by InTrieste
Stanley Tucci has built a long career portraying complex characters on screen. In recent years, however, he has become closely associated with a more straightforward role: a traveler exploring Italy through its regional cuisines. That journey continues with the second season of Tucci in Italy, which premieres on National Geographic on 11 May and begins streaming on Disney+ and Hulu on 12 May.
The Emmy-nominated series expands its focus to five regions: Campania (including Naples), Sicily, Le Marche, Sardinia and Veneto. Across these locations, Tucci examines how local food traditions reflect broader historical and cultural forces, with an emphasis on the shared meal as a defining social ritual.
“In Italy, food is never just food,” Tucci said. “It’s memory, identity and, sometimes, a full-blown argument. This season, we explore how the past continues to shape the present, one region and one extraordinary meal at a time.”
The episodes highlight distinct regional narratives. In Campania, Tucci explores the revival of a once-neglected grape variety in the hills near Naples. In Veneto, he addresses the disputed origins of tiramisu, a dessert claimed by more than one city. Sardinia focuses on longevity and diet, examining the island’s unusually high number of centenarians. Sicily traces the layered culinary influence of successive civilizations, from Arab, Norman, Spanish and Greek rule.
Le Marche, along the Adriatic coast, is presented as a quieter presence within the series: a region less affected by international tourism, where traditional cooking practices remain closely embedded in daily life.
The series follows Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy, which aired on CNN from 2021 to 2022 and contributed to renewed international attention on regional Italian cuisine. The first season of Tucci in Italy received strong critical response, including a 100 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The format remains largely unchanged. Tucci travels through each region, meets local producers and cooks, and centers each episode on shared meals and conversation. The approach emphasizes observation over narration, allowing regional practices to structure the storytelling.
In Italy, the series has also been noted for its broader cultural impact, with tourism officials and producers observing increased interest in featured regions following broadcast.
Tucci was also in Trieste at the end of March, where he arrived for a brief visit to receive an award during an event organized by the Ambasciatori del Gusto. We interviewed him during his stopover, which lasted only a few hours before he departed. We hope that the next region he explores will be Friuli Venezia Giulia.
