it, that's open-ended, so that people can step into a space and finish the story. Louise OlkoJoin me and this week’s guest, Louise Olko, photographer, figurative painter, and sculptor who took the leap just over a decade ago and decided to live out her dream of being an artist in Italy. What has Louise found in Florence? How did she pivot from a c...2025-04-1152 min
15 with FoscaWe Do It Together featuring Chiara TilesiThe repetition of images creates a belief; the ensemble of beliefs creates the cultural DNA of our society. If we change the images we will change the culture. Chiara Tilesi I have long been a fan of Chiara Tilesi and her work and was honored to interview her about her tireless efforts to transform the outdated and discriminatory paradigms prevalent in today's media landscape by producing impactful films, documentaries, TV shows, and new media that empower women. In 2015 Chiara founded, We Do It Together, a nonprofit film production company whose miss...2025-04-0453 min
15 with FoscaEscape with The Sicilian Inheritance featuring Jo PiazzaBestselling author, podcast creator and award-winning journalist, Jo Piazza, on The Sicilian InheritanceJo Piazza’s bestseller, The Sicilian Inheritance, comes out in paperback today and to mark the occasion, I interviewed her about the success of the novel, which has been inspiring readers to travel to Sicily and learn about their Italian roots. If you are looking for a magical, mysterious escape to this eternally enchanting island, look no further, this is the adventure you’ve been waiting for, and Jo’s book and our chat are going to leave you longing to plan y...2025-04-0143 min
15 with FoscaDream Weaver featuring Vittoria ColonnaI am in search of freedom, and it's led me to filmmaking, painting, singing. I've lived many lifetimes already in this lifetime and I'm in the pursuit of happiness, joy and freedom, and trying to understand what it means to be human and a woman and just to be, and sometimes I’ll create a fantastical, colorful, escapist world whether that's in painting or in filmmaking. Vittoria Colonna Occasionally I like to take the podcast to my guests, and I was overjoyed when multi-talented artist Vittoria Colonna, invited me into her studio to record this week’s episod...2025-03-2848 min
15 with FoscaTwin Peaks: Aspen & Abetone featuring Rolando Galli and Rosanna Cirigliano“They share their lives, they go to school, do sports, and have experiences together. Ours learn the customs, traditions, and way of living in the States and theirs learn what we have in here in Italy and in Tuscany especially.” Rolando Galli on the annual student exchange program between sister cities Abetone, Italy and Aspen, Colorado. I have known and loved Abetone, a year-round mountain paradise in Tuscany’s highly poetic, Valley of Light – Val di Luce, since I moved permanently to Italy over a quarter of a century ago. Abetone is a perfect escape: it’s...2025-03-2148 min
15 with FoscaItaly in Vermont featuring Lisa DeNataleItaly in Vermont featuring Lisa DeNatale“A lot of Italian immigrants came to Vermont to work in the granite and marble quarries, and they were actively recruited because they were skilled stone cutters from Carrara and other parts of northern Italy, and they settled in Barre. Many other immigrants followed, and connections and businesses started. They came to work on the railroads, they were fruit and vegetable vendors, and then they opened stores.” I have long had a correspondence with this week’s guest, Lisa DeNatale, President of the V...2025-03-1443 min
15 with FoscaA Renaissance Woman featuring Paola VojnovicI don’t exaggerate when I refer to this week’s guest, Paola Vojnovic, as a Renaissance woman. In addition to being a Renaissance art historian and an authority on culture management, Paola embodies the very spirit of the Renaissance with everything she does, especially with her Studiolo. The studiolo was a sacred inner sanctum for study, contemplation, and discourse inside Renaissance palazzi, and a keystone in the culture of Renaissance humanism. Inspired by it, for the past five years, Paola has been opening up her virtual Studiolo to the world, inviting engaged and curious individuals to take part in t...2025-03-071h 02
15 with FoscaA Seat at the Table featuring Catalin VarelaA SEAT AT THE TABLE featuring Catalin Varela I was studying how different cultures and countries approach gluten-free eating and what sort of impact that has on our quality of life, for example being able to socialize via food with other people. I felt more welcomed and included in Italy than I had ever felt anywhere else which was huge for me. Catalin Varela, The Celiac in Italy My guest this week, Catalin Varela, also known as The Celiac in Italy, has a riveting personal story, one so...2025-02-2854 min
15 with FoscaAn Extraordinary Life featuring Amira MakhloufSeason 4, Episode 2 An Extraordinary Life featuring Amira MakhloufI want to talk to young women leaders, activists looking for their life purpose, women who are facing challenges, who want inspiration, or who are suffering from mental health issues. In this life we all need inspiration, we need tools. That’s why I’m doing this. Amira Makhlouf on the upcoming EXTRAORDINARY SPEAKERS ConferenceWhen you meet Amira Makhlouf it’s impossible not to be inspired by her story and moved to action by the pa...2025-02-2147 min
15 with FoscaIt’s our pleasure! Meet La CLIT, Coffee Literature Inspiration & (sex) Toys featuring Giulia HeuserSeason 4, Episode 1 It’s our pleasure! Meet La CLIT, Coffee Literature Inspiration & (sex) Toysfeaturing Giulia Heuser *Explicit language and content warning*“We need a place where we can evolve, first of all as people, as single individuals, then as a community. La CLIT is an individual journey which is becoming collective.” Giulia Heuser on La CLIT, Coffee Literature Inspiration & (sex) ToysGiulia Heuser and Francesca De Gaudio have been friends since childhood, they were even Girl Scout...2025-02-1458 min
15 with FoscaTravels in Hyper Reality (TV)Travels in Hyper Reality (TV)
featuring Fosca D’Acierno interviewed by Andrew Niklas
Explicit language warning
Today’s special bonus episode features yours truly being interviewed about my adventures in Italian reality tv land by Andrew Niklas, a friend, collaborator, filmmaker, and editor of this podcast.
As many of you already know, I was cast on an Italian reality tv show, Best Weekend, produced by Banijay Italia, that aired last month here in Italy on a major network, NOVE. lt is currently streaming on their webs...2024-12-0141 min
15 with FoscaA Winemaker in Paradise featuring Alyson Morgan“It was just a fascinating time, I was learning so much, and then my eyes were opened to the international side of it when I was working during the harvest in ‘97 at Kendall Jackson. I found out they had a winery in Tuscany and said, that's where I'm going, I'm going to have to try and go there.” Alyson Morgan
This week’s special, full-length episode features Alyson Morgan, winemaker and manager at Podere Capaccia, a 13th century wine estate perched high upon a steep slope in a magical corner of Tuscany’s enchanting Chianti Cla...2024-11-2257 min
15 with FoscaYou have Time: Slow Life Lessons (Part II) featuring Sandrine KomYou have Time: Slow Life Lessons, Part 2
featuring Sandrine Kom
“We need to change our relationship with time because we really see time as our enemy. It's never enough and sometimes we get angry because we know we don't have enough time. We would like to have 30 hours of time and not 16, there is always this frustration. What we can do is repeat to ourselves that we have time, and this daily slowness tool will help you do what you need to do and more.” Sandrine Kom
In pa...2024-11-1530 min
15 with FoscaYou have Time: Slow Life Lessons (Part I) featuring Sandrine KomYou have Time: Slow Life Lessons, Part 1
featuring Sandrine Kom
“We need slowness. We need it to enjoy our life, to enjoy the people who are around us, to avoid misunderstanding, to find harmony with ourselves, to take care of our values. And we also need slowness to take care of our deepest needs.” Sandrine Kom
This week’s guest, Sandrine Kom, believes that slow life is quiet luxury. So much so that it's the motto of her company, SlowLife Coaching and SlowLife Yoga, which embodies an art of living and a philosophy of life...2024-11-0832 min
15 with FoscaFeeding your Soul and Sharing your Craft (Part II) featuring Elia Nichols“I think what’s most important is how you hold yourself. People make immediate assumptions based on it and keep them for a long time. That’s why I decided to do my TED Talk on some small tweaks that can radically change the way people view you and treat you.” Elia Nichols
In this week’s episode with Elia Nichols, we speak at greater length about her recent TED Talk and what she was feeling as she prepared for this milestone event – after having professionally coached TEDx speakers for over two years – and once she was finally on that stage.
E...2024-11-0133 min
15 with FoscaFeeding Your Soul and Sharing Your Craft (Part I) featuring Elia Nichols“Nowadays we have 7 seconds to get the audience’s attention. It used to be 5 minutes. With the advent of social media, with all the swiping, our attention span has gone down to 7 seconds. If you don't get your audience’s attention in 7 seconds, that's it, they're gone.” Elia Nichols
Join me for the first part of my informative and lively chat with my charming guest, Elia Nichols, actress, public speaking and communication coach, TEDx speaker, and fellow US expat in Florence.
We begin with Elia’s story about what led her to F...2024-10-2526 min
15 with FoscaApproaching Dante Inferno to Paradise (Part II) Featuring Riccardo BruscagliApproaching Dante
Inferno to Paradise, part 2
Featuring Riccardo Bruscagli
“Dante addresses the core of our humanity and his message is your life matters. Take care of it. Your life matters.” Riccardo Bruscagli
Last week Professor Riccardo Bruscagli delighted us with his reading of and reflections on The Divine Comedy, led us on a discovery of the poet’s masterpiece,and invited us into the world of the PBS two-part documentary film Dante: Inferno to Paradise directed by Ric Burns and co-written by Bruscagli and Burns.
In today’s episode, we dig de...2024-10-1835 min
15 with FoscaApproaching Dante: Inferno to Paradise (Part I) Featuring Riccardo BruscagliApproaching Dante
Inferno to Paradise, part 1
Featuring Riccardo Bruscagli
“Dante at a certain point wakes up, looks around, and doesn’t recognize the physical and the moral landscape around him. This is a moment of fracture in his existence, and it is a moment of fracture which implies naturally not only his private life, but the life around him, which makes no sense anymore.” Riccardo Bruscagli
What a pleasure to sit down with Riccardo Bruscagli, Professor Emeritus of Italian Literature, University of Florence, to discuss the one and only, Dante Alighieri, and, more specifically the riveting two-part documentary film Dante...2024-10-1138 min
15 with FoscaunPINNED! A Wine Revolution (Part II) featuring Savannah Boylan & Ashwin Muthiah“A bottle of wine represents culture and history and language and people, and my love affair for wine has come from getting to know the story behind every wine that I taste. I think that is just magic, that's the magic of wine.” Savannah Boylan
This week’s episode takes us on an even more profound journey into the wonderful world of wine in the expert hands of Savannah Boylan and Ashwin Muthiah of unPINNED.
In addition to speaking more about their innovative approach to wine education, they offer us some...2024-10-0431 min
15 with FoscaunPINNED! A Wine Revolution (Part I) featuring Savannah Boylan & Ashwin MuthiahSeason 3, Episode 17
unPINNED! A Wine Revolution
featuring Savannah Boylan & Ashwin Muthiah
“Wine has brought people together since its invention 8,000 years ago. F*** the industry that’s using wine to drive people apart.” Ashwin Muthiah, unPINNED
It’s the height of harvesting season here in Italy so what better time to tune in to my chat with Savannah Boylan and Ashwin Muthiah, who, with unPINNED, an unconventional wine course and innovative venture, are diffusing wine education and knowledge in a relatable...2024-09-2730 min
15 with FoscaRiding the Tide in Venice featuring Julia CurtisSeason 3, Episode 16
Riding the Tide in Venice
featuring Julia Curtis
“I think that there's an etiquette that every tourist that travels the world should have. And I think that there's a conscientiousness that cities like Venice or Florence, that are really unique in the world, need to step back and say, how do we have more sustainable tourism?” Julia Curtis
In this special, long episode, recorded via Zoom this past May, Julia Curtis and I converse about her personal and professional journey from Berkeley California to Veni...2024-09-191h 03
15 with FoscaFashioner of the Law: Craftsmanship, Luxury & Made in Italy (Part II) featuring Claudia Del ReSeason 3, Episode 15
Fashioner of the Law: Craftsmanship, Luxury & Made in Italy, Part 2
featuring Claudia Del Re
Last week Attorney Claudia Del Re and I touched on how to protect one’s creations, intellectual property, and the world of luxury. In this episode we dig deeper into the above and reflect further upon the future of fashion and fashion beyond Italy.
We also discuss cultural property law and the implications that reproductions of great Italian masterpieces, like Botticelli’s Venus and Michelangelo’s David, have in light of...2024-09-1323 min
15 with FoscaFashioner of the Law: Craftsmanship, Luxury & Made in Italy featuring Claudia Del Re“A lawyer is not just the one who is going to defend you in court but is also a kind of guide that pushes you in the correct way, to enhance and to explore your ideas. That is exactly my role in the context of beauty.” Claudia Del Re
In this first part of my conversation with Claudia Del Re, she shares with us why she thinks she’s one of the luckiest lawyers ever, defining herself as the “attorney of beauty”.
Claudia brings us into her world and illustrates the work that she does by offering...2024-09-0628 min
15 with FoscaVote from Abroad! Featuring Leyani Redditi & Jane ZalogaWhether you are a first time voter, a seasoned one, or are voting from abroad for the first time, you will not want to miss this special episode of 15 with Fosca, featuring special guests, Leyani Redditi and Jane Zaloga, respectively Chair and Vice Chair of Central Italy for Democrats Abroad.
If you are a US citizen living abroad you can vote and this podcast episode gives you a simple, step by step non-partisan guide to what you need to do to make your voice heard by casting your vote by Tuesday, November 5.
B...2024-09-0245 min
15 with FoscaBetween the Lines: The Art & Science of Translation (Part II) Featuring Miriam Hurley“Another way, in addition to Speakeasy, which I really suggest that worked for me is doing an activity that people who are like minded might do. That's the best way to build community because everyone's looking for it. It's one of those ironies of modern life that people feel disconnected and lonely, but we all have the same needs.” Miriam Hurley, on finding community in Florence.
In the second part of my conversation with cer Miriam Hurley we go beyond the intricacies of her métier and talk about making connections and finding community.
2024-08-3023 min
15 with FoscaBetween the Lines: The Art & Science of Translation (Part I) Featuring Miriam Hurley“Even if you've done it for 24 years, every translation, almost every sentence, is a challenge, and that's what makes it fun.” Miriam Hurley
It was such a treat to sit down with Miriam Hurley to discuss her path to Italy, why she came and stayed, the ins and outs, and challenges and rewards of her more than two decades of experience as an American Translators Association certified Italian to English translator.
Join us for the first part of our conversation which traces Miriam’s path from Oregon to Florence and looks into the life in Italy th...2024-08-2324 min
15 with FoscaOn Finding Joy and Living Life in Balance (Part II) Featuring Eleanor Walker“From my experience, there's a very different attitude towards careers here; generally speaking, your job doesn't define you. Whenever I speak to Italians, they never ask that as their first question, it’s never ‘what do you do,’ or ‘what's your job’? They're more interested in the life that you live around your job, which is a great thing, it's very commendable, so different from the way we are, so different.” Eleanor Walker
Join us this week for part two of my chat with Eleanor Walker, art historian and British expat living in Florence, Italy.
2024-08-1631 min
15 with FoscaOn finding joy and living life in balance (Part I) Featuring Eleanor Walker“My plan was to stay in Italy until I was due to go back to work on the 1st of November, because that was when the furlough scheme was due to end. So, I thought, ok, fine, I'm going to stay. I don't need to be back in London, I'm going to stay here. I'll take some Italian classes, visit some museums, live a life of leisure in Italy because why not?” Eleanor Walker
In the summer of 2020, in the midst of the global pandemic, Eleanor Walker, an art historian originally from the UK, took...2024-08-0932 min
15 with FoscaIl Mentoring: Ascolto, Riflessione & Fiducia (Part II) Featuring Matteo PerchiazziRegistrato il 12 Marzo 2024 a Musikalmente Firenze
“Chi di noi non si è trovato in una situazione di incertezza, sfiducia, incapacità di decidere, non vedere la strada, non riuscire a capire? Quali sono le cose per cui vale la pena impegnarsi? Chi di noi non si è trovato mai in una situazione di questo genere?” Matteo Perchiazzi
In questa seconda parte della mia conversazione con Matteo Perchiazzi continuiamo ad affrontare temi legati al ruolo cruciale che il mentoring ha in tutti gli aspetti della nostra vita, dalla scuola ai nostri percorsi personali e professionali. Quindi dedichiamo anco...2024-08-0228 min
15 with FoscaIl Mentoring: Ascolto, Riflessione & Fiducia (Part I) Featuring Matteo PerchiazziIl Mentoring: Ascolto, Riflessione & Fiducia, Part 1
Featuring Matteo Perchiazzi
Registrato il 12 Marzo 2024 a Musikalmente Firenze
“La metodologia del mentoring da costrutto, proprio come base iniziale, fa sì che il Mentor metta a disposizione la propria esperienza non solo professionale, ma anche di vita.” Matteo Perchiazzi
Oggi giorno sentiamo tanto parlare di mentoring ma che cos’è realmente e che importanza ha il mentoring nelle nostre vite professionali, scolastiche e personali?
In questa prima parte della mia conversazione con Matteo Perchiazzi, Fondatore della Società...2024-07-2628 min
15 with FoscaAsk Fosca! Listener Questions Answered featuring Mark ScottWe are celebrating one year of the podcast with an entire episode dedicated to you, our listeners, and to your questions about Italy, Italians, and Italian culture.
Don’t miss this q&a with Mark Scott, a University of Missouri journalism major and Ask Fosca’s very first intern. Mark not only came up with the idea for the podcast, but he also selected your questions, and interviewed me for this very special episode which is really a tribute to my listeners and a sincere thank you for the support you have shown.
Tune in to lea...2024-07-1949 min
15 with FoscaOpening Doors: Roots, Territory & Home (Part II) featuring Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire“We call it a retreat because we want people to get away from what they're normally doing and thinking. You don't have to be a foodie to go there, but you'll probably leave as one”. Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire on Campo Sasso
In part two of my conversation with Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire we speak more about leaps of faith, chance encounters, and the fortunate twists of fate that have brought her to where she is today.
We also chat in greater detail about Grape Tours, the Tuscan, Italian, French, and beyond...2024-07-1234 min
15 with FoscaOpening Doors: Roots, Territory & Home featuring Rebecca Christophersen GouttenoireRecorded at Formaggioteca Terroir on April 2, 2024
“I really wanted to get into the culture and learn the language, which I did. I wasn't just here to visit and superficially sit and watch what was going on around me. I wanted to immerse myself and become like the locals, live like the locals, to know in my own skin what that is like and that's the only way I could understand how to create a life for myself here.” Rebecca Christophersen Gouttenoire
This past April I sat down...2024-07-0521 min
15 with FoscaItaly Inside You: Adventures, Connections & Metamorphoses featuring Emma Wood“Italy changed my DNA in a sense. After a career spanning several different things, a year ago, I launched my executive coaching business. I'm working with execs, founders, and rising leaders. Through a coaching perspective I wanted some of the same things that I love about Italy, like slowing down and really connecting and getting to the heart of it with people, and I’m finding that to be a really meaningful way to tap into business and leadership.” Emma Wood
This past January, Emma Wood and I connected via Zoom to record this very special, long, video episode in whi...2024-06-2851 min
15 with FoscaUnveilings: Restoration up close and personal with Elizabeth Wicks“You have a relationship with the artist. This was a painting in which she put an idealized version of her face, so I am looking at her and working on her and we were communicating on so many different levels.” Elizabeth Wicks on restoring Artemisia Gentileschi’s Allegory of Inclination.
This past March, Elizabeth Wicks, renowned fine art conservator, and fellow Florentine by adoption, invited me over to talk about her life and work.
Our conversation begins with Liz’s journey to Italy, how and why she was drawn to conserv...2024-06-2146 min
15 with FoscaMama Mia! What’s Cooking with the Mama Florence FamilyThis past April, I sat down with members of the Mama Florence family to chat with them about their relationship with Italian cuisine, their first and most significant food memories and moments, their favorite dishes, and why they love the work they do.
What comes out in our conversations is just how inextricably linked food and the idea of home are, and what Mama Florence does every day to foster that important connection.
For so many happy participants, Mama Florence becomes a home away from home. An intimate space, the minute you walk through the door you are greeted...2024-06-1423 min15 with FoscaThe Art of Sprezzatura featuring Alexandria Brown-Hejazi“I really felt like I came alive here. Life felt simultaneously easier and harder, but underneath all of that, more inspiring and enlivening. And it's something that I just couldn't leave.” Alexandria Brown-Hejazi
In this special, long episode featuring art historian Alexandria Brown-Hejazi, we begin by speaking about her journey from California to Italy, in the midst of the pandemic, and the challenges she encountered when she first arrived, alone with a small child, trying to move her research forward and advance her academic career while raising a child in a foreign country.
We also cove...2024-05-3149 min
15 with FoscaItaly, Islam & the Mediterranean (part II) featuring Ali Aydin Karamustafa“I think for anyone who lives in Italy or is interested in Italy, it's really valuable and interesting to keep those other connections in mind. The Mediterranean touches us all in some way or other.” Ali Aydin Karamustafa
In part two of our conversation, Ali and I continue to discuss Italy’s relationship to its Mediterranean neighbors and to the Islamic world through the ages and take a deeper dive into a wide range of topics touching on Italy’s colonial past, postwar history, contemporary politics, and immigration.
Once again thr...2024-05-2429 min
15 with FoscaItaly, Islam & the MediterraneanSeason 2, Episode 19
Italy, Islam & the Mediterranean
featuring Ali Aydin Karamustafa
“I'm from Saint Louis, but I'm also originally Turkish and Iranian, so I have a basic experience with the Mediterranean. Coming to Italy there were a lot of things that were immediately recognizable, even just on the visceral level: sights, sounds, colors, smells, facial features. On the other hand, I was surprised by how much I felt that Italian culture and society had its back turned on the rest of the Mediterranean and was really looking towards Northern Europe.” Ali Aydi...2024-05-1730 min
15 with FoscaFrom East to West: Art, Aesthetics & Sustainable Fashion (Part II)Season 2, Episode 18
From East to West: Art, Aesthetics & Sustainable Fashion, Part 2
featuring Vea Chen
In the second half of my chat with Vea Chen we expound further upon fashion and speak about Vea’s approach to her dream of founding a sustainable fashion brand and the concrete steps she has taken and is taking to make that dream a reality.
We also grapple with the meaning of fashion, today and throughout history, and the significance, on several levels, of what we choose to wear, what we...2024-05-1029 min
15 with FoscaFrom East to West: Art, Aesthetics & Sustainable Fashion featuring Vea Chen“In the museums, when you go there, you feel like you're taking a bath, it's like a bath in art. And then you just feel a whole refresh, your eyes are brighter, and you see things in different colors. I feel like art influences a person subconsciously a lot, much more than what you can think with your logic. After I go to the Uffizi, even after three days, the effects start to emerge in me.” Vea Chen
Imagine a dream, a recurring dream, that leads you to embark on the adventure of a life...2024-05-0426 min
15 with FoscaLanguages, Literature, and Living Abroad: Cultivating One’s Garden in our Global WorldSeason 2, Episode 16
Languages, Literature, and Living Abroad: Cultivating One’s Garden in our Global World
Featuring Chloe Summers Edmondson
Recorded via Zoom, January 2024
“The tools that you gain through studying the humanities are going to serve you in any career that you have…the ability to write and express clearly, to communicate clearly, to solve problems that have no clear answers, to collaborate with others and to think critically. And I think that studying abroad… the skills that it takes, and the tools that you gain that are required...2024-04-2651 min
Conversations with Seven SistersMaking your dreams of moving to Italy a reality with Fosca D'AciernoHave you ever dreamed about sipping Italian coffee on a terrazza every morning? Why not make that dream a reality! This week on Conversations with Seven Sisters Jen speaks with Fosca D'Acierno, a Bryn Mawr Alum and expert on life in Italy. They speak all about how Fosca has ended up as an American living in Italy for over two decades with a successful career and family. Fosca is an Italian American born and raised in New Jersey whose year abroad in Italy changed her life. She spent 23 years working for Stanford's Study Abroad program in F...2024-04-231h 04
15 with FoscaBeautiful Deep: A Journey of Faith (Part II) featuring Sherrita DuranSeason 2, Episode 15
Beautiful Deep: A Journey of Faith, Part 2
Featuring Sherrita Duran
“I think the world right now is so dark, darker than ever, you know, and I think about what I can do and in whatever capacity I can, I want to be the opposite of that. I want to bring light. I want to bring faith.” Sherrita Duran
In the second half of my conversation with Sherrita Duran, brilliant and delightful singer, songwriter, and fellow US expat in Italy, we take a deeper dive into her life, art, faith, and her magical creative process. Sheritta also unveils the...2024-04-1930 min
15 with FoscaBeautiful Deep: A Journey of Faith (Part I)Beautiful Deep: A Journey of Faith, Part 1
Featuring Sherrita Duran
“I fell in love with opera, I fell in love with Puccini and Verdi, and I went to USC (University of Southern California), to the music school there, because that was my passion. I'm going to be an opera singer. That's all I want to do, be an opera singer. So, I just put all my energy into that and obviously life, you know, it surprises and changes.” Sherrita Duran
Join me this week for the first part...2024-04-1227 min
15 with FoscaThe Power of Leaving & Returning (Part II)“Going back to Sarah Parker Remond, this city has a long history of what nowadays we call inclusion. At the time it was cosmopolitanism, right? This city is very, very open and welcoming and, you know, it has its challenges, but I would like to quote a student of mine who last week told me that, Florence is too big to be such a small city.” Lucia Ducci
In this second part of my conversation with Lucia Ducci, Director of the College of the Holy Cross’s Florence Program, we continue to speak about Lucia’...2024-04-0520 min
15 with FoscaThe Power of Leaving & Returning (Part I)The Power of Leaving & Returning, Part 1
featuring Lucia Ducci
“So, all these practical or academic challenges that we might encounter or have encountered are really important steps that helped me, that help anybody, who's on this path to grow and to progress, personally and academically; and this is the most important thing, progress, to progress, that you are progressing.” Lucia Ducci
This first part of my chat with Lucia Ducci, Director of the Holy Cross College Program in Florence, centers on her journey to the United States, why...2024-03-2924 min
15 with FoscaLa Giustizia & Il Futuro, Part 2La Giustizia & Il Futuro, Part 2
featuring Sara Celati
In questa seconda parte della mia chiacchierata con Sara Celati entriamo di più nella sua storia personale, parlando dei suoi prossimi obiettivi, le sue passioni e com’è stato partecipare come concorrente e vincere uno dei game show più amati dagli italiani, l’Eredità.
Continuiamo a riflettere sul lavoro e lo studio, sulle ingiustizie e la giustizia e sul futuro del paese, non solo per i giovani, ma per tutti gli italiani.
Questo episodio è in italiano e fa...2024-03-2223 min
15 with FoscaLa Giustizia & Il Futuro (Part I)Season 2, Episode 10
featuring Sara Celati
Ovviamente, avendo vissuto sempre in Italia per 25 anni ormai noto più forse gli aspetti negativi di questo paese, li noto molto di più. Magari andando all'estero riesco a rinnamorare del mio paese. Sara Celati
In questa prima parte della mia conversazione con Sara Celati, studentessa di giurisprudenza all’Università di Pisa, iniziamo ad affrontare dei temi fondamentali per i giovani in Italia oggi: com’è studiare a un’università pubblica italiana? Quali sono le sfide che i ragazzi devono fronteggiare e come vedono il loro fut...2024-03-1521 min
15 with FoscaAccessible Study Abroad: Verto Education’s Winning Model (Part II)Season 2, Episode 9
Accessible Study Abroad: Verto Education’s Winning Model, Part 2
Cristiana Gallai, Florence Center Director, Verto Education
In the second part of our two-part conversation, Cristiana Gallai and I dig deeper into the experience of Verto Education’s first year students in Florence, discuss the ins and outs of study abroad, and ask what Florence and Italy still have to offer to our future leaders.
We also reflect upon our role as educators, the importance of building community and bridges, and how to ensure that...2024-03-0824 min
15 with FoscaAccessible Study Abroad: Verto Education’s Winning Model (Pt. I) ft. Cristiana GallaiAccessible Study Abroad: Verto Education’s Winning Model, Part 1
Cristiana Gallai, Florence Center Director, Verto Education
“With Verto, students have the opportunity, regardless of their financial background, to study abroad, to study somewhere which is not their home country and learn about different cultures. And that becomes the path for them to access a college education and allows us to host a very diverse student population.” Cristiana Gallai
Join me and my special guest, Cristiana Gallai, for the first half of our two-part conversation about her personal and professional path to becoming Florence Center Director at Verto Education, founded in 201...2024-03-0121 min
15 with FoscaSpace and the City (Part II) featuring Devorah BlockSpace and the City, Part 2
Featuring Devorah Block, Strategy & Engagement Educator & Advisor for the Third Sector, Salon of Urban Architecture & Circles Squared
“What we are looking at as a global society, in different shades and in different ways and with different contexts and nuances, and what a lot of people are seeking out, is putting a real value on the human again. With the difference that it's the human contextualized within our larger living ecosystem, not person first, but that we need to somehow live in balance with all the forms of life that are around us.” Devorah Block
What...2024-02-2328 min
15 with FoscaLove: The Journey and the Destination️ featuring Jill Romanelli❤️Special Valentine’s Day Weekend Edition❤️
Jill Romanelli, Head Event Planner, Tuscan Wedding
Are you dreaming about getting married in Tuscany? Perhaps you’ve already decided that you want a Tuscan destination wedding, but just don’t know where to start? Or maybe you’re a hopeless romantic like me and want to celebrate Valentine’s Day weekend by listening to some fantastic stories about weddings.
Whatever the case may be, you won’t want to miss this very special edition of 15 with Fosca, featuring my amazing guest, Jill Romanell...2024-02-1653 min
15 with FoscaWhole Rest: Black History Month Florence IX (Part 2) Featuring Justin Thompson“I think that arriving in Florence, where value was placed on life much more than it is on work, was key. I was much more interested in living a certain kind of life than I was in making a certain amount of money, and that's really what sustains me here. Then The Recovery Plan, Black History Month Florence, those were built to make up for all the things that I was not okay with. There's a lot about this place that I had huge issues with, and I needed to create something that would allow, maybe make more space, mo...2024-02-0933 min
15 with FoscaWhole Rest: Black History Month Florence IX (Part I) Featuring Justin Thompson“Of all the platforms, Black History Month is the one where we really work on activating our network. Because we have all year to do our work and share what we do, but we really want other institutions to be involved, to show what they're doing. To connect with us. And so that's really the moment of February for us and it's the moment of maybe more visibility. It's the moment of bringing a lot of people into our space that have never been here and to hearing a lot of new conversations.” Justin Randolph Thompson
Early in the new...2024-02-0232 min
15 with FoscaJust say yes! Slow, authentic, sustainable Italy featuring Mike Reisman“It's such an interesting, eye-opening experience of people and their relationship with their culinary foundation; just the way that they eat and survive in their world. I think where that bar is is extremely telling about the priorities of a culture and the priorities of the people within it.” Mike Reisman, on eating in Italy
Shortly after he returned from a trip to Rome, Florence, and Milan, I sat down for a Zoom chat with Mike Reisman, mixologist, foodie, cook, musician, and first time Italy visitor. This episode covers Mike’s approach to Italy, his pro...2024-01-2649 min
15 with FoscaSpace and the City, Part I (feat. Devorah Block)Season 2, Episode 2
Space and the City, part 1
Devorah Block, Strategy & Engagement Educator & Advisor for the Third Sector,
Salon of Urban Architecture & Circles Squared
“I think Italy has something special about it. There’s a quality of life but also a quality to the life here which is probably impossible to replicate anywhere else.”
Devorah Block
In this first part of our chat, Devorah and I speak about chance encounters, her journey to Italy, and how the country has impacted her personally and professionall...2024-01-1922 min
15 with FoscaJade and the DivasEpisodio speciale registrato da Musikalmente Firenze il 17 dicembre 2023
“Spero di portare il mio messaggio anche a quelle persone che magari sono ancora chiuse nelle loro camerette a cantare e ballare segretamente perché hanno paura di farlo fuori.” Jade
In un freddo e ventoso sabato pomeriggio poco prima di Natale, ho avuto l’immenso piacere di intervistare Jade, una giovane performer toscana piena di verve e talento di cui sentirete parlare molto. Abbiamo chiacchierato, un po’ in inglese, un po’ in italiano, del suo percorso personale e professionale e anche su che cosa...2024-01-1228 min
15 with FoscaGrowing up in Italy, Growing up in the US (Part II)In part two of my conversation with Giada and Sam, we continue to discuss some of the most critical differences between the US and Italian education systems and how they are shaping a new generation of global citizens. As we dig deeper into these questions, and their inevitable cultural implications, we also touch upon activism, walk-outs, and the very Italian notions of occupazione and scioperi, happening all over Italian high schools right now, and which Giada helps us unpack.
We also have fun talking about English and Italian vocabulary and pronunciation, reflect on the c...2023-12-0825 min
15 with FoscaA Family Affair: Winemaking in the Heart of Tuscany, featuring Mary Shea“I think people are seeking out more personalized, curated experiences. You want to feel like you’re a part of a community in a way. That for us is rather important and we have had such an amazing supportive community of people, not just here but also abroad, and it's made a huge difference in our business and the way we do things at Querceto di Castellina.” Mary Shea
As we move into the holiday season, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with the delightful Mary Shea, Director of Marketing and Hospitality at Querc...2023-12-0148 min
15 with FoscaGrowing Up in Italy, Growing Up in the US (Part I)On our last day in the US this summer, I sat down with my nephew, Samuel Pellegrino McNeill, and my daughter, Giada Veronica Ciampi, to talk about identity, the value of studying the Italian language in the US, and what it’s like growing up half-American in Italy and Italian American in the US today.
In this first part of our chat, we speak about their cultural and linguistic connections, respectively to Italy and to the US, and engage in a dialogue about the similarities and the differences between the two countries, with a specific emphasis on ed...2023-11-2422 min
15 with FoscaFrom Silicon Valley to Milan: Building a Life in Italy featuring Scott CaubleAre you dreaming about moving to Italy and making a life for yourself? Curious about the
path to getting an MBA in Italy and then staying on to build a career? Hoping to gain insight
into the daily reality of a young US expat living in Italy today?
Don’t miss this this week’s episode of 15 with Fosca, recorded via Zoom with Scott Cauble
(bio. below). Join Scott and me for a lively conversation about the mobility of talent, Italy’s
changing work and family spheres, and the challe...2023-11-1744 min
15 with FoscaLooking for Francesca Woodman’s Voice featuring Amy Love Tomasso (Part II)
“Francesca studied in Rome through RISD, where she went to college, so at RISD’s European Honors Program in Rome from 1978-79. And I would say that year in Rome, in addition to her childhood there, but that year in Rome, was extremely formative, maybe the most formative time of Francesca's life artistically; that's because she did immerse herself with artists and intellectuals and radicals.” Amy Love Tomasso
Join me and Amy as she continues to ask questions in an effort to put together the many missing and mysterious pieces that will ultimately bring her pr...2023-11-1021 min
15 with FoscaThe Artist’s Studio (Part II) featuring Tommaso BroginiEpisodio Speciale in Italiano – Special Episodio in Italiano
“C’è tutta una serie di connessioni bellissime che Michelangelo mi ha passato. Lui mi insegue, io inseguo lui piuttosto. Siamo sempre in connessione.” Tommaso Brogini
Questa settimana vi porto di nuovo con me nella bottega dell’artista fiorentino, Tommaso Brogini, per la seconda parte della nostra conversazione su Michelangelo e il rapporto intimo che Brogini ha tutt’ora con il grande genio.
Parliamo anche di altri artisti, luoghi e cose che sono d’ispirazione per le opere di Tommaso, e di alcuni...2023-11-0322 min
15 with FoscaIl Moro, The Moor: Alessandro de’ Medici, from Florence to the US (Featuring Daphne Di Cinto)“Il Moro aims to be an ode to self-love for Black-Italians, Afropeans and the African diaspora, a reminder that we are an integral part of European history beyond the way it has portrayed us up until now.” Daphne Di Cinto, Il Moro – The Moor: a Real Black Duke, Beyond Fiction. The Los Angeles Tribune, April 19, 2022.
In this very special episode, recorded via Zoom, I speak with Daphne Di Cinto, director, screenwriter, and producer of the ground-breaking short film Il Moro - The Moor, winner of the Oscar Qualifying Reel Sisters Film Festival.
Il Mor...2023-10-2749 min
15 with FoscaRocking out at Florence Academy (Part II)EPISODIO SPECIALE IN ITALIANO – SPECIAL EPISODIO IN ITALIANO
“La musica deve essere qualcosa in grande evoluzione, oggi lo è più di prima perché
il mondo è più velocemente in evoluzione.” Maurizio Tomberli
Oggi a 15 with Fosca ho il piacere di avere di nuovo con me due ospiti fantastici, Maestri Eric Buffat e Maurizio Tomberli, fondatori di Florence Academy, un’accademia di musica pop nel centro storico di Firenze. In questa seconda parte della nostra conversazione parliamo di quello che succede alla loro scuola, della comunità che si è creata e che si crea, e delle lezioni...2023-10-2024 min15 with FoscaLooking for Francesca Woodman’s Voice featuring Amy Love Tomasso (Part I)“Francesca once wrote that she wanted to write her autobiography. I hope that by writing the definitive narrative of her life, Francesca will finally have this desire fulfilled, and the world can know her as she was: multifaceted, on fire about life and art, and solare.” Amy Love Tomasso
Warning: This episode discusses suicide.
In this week’s episode my special guest, Amy Love Tomasso, and I delve into the life and work of the iconic photographer Francesca Woodman. More specifically, we talk about her relationship with Italy. Amy first discovered the artist as a young c...2023-10-1322 min
15 with FoscaThe Artist’s Studio (Part 1) featuring Tommaso BroginiEpisodio Speciale in Italiano – Special Episodio in Italiano
La bottega del pittore
“Mi piace relazionarmi con le persone lasciando la mia bottega aperta alla
strada e a tutti coloro che desiderano e amano l’arte; un luogo dove ognuno è
libero di esprimere se stesso sotto la mia guida, accompagnato dai miei
consigli e dalla musica che rende l’atmosfera famigliare e accogliente.”
Tommaso Brogini, Non Finito Art Gallery Studio
Un pomeriggio di primavera arrivo in anticipo per un appuntamento nel
caratteristico quartiere fiorentino di San Nicco...2023-10-0617 min15 with FoscaMaking Meaningful Connections and Finding Community in FlorenceIn this episode I share some very personal experiences and stories that strive to give global expats, expat families, digital nomads, temporary visitors, and permanent international residents some hints and tips for making meaningful connections and creating and building community in Florence and in Italy. This solo podcast is a response to the many queries I receive from clients as well as expats I encounter in Florence, who ask me for advice on how to feel a true sense of belonging when living in Italy as a foreigner.Tune in for some thoughts and strategies on getting out there a...2023-09-2914 min
15 with FoscaRocking out at the Florence Academy with Eric Buffat and Maurizio Tomberli (Part I)Episodio speciale in italiano – Special episode in Italian
Join me for the first part of an informative and lively conversation with musicians Eric Buffat and Maurizio Tomberli, founders of Florence Academy, a modern music school, housed in a Renaissance palazzo in the heart of downtown Florence.
In this episode, we talk about how Florence Academy shapes young musicians and transforms them into savvy artists able to navigate skillfully all aspects of today’s music industry. We also converse about the many ways that Florence inspires musical creativity and why the...2023-09-2222 min
15 with FoscaKill Your Inner Tourist (Special Edition)Tanti Auguri Babbo, Happy Birthday Dad!
On the eve of a milestone birthday, I sat down with my father, Pellegrino D’Acierno, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Comparative Literature and Italian Studies at Hofstra University, for an unscripted and unedited talk about his life as a “professional Italian”.
In this special episode, streaming on his 80th birthday, we have a father daughter heart to heart that spans everything from the great auteurs of Italian cinema, to aesthetics, the notions of the bella and the brutta figura, and “cafone radar”.
...2023-09-1246 min
15 with FoscaStudying Italian at the Scuola Monna Lisa, featuring Elisabetta Verdone (Part II)Embracing Florence
Join me for part 2 of my chiacchierata with Elisabetta Verdone, founder and owner of Florence’s Monnalisa Italian Language and Culture School. In this episode, we’ll continue our conversations about the learning journey and talk about Italian study as a moveable feast happening in special places throughout the city. We’ll also touch on favorite Italian words and songs and what they say about the culture and speak about future plans for this jewel of a language school.
2023-09-0822 min
15 with FoscaThe LGBTIQA+ Community in Italy (Part II featuring Francesca Lupia)Join Francesca Lupia and me for part two of our conversation as we discuss the LGBTIQA+ community, as well as broader questions of gender and identity in Italy today. We also cover where Italy is in terms of these important questions, what’s going on with young Italians today, how to fight brain drain, and why this is a do or die moment for the country.
Further Information and Resources
Arcigay - Arcigay is Italy’s main LGBTI not-for-profit. It is also the largest in terms of number of volunteers and activists throu...2023-09-0114 min
15 with FoscaFinding Authenticity in Florence (Part II featuring Leigh Biddlecome)Finding Authenticity and Making Connections in Florence
Join me and Leigh Biddlecome for the second part of our conversation where we cover everything from human connections and daily interactions to food, the Italian Language, over tourism, and sustainability.
askfosca.com2023-08-1122 min15 with FoscaStudying Italian at the Scuola Monna Lisa, featuring Elisabetta Verdone (Part 1)Learning Italian with compassion, flexibility and in expert hands at Florence’s Scuola Monna Lisa
Studying a foreign language can be a frustrating process for so many of us, regardless of our age, but it doesn’t have to and it shouldn’t be.
Imagine studying the Italian language in its birthplace, in the heart of beautiful downtown Florence, in a fun and relaxing environment and with a personal touch.
Tune in for my conversation with Elisabetta Verdone, Head of Florence’s MonnaLisa Italian Language...2023-08-0416 min
15 with FoscaNot always Smooth Sailing: A Magical, Complicated, and Challenging Journey to Italy featuring Francesca Lupia (Part I)This is part one of a two-part series with Stanford alumna and Fulbright scholar, Francesca Lupia. Francesca is trained as an anthropologist and studies, among other things, the Chinese Italian community in Italy.
Join Francesca and me as we talk about her journey to Florence, her nuanced and complex relationship with ltaly, and why she chose to stay; first for her M.A. at a public Italian university and now for a PhD at Florence’s European University Institute.
#Fullbright #Stanford #15withFosca #FoscadAcierna #covid #Perugia #studyabroad
2023-07-2817 min
15 with FoscaFlorence Today featuring Leigh Biddlecome (Part I)Leigh Biddlecome: 1 Italian Beaurocracy Zero
Tune in this week for part one of my two-part conversation with special guest, Leigh Biddlecome. A writer, translator, and curator based in Italy, Leigh is an alumna of Stanford and Oxford Universities, and recently completed an EU-Funded Masters in Heritage Studies at EHESS Paris / ELTE Budapest.
In this first part of our chat, Leigh and I talk about the challenges of getting the much-coveted freelance visa, her work in the Italian and European cultural sphere, networking, community, and goings on in Florence and in Italy today.
2023-07-2117 min
15 with Fosca15 with Fosca: Buongiorno Mondo!Welcome to 15 with Fosca!
Are you passionate about Italy, getting ready to spend time in the
country, or perhaps even dreaming of moving here someday?
If you’re curious about what’s happening in Italy and with Italian
culture right now, this is the podcast for you.
This debut episode chronicles my journey to Italy and my current life in
Florence and offers a preview of the topics that my guests and I will be discussing in the coming weeks as they share their stories and their voices from Italy directly with you.
2023-07-1414 min