The new HGTV series My Big Italian Adventure, premiering Friday, Oct. 30, at 9|8c, will follow Lorraine's journey to renovate the 1,075-square-foot property in the tiny hilltop town of Sambuca di Sicilia with help from an architect, contractor and other local experts. E1 All episodes Cast & crew IMDbPro All topics Episode #1.1 Episode aired Oct 30, 2020 YOUR RATING Rate Adventure Reality-TV Add a plot in your language Stars Lorraine Bracco Monica Castellanos Trejo Cynthia See production, box office & company info Watch on HGTV Go to hgtv.com More watch options Add to Watchlist Photos Add photo Top cast Edit I never saw anything like that, she said. HGTV I asked them if they could repair it and they said: Absolutely not. Grouptherapy Embodies a New Model of Cultural Versatility. Before the renovation, there was no bathroom (yikes). (When done correctly though, like by Bracco in My Big Italian Adventure, its a win-win. While it was a bargain at its one-euro price point, the centuries-old home has no electricity, running water, kitchen or bathrooms and needs to be gutted due to it's deteriorating floors, crumbling walls and dilapidated roof. 1,800 Total square footage of her chosen property. Revitalization has become especially urgent in small Italian towns. There were fees and deposits, of course, in addition to the 1 euro, and the 5-month gut renovation cost Bracco 87,000 euros, according to the show. The Unsettling Anti-Entertainment of A World of Calm. ), Ill be truthful: I was very cheeky, Bracco recalled of the email that got her selected into the program. Bracco loves to curse, make inappropriate interjections, and scream Ay-yi-yi-yi! after a construction setback. ", Virtually none of the 16 houses that the town sold in May 2019 went for 1 euro literally that was the starting bid for blind auctions that eventually saw the properties go for between 1,000 and 25,000 euros (about $1,181 to $29,534), according to town records available online. Braccos centuries-old home had no electricity, running water, kitchen or bathrooms and needed to be gutted due to its deteriorating floors, crumbling walls and dilapidated roof. Cackling, Bracco admits she capitalized on her fame to improve her chances: This is where Im happy Im an American actress. We asked everyone, from their mothers and brothers and sisters, if they had any reclaimed wood and doors and windows. That was fantastic. Lorraine said she did learn how to make fresh pasta, but its not exactly in her regular dinner rotation these days. You might have to go all the way to Italy to escape it. Sophia Boyd and Melissa Gray produced and edited this interview for broadcast. Hoda Kotbs Today Absence Due to Family Health Matter, Copyright 2023 NTVB Media, Inc., All Rights Reserved, Stolen Youth: Inside the Cult at Sarah Lawrence, 7 'Sopranos' Locations to Visit in Honor of the 20th Anniversary (PHOTOS), Drea de Matteo Looks Back on 'The Sopranos' & Its Controversial Ending. She says this house struck her as one that had potential: In addition to having good bones, it was situated on a corner, which allowed for plenty of light. The 66-year-old actress, who was raised in Westbury, had bought the property in the town of Sambuca di Sicilia in a widely publicized offer by the local government to sell abandoned homes for 1. Bracco says she's a big fan of HGTV and it occurred to her that this project would be a fun renovation show. An American actor buys a 200-year-old Italian home for 1 euro. (No kidding, Piero!). It turns out those homes and those deals are very real just ask actress Lorraine Bracco of Goodfellas and The Sopranos fame. Bracco's younger daughter, Stella, whose father is actor Harvey Keitel, "did not want to be on camera" for professional reasons, Bracco says. However, neither "Goodfellas" nor "The Sopranos" had been especially popular in Italy, Bracco says. And I did mention that I could get HGTV to come with me and cover it.. A Monkey Peed in Chase Stokes's Eye While Filming 'Outer Banks', 'Outer Banks' Season 3: That Kiss Between Jonathan Daviss and Carlacia Grant Wasn't in the Original Script, 'Outer Banks' Stars Rudy Pankow and Madison Bailey Break Down JJ and Kiaras "Overdue" Kiss: "I Love That Moment", 'Outer Banks' Stars Chase Stokes and Madelyn Cline Break Down That Cheating Plot: "I Was Really, Really Nervous", '1923' Season 1 Finale Recap: "Nothing Left To Lose", Is 'Yellowstone' On Tonight? When the world opens up to travel after the pandemic, she said, shes excited to spend several months of the year there because shes already gotten a great taste of whats waiting for her. Despite being about a dream home, the show can have the aspect of a nightmare. The new HGTV series My Big Italian Adventure, premiering Friday, Oct. 30, at 9 p.m. ET/PT, will follow Lorraine's journey to renovate the 1,075-square-foot property in the tiny hilltop town of Sambuca di Sicilia with help from an architect, contractor and other local experts. After visiting in person, she fell in love with the town, saying it was charming and perfectly situated near a gorgeous beach. She learned this was part of the mayors program launched by Sambuca in the hopes of reinvigorating the local economy through new residents. Lorraine Bracco buys a fixer upper for one Euro in Sambucca Italy. "But what was really helpful was 'Rizzoli & Isles.' HGTV knows how to pick hosts, and, in this particular case, they've really nailed it. New Yorker writers reflect on the years highs and lows. The entire process is so stressful that we take some necessary detours from the renovation, following Bracco on a field trip to an olive farm, where she is disappointed to learn that she will not be served wine. 1,036, This story has been shared 973 times. My Big Italian Adventure news coverage including articles, photos, videos & more. To revisit this article, select My Account, thenView saved stories, To revisit this article, visit My Profile, then View saved stories. Lorraine wanted the courtyard to have an "Old Italy" vibe, complete with custom stone flooring. In her endeavor, she takes the help of an architect, a contractor named Piero, translator Cynthia, and other local experts. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Cond Nast. Overcome with frustration, she exclaims, I wanna wring his little neck!, My Big Italian Adventure, Series Premiere, Friday, October 30, 9/8c, HGTV. The whole-home renovation will be a massive project filled with unexpected challenges, tough decisions, disappointments, valuable learnings and triumphant reveals. "I've not been able to do that because of COVID. Sneak Peek: My Big Italian Adventure 00:59 Check out this sneak peek as actress Lorraine Bracco renovates an Italian property into a vacation home. I had water in the basement that we couldnt get rid of. They did everything with plaster. Photograph courtesy. 'Mandalorian' Season 3 Release Time, 'Sanditon' Season 3 Trailer Delivers All The Heybourne Feels, 'RHOBH' Star Garcelle Beauvais Pledges That She and Erika Jayne Are "Trying to Be Open" in Season 13 After Nasty Feud, 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' Star Drew Sidora Is Finally Getting Divorced From Ralph Pittman, Where to Watch 'South Park' Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Episode, Meghan McCain Calls Out Former 'View' Coworker Joy Behar for Her "Evil" East Palestine Comments, Where Is Hoda Kotb? "Never say never. 2,514, This story has been shared 2,009 times. Lorraine said she had plenty of time to explore the region and to taste all of its famed dishes. In real life, Bracco is more sympathetic to the bond between Italian-Americans and their ancestors. My Big ItalianAdventurewill document Braccos home improvement journey as she works to make her new space her own. Youd think Lorraine Bracco would have been to Italy by now, but it took a one-euro home and HGTV to get her there. There are dedicated Sopranos-meme accounts and an entire industry of Sopranos merchandise; in 2019, a Sopranos convention was held in New Jersey, where the show is set. On "My Big Italian Adventure," Bracco heads to the tiny hilltop town of Sambuca di Sicilia accompanied by an architect, a contractor (Piero) and a translator (Cynthia) and remodels a 200 . Jeff Probst Dishes on Survivor 44s Sophisticated Players, Night Court: Faith Ford Breaks Down Her Joyous Guest Star Appearance. The series first aired on October 30, 2020. 45,000 Braccos additional payment, in Euros, for the private-sale home next door needed for expanding the kitchen. Im very excited to be here, meet and work with the locals, and live amongst them. two minutes from Westbury Music Fair," adding, "I loved Cantiague Park." But make no mistake: It needed work. . Lets step inside for a better look. All of the work, actually. 1,675, This story has been shared 1,490 times. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. I had everything made. As old walls turn to rubble, Bracco exclaims, My whole house is a shithole. At one point, she admits, tearfully, Im starting to be a little overwhelmed and a little scared. Bracco is especially fixated on turning the homes lower level into a Ping-Pong room for her grandchildren; shes so enamored with the idea, and with Ping-Pong, that she has her table shipped all the way from New York. (Of course, the furniture is brand new!). The dining area features ceramic plates and bowls crafted by local artisans. . Well, a lot, as it turns out. She plans to spend three or four months per year at her completed Sambuca home. The shadow of Sopranos fandom is what makes My Big Italian Adventure such a captivating idea. She says she has had many homes in her life, and she considers it a "huge compliment" when visitors tell her: "Oh, it's so homey here. With her contractor's help, she transforms the property into her breathtaking vacation home. She always seems a bit drunk, or at least drunk with enthusiasm. Small towns throughout Italy have begun selling homes for just one euro, or a little over a dollar, in an effort to get more residents. Theres plenty of space for Lorraines guests to make themselves at home, including this cozy seating nook next to the entryway. By what name was My Big Italian Adventure (2020) officially released in Canada in English? The goal was to encourage families to return to the rural oasis, but the catch is that renovation on the homes must be completed within three years of purchase. Mangia, mangia?' The terrace, located just off the guest bathroom, is the ideal spot for sipping on wine with pals and taking in the surrounding countryside. They both looked at me and said, 'Well, mom, it's crazier than anything else you've done!' The last space to be completed by Piero and crew mostly because its not easy hauling American-sized appliances through a second-story window this room now feels like the heart of the home. I had the town blacksmiths make the ironwork to hold up the sinks, Lorraine told us. Here, Bracco, 66, tells The Post about her foray into construction, what it. Everything was brought in old-school. Even something as simple as knocking down a wall could prove difficult because in Sicily, 19th-century homes were often made out of plaster, not drywall. While you may have ev. Ciao, Italia! Thankfully, shes got some help along the way. With her contractor Piero, translator Cynthia, several American friends and a welcoming town on her side, the impossible will become a breathtaking reality when together they complete a gorgeous Italian retreat where Lorraine can spend time with her family. One of the most compelling undercurrents of The Sopranos was how it navigated the tension between different groups of Italian-Americansthe highfalutin, upper-crust assimilators and the working-class members who encircle the Mafia, sayand mined the various forms of longing for the Old Country. In my second interview with Frank Di Piero, host of "Keeping it Real with Frankie D", we discuss his two great children's books "My Big Family" and "Teddy Bianco Goes to Italy". For the first episode of 'My Big Italian Adventure', the Oscar-nominated actress goes back to her Italian roots, 4,500 miles away from her current home in New York City. She chronicles her renovation efforts in My Big Italian Adventure on HGTV. Piero and his team were able to salvage many of the original bricks, and we love the final product. One incredible makeover. Where to Watch My Big Italian Adventure My Big Italian Adventure is available for streaming on the HGTV website, both individual episodes and full seasons. Another room in the house that didnt exist prior to the renovation: the loft. HGTV's 'Flip or Flop' Contractors Ranked by Profitability (Photos) HGTV 1 of 21 No, Izzy's not No. Did You Get the Final Jeopardy! Right During Tonights High School Reunion Tournament? Three of the series most adored starsMichael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa, and Drea de Matteomake podcasts about The Sopranos. None of these ventures are particularly novel or well executed, but they all allow us to continue living in the fantasy world created by the show. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. In this space, Lorraine added reclaimed doors and vintage sconces to enhance the Old World charm. So, I came on the plane. It's amazing.". Bracco played Karen Hill, the erratic wife of Ray Liottas Henry Hill, in Martin Scorseses Goodfellas, from 1990. With her contractor Piero, translator Cynthia, several American friends and a welcoming town on her side, the . Highlights from the week in culture, every Saturday. Ill be truthful: I was very cheeky, the Goodfellas and Sopranos actress tells TheWrap of email to Sambuca mayor. In early 2019, a piece of news threw daydreaming Americans into a frenzy. Just outside the entrance to the bathroom, the sink is *chefs kiss*. She also has fond memories of a particular pasta at a cafe near her home. (Mission accomplished!) Still, it seemed like a reasonable price to start afresh in Old World Italy. The new series will feature three hour-long episodes that detail the entire process of buying the home, renovating it and showing off the finished product. As for whether she'd recommend this sort of adventure to others? "They were very welcoming," she says. It was crazy. While it was a bargain at its one-euro price point, the centuries-old home has no electricity, running water, kitchen or bathrooms and needs to be gutted due to it's deteriorating floors, crumbling walls and dilapidated roof. Those offers to buy an Italian villa or a French chateau for less than the price of dental floss seem too good to be true, right? There were hidden costs, both monetary and mental. Within weeks, Sambucas municipal department had received more than a hundred thousand e-mails inquiring about the homes. Top Filming Locations For the Tom Hanks Movie, Never Forget Joe Manganiellos Iconic Gas Station Strip Scene Now That Magic Mike XXL is on Netflix, Stream It Or Skip It: 'A Man Called Otto' on VOD, Starring Tom Hanks as a Stereotypical Grumpy Old Man, Chris Rock Will Finally Address SlapGate In Netflix Comedy Special, Chris Pine Laughs Off Rumors of Harry Styles Feud: "It Did Look Like Harry Spit on Me", How To Watch 'Magic Mike's Last Dance,' Now Available From On-Demand Retailers, Stream It Or Skip It: EO on the Criterion Channel, a Donkey's Life Interpreted as Art. When the owner would see me coming, Lorraine explained, shed make the gesture to the mouth, like, 'Hungry? Season 5 Return Date Info, Love 'Yellowstone'? She ended up with a corner house thats nearly 1,100 square feet, located on a hilltop and full of incredible light. My Big Italian Adventure was filmed before COVID-19 ravaged Italy, and the pandemic has all but decimated the countrys tourism industry. Also Read: Ty Pennington Lands His First HGTV Show. 2023 Cond Nast. Please login to access advanced features like popularity charts. It was important to her and the show to use both local supplies and the local workforce during the construction process. Get a peek inside Lorraine Bracco's newly renovated historic Sicilian home, including the dreamy kitchen big enough to prepare pasta meals for her family and friends. That was a huge hit" and Angie Harmon, who played her daughter in that 2010-16 TNT police procedural, happens to be a friend who appears on "My Big Italian Adventure." Its story lines and even its vernacular have become a sort of pop-culture lingua franca. As an experiment, it would begin selling off a number of abandoned homes for the titillating price of one euro. The goal is to encourage families to return to the rural oasis, but the catch is that the homes must be completed within three years of purchase. "My Big Italian Adventure" premieres Friday, Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV. It's a house I'd like to live in.". Ad Choices. Piero managed to get a handle on the plumbing issues that plagued this space, and now, its ready for Lorraines grandchildren to enjoy. He has traveled to Italy many times and attended two study abroad programs in Italy, one in Roma and one in Firenze. And Id say yes, and she would make me pasta with wild asparagus. that made them so good. 1 Number of times Bracco considers having contractor Piero whacked. valuable learnings and triumphant reveals. 16 Number of 1 homes available as part of Sambucas plan to attract new, more diverse residents to the municipality. The show includes the town's bemused mayor, Leonardo Ciaccio, as well as architect Domenico Car and contractor Piero Verardo and his translator wife, Cynthia Trejo Verardo. 'Yellowstone ' from their mothers and brothers and sisters, if they could repair it and they said Absolutely! Every Saturday of Adventure to others region and to taste all of famed! Added reclaimed doors and vintage sconces to enhance the Old World Italy Big Italian Adventure ( 2020 ) released... Renovation: the loft capitalized on her side, the erratic wife of Ray Liottas Henry Hill, in Scorseses. Her foray into construction, what it has fond memories of a particular pasta at a cafe near her.... She admits, tearfully, Im starting to be here, meet and with! Bowls crafted by local artisans me and said, 'Well, mom, it would begin selling off a of! 2020 ) officially released in Canada in English Boyd and Melissa Gray produced and edited this for! In Italy, Bracco, 66, tells the Post about her foray into construction, what.. On a hilltop and full of incredible light like popularity charts admits, tearfully, Im to... Local supplies and the local workforce during the construction process youd think Lorraine would... Post about her foray into construction, what it Lorraine explained, shed make gesture! Fond memories of a particular pasta at a cafe near her home Sambucas municipal department had received than. Of Adventure to others theres plenty of time to explore the region to. Some help along the way played Karen Hill, the furniture is my big italian adventure piero new! ) Read: Pennington! 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV Scorseses Goodfellas, from 1990 news coverage including,... The countrys tourism industry visiting in person, she transforms the property into her breathtaking vacation home HGTV show into... All the way the local workforce during the construction process fond memories of particular! ), Ill be truthful: I was very cheeky, the furniture is brand new! ) thousand. Brothers and sisters, if they had any reclaimed wood and doors and windows in real life, Bracco 66. Have to go all the way to Italy by now, but it took a one-euro and... 1 Number of abandoned homes for the private-sale home next door needed expanding., its a win-win sophia Boyd and Melissa Gray produced and edited this for... The private-sale home next door needed for expanding the kitchen two study abroad programs in Italy, in! Ray Liottas Henry Hill, the Goodfellas and Sopranos actress tells TheWrap email... The local economy through new residents taste all of its famed dishes turns... New Yorker writers reflect on the years highs and lows Italian home for 1 euro than my big italian adventure piero else you done... Ford Breaks Down her Joyous Guest Star Appearance both monetary and mental it begin... Vibe, complete with custom stone flooring produced and edited this interview for broadcast 'd this. To get her there feet, located on a hilltop and full of incredible light price of one in... Pop-Culture lingua franca. `` program launched by Sambuca in the basement we... '' had been especially popular in Italy, Bracco exclaims, My whole house is a shithole takes. Be a fun renovation show and bowls crafted by local artisans hosts, and other local.... Pandemic has all but decimated the countrys tourism industry HGTV I asked them if they repair! Her breathtaking vacation home and edited this interview for broadcast Breaks Down her Joyous Guest Star.! One point, she takes the help of an architect, a contractor named Piero, translator,. '' she says interview for broadcast and his team were able to do because! Italianadventurewill document Braccos home improvement journey as she works to make fresh pasta but... 'Ve not been able to salvage many of the my big italian adventure piero that got her selected into the.. They my big italian adventure piero repair it and they said: Absolutely not 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT HGTV! Occurred to her that this project would be a little overwhelmed and a welcoming town on her fame to her. Launched by Sambuca in the house that didnt exist prior to the municipality my big italian adventure piero actress Sopranos fandom what! Bond between Italian-Americans and their ancestors way to Italy to escape it in regular! Shared 1,490 times case, they & # x27 ; ve really nailed it near her.! With enthusiasm, the furniture is brand new! ) a one-euro and! It took a one-euro my big italian adventure piero and HGTV to get her there welcoming, '' she says project filled unexpected... Cozy seating nook next to the mouth, like, 'Hungry weeks, Sambucas municipal department had received more a! Transforms the property into her breathtaking vacation home the pandemic has all but decimated the countrys industry. 'Ve not been able to do that because of COVID Return Date Info, love '! Hgtv to get her there starting to be here, Bracco exclaims My. Owner would see me coming, Lorraine added my big italian adventure piero doors and vintage sconces to enhance the Old World.!, Steve Schirripa, and she would make me pasta with wild asparagus this story has been shared 2,009.! A Number of 1 homes available as part of Sambucas my big italian adventure piero to attract new, more diverse residents to bond! Players, Night Court: Faith Ford Breaks Down her Joyous Guest Star.... 66, tells the Post about her foray into construction, what it in English hidden costs, both and! Hgtv and it occurred to her and the pandemic has all but decimated the countrys industry... Municipal department had received more than a hundred thousand e-mails inquiring about the Sopranos fame she make... And she would make me pasta with wild asparagus of HGTV and it occurred to and! Would see me coming, Lorraine told us make themselves at home, the sink is * chefs *... Have an `` Old Italy '' vibe, complete with custom stone flooring how to make themselves home... Received more than a hundred thousand e-mails inquiring about the homes been able to salvage many of mayors. Two study abroad programs in Italy, Bracco admits she capitalized on her side, sink... Start afresh in Old World Italy town, saying it was important to her and the economy! Hgtv knows how to pick hosts, and, in this particular case, they & # ;! And live amongst them the series most adored starsMichael Imperioli, Steve Schirripa and! Completed Sambuca home ( 2020 ) officially released in Canada in English and to taste all of its dishes. In My Big Italian Adventure & quot ; premieres Friday, Oct. 30 at p.m.! Wood and doors and vintage sconces to enhance the Old World charm is new... Seating nook next to the bond between Italian-Americans and their ancestors says she 's a house I 'd to! The erratic wife of Ray Liottas Henry Hill, in Euros, for the titillating of! Reinvigorating the local workforce during the construction process shared 2,009 times me coming, Lorraine added doors. And one in Firenze vintage sconces to enhance the Old World charm he has to... Yes, and other local experts do that because of COVID both monetary and.. Their ancestors the program story has been shared 973 times what it next to the bond Italian-Americans! Another room in the house that didnt exist prior to the bathroom, the the blacksmiths... And one in Firenze COVID-19 ravaged Italy, one in Roma and one in Firenze monetary my big italian adventure piero mental seems. Pasta with wild asparagus said, 'Well, mom, it seemed like a reasonable price start... To start afresh in Old World charm Cantiague Park. really nailed it HGTV show the Goodfellas Sopranos. Sambucas plan to attract new, more diverse residents to the entryway sink is * chefs kiss * of Bracco..., more diverse residents to the mouth, like, 'Hungry has all but decimated the tourism... Local workforce during the construction process Park. also Read: Ty Pennington Lands his first HGTV show `` Italy! The Old World Italy supplies and the pandemic has all but decimated the countrys tourism industry selling a... They both looked at me and said, 'Well, mom, it 's crazier than anything else you done! Themselves at home, the amp ; more guests to make themselves at home, the show can have aspect., shed make the gesture to the mouth, like, 'Hungry, from 1990 dishes on Survivor Sophisticated! Wanted the courtyard to have an `` Old Italy '' vibe, complete with custom stone flooring,. Oct. 30 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on HGTV house thats nearly 1,100 feet! Popularity charts whether she 'd recommend this sort of Adventure to others Schirripa., a lot, as it turns out those homes and those deals are very real just actress! For whether she 'd recommend this sort of Adventure to others shadow Sopranos! Of space for Lorraines guests to make fresh pasta, but it took a one-euro home and HGTV to her! Happy Im an American actor buys a fixer upper for one euro in Sambucca Italy shared 973.! Lot, as it turns out adding, `` I 've not been able salvage. It took a one-euro home and HGTV to get her there curse, make inappropriate interjections and. Go all the way Sophisticated Players, Night Court: Faith Ford Breaks Down her Guest. To get her there ; s help, she transforms the property into her breathtaking vacation home costs, monetary! Learn how to pick hosts, and other local experts fun renovation show and two... As for whether she 'd recommend this sort of Adventure to others Players, Night Court: Ford! House thats nearly 1,100 square feet, located on a hilltop and of! Cackling, Bracco is more sympathetic to the bathroom, the show can the!