# Paradise of Exiles ~ Insider Italy A licensed Florence guide helping you trade hit-and-run tourism for deep, unhurried Italy Page: Feed: --- ## [Summer Newsletter 2026](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/summer-newsletter-2026) _2026-08-15 · Chandi Wyant_ The Italian culture of appartenenza and how it shows up in my life ## [This Hot Cultural Moment about the Odyssey](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/this-hot-cultural-moment-about-the) _2026-08-06 · Chandi Wyant_ Ever since Nolan’s The Odyssey came out, I’ve been fascinated by the raging debates and massive cultural discourse it has spawned. ## [Modern Art Gets a Shrug, Renaissance Art Delivers](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/modern-art-gets-a-shrug-renaissance) _2026-07-30 · Chandi Wyant_ If I tell someone that my training as a historian of 15th-century Florence shapes how I view art, they will probably say, “Yeah, obviously.” But how does that training show up when I look at modern art, like the current Rothko exhibition in Florence? ## [Venuses Not to Miss in Italy](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/venuses-not-to-miss-in-italy) _2026-07-18 · Chandi Wyant_ Six statues, six stories to know before you see them ## [From Ancient Venuses to Playboy](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/from-ancient-venuses-to-playboy) _2026-07-10 · Chandi Wyant_ Before there was Playboy magazine, there was the Aphrodite of Knidos and the Medici Venus. ## [Ischia on a Budget: Practical Tips](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/ischia-on-a-budget-practical-tips) _2026-06-30 · Chandi Wyant_ Hacks on accommodation, eating out, getting around, taking in the thermal waters, and more ## [Agency and the Divine Feminine on Ischia](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/agency-and-the-divine-feminine-on) _2026-06-21 · Chandi Wyant_ I returned to Ischia this past week after a twenty-five year gap, and this time allowed myself more days to see what is referred to as L’Isola Verde. ## [The Flower of Florence](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/the-flower-of-florence) _2026-06-01 · Chandi Wyant_ The iris is the most Florentine of flowers. ## [Rome's Lesser-Known Galleries and Churches could be your Most Rewarding Hours in the City](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/romes-lesser-known-galleries-and) _2026-05-21 · Chandi Wyant_ The Vatican Museums and Saint Peter’s are on your list. OK, go. But six million visitors a year means you may emerge, as I did last December, feeling like you've been tossed through a washing machine for over two hours. Yes, it was that crowded in December. ## [Sync Bookmarks Everywhere (Sponsored)](https://crawlproof.com/a/isDPjaWAT9DT) _2026-05-21 · **Sponsored**_ Two-way sync keeps folders and toolbar intact across Chrome, Firefox, and Safari. ## [See Rome Smarter: An Insider's Guide to Three Essential Neighborhoods](https://chandiwyant.substack.com/p/see-rome-smarter-an-insiders-guide) _2026-05-09 · Chandi Wyant_ Rome is one of those cities that can overwhelm as much as it enchants, especially when you only have a few days and a long list of things to see.