������ý

MISSION

Offering an authoritative, authentic take on ������ý for international audiences, ������ý Magazine’s team of local experts celebrates the best of the Bel Paese. Through sharp coverage that spans culture to food to current events, our aim is to help readers deepen their understanding of ������ý for richer travels. Whether planning a trip or staying connected from home, our readers want to incorporate ������ý into their everyday lives — and we’ve helped them do so for the past 20 years.

MASTHEAD

Publisher: Mike Fuller / As publisher of ������ý Magazine, Mike is revisiting his roots from 25 years ago. Mike was the publisher of Student Travels Magazine between 1995-1999 and during that same period developed a number of custom publishing projects for the British Tourist Authority, including Britain on a Budget as well as special supplements aimed at the 50+, LGTBQ and honeymoon markets. A native of Montreal, Mike currently resides near Boston but travels extensively to ������ý, where he spends most of his time in his favorite city — Rome.

Editor-in-Chief: Mary Gray / Mary oversees all editorial operations at ������ý Magazine. Born in Mississippi and based in Florence, she is an accredited journalist with the Italian Foreign Press Association who draws from over a decade of on-the-ground adventures and an academic background in Italian Studies. Mary has written for the Washington Post, La Repubblica and Forbes Travel Guide; co-authored guidebooks for Time Out, DK Eyewitness and Lonely Planet; taught travel writing and fashion media at the university level; and held a five-year deputy editor post at The Florentine, where she created the Rental Diaries column, which became a book of the same name. Shabby trattoria tables and markets hawking nonna hand-me-downs are her happy places.

Director of Partnerships: Liz Shemaria / Liz coordinates branded content for ������ý Magazine partners and drives the publication’s marketing initiatives. A northern Californian with a background in both editorial and commercial storytelling, Liz has hiked solo in Himalaya, interviewed artists in military-ruled Burma and once rode an overnight train across Egypt on her birthday. She has worked with organizations including Human Rights Watch, Viator, American Red Cross and Wells Fargo, and publications including BBC Travel, AFAR, Fodor’s Essential ������ý and Hidden Compass, where she was a founding editor. Liz holds a master’s degree in journalism and lives in Milan, where she has learned to roll her r’s and to never order a cappuccino after breakfast.

EDITORIAL & CREATIVE 

Social Media & Visual Editor: Gabriela R. Proietti / Gabriela is ������ý Magazine’s visual creator and voice across social media and also oversees imagery and design decisions for quarterly supplement Bellissimo. An Italian-American born and raised in Philadelphia, Gabriela decided to jump ship from her career in corporate fashion, following the “������ý pull” to Rome in 2019, and later to Naples, where she lives today. Gabriela is a writer, journalist, social media strategist and digital creator whose work has been featured in ������ý Segreta, Elle and The ������ý Edit. She has a passion for all things Naples and Made in ������ý.

Senior Staff Writer: Toni DeBella / Toni is ������ý Magazine’s senior staff writer, the pen behind many of the magazine’s “������ý in Brief” reports. Born and raised in Silicon Valley, the northern California native moved to ������ý in 2012 and never looked back. Now a travel and lifestyle writer based in the Umbrian hill town of Orvieto, Toni has written for The Telegraph, Fodor’s, Culture Trip, Walks of ������ý and Women & Home, and was also a major contributor to DK Eyewitness Sicily. When she’s not documenting her journeys around ������ý and Europe, Toni covers the DIY beat for The Family Handyman Magazine, Bird & Bloom and Hunker.

Contributing Editor: Laura Itzkowitz / Laura is a contributing editor to ������ý Magazine and the lead writer for the Inspired Stays series on exciting accommodations around the Boot. A Rome-based freelance journalist with a passion for covering travel, arts and culture, lifestyle, design, food and wine, Laura has written for Travel + Leisure, Architectural Digest, T Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Vogue, GQ, Departures, AFAR, Town & Country, Condé Nast Traveler and others. Laura has explored ������ý up and down from the Dolomites to Sicily, and especially loves the beaches and islands. 

Senior Recipe Writer: Francine Segan / Francine is ������ý Magazine’s lead recipe developer and writer. She is a food historian, prolific public speaker and James Beard-nominated author of six cookbooks, including, most recently, PASTA MODERN: New & Inspired Recipes from ������ý and DOLCI: ������ý’s Sweets. Francine is a regular on the Food Network, PBS, Discovery and History Channels and has written for Saveur and Epicurious, among others. A frequent judge in food competitions, she has sat on panels for Barilla’s Pasta World Championship, Charcuterie Masters and the International Pesto Competition.

Staff Writer: Alexa Ahern / Alexa has covered a range of beats for ������ý Magazine since 2022, but is particularly interested in human-driven stories about the land, food culture and society. A journalist and translator who traded in Missouri for Milan nearly a decade ago, Alexa has an academic background in Journalism, Italian and Mediterranean Studies. She now feels fully “Italianized,” using allora with unironic enthusiasm and complaining about bureaucracy like a veteran. 

Staff Writer: Alex Sakalis / Alex, always on the go and often on a bicycle, frequently covers travel and hidden itineraries, art and culture, architecture and design for ������ý Magazine. His work has appeared in the BBC, The Economist, The Daily Beast and openDemocracy, among others. Originally from London, since 2018 Alex has lived in Bologna, where he frequently finds inspiration from all things La Grassa.

ADVERTISING, SALES & CUSTOMER CARE

Accountant: Laura Bonato / Laura runs ������ý Magazine’s finance department. She hails from Sicily, the Mediterranean island she left to move to Boston in 2000, to embrace a new life and working adventure. In ������ý, she built her career working in accounting for private companies and spent 10 years in the finance department of the University of Catania. She brings to ������ý Magazine her 30-plus years’ experience and hard-working attitude that allow her to tackle the daily challenges of keeping the books. 

Senior Sales Consultant: Alessandra Biro / Alessandra is responsible for driving ������ý Magazine ad sales, continually identifying new opportunities and maintaining existing customer relationships. She was born in Milan, moved to the UK in 1996, and draws upon 20 years of experience as a Senior Sales Consultant. A strong believer in the power of positive thinking in the workplace, Alessandra is inspired daily by her family. When she isn’t working, Alessandra can usually be found enjoying a good Netflix binge or a long walk on hilly country roads.

Customer Care & Sales Associate: Enzo Romeo / Enzo coordinates numerous administrative processes for ������ý Magazine and manages many of the company's advertising accounts. Hailing from Catania, on the slopes of Mount Etna, Enzo studied and worked in computer programming before moving to the car rental sector, working in leading companies in the industry for more than 20 years. When off-duty, Enzo enjoys spending time with his family, reading books, drawing and painting, true to his personal motto: “Time is the most important thing we have. Let’s use it well.”

For questions about your Premium Membership or technical issues with accessing your benefits, please contact Customer Care via this form.

Letters or comments to the editor regarding recent articles, newsletters, issues of Bellissimo or other editorial content can be addressed to editorial [at] italymagazine [dot] com.

Writers and journalists interested in pitching stories to ������ý Magazine should first .

A note on our ownership structure and editorial policy: ������ý Magazine is owned by the founder of Wandrian, a leading specialist in international rail and Italian travel. While ������ý Magazine maintains its editorial independence, members of our community enjoy access to cross-platform opportunities through our partners at other Wandrian brands, including ItaliaPass, ItaliaTours and ItaliaRail.