Antica Travel Co.

09/06/2026

We noticed our May 2026 guests really diving into the wine experiences we curated for them, with intellectual curiosity and open minds to discover what makes the wines of the Ciociaria in central Italy sing.

The passion of local vignerons and wine-makers shone through, sharing their personal stories of reviving ancient vines and almost extinct native varietals over the last decade including Maturano [white] and Cesanese [red] using traditional and experimental organic and biodynamic techniques.

The additional legacy of nearly 200 years of Cabernet DOC in the Atina district within Ciociaria also highly impressed our guests, with its distinct Ciociarian terroir flavour.

🍷 a great time in the vineyards of Ciociaria enjoyed by all!

05/06/2026

03/06/2026

I’m on a roll with archaic languages - and this is my favourite spot in the castle of Fumone in Ciociaria.

Perhaps more famous for being the place Pope Celestino V was imprisoned & died after abdicating in 1294, and there’s a mummified child in a glass cabinet in the archives library…

…but I’m far more fascinated by the two words inscribed on the lintel above this door into the castle:

ARSE VERSE

[ar-seh vur-seh]

It’s ancient Etruscan. A language long dead. This is one of the very few remaining written examples.

Scholars have interpreted it as meaning ‘Fire Begone!’ - an ancient protective ward to guard against fires.

I’m not so sure.

Firstly, I think it’s been translated & transcribed around the wrong way into Roman script. The ancient Etruscan & Oscan alphabets were written & read from right to left, like Arabic today.

I think it should be read VERSE.ARSE.

The renowned ancient Roman playwright Lucius Afrianus from 100 BC agrees with me.

Also, in Etruscan/Oscan the V symbol actually represents the ú sound. So it’s: ÚERSE ARSE. Say it three times quickly and any malevolent spirits around you will scatter 👻 i think it’s an incredibly ancient Italic tribes threshold protection talisman, an evocative spell.

Anyway, these are the thoughts I’m thinking when on tour with our groups & everyone else is looking at the well at the bottom of the stairs where they used to threaten local village girls they’d be thrown down it if they were discovered not to be virgins on their wedding night. Yep.

01/06/2026

Going in for a close-up of this marvellous sculpture of the Tabula Osca [the Oscan Tablet] of the hilltop town of Agnone in the region of Molise in central Italy.

It is one of the most significant written artefacts left behind by the pre-Roman Sanniti civilisation in their native Oscan language.

This is a sculptural interpretation covering a wall of the Marinelli Bell Factory in Agnone, the real Tabula Osca is a small A4 size bronze weathered in a green patina from being buried for thousands of years.

Discovered in a field near Agnone in 1848, the Tabula Osca is an intriguing account of a sacred site dedicated to the goddess Ceres. It also lists a series of festivals and dedications for different deities throughout the year, giving a unique insight into a lost civilisation.

Written in the extinct Oscan language, it still hasn’t been fully translated. It has been on display at the British Museum since 1873 and we are here for the calls for it to be returned home to Agnone 🤍💫

We take our Wild Heart of Italy guests to see a copy of the Tabula Osca, hidden in a medieval library in a convent, to soak up an understanding of the original Italic peoples of central Italy during the Bronze Age.

30/05/2026

If you ever feel like stepping straight into a fairytale, the antique hilltop town of Agnone in the magical region of Molise is waiting for you.

We are privileged to share the many layers of history that seep through Agnone’s cobblestones and ancient walls with our curious & cultured guests.

With a heartfelt thanks to our incredible local guides: Silvana, Nicola, Antonio and Franco 🤍 they bring the stories of Agnone vividly to life for our guests, with Paolo translating the truly delightful Molisean dialect.

Molisean dialect is descended from the original Oscan language spoken by the Sanniti Italic tribe of this part of central Italy, with a bit of ancient Latin thrown in. It shares similar parallels with Ciociarian dialects for similar reasons.

We take our guests to Molise as an intentional, vibrant and essential part of the story our Wild Heart of Italy itineraries weave: uncovering the Bronze Age Sanniti civilisation traces remaining and the unification of the 12 Italic tribes of central Italy to defend their lands from the ancient Romans.

As told to our guests through their direct descendants.

We are on some sort of wild Bronze Age quest. We are not sure why, but Paolo & I are here for it! Kelly
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27/05/2026

WHO WE ARE : Kelly is an Australian global cultural heritage tourism professional & ancient history aficionado. Named one of the ‘Top 100 Inspiring Women Travel Founders’ by in 2020.

Absolutely into hugging ancient stones for the vibes!

Paolo is 💯 cento-per-cento Ciociarian. He’s a native-born Ciociarian chef & foodie with a passion for sustainable futures - and in the economic & social revival of regional areas through thoughtful, sustainable tourism.

Happiest when hiking along ancient paths in the mountains.

We have been hosting small-group tours through the ‘hidden’ regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy since 2017 - with two years of on-ground dedicated research prior to that to weave the stories of the people & places into experience itineraries that flowed.

We relaunched as Antica Travel Co in 2022 as an extension of our Ciociarian cultural dining experience in Australia, Antica Australis.

In 2024 we packed up our lives in Australia, closed our restaurant, and relocated to Ciociaria so we could go even deeper into exploring and researching our Antica cultural travel experiences.

From 2027 this will include dedicated itineraries for Molise in central Italy and the region of Istria in northern Croatia, keeping within our theme of following in the footsteps of ancient Bronze Age tribes.
Photos by .photo 📷
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23/05/2026

Thanks for being here in glorious Ciociaria with us Susie 🤗 we love that you loved it! Paolo & Kelly

22/05/2026

CASA LAWRENCE - one of the most iconic Ciociarian experiences: Casa Lawrence in Picinisco of the Valle di Comino overflows with Ciociarian charm, good humour and layers of cultural heritage.

It’s a 19th century villa set in gardens on the edge of a forest, looking up to the Apennines.

It’s where renowned English author DH Lawrence spent time in 1919 with his wife Frieda to finish his last book, ‘The Lost Girl’.

It’s a Ciociarian cuisine dining experience that only opens on Sundays for lunch.

Featuring local organic produce, handmade organic wine & whatever they can forage in the mountains & forests - AND their DOP cultural heritage cheeses which they hand-make with milk from their own flocks of sheep & goats.

It’s a cheesemaking laboratory, hosting artisanal cheese workshops 🧀

Legendary owner, Loreto Pacitti & his family are descended from thousands of years of Sanniti shepherd-warriors.

They still practice the Transhumance tradition of taking their flocks up into mountain meadows each summer - the wild medicinal herbs growing up there are key ingredients of the milk that makes their heritage cheese.

Unapologetically wild, marching to the beat of their own drum.

Deeply genuine and open-hearted. Warm & totally hilarious. We all need a bit of the Casa Lawrence spirit flowing through us 💫
Casa Lawrence

19/05/2026

Stunning I Ciacca family vineyard, 500 year old farmhouse & winery in Picinisco of the Valle di Comino in Ciociaria.

Dedicated to reviving the almost extinct Maturano indigenous white varietal, the I Ciacca story is an inspiring Ciociarian tale of centuries of family history connected to the land, of the impact of war & immigration on local families over the last 200 years, and the family’s ultimate return to the land to restore an abandoned farmhouse and vineyard in the 21st century.

And look what they’ve achieved 🏆 continuously winning global awards for a wine varietal no-one had heard of before, and no-one was sure how it was meant to taste.

With incredible respect for the vines and local traditions, the I Ciacca vineyard has also been propelled into the future by the next generation with the use of AI, drones and high-tech vats.

SO much to share with our guests & our guests love every minute of it 🥂
I Ciacca Winery at I Ciacca |

17/05/2026

ALDO :: he’s one of the last Cioce makers in Ciociaria, and the only one left with the inherited artisanal craft in the Valle di Comino.

👣 Cioce are the traditional leather footwear worn throughout the ‘hidden’ region of Ciociaria in central Italy, dating back thousands of years to the pre-Roman Italic tribes of the Bronze Age - the Ernici & the Volscii.

Still worn in the villages up until the early 20th century, Aldo now only supplies new pairs for village festivals and for a few local shepherds who insist the Cioce work best for them navigating mountain meadow terrain.

We commission little mini ‘Ciocette’ for each of our Antica Travel guests from Aldo to take memories of their time with the people & places of Ciociaria home with them 🤍🌿

For us, a visit to meet Aldo at his artisanal leather workshop is a non-negotiable in our hand-crafted itineraries. It’s an essential part of our guests understanding the context of where they are.

Cioce = ancient leather footwear of the Ernici & Volscii

Ciociaria = the land of the Cioce-wearers