midnight in the piazza

 

released 6 MARCH 2018

 
 
Turtle Fountain Detail, © Claudio Ianniello.JPG
 
 
 
 

Beatrice Archer may love history...

...and Rome may be chock full of it, but that doesn’t mean she wants to move there! Too bad Beatrice’s father, who taught her everything she knows about exploring the past, got a job as the head of the history department at the American Academy in Rome. So Beatrice has no choice but to get used to the idea.

In Rome, she explores her new city as much as she can in between Italian lessons, gelato runs, and embarrassing attempts to make friends with the locals, but it isn’t until she hears talk of a strange neighborhood legend that Beatrice perks up. A centuries-old unsolved mystery about the beautiful fountain outside her window? Sounds like fun!

Before Beatrice has a chance to explore, though, she sees a dark figure emerge from the shadows of the square in the middle of the night—and steal the famous turtle sculptures that give the fountain its name!

When no one believes her story, Beatrice knows that it’s up to her to solve the crime and restore the turtles to their rightful place. With the help of her new friend Marco, she navigates a world of unscrupulous ambassadors, tricky tutors, and international art thieves to unravel one of Roman history’s greatest dramas—before another priceless work of art disappears!

 

THE PINES OF ROME

 

A blog exploring Rome's art, history, culture, customs, quirks, and curiosities

 
 
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podcast episodes

 
 
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THE BITTERSWEET LIFE is a Rome-based podcast exploring the joys and frustrations of the expat experience. Your hosts on this journey have two very different points of view on the “dolce vita.” Katy Sewall lived in Rome for a year and is now back in her home town of Seattle. She was changed by her experience as an expat, and is itching to find a way to move back to Italy. I moved to Rome over 12 years ago with no real plan. I'm still here, still in love with this magical city, but for me, Rome has become more real. I'm now an Italian citizen, with an Italian husband and half-Italian bambino. I experience the city more like a local than an expat, for better or for worse.

How did Katy and I find each other? We met on the school bus in the 6th grade, and we've been friends ever since. After decades of living across the world from one another, we were lucky enough to reconnect in Rome, where Katy, a seasoned radio professional, got the idea to launch this podcast.

Whether you're an adventurous expat or a happy homebody, whether you've repatriated after living abroad or are currently planning your next adventure, join us weekly for unadulterated, unscripted conversation.  Get to know Rome and hear about the challenges that every expat faces. Laugh at our embarrassments and learn from our mistakes. Listen to the experiences of our guests, most of them expats, former expats, or would-be expats. Most of all, imagine the possibilities for your own life.

New episodes every Monday.

 
 

beatrice's rome

 

Follow in Beatrice's footsteps as she scours Rome to uncover who stole Bernini's turtles from the Fountain outside her bedroom window

 
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See Rome through my eyes

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