Italy seen through the eyes of the world

A journalist specializing in travel and culture, he has held positions as Editor-in-Chief (Lonely Planet Magazine Italia, Marcopolo TV) and Head of Content (turismo.it, X2TV), alongside his work as an author (Lonely Planet, Polaris) and documentary filmmaker (Rai, Sky). He has produced features and reports for dozens of publications—both specialized and general-interest, Italian and international—earning numerous awards and recognitions. He also collaborates with various organizations in the travel industry, including tour operators, research institutions, and agencies, serving as a content provider, trainer, and advisor.

Faith Willinger, American journalist and writer, in Italy since 1972, likes to say she is a born-again Italian. She moved to Italy over 50 years ago to learn everything about Italian food and wine, her great passion, studied with professional chefs and home cooks, and travelled the back roads in search of artisans who still make the best local products by hand, cook the most authentic traditional recipes and produce the finest wine. She has written about these precious encounters, their products and their restaurants for Gourmet, Travel & Leisure, Departures and The New York Times, and has been a columnist for Epicurious, La Cucina Italiana and The Atlantic. She is the author of several books: Eating in Italy, a traveller's guide to northern and central Italy; Red, White & Greens: The Italian Way with Vegetables (HarperCollins), nominated for the James Beard Award; and Adventures of an Italian Food Lover, illustrated with watercolours by Suzanne Heller (Clarkson Potter). She wants her readers to taste everything. She is the journalist the producers of Netflix's award-winning Chef's Table call to decide which Italian cook or producer to devote the next episode to — it was she who pointed to chef Massimo Bottura, butcher Dario Cecchini, pastry master Corrado Assenza and pizza master Franco Pepe.

Vanja van der Leeden is a chef, food writer and award-winning cookbook author. She has worked as a chef in several restaurants and has lived in Italy. Her book Italopop was published in the Netherlands, will be translated in Germany and came out in the United States in 2025 as Italo Punk. In her work she studies the traditions and foundations of the world's cuisines to reinterpret them in a contemporary key — with respect, but without stopping at clichés.

A journalist, podcaster and photographer specialising in travel and lifestyle, she is co-author of the National Geographic special edition Hidden Rome (2026) and has written more than 20 books. Her stories have appeared in AFAR, The Washington Post, Travel + Leisure, The Guardian and Condé Nast Traveler, among others. She created Ciao Bella and its podcast, where she explores contemporary Italy through conversations with chefs, artists, curators and cultural figures. Her photographs have been published by CNN, Mashable and Instagram's official account, and La Repubblica named her one of the 8 Italian digital influencers to follow.

Giuseppe Grasso is a Sicilian farmer and breeder, owner of the organic livestock farm Alleva.Bio in the territory of Vizzini (CT), between the Dirillo river and the Hyblaean Mountains. The son of breeders, with a degree in Economics from the University of Catania, he turned the family tradition into a modern agro-livestock business whose model — built on animal welfare, landscape protection and circular economy — has become a subject of study and educational visits for university courses in economics and animal science. The farm raises beef cattle in semi-wild conditions on free pasture, including native Sicilian breeds such as the Modicana as well as crosses and beef breeds like the Marchigiana. Certified organic since 1999, it follows a sustainable cycle in which pastures naturally fertilised by the animals alternate with cereals, fodder and citrus. Management favours natural rhythms and animal health, reducing transport stress and keeping the supply chain short. Alongside production, the farm promotes educational initiatives and niche tourism, welcoming visitors, chefs and experts to discover rural life and the biodiversity of the Sicilian land. Giuseppe is proud to work with his three children, Vittorio (14), Nicolò (12) and Olympia (7).

Wave Gelato was born in 2021 in the heart of Hackney, London, from the idea of Cristian Bonacina and Biagio Di Fiore to turn gelato into a gesture of care, memory and authentic pleasure. Cristian brings solid technical training gained at Alma, Cast Alimenti and through various experiences in Europe and Australia, with particular attention to pastry and to the structure of the product. Biagio comes from years in hospitality between Italy and the United Kingdom and from a sensibility nourished by ethnic cuisines, food culture and care for hospitality. Together they built Wave as a workshop where every flavour is thought through, made by hand and built around selected ingredients. The production philosophy is simple: respect the product and let every recipe say something true. The range moves between Italian tradition and a contemporary “London” outlook, with iconic flavours, plant-based variants and recipes that play with cross-influences and collaborations with chefs. Wave began its journey as a travelling venture, among electric bicycles, markets and pop-ups, later adding a permanent shop connected to the workshop; today the brand is known for small batches, seasonal ingredients and a search for balance between Italian craftsmanship, creativity and attention to impact.

Wave Gelato was born in 2021 in the heart of Hackney, London, from the idea of Cristian Bonacina and Biagio Di Fiore to turn gelato into a gesture of care, memory and authentic pleasure. Cristian brings solid technical training gained at Alma, Cast Alimenti and through various experiences in Europe and Australia, with particular attention to pastry and to the structure of the product. Biagio comes from years in hospitality between Italy and the United Kingdom and from a sensibility nourished by ethnic cuisines, food culture and care for hospitality. Together they built Wave as a workshop where every flavour is thought through, made by hand and built around selected ingredients. The production philosophy is simple: respect the product and let every recipe say something true. The range moves between Italian tradition and a contemporary “London” outlook, with iconic flavours, plant-based variants and recipes that play with cross-influences and collaborations with chefs. Wave began its journey as a travelling venture, among electric bicycles, markets and pop-ups, later adding a permanent shop connected to the workshop; today the brand is known for small batches, seasonal ingredients and a search for balance between Italian craftsmanship, creativity and attention to impact.