Italy is a bit of a cliché, isn't it? Everyone has been to Rome. Everyone has seen a picture of a gondola. If you haven't posted a photo of a bowl of pasta in Florence, do you even have an Instagram account? But when Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy first hit our screens on Channel 5, it did something that most travelogues fail to do. It made the country feel quiet again.
Honestly, it’s hard to find anything "secret" in a country that sees millions of tourists a year. Yet, Alex Polizzi—whom most of us know as the sharp-tongued, no-nonsense fixer from The Hotel Inspector—managed to peel back the plastic-wrapped tourist version of her ancestral home. She didn't just show us buildings; she showed us a lineage.
The Emotional Core of the Journey
This wasn't just another job for her. It was personal. Really personal. After her last grandmother passed away, Alex hadn't been back to Italy for five years. She admitted in interviews that she’d basically been in denial, blocking out the connection because the loss was too heavy.
When she finally returned for the show, you could see the armor cracking.
She wasn't just visiting "locations." She was visiting the hillside village of Monforte where her grandfather came from. She was walking the streets of Rome where she lived in her twenties. The show feels like a "homage to her grandparents," and that’s why it works. It’s not a polished presenter reading a script; it’s a woman rediscovering who she is.
Beyond the Usual Postcards
The series, which ran for two seasons between 2014 and 2016, moves from the northern lakes down to the rugged tip of Sicily. But it’s the weird, specific details that stick with you.
- Venice: Forget the Rialto Bridge for a second. Alex takes us to a prison in Venice that has a garden where inmates grow organic produce.
- Milan: We see the high-fashion capital, sure, but through the lens of Maria Callas’s stage costumes.
- Le Marche: This is the region people always forget. It's basically Tuscany without the crowds and the inflated price of a caffe latte. Alex explores Ascoli Piceno, the "City of 100 Towers," where families used to build massive stone structures just to flex their wealth.
Then there’s the south. The "Secret South."
In Puglia and Basilicata, she dives into the cave houses of Matera. Back then, it was still a bit of a "hidden" spot before it became a Bond filming location and a European Capital of Culture. She captures that transition—the grit before the glitz.
The Reality of Italian Hospitality
Because she’s a hotelier from the Forte dynasty, Alex doesn't romanticize everything. She’s famously blunt. She once told Attitude Magazine that restaurants and hotels in Italy are "no better or worse than anywhere in Britain."
People are people.
If they can take your money without putting in the effort, they probably will. That honesty is refreshing. It cuts through the "La Dolce Vita" myth that every Italian meal is cooked by a grandmother who loves you. Sometimes, it’s just a tourist trap. Alex knows the difference, and she isn't afraid to point it out.
Why it Ranks as a Top Travel Doc
Even years later, the show is a staple on streaming platforms like Amazon Prime and Plex. Why? Because it’s aspirational but grounded.
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She’s "five-star only" these days (her words!), but she grew up backpacking and camping. She has the perspective of someone who has slept on a thin mat and someone who knows the thread count of the finest linen.
In Season 2, the focus shifts heavily toward the islands—Sardinia and Sicily. This is where the show gets really interesting. In Palermo, she hangs out with Salvatore Agusta to explore the street food scene. We’re talking pani ca meusa (spleen sandwiches) and arancine. It’s messy. It’s loud. It’s exactly what Italy feels like when you step off the main corso.
Specific Highlights You Shouldn't Miss:
- The Gangi Renaissance: In Sicily, she visits the village of Gangi, where the mayor famously started selling abandoned houses for one euro to save the town from dying.
- Mamma Agata: On the Amalfi Coast, Alex visits Ravello to cook with Mamma Agata, a woman who has fed everyone from Humphrey Bogart to Fred Astaire.
- The Aeolian Islands: The segments on Salina and Filicudi are some of the most beautiful television ever filmed. It looks like a Chanel advert, but with more volcanic rock and better wine.
How to Travel Like Alex
If you want to replicate the vibe of Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy, you have to change your timing. Alex’s big tip for Venice? Get up early or stay out late. By 10 PM, the day-trippers are gone, and the city belongs to the locals and the ghosts.
Also, look for the "dual heritage" spots. Italy isn't a monolith. The North is organized and chic; the South is chaotic and sun-drenched. Alex embraces both. She speaks the language fluently, dreams in Italian, yet feels "too British" when she’s there and "too Italian" when she’s in London.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Trip
- Skip the "Big Three" for a day: If you’re in Rome, take the train to Le Marche. It’s only a few hours, but it feels like a different century.
- Eat where there are no menus in English: In Palermo, follow the smell of fried dough to Nino u’ Ballerino. If you aren't sure what you're eating, you're doing it right.
- Focus on the "Why": Don't just tick off monuments. Find a place that connects to your own history or interests, whether that's opera, prison gardens, or 100-foot stone towers.
Italy is never truly "secret," but as Alex Polizzi showed us, it’s always ready to be rediscovered if you’re willing to look past the postcard.
To start planning your own "secret" itinerary, check out the official tourism boards for Le Marche and Basilicata, as these regions offer the most authentic, crowd-free experiences featured in the series. Focus your booking on small, family-run boutique hotels rather than international chains to get closer to the hospitality standards Alex discusses throughout the show.