Katie Parla is an art historian, food historian, and sommelier. She has lived and worked in Italy since 2003, where she works as a freelance writer. She also provides customized private tours for small groups.
Katie studied the History of Art at Yale, focusing on Classical art and archeology. She is also a certified archaeological spelunker for the city of Rome, an accredited sommelier, and holds a Master’s degree in Italian gastronomic culture from the Universita’ degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”.
Travel Writing
Katie has written about Italy, Turkey, and food-related topics for a variety of publications including The New York Times, National Geographic, Rough Guides, DK Eyewitness Guides, Insight Guides, Fodor’s and Time Out. For a full list, see Travel Writing.
Private Tours
Katie specializes in tours of Rome, Naples, Sicily, Puglia, and other parts of Southern Italy. Tours can be tailored for individuals, private small groups, and families, ranging from the scholarly to the more informal. In the past, her tours have included a half-day tour of the Vatican Museums, a full-day excursion to archaeological sites around the Bay of Naples, a week-long food tour of Puglia, and a ten-day family tour in Sicily. For more choices and booking information, see Private Tours.