Meaningful cultural travel experiences for curious explorers.

Venture off the beaten path and into the extraordinary.

Immersive & sustainable small group tours for curious and cultured travellers, follow us to our favourite secret corners of the world.

Commencing with a series of personally hosted cultural travel adventures - as well as co-hosted gourmet cycling tours - to the undiscovered regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy from 2024.

Inspirationally curated and personally hosted by Paolo & Kelly Picarazzi, founders of the award-winning Ciociarian cultural dining experience, Antica Australis, and its cultural travel experience subsidiary, Antica Travel Co.

Paolo is a Ciociarian native and is descended from the Ernici & Volscii tribes of the original Samnite civilisation of central Italy, and as such he is deeply connected to the land. As the culinary creative behind the revival of the ancient and traditional cuisine of Ciociaria through the Antica Australis cultural dining experiences, Paolo is a genuine and passionate food & local produce enthusiast.

Australian-born Kelly has a background in global tourism, with a focus on sustainable and cultural heritage tourism. She was noted as one of the global Travel Massive ‘100 Inspiring Women Travel Founders’ list for 2020.

Learn more about Our Journey

Follow us to the Wild Heart of Italy…off the beaten path, into the extraordinary.

Off the beaten path. Into the extraordinary

Off the beaten path. Into the extraordinary

Follow us to the Wild Heart of Italy…

to the undiscovered regions of Ciociaria & Molise in central Italy.

Meet the Ciociarian culinary creatives, organic producers & vignerons and local artisans who have been the inspiration for our Antica Australis journey, and explore the layers of ancient Samnite & Roman and Medieval history of Ciociaria in central Italy with us.

We have hand-crafted our itineraries from ten years of on-ground personal research and our groups are guided by our great Ciociarian friends who are local archaeologists, academics, culinary artisans, artisanal producers, hiking guides and art historians.

We re-design our on-ground itineraries bespoke for every single tour group. No experience is ever the same. This is born from our passion and belief in supporting the continual evolution of the regions we are visiting, to align with the personal adventures our curious & cultured travellers are seeking, and to revel in the glorious spontaneity of these ancient regions.

  • “Italy today is far more Etruscan in its pulse than Roman; and will always be so. The Etruscan element is like the grass of the field and the sprouting of corn, in Italy: it will always be so.”

    DH Lawrence, ‘Etruscan Places: Travels Through Forgotten Italy’

  • "Just perfect for the adventurous, the curious, those who are tired of crowds and tourist restaurants, and for those who dislike moving from hotel to hotel to make the most of their vacation."

    Janette Davis, ‘Wild Heart of Italy’ guest September 2018

  • "A great fit for those who want to learn more and appreciate more, and who want to extract the very essence of life from every day, and who are flexible enough to confidently do so.”

    Janette Davis, ‘Wild Heart of Italy’ guest December 2018

  • "Our Ciociarian adventure had everything - visits to beautiful & interesting places, good company, delicious food! And wine!"

    Sabina Faust, Ciociaria Cultural Travel Adventure, September 2024

  • “I've been on a cycle holiday in Italy five or six times before with various local providers. This Ciociaria experience was head and shoulders above the rest.”

    Louise Barretto, Ciociaria Bespoke Gourmet Cycle tour guest, September 2024

Sustainable & Immersive Small Group Tours.

Meaningful cultural travel experiences for curious explorers.

Our personally hosted Ciociaria cultural travel Wild Heart of Italy Experiences are fully booked for 2025. We are taking reservations for 2026 and enquiries for 2027.

Reservations are open for our co-hosted Bespoke Ciociaria Gourmet Cycle Tours for 2025 & 2026.

Follow us off the beaten path, into the extraordinary.