About
Italy with Antonio is a native Italian’s guide to the country beyond the postcards. I’ll tell you everything you need to know about Italy and more. New articles go live every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
This is for you if
You love Italy and want to truly “get” it.
You’re planning a trip, and you’d like to understand the country you’re visiting without sugar coating.
You’re seriously considering moving to Italy or retiring there, and you want to understand what daily life actually costs and demands.
You’re thinking about buying property in Italy, and don’t want to make costly mistakes.
You’re already in Italy, and the bureaucracy you were told would be charming is not so charming.
If any of that sounds like you, this is built for you.
Why this publication exists
The Italy most English speakers encounter online is not the real Italy. The TikTok videos are made by people who have been there twice. The travel guides are written by those who have visited for two weeks and romanticize the country.
What you get is a country reduced to its highlight reels: rolling Tuscan hills, perfect pasta, la dolce vita. Charming, marketable, and misleading.
Italy with Antonio is the other view. Regional guides written by an insider. Cultural reality checks that do not dress up the frustrations. Practical knowledge about the things that actually matter, whether you’re planning a trip, a move, or simply trying to understand a country you love. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Unfiltered.
Who I am
I’m Antonio Cangiano, born and raised in Italy. I’ve spent more than two decades in Canada. I write about the country I know best for English-speaking readers who want to know the real Italy.
Some of my readers are planning a move. Some are planning a trip. Many are simply curious about a country they love and are tired of reading the same highlight reels.
I live with Alicia, my Canadian fiancée. She is as interested in Italy as I am, in some ways more so, and a lot of what I write is shaped by the conversations we have about the country, its quirks, its rhythms, and what a life there actually looks like. When I write for would-be expats, I am writing in part for her.
What you get
Free subscribers get 1 or 2 posts a week and access to the full free archive.
Paid subscribers ($9.99/month or $89/year) get:
Three posts a week, including long-form regional guides, downloadable PDF checklists, and worked examples for the operational guides.
A private WhatsApp group where I answer questions about Italy.
Access to our private Substack Chat, where you can ask questions and participate in threads I open there.
The ability to request specific topics and have them receive priority.
Bundled access to Linguetto Pro, my Italian language learning platform.
Access to the full archive.
A final word
You do not need to be a paid subscriber. There is a lot of free writing in the archive, and I will keep publishing free content for readers who want to follow along without paying. If the work becomes useful enough that you want more of it, or want to support my efforts, the paid tier is there.
Either way, thank you for being here!
Grazie mille,
Antonio
The small print
Comments policy. I welcome disagreement, but please keep it civil and fact-based. Personal insults and hostile comments get deleted, and the commenter is banned. Let’s keep it a nice, supportive community.
Affiliate links. Some of the links have my referral ID, which provides me with a small commission for each sale. Think of it as a form of tipping that doesn’t cost you anything. 🙂 For example, as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Thank you for your support.
