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\u00a9 National Geographic\/Matt Holyoak<\/p>\n
\u201cIn Italy, food is never just food. It\u2019s memory, identity and, sometimes, a full-blown argument,\u201d muses multiple award-winning actor Stanley Tucci, who premieres his much-anticipated second season of the Emmy Award-nominated National Geographic series Tucci in Italy<\/a> on May 11 at 9 p.m. ET \/ 8 p.m. CT (check local listings for PT). All five episodes will then stream May 12 on Disney+<\/a> and Hulu<\/a>. \u201cThis season, we explore how the past continues to shape the present\u2014one region and one extraordinary meal at a time. I\u2019m so pleased to share these captivating stories and these wonderful people with you.\u201d What is manifest throughout this tasty travelogue is Tucci\u2019s endearing and engaging essence. Put your feet up as you eye your TV or computer screen, perhaps with a glass of Italian wine in hand, and imagine what it would be like for you to dine or road-trip with Tucci across scenic countryside. He visits five regions\u2014Campania and its famed capital Naples, Sicily, Le Marche, Sardinia and Veneto\u2014steering viewers to stellar sights and stunning bites, savoring morsel after morsel of experiences. Italy is the country of Tucci\u2019s family heritage, about which he is passionate. (His previous Italy series ran for two seasons at CNN.) This entertainment biz whiz\u2014who has directed five movies, as well as acted in more than 70 films (Big Night, Julie & Julia, The Hunger Games series, The Devil Wears Prada, both 1 and 2<\/a>); numerous TV shows (Monk, Winchell); and a dozen plays on and off Broadway\u2014has amply fed his ardor for Italian treats. Now he wants to feed your wanderlust. He has authored books, such as Taste: My Life Through Food, What I Ate in One Year, The Tucci Cookbook, The Tucci Table: Cooking with Family and Friends and, via a branded partnership, put his name on a collection of Italian-made cookware<\/a>. Check out my fun 2025 Q & A interview with Tucci, as well: In Stanley Tucci\u2019s New Italy Travel Show, \u201cEating Well Is Inspiring.\u201d<\/a> Here, photos to stimulate your appetite for an Italian getaway. Buon appetito e buon viaggio!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Stanley Tucci explores the island of Procida: The smallest and least visited of Campania\u2019s three main islands. It’s roughly 2 miles across. A serene escape.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic\/Matt Holyoak<\/p>\n Arriving at the pastel-hued port of Marina di Corricella in Procida, off the coast of southern Italy.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Bruschetta made with flavorful tomatoes grown at Azienda Agricola Rosso Vesuvio within Vesuvius National Park, overlooking the Gulf of Naples.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n The Palermo Cathedral\u2014an incredible architectural achievement\u2014constructed by Norman, Byzantine and Arabic cultures over centuries.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Erected by the Greeks in 440\u2013430 B.C., Temple of Concordia in Sicily’s Valley of Temples, is a UNESCO Heritage Site. The island is home to outstanding Greek architecture.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Cooking al fresco with Sicily’s excellent and vibrant produce. Get set for a memorable eating extravaganza.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic\/Matt Holyoak<\/p>\n Tucci in the kitchen of Da Tonino with Giuseppe Bertoleoni, the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of Tavolara, an island off the coast of northeastern Sardinia.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic\/Matt Holyoak<\/p>\n Poignant reminders of yesteryear: nuraghes\u2014ancient megalithic tower-fortresses\u2014dot the Sardinian landscape.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Culurgiones, traditional Sardinian pasta, are made with a simple dough and usually stuffed with potato, pecorino cheese and mint.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Urbino\u2019s iconic Palazzo Ducale\u2014a UNESCO World Heritage site\u2014is one of the most important monuments in Italy, set amid rolling hills of picturesque countryside.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Le Marche region is situated in central Italy between the Adriatic Sea and the Apennine Mountains. Its Da Emilia Ristorante serves a popular dish: spaghetti with mussels.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Senigallia\u00eds Beach, in Le Marche region, is famous for its fine, soft sand. Rows of sun umbrellas line the shore.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n In Italy’s northeastern Veneto region, which stretches from the Dolomite Mountains to the Adriatic Sea, Tucci and food writer Valeria Necchio cook together.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic\/Matt Holyoak<\/p>\n In the Veneto region, Enrico Bortolomiol, winemaker and owner of Ciodet Spumanti, presides over the Valdobbiadene Confraternity\u2019s meeting to select the year\u2019s best Prosecco bottle.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n Setting up the scene: Tucci and food writer Valeria Necchio with the National Geographic film crew outside of Italy’s oldest working rice mill.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic\/Matt Holyoak<\/p>\n Sweets for the sweet: Tiramisu\u2014the Veneto region’s renowned dessert features coffee-soaked ladyfingers covered with mascarpone and cocoa powder.<\/p>\n \u00a9 National Geographic<\/p>\n