Our trip to the USA

Interview to Claudio Santamaria, actor, and Francesca Barra, journalist and writer

From "Romanzo criminale" to "Lo chiamavano Jeeg Robot" to "Freaks Out,” there are many titles that have made Claudio Santamaria one of the most appreciated Italian actors of his generation. Since 2017, Claudio has been married to Francesca Barra, a journalist and anchorwoman equally well-known to the general public thanks to programs such as "Matrix," "In Onda," and "La Repubblica delle Donne." Together they share a passion for travel, which they tell us about today as part of #SeViaggiSiVede, Bit 2023's project that gives a voice to both well-known personalities and ordinary people to tell the story of the journey that "changed their life."  

What is the journey that changed your life?

The trip that changed our lives was definitely a trip to Los Angeles to the Film Festival, during which at one point we decided to take a little detour. Claudio drove up in a rented car and we hurriedly drove to Las Vegas, where we got married there, alone.

It was definitely the craziest trip, of all the trips we've taken, and we've taken some wonderful ones. We have been to Vietnam, we are both travelers, both for work and for pleasure. This was definitely the craziest trip: the one which actually changed our lives, because we got married.

I started out in documentary film making, covering travel for Marco Polo, travel and gastronomy for Alice TV, Claudio has always been a backpacker and this characteristic has bonded us very closely.

My parents are travelers who have backpacked the world, it is in our culture, we look for adventure, have the spirit to adapt, and the desire to really get to know different places, different cultures.

We are very curious, in fact we suffered during lockdown because of this limitation unfortunately, now we are trying to recover.

Traveling is very different now; now that we are no longer alone we either travel with Athena who is now almost 10 months old or we even travel with all of our children who are of all age groups so imagine any need possible and imaginable. Of course we have the need for proper transportation because there are so many of us. We now have family trips, but we are not just tourists.

We really like beautiful things, to rest, to disconnect, so we alternate between adventurous trips and absolutely more relaxing ones. 

Now, for example, we have been dreaming of a vacation where we can do nothing and relax, which unfortunately we have forgotten now, since the baby is here.

We like to look at the horizon, reflect, be inspired, create - we are two creative people, who like to write.

What does travel mean for you?

To us, traveling means sharing, we talk a lot, we come up with projects, he often plays music, I devour books that I had left in a drawer.

Another trip that changed our lives was Pantelleria because we went there on our honeymoon. I wanted to bring Claudio to this island: we eventually bought a house and now it has become our second home. So let's say travel always has a fairly definitive value for me: somehow it changes our lives, each discovery, if it is such, permanently changes your outlook, and when you come back you are never the same.

Do you have a journey that changed your life?

Tell us about it!