15 with Fosca

Fosca D'Acierno
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15 with Fosca takes you on a journey to contemporary Italy and, through a plurality of voices, offers insights into Italian culture today and prepares you, in a meaningful way, for your time here. The podcast features authentic stories from Italy in real time and strives to create and build a sense of community across space and borders through conversations about what’s going on in Italian society right now.

  1. It Happened in Florence featuring Nita Tucker

    6 DAYS AGO

    It Happened in Florence featuring Nita Tucker

    “There’s a fine line between being selfish and being true to yourself.”Nita Tucker  In this episode, I’m joined by Nita Tucker, author, executive coach, and the founder of The Florentine, the English-language newspaper that has shaped and served Florence’s international community for more than twenty years. We begin with Nita’s first encounters with Florence, from hitchhiking through Europe in her twenties to making the bold decision, at fifty, to move abroad and build a life rooted in curiosity, courage, and community. What followed was the unlikely birth of The Florentine: a newspaper that started quite literally from a bathroom conversation and grew into a vital bridge between the city and its global residents. Our conversation moves through themes of belonging, leadership, and boldness – from building community around a dinner table, to taking professional and personal risks, to staying true to oneself even when it’s misunderstood. Nita reflects candidly on love, partnership, grief, and why wanting a relationship is nothing to be ashamed of at any age. We also explore her latest book, Nobility: The Essence of Leadership, where she reframes leadership not as dominance or management, but as an intentional way of being, one rooted in dignity, principle, and the ability to elevate others. This episode is a meditation on Florence, on relationships, on purpose, and on what it really means to live a life with no regrets, even when the path is uncertain. Biography  Nita Tucker is an author, executive coach, speaker, and leadership thinker who lives between Florence, Italy, and California. She is the founder and former editor of the English-language publication The Florentine, a magazine that has served the international community in Florence for decades.  Nita’s brand, “Realizing the Possible”, has helped thousands of leaders fulfill their potential. Over the course of forty years as a management consultant, Nita has worked at the senior level for clients such as Motorola, Cisco Systems, Flextronics, and Hewlett Packard, mainly applying her Technology of Transformation to create unstoppable leaders and teams. Tucker is the author of several books spanning relationships, travel, and leadership, including How Not to Stay Single After 40, Beyond Cinderella, It Happened in Florence, Essential Florence, and her most recent leadership work, Nobility: The Essence of Leadership (2025). Her writing and coaching help individuals and leaders cultivate purpose, clarity, and authentic impact.   Nita has given countless seminars across the globe, bringing her down-to-earth approach and sense of fun to topics related to performance, collaboration, and leadership development. As a speaker, Nita has appeared on The Today Show, CBS This Morning, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and CNN. Links  https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/452892.Nita_Tucker https://www.instagram.com/nita.tucker.1?igsh=aWdzcW11ZGNxZ2h2 https://www.linkedin.com/in/nitatuckerconsulting?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Nicole Stevens Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    58 min
  2. Power, Money, Truth featuring Jamie Fiore Higgins

    30 JAN

    Power, Money, Truth featuring Jamie Fiore Higgins

    “Curiosity and humility are the only things that change toxic workplaces, and they have to come from the top.” Jamie Fiore Higgins In this episode of 15 with Fosca, I sit down with Jamie Fiore Higgins, former Goldman Sachs executive and author of Bully Market, for an honest conversation about power, ambition, identity, and the quiet damage toxic workplaces can do. Jamie shares what it was like rising to the top of Wall Street as one of the few women in the room, and how a culture built on silence, fear, and performance slowly reshaped her sense of self. We talk about how environments normalize behavior we never imagined accepting, how money complicates moral clarity, and why leaving can feel more terrifying than staying. We also explore what it took for Jamie to write Bully Market, the reactions it sparked, and why telling the full truth, including her own complicity, mattered. This is a conversation about success, survival, who we become inside powerful systems, and what it takes to reclaim your voice after you leave. Biography  Jamie Fiore Higgins worked as a managing director at Goldman Sachs. One of just 8 percent of Goldman employees to earn the managing director title, she was the highest-ranking woman in her department. An active member of the Women’s Network Committee, Fiore Higgins spent her workdays running the trainee and internship programs, recruiting, and managing top equity clients and $96 billion in stock. Living in New Jersey with her husband and four children, she is a trained coach, working with teens to hone their leadership skills, high school, and college graduates as they begin careers, professionals as they navigate the workforce, and those in midlife looking to reinvent themselves. Jamie was named one of the Financial Times “Top 25 Most Influential Women of 2022!” Links  https://jamiefiorehiggins.com/ https://www.instagram.com/jamiefiorehiggins/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamiefiorehiggins/ https://www.amazon.com/Bully-Market-Story-Misogyny-Goldman-ebook/dp/B09RX3V7XB?ref_=ast_author_mpb https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22209744.Jamie_Fiore_Higgins https://x.com/JFioreHiggins Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.   Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Nicole Stevens Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    55 min
  3. The Future of our Cities featuring Karin Templin

    23 JAN

    The Future of our Cities featuring Karin Templin

    “Cities are not historic objects; they are places we live in right now.” Karin Templin In this episode, I sit down with practitioner of architecture and urban design, academic, design lecturer, writer, editor, and urban historian, Karin Templin, for a wide-ranging and deeply personal conversation about cities, housing, and what it means to truly live in Florence today. Karin has played a behind-the-scenes role in shaping Florence’s urban landscape, from her involvement in the Novoli regeneration project to teaching generations of architecture students how cities are formed by social, political, and economic forces, not just buildings. Having lived and worked between Florence, London, and beyond, she brings a rare international perspective to the challenges cities are facing right now. Together, we explore Florence’s housing crisis, the impact of overtourism and short-term rentals, the transformation of neighborhoods, and the growing disconnect between city centers and the people who once called them home. Karin speaks candidly about Airbnb, influencer tourism, wine windows, golf carts, and the erosion of Florence’s social fabric, while also reminding us why this city still matters, and why it’s worth fighting for. We also discuss Karin’s lifelong fascination with urban housing, her books on street architecture and London mansion blocks, and her current work on a new atlas of London housing. Finally, she shares the thinking behind Salon Urban Architecture, a community-driven initiative bringing residents, architects, scholars, and curious minds together to talk about cities at the human scale. This conversation is a call to awareness, and to action, for residents, visitors, policymakers, and anyone who cares about the future of our cities. Biography Karin Templin is a practitioner of architecture and urban design, academic, design lecturer, writer, editor, and urban historian. Her work focuses on the development of urban form through architecture with an emphasis on the research and design of urban housing types. As a practitioner in architecture and urban design, she has worked internationally on large-scale urban regeneration projects and is an expert in urban housing. Karin has taught at a number of universities, most recently as a Visiting Professor at the University of Bologna (Cesena), Senior Lecturer at Kingston University, and a Design Fellow at the University of Cambridge. She currently leads the architecture summer course at the Florence Institute of Design International (FIDI). She has lectured and served as a guest critic at universities in Europe including USI Mendrisio, RWTH Aachen, TU Eindhoven, Rotterdam Academie van Bouwkunst, University of Liechtenstein, and EPFL Lausanne. Karin is the author of Street Architecture: Work by Hans van der Heijden and At Home in London: The Mansion Block, commissioned by The Architecture Foundation and published by Mack Books. Links https://www.linkedin.com/in/karintemplin/ https://www.instagram.com/karin.templin/ https://www.instagram.com/studio.templin/ https://www.salonofurbanarchitecture.com/ https:www.instagram.comsalon.of.urban.architecture.it/ Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Nicole Stevens Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    1h 3m
  4. Back to Yourself featuring Rachel Zitin, part 2

    16 JAN

    Back to Yourself featuring Rachel Zitin, part 2

    “Italy gives people permission; permission to slow down, to enjoy themselves, and to live with less urgency.” Rachel Zitin In part two of my conversation with Rachel Zitin, we go deeper into what it means to live, travel, and create in a way that is truly embodied and humane. Rachel reflects on how life in Italy has reshaped her relationship to time, productivity, rest, and desire. We explore the contrast between American urgency and Italian permission; permission to slow down, to enjoy, and to be less defined by achievement and more rooted in presence. We talk about how shame around rest and pleasure is culturally constructed, and what becomes possible when it falls away. Rachel shares how Italian culture has taught her to think in decades rather than deadlines, and to reconnect with a more expansive, human-centered understanding of wellness. The conversation also turns to creativity and writing. Rachel shares her intuitive journey from memoir to novel, reflecting on writing without formulas, credentials, or permission, and trusting what wants to emerge. Her novel-in-progress, set between Italy and the U.S., explores love, place, and the ways travel changes us. At its heart, this episode is an invitation to slow down, listen inward, and remember that being fully human is already enough. Biography Rachel is a retreatleader, somatic coach, yoga instructor, and writer based in Rome for over 15years. She leads transformational retreats for women rooted in somatics, yoga,pleasure, and Italian culture. Her passion it to create embodied, joyful, andnourishing experiences. A former tour guide with a gift for storytelling, shebrings warmth, wisdom, and a reverence for fun and beauty to everything sheoffers—from women’s circles and 1-on-1 coaching to yoga classes and luxuryretreats. Links https://www.rachelzitin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rachelzitin https://www.facebook.com/RachelPilarZitin https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelzitin/ https://substack.com/@rachelzitin Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Jasmine Kim Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore

    42 min
  5. Back to Yourself featuring Rachel Zitin, part 1

    9 JAN

    Back to Yourself featuring Rachel Zitin, part 1

    “Wellness is being well, and being well is being in touch with yourself.” Rachel Zitin In this episode, I sit down with Rachel Zitin, a U.S. expat, somatic coach, yoga instructor, and retreat leader based in Rome. Rachel leads transformational retreats for women, blending somatics, yoga, pleasure, and Italian culture into experiences that nourish the body, mind, and soul. We discuss the evolution of wellness, the importance of community, and how to reconnect with the person you truly are, beyond societal rules, social media pressures, and “wellness trends.” Rachel shares her philosophy of creating retreats that are joyful, non-judgmental, and grounded in authenticity, offering space for women to explore pleasure, play, and self-discovery. Whether you’ve considered attending a wellness retreat or simply want guidance on living more fully in your body and community, this conversation is full of insight, warmth, and practical wisdom. Biography Rachel is a retreat leader, somatic coach, yoga instructor, and writer based in Rome for over 15 years. She leads transformational retreats for women rooted in somatics, yoga, pleasure, and Italian culture. Her passion it to create embodied, joyful, and nourishing experiences. A former tour guide with a gift for storytelling, she brings warmth, wisdom, and a reverence for fun and beauty to everything she offers—from women’s circles and 1-on-1 coaching to yoga classes and luxury retreats. Links https://www.rachelzitin.com/ https://www.instagram.com/rachelzitin https://www.facebook.com/RachelPilarZitin https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachelzitin/ https://substack.com/@rachelzitin Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Jasmine Kim Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    45 min
  6. In the Kitchen featuring Caterina Maranghi

    2 JAN

    In the Kitchen featuring Caterina Maranghi

    I wanted to start the new year with a fun, warm conversation about one of my favorite subjects, food! In this week’s episode, I sit down with Italian American chef, Caterina Maranghi, to talk about her life growing up between two countries, raising her bilingual and bicultural kids, and how she built her career around her love of hospitality, spending time with people, and cooking and eating with them. We also chat about the ever-changing landscape of the food scene in Florence, how to preserve the city’s culinary traditions and legacy, her favorite things to cook for and make with her clients, her most beloved Italian and American foods, and what’s in store for her in 2026. During our conversation, I also asked her for a recipe, and she delivered! Here’s her mouthwatering peach tiramisù. Happy New Year! Peach Tiramisu 750gr ripe peaches, peeled and chopped 200gr sugar 2Tbs water 2Tbs lemon juice Place in a pot and cook for five minutes, stirring often. Let cool then purée: 5 egg yolks 125 grs sugar 1 tsp vanilla 500 grs marscarpone 500 ml fresh whipping cream Place in large bowl or standing mixer and using beaters whip together for about 10 minutes until very thick Use a large glass pan or bowl or individual serving size glasses 1 package of lady fingers or Pavesini cookies Place the peach purée in a shallow bowl, dip in one cookie at a time, and coat with lots of the purée. Place them on the bottom of the serving dish until the bottom is covered (use about half of the cookies and the purée), cover with about half of the cream, spreading it with a spoon or spatula. Repeat for the second layer. Keep a little purée to dot the top layer for decoration. Cover with plastic wrap (without laying it on in cream if possible) and refrigerate until needed. Best when peaches are in season! Biography Caterina Maranghi was born in Florence, Italy and then grew up in California eventually returning to Florence permanently. An Italian American chef with more than 30 years’ experience, she first started working in catering to put herself through UC Berkeley. A self-taught baker and cook since childhood, she perfected techniques first by making desserts for a café in Berkeley, then by baking for 10 years at the American bakery in Florence, Italy. Caterina has 10 years’ experience in industrial kitchens, where she mastered culinary math, food safety and special diets. She has also been employed privately for families and VIPs. For over 10 years she managed restaurant kitchens in Italy creating daily seasonal menus. During the pandemic, Caterina produced several cooking videos, teaching her favorite recipes. She has successfully taught hands-on and demonstration cooking in Italy and the US. Caterina is currently working with the Agriturismo Podere del Anselmo as a cooking teacher and special events chef. She is available for house calls as a culinary teacher creating memorable experiences with personalized recipes. Her charisma and natural ease in the kitchen creates a joyful setting for conveying culinary secrets and skills. She is constantly researching and collaborating with professionals and lay persons on all aspects of the wonderful world of food. Links Facebook: @katie maranghi Instagram: @caterinamaranghi www.youtube.com/@caterinaskitchen Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Jasmine Kim Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    44 min
  7. Souls of Italy featuring Kirsten Hills

    19/12/2025

    Souls of Italy featuring Kirsten Hills

    “I think what's been an amazing part of this project in general but particularly with Rodolfo’s story was the comments. There have been thousands, the majority filled with a sense of sadness and very much connected to nostalgia and this sense that Florence is going through a huge transformation at the moment and he represents everything that people think is great about Florence. People wrote that they felt moved to tears which I find amazing. I love that. I love idea that the films can have an impact on people because it means that I've managed to communicate something and touch them in some way.” Kirsten Hills In this episode, I speak with filmmaker Kirsten Hills, creator of Souls of Italy, about what it takes to document a country so often reduced to images and clichés and why Italy continues to resist easy storytelling. Our conversation centers on Kirsten’s approach to filmmaking as a form of inquiry: how she gains trust, listens closely, and allows people and places to reveal themselves on their own terms. Rather than chasing spectacle, Souls of Italy focuses on everyday lives, local histories, and the emotional ties that bind individuals to their communities. We also discuss how some of the series’ most resonant episodes emerged organically, including widely shared profiles such as Rodolfo, the Florentine tailor, whose story struck a chord with audiences around the world. These moments, Hills explains, reflect the power of intimate, place-based storytelling, where craft, memory, and human connection quietly take center stage. Warm, thoughtful, and grounded in lived experience, this interview offers a nuanced look at Italy through the eyes of a filmmaker committed to telling its stories with authenticity and care. Biography Kirsten Hills is a British-born video journalist and filmmaker based in Florence, Italy. With a passion for storytelling that’s simple, authentic, and meaningful, she specializes in creating films that connect and inspire. Her career began with a degree in politics and broadcast journalism, followed by a BBC traineeship. She went on to work in news and current affairs as a producer, reporter, and presenter, developing her skills in uncovering and sharing compelling stories. She lives in Florence with her Italian husband and two children. Since moving here, she’s built her business, as a freelancer, collaborating with luxury travel companies, fashion brands, and world-famous museums to create bespoke videos that highlight beauty, culture, and creativity. She continues to work with international news networks CNN, NBC, BBC & ITV. Over the years she’s been asked to film destination weddings, which she loves to do. Each year she does a limited number of weddings, working with lovely couples, some of whom have become friends. She’s driven by curiosity and inspired by the quirky, humorous, and unexpected moments of everyday life. Living in Italy offers endless opportunities to discover extraordinary stories in the seemingly ordinary. Links https://kirstenhills.com/ https://www.instagram.com/soulsofitaly/ tiktok.com/@SoulsofItaly https://www.youtube.com/@SoulsofItaly https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61575937589934&sk=about https://www.linkedin.com/in/kirsten-hills-06910361/ Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Jasmine Kim Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    48 min
  8. Turning Points featuring Andrea Zurlo (pt.2)

    12/12/2025

    Turning Points featuring Andrea Zurlo (pt.2)

    I live in an international community and that gives you a lot. If you're open minded, love different languages, know how to interact and interface with people of different cultures it's a very inspiring, very human place. Andrea Zurlo Join me and author and translator Andrea Zurlo for the second part of our conversation about her work, her favorite writing to do and read, and the many ways her choice to live in Florence has impacted her craft. In the episode, we also take a deep dive into her novels, El reposo de la tierra durante el invierno (The Land at Rest in Winter), a finalist for Spain’s Premio Planeta, 2016, set in Argentina during the Peronist government and the military dictatorship from 1968 to the early 1980s, and La ineficacia de la Muerte, a book about a young translator, who unwittingly gets entangled in an artificial intelligence project and ends up connected to a phone that not only receives mental commands but is also capable of reading her mind. We also delve into Florence’s long literary tradition, reflect upon the many famous writers who've passed through and found inspiration here. Finally, we chat about what’s next for Andrea, the current state of humanity, where we’re headed, and the things that could ultimately save us. Biography Writer and translator, born in Argentina, where she earned her degree in Literary and Technical Translation. She is the published author of several novels, including El sendero de Dante (2007, Spain); El reposo de la tierra durante el invierno (shortlisted for the 2016 Planeta Award and published in Argentina and Puerto Rico), and La ineficacia de la muerte (2024, Spain). She has been shortlisted for several literary awards in both Spain and Italy, and her short stories have appeared in fourteen anthologies across Europe and Latin America.  As a screenwriter, she has written two produced short films and one produced feature film. Links www.andreazurlo.wix.com/ andreazurlo Substack: https://substack.com/@andreazurlo https:// www.linkedin.com/in/andrea-zurlo-6241b547/ IG: @andrezurlo http:// www.imdb.com/name/nm8080567/ Share, like, comment, review, and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Podcast Producer: Andrew Niklas Curtis  Production Intern: Jasmine Kim Recording and post-production Lorenzo Maiani, Faminore Sound Agency

    32 min
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About

15 with Fosca takes you on a journey to contemporary Italy and, through a plurality of voices, offers insights into Italian culture today and prepares you, in a meaningful way, for your time here. The podcast features authentic stories from Italy in real time and strives to create and build a sense of community across space and borders through conversations about what’s going on in Italian society right now.

Information

  • Creator
    Fosca D'Acierno
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    102
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Fosca D'Acierno
  • Show Website
    15 with Fosca