I enjoy being with people,
I introduce you to the people I love being with
Everywhere I go, I find friends.
I love weaving new relations, this is the way I explore the world.
This is the way I come across the most amazing hidden gems of Italy:
through the eyes of the locals
A quick visit to my favorite fashion lab in Florence.
A different way to enjoy Florence: my friends Emanuela, Serena and Veronica will welcome you in their charming atelier, between colorful garments, pieces of Italian design and their working tools.
Florence is famous for its leather industry, but it's not easy to see the making process of the products.
Paolo is happy to show his technique and precision inside his lab in the city centre!
A vibrant tiny gallery where you can sip some wine while painting in the company of Sergio - the gallery owner - and his friends artists.
In Mercatello sul Metauro, Le Marche, a group of local men gave birth to a very special Academy which aims to pass on the art of local cuisine.
Their Crostino with Goletta alone deserves a trip to this beautiful area.
He will steal your heart at sunset, painting the view on Vivara and Ischia from a terrace in Procida, while he tells you about his life around the World as a cruise ships captain.
A very old printing house - six generations of hand printing on canvas using wooden moulds and rusty colour.
Emanuele is always ready to show you his techniques, and he also offers the chance to give it a try. And you can obviously buy some canvas!
And this is the way I work, focusing on my clients' needs and dreams.
My itineraries are custom-made
I offer experiences that deviate from the mainstream tourism.
I try to make my clients feel like they are "temporary inhabitants" in Italy: I introduce them to local artisans, artists, chefs, friends.
Le Marche, Mercatello & Urbino
Let's discover together this region on the border with Tuscany.
This is where I spent many summers as a teenager, between colourful woods, swimming rivers, medieval villages.
Amongst local Artists and Artisans, cooking classes and visits to small countryside monasteries, pottery and printing workshops, I offer unique stays and experiences.
Plan your stay in ancient buildings.
when: this area features a marvellous nature along with a rural way of life, which both have much to offer from Spring to Autumn (late April/November).
In case you're looking for a rural summer holiday, in one of the many small villages or lost in the green hills, from June to mid-September is the best moment to go.
In case you're interested in local products and food, October/November is the best moment to taste truffles, mushrooms and many other products of the woods. The fog in the Renaissance city centre of Urbino will be wonderful!
how long: take your time to adapt to local rhythms - I suggest at least 7 days if you really wanna get in touch with the rural way of life.
La Toscana, Firenze & Siena
Let's start from Florence. This is the city where I currently live, where we can walk together through the areas that are popular among locals, away from mainstream tourist areas.
We can pay a visit to my favourite Florentine artisans, from the leather and ceramics manufacturing to a young designer of Italian fashion, and of course places for the aperitivo and typical restaurants.
Stays in the Tuscan countryside, with guided tours or just tips about best itineraries to discover the many art centres in the area - Siena, Lucca, Pisa, San Gimignano, Volterra, Pienza, Cortona, Arezzo, Chianti e Val d'Orcia.
This is where I grew up after I left Rome, between olive trees, lovely hills, marvellous medieval villages and towns.
> discover my family estates in Tuscany!
> read about my dear Florence!
Plan your own stay in one of the most beautiful areas in the world.
when: for a full immersion in the Tuscan colourful countryside, I suggest the warm months (from late April to Early October).
In case you're planning just a short visit to the Tuscan art cities, they're beautiful in every season - just beware of the summer heat!
how long: take your time to adapt to local rhythms - I suggest at least 7 days if you really wanna get in touch with the Tuscan way of life.
In case you have no more than 3 days, maybe a fast visit to Florence, Siena, or any other art city is recommended.
Ischia, Procida, the Gulf of Naples
The islands of the Gulf of Naples are all beautiful.
Procida is the smaller (not younger) sister of Ischia, you cannot miss it on the route from Naples to Ischia.
Ischia is the biggest island.
You can walk up to the top of the volcano (100 m above sea level) between ancient woods and old shepherds' shelters.
In Lacco Ameno, the shoemaker makes custom-made sandals, immediate delivery.
Relax at the thermal baths, of course… on the sea close to the rocky walls of the island, between mixed Mediterranean and tropical vegetation, swimming pools and waterfalls with hot and warm, incredibly healing water situated all through the island.
> read about my experience in Ischia & Procida!
Plan your own hopping around islands.
when: my favourite time of the year is late April/May, when the air is soaked by the smell of “Zagare” (lemon flowers) and temperatures are really nice.
I suggest in general low season months (even September/October).
how long: I suggest at least 7 days, so that you can also spend one day in Naples!
Next stops:
la Puglia & il Salento,
Venezia, ...
I'm traveling around some other beautiful areas in Italy, looking for the perfect spots for you.
Are you interested in one of them? Or in any other area of my beautiful country?
Testimonials
"Luisa Donati is a joy to work with!
Since 2015 I have been organizing Learning Together in a Special Place, a series of retreats for educational leaders at Palazzo Donati in Mercatello sul Metauro.
My partnership with Luisa has made this opportunity possible. Luisa’s helpful and welcoming disposition immediately puts you at ease, confident you are in competent hands.
Her vast knowledge of the Marche region and her personal contacts with local artists and artisans, shop keepers, and restaurant owners guarantee access to authentic regional cuisine and experiences, taking you inside the daily life of the town while introducing you to the surrounding area's hidden gems."
- Angela Ferrario,
International Study Tours LLC
