An insider's perspective on Italy
Welcome to your new favorite Italy newsletter.
Ciao from Florence, Italy!
My name is Martina Bartolozzi (although you might now me on social media as Memento Martina), and I’m a licensed tour leader and travel services provider based in Italy.
In this newsletter you’ll receive exclusive content which you won’t necessarily find on Instagram and TikTok. Like on my socials, we’ll be talking about all things Italy and food, and anything that inspires or informs me that I hope can be of use for you too.
Italy truly is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, with its rich history and proud traditions, but I feel like it’s oftentimes overly-romaticized on social media, occasionally causing us to lose perspective and to have a flat and superficial understanding of it that just doesn’t correspond to reality. My goal is to help provide such perspective, as a person who was born and raised here, and who has lived here her whole life.Are you planning on visiting Italy? Maybe you’d like to live here one day? Maybe you already do? Then this subscription is for you, and will help you gain a more in-depth understanding of this country.
Scroll to the bottom to vote for what you’d like to find here.
This newsletter is currently 100% free, at the moment it doesn’t have a set schedule, and I promise not to overwhelm your inbox. You can always opt out at the bottom of the page. On the other hand, if you know anyone whom you think might be interested in it, please feel free to forward it to them!
Here’s what I found interesting recently.
This podcast episode by The New York Times’ The Daily Podcast: How Air Conditioning Conquered America. Also helps provide perspective on why Italians don’t use AC as much.
This podcast episode by BBC World Service’s The Documentary Podcast: The Italian town where praying is a political issue. About the port city of Monfalcone, abundantly inhabited by the Bangladeshi who work in the shipyards, and how the current far right local government is trying to repress their religion and traditions.
This Youtube video by VICE News: How The Mafia Took Control of Italian Food. Unfortunately many foreign visitors still have a romantic view of the Mafia, oftentimes associated to The Godfather saga and other pieces of entertainment. This documentary helps understand one of the seemingly “invisible” ways the Mafia currently operates, heavily damaging Italy and Europe. If you’d like to learn more about the famous “maxi trial” that finally put hundreds of mobsters in jail in the 90s, I highly recommend watching the award-winning film “Il Traditore” (2019) by Marchio Bellocchio, featuring Pierfrancesco Favino.
The book Taste: Surprising Stories and Science about Why Food Tastes Good by Barb Stuckey, food developer and tastemaker at Mattson, a Silicon Valley food innovation and development firm. An interesting read for anyone who’d like to understand and improve their tasting experience.
Newsletter-first recommendation
You heard it first.
🚨 NEW COCKTAIL BAR 🚨
701 Rooftop Bar, located at the top of the Gallery Hotel Art, is a brand-new cocktail bar in Florence’s city center.
Named after the historic 701 rooftop suite, this is the perfect spot to enjoy breathtaking views of Brunelleschi’s Duomo, Giotto Tower, and Palazzo Vecchio while savoring unique, sophisticated cocktails, crafted by their expert mixologists. Cocktails such as their aromatic and fresh House Punch: a Tuscan punch with Chianti wine, cranberry juice, Italian apricot brandy, orange curaçao, cherry liqueur, Alkermes, and lemon juice. Or their softer take on the Florentine Negroni: London dry gin, saffron liqueur, rhubarb vermouth, rhubarb bitter.
Open year-round Tuesday-Saturday from 5PM to 11:30PM. Indoor and outdoor seating available.
My mother’s maiden name is Bartolozzi so I wonder if we are related. My grandfather John Bartolozzi was from Marliana. Heading to Florence in June with the family and was going to see if I can find any Bartolozzi’s there.
I agree that Italy (and to some extent Europe in general) gets so romanticized that people sometimes forget it’s not Disneyland – there are real problems as well. Looking forward to reading more of your perspectives!