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FLORENCE: A Traveler's Guide to its Gems & Giants

Today our guest is Patty Civalleri the Author of "FLORENCE: A Traveler's Guide to its Gems & Giants." She is a writer and photographer, who had traveled for 17 years to ancient archeological dig sites with some of the foremost historians and archaeologists in the world. She wrote her first book about her favorite city in the world: Florence, Italy. As a historian, she researched all those great guys that thundered out of medieval Europe and turned history on its ear. Her book is jam-packed with the fun back-stories of these guys; with their trivia and factoids. We have conducted an interview with Patty.



Why are you interested in Deep Travel?

As a writer and photographer, I have traveled for 17 years to ancient archaeological dig sites with some of the foremost archaeologists in the world. In every city, I have looked for a book that will introduce me to the local area with enough depth to enable me to hit the ground running. But the only books that are readily available are traditional travel guidebooks. Those are nice if you want to know where to eat, drink, and line up with tourists. But if you want to go deeper, your choices are slim: you have to read a text book, hire a specialist, or simply wander around aimlessly.

What kind of knowledge and rewards does it bring?

I researched the guys that you already know: Michelangelo, da Vinci, Raphael, Donatello, Botticelli, Dante, Machiavelli, the Medici family, Galileo, etc. And for starters, not only were they all from this city, but most of these guys actually KNEW each other! When you walk through Florence today, everything you see has been touched by these guys in so many ways. I connect those people to the beautiful sites you'll see in Florence. No memorization of dates and data. You'll get the real back-stories.

What inspires you to write travel books?

I am one of those people that want to know more about where I am going. But I don't have the time to take a class or to read a textbook. I don't want the big commitment, I simply want the good stuff, and I want it visually, and I want it fast. As they say, if you want something done...


How do you describe the uniqueness of your book?

My book is jam-packed with the fun back-stories of these guys, with their trivia and factoids. (Think: "People Magazine" meets the Renaissance Giants.) With over 450 images, it is crammed with photos, art, and visual explanations of everything you see in the city. This is a fun new way of looking at travel. Because when you get home from your trip, you will have so much knowledge on the tip of your fingers that you'll seem like you got so much more from your trip to Florence than everyone else. In addition, my books are not 'template-driven' or 'itinerary-driven' or 'agenda-driven.' Everyone else has satisfactorily covered the "3 Days in..." or "Top 10 Things to See in..." Just straight to the smart, fun stuff.

How important is it for people in this modern era to learn more about Medieval Europe and its turned history?

Imagine that you woke up one day, and learned that over 1,000 years ago, there was a civilization that you never heard of before: one that possessed unheard-of technology; one where anyone could speak their own mind freely; one with such advanced science, music, engineering, architecture and art that was all completely unknown to you.

During the Dark Ages, in the early 1400's, people began to hear whispers of just such a civilization that existed over 1,000 years earlier. We now know that period as the Ancient Roman and Greek Empires. Those whispers got louder and louder, creating an awakening of mind and spirit called The Renaissance. Without this Renaissance (or 'Enlightenment'), we probably would still be in the Dark Ages. But more importantly, if we understand this important historical cataclysm, perhaps we can avoid making the same mistakes that might once again thrust us into another Dark Age. It wouldn't be as difficult as you might think.

Are the fun back-stories of the guys; with their trivia and factoids fictional?

No. They are all well-researched factual stories, such as
-The Pirate Pope
-Who Punched Michelangelo in the Nose?
-The Execution of a Mad Monk
-Where the Bodies are Buried
-The Plague Doctor
-Skull Worship & Raphael
-Kidnapped into Slavery
-Gates to Paradise
-Dead Man's Quarry, and more

Where is your next research destination?

I am preparing to spend a few months in Italy again this year. This time, I will research and photograph the city of Venice. I'm so excited ~ I can't wait! I don't pre-research before I go either. I try to go to the destination city with an open mind, and after being a 'tourist' for awhile, I let the city inspire my angle. And that leads to the rest.

Is this book part of a set?

Funny you should ask. Yes. Each book I write is actually a set of 4 products: The Paperback book, the Ebook, the FunBook, and the APP. Each item compliments the others, and each will give you information and/or functionality that the others cannot. These items will give you all of the tools to make your trip as completely as I can make it for you. And, you absolutely cannot get a suite of travel products from any other author in the world.

Where can we find the book?

On Amazon, of course. Here's a link to my Amazon Author Page where you can learn more. 


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Location: Florence, Italy

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