Erica Firpo

Food writer Rachel Roddy knows food, and better yet, she knows how to tell a story. Her award-winning cookbooks "My Kitchen in Rome" and "Two Kitchens" read like real life fairy tales from the stove top, and her weekly column in the The Guardian "A Kitchen in Rome" conjures up delicious recipes and nostalgic and contemporary food anecdotes. Join Erica at Rachel's kitchen table as she shares her tale of coming from Southampton UK to Rome's Testaccio market.

From cloister to cosmopolitan, the historic Santa Maria Novella pharmacy may be Europe's oldest and it's definitely the most interesting, ever since the friars invented a personal scent for Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France. Join Erica as she walks through Santa Maria Novella's laboratory and sits down with Chief Commercial Officer CCO Gianluca Foà to talk history, perfume, beauty and the future.

When Italians want a quiet getaway, they know to get off the busy mainland and head to the country’s best islands. From pristine Mediterranean coves to fishing villages near active volcanoes, some of Italy’s prettiest and most uncrowded beaches are on the islands in the Mediterranean, Tyrrhenian, and Adriatic seas.

Where to go, stay, eat and enjoy in the Eternal City- get into my head for my handpicked guide to the city of Rome for By The Way, Washington Post's new travel platform.

From the hills of Cincinnati to sunsets in Tuscany, Michael Cioffi dreamed Italy and Monteverdi, a medieval hamlet dedicated to culture, art and relaxation. Join Erica and Michael as they take in the Val d'Orcia views and talk about travel, history and luxury under the Tuscan sun.

It’s all about food in Rome, and it’s always been that way. Artichokes (braised or fried), pasta alla carbonara, and Cacio e Pepe are the foundations of the Roman food scene—what you greedily anticipate when planning a Roman getaway.
That’s all about to change.

More than 2800 years of history, architecture, and art; 900 churches; nearly 100 art museums; tens of archaeological sites—Rome has a never-ending count of things to do and see, which is what keeps the Eternal City—well, eternal.
There is something for everyone....

Roi du Lac is more than wearable, useable design- it's a world, a fabulous and fanciful universe created by Scots/Italian Kinloch and wife Antea Brugnoni Alliata. Kinloch's incredible watercolors come to life on silk, cotton, paper and ceramic- in clothing and homewares. Let's go head first with Erica into Marco's fabulous world for an afternoon talking design, Rome and Roi du Lac.

Buried by Vesuvius is at the Getty Villa through October 28, 2019. 45 years after opening the Getty Villa, modeled after the historic Villa dei Papiri, the Villa is bringing some of the most extraordinary pieces from the Villa dei Papiri archaeological site to the Mailbu bluffs in the exhibition “Buried by Vesuvius: Treasures from the Villa dei Papiri”.

Interview with architect Jean Carroon. With sustainability a hot topic, Carroon pushes the conversation beyond heritage to one of equity and stewardship by emphasizing the need to take a second look at existing buildings—from landmarks like Trinity Church in the City of Boston (National Historic Landmark) to to less recognized structures like a local theater or residential building.

Bitter, dry, sweet- these are the three fundamentals for Rome's cocktail king Patrick Pistolesi. Join Erica and Patrick as they talk about history of the Eternal City's bar scene and where to get a great drink in Rome.

Patrick Pistolesi knows Rome and its drinking scene. The renowned Irish-Italian barman has been serving up cocktails at the capital’s most iconic night spots. We go one on one to find the best drinks and bars in Rome.

Colpo di fulmine, that’s what Italians call love at first sight—a ground-shaking thunderbolt that shocks you from the first look. And that is Florence.

Flaminio is a slice of modern Rome, just a 10-minute tram ride from one of the city’s northern gates, Porta del Popolo. Architecture from almost every modern and contemporary era can be found here, from 1930s rationalist buildings to structures built for the 1960 Olympics that reflect that decade’s urban-planning philosophy to 21st-century award-winning sites. Get your camera ready. Flaminio is the Rome you aren’t used to.

The last thing you think about when planning a visit to Rome is contemporary art. That's about to change.