It’s no surprise to longtime listeners of the Italian American Podcast just how much we love our Southern Italian roots and this week’s guest, Valarie D’Elia, is seeking to bring our ancestral home to people in a tangible, living way. Valarie is an award-winning multimedia travel journalist and content provider who specializes in both Italy and ancestral travel.

In her latest project, “Saving Southern Italy,” which is part of the National Italian American Foundation’s Russo Brothers Film Forum, Valarie turns her directorial eye to the abandoned properties scattered throughout the region. When the late stages of the pandemic brought her back to Italy in search of a home to buy and renovate, Valarie discovered other expats who were also going through a similar process of rewarding and honoring their roots.