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Welcome to Book Club and Episode 2810 of the Italian Wine Podcast with Richard Hough. In this episode, Richard is in conversation with Joseph Walker, author of “Buried Italy”.
Highlights of the conversation include:
Joseph’s personal background and career in the US military
His “origin story” as an explorer of Italian history
The discovery of the submerged Roman remains at Portus Julius
Tourism as a vehicle for sharing history and storytelling
The challenges of managing competing demands of tourism and preservation
How to be a more responsible tourist in Italy
The importance of wine to the Italian visitor experience
What wine can tell us about the history of Italy
“Buried Italy” by Joseph M. Walker is available to order on Amazon at: https://a.co/d/06NdhEa3.
About today’s guest:
The US military sent Joseph Walker to Italy in 1988, and the country has had a hold on him ever since. He began studying history in Naples, before returning to the States to wrap up his Master’s degree. By 1994, he was back in Italy with a burning curiosity and absolutely no plans to leave. Over the next thirty years, Joseph personally guided more than three thousand groups across the country. He even became the very first person to take travelers underwater to explore the sunken Roman ruins of Portus Julius near Naples! His deep expertise has also caught the eye of television producers, leading him to consult as a historian for shows on the History Channel, the BBC, and the Discovery Channel. Today, Joseph channels everything he’s uncovered over the last three decades — the buried cities, the forgotten kingdoms, and the fascinating stories that never make the guidebooks — into crafting unforgettable itineraries for his clients.
Richard Hough is the editor, translator and project curator behind The Art of Wine Storytelling, Wine Democracy and Vine and Prejudice. He has also published several books about life in Verona, chronicling the city’s history, culture and daily life, not forgetting, of course, its wine, including Verona Campione, published in May 2025. With a long-standing passion for whisky and beer, he’s a relative newcomer to the world of wine and is now desperately trying to make up for lost time! He is the host of Book Club on the Italian Wine Podcast.
