Overview: Italy is a land where ancient empire, Renaissance brilliance, secret networks, and modern intrigue coexist. This journey explores Italy beyond the postcard image—through its history of fractured states, shifting alliances, shadow wars, and enduring cultural power.

Core Themes:

• The rise and fall of the Roman Empire: lessons in power, collapse, and legacy
• The city-states and the Renaissance: Florence, Venice, and the forging of modern political thought
• Fascism and resistance: Mussolini, World War II, and the underground movements
• Cold War Italy: Operation Gladio, political intrigue, and the “strategy of tension”
• The modern republic: organised crime, corruption, and Italy’s role in the European balance

Featured Activities:

• Investigations of Rome’s imperial and political heart: from the Senate to the modern Parliament
• Private briefings on the legacy of clandestine Cold War operations
• Explorations of Florence’s political innovations during the Renaissance
• Strategic analysis of Italy’s intelligence services, influence networks, and role within NATO and the EU
• Discussions with historians and journalists on organised crime and its modern political echoes

Italy is a nation of paradox: cradle of Western civilisation, yet home to some of the modern world’s deepest intrigues. To understand Italy is to understand how culture, covert influence, and strategic patience shape power across centuries.