ELISABETTA GAVAZZI CARISSIMO

Art Expert 

Since her childhood, Elisabetta has been surrounded by culture; she was brought up believing in the importance of protecting Italy’s artistic treasures (her dad was a councilor at the Poldi Pezzoli Museum, in Milan, and at Italia Nostra, a Foundation dedicated to the preservation of Italy; her mum is an art historian). She became an architect, and worked for many different studios in Milan, such as Gardella, Albini-Helg-Piva, and Mangiarotti, working on projects for clients like Artemide e Mimmo Paladino. She moved to Germany, where she participated in international projects, and then came back to Florence to raise a family of two. She took numerous courses in art, and while studying the Munari System in Milan, started collaborating with the Art Group at the Centro Coscienza. Elisabetta cofounded Elesta, where she created numerous itineraries, she left to start the Museanti, a small company for guided tours in Milan but she still creates exclusive itineraries for Elesta.

ROBERTO VALDES TENA

Filmmaking Expert

Simona Ottolenghi

Photografer

Roberto Gabriele and Simona Ottolenghi are professional photographers in love with travels. For more than 20 years they have been designing journeys for people in love with photos. Since 2013 they plan and accompany people to take pictures around the world, all their experiences are carefully selected to stimulate the visual abilities of participants. Roberto specialised in landscape photography both in urban and rural environment. Simona has remained faithful to architecture; she has a degree from the Rome University and the influence remains strong in her choice of places and glimpses.

Simona Milani

Fashion Expert

Simona Milano has a degree in architecture, but she started immediately to follow her great passion for fashion. She knows Milan is a secret town, rich of silent courtyards, shady noble palaces and spacious workshops where amazing shops hide. Simona selects studio where skilled hands sew refined lace lingerie, the atelier selling foldable artworks for travellers or the manifold space of the most capable design talent scout.  The thrill to stroll in fascinating places and at the same time to find out craftsmanship and creativity typical of a town well-known all over the world for its elegance is a plus not comparable with a rushed and restricted walk in via Montenapoleone.

MONICA TORRI

Architecture Expert

Monica Torri is an architect, art historian and professional guide. She is the author of numerous books on history and itineraries around Milan and the Lombardia Region for Mondadori and other editors. She coordinated destination projects for various organisation such us the Milan Province. Her real passion is to guide curious visitors to discover the hidden jems around Milan with particular focus on architecture and the industrial heritage.

roberto Gabriele

Photografer

Roberto Gabriele and Simona Ottolenghi are professional photographers in love with travels. For more than 20 years they have been designing journeys for people in love with photos. Since 2013 they plan and accompany people to take pictures around the world, all their experiences are carefully selected to stimulate the visual abilities of participants. Roberto specialised in landscape photography both in urban and rural environment. Simona has remained faithful to architecture; she has a degree from the Rome University and the influence remains strong in her choice of places and glimpses.

Giorgio Sitta

Photografer

Professional photographer (member of TAU Visual), writer, author of more than forty books,  ENAC certified drone pilot, educator and a creative strategist. Reportage and photojournalism are his favorite languages: regardless of the type of shooting that he has to carry out. He has a documentary photographer approach, but loves the fusion between different languages and cultures. 

SILVIA BRUSADELLI

Historic Houses Expert

Silvia holds a university degree in Heritage Conservation and Cultural Activities from the Insubria University. Her dissertation focused on the Historic Houses heritage and their value for Italian culture. Since then, in collaboration with Giovanni, she works to promote the historic houses heritage of the north of Italy designing itineraries and creating experiences. Silvia has a deep passion for historic houses in Italy, she believes they represent a huge and varied heritage, including country houses and mansions, palazzi, villas and castles, as well as gardens and farm estates. They are spread on all Italian territory and are mostly (80%) located in the countryside or in small cities. Each of these assets has a precise identity, unique in Europe, for its history, cultural value and are closely related with the surrounding environment.

MATTEO GABBRIELLI

Venice Expert 

Matteo has a BA in Cultural Heritage Management and an MA in Archeology, both at  Ca’ Foscari University in Venice. His main fields of specialization are Medieval Archaeology and Islamic Archaeology. The time he spent studying and working abroad gave him the chance to enhance my knowledge of the English and Spanish languages, and also to learn the basics of Arabic. He is an expert guide in Venice. His favourite topic is the long-standing link between Venice and the Orient.  From the majesty of St. Mark’s Basilica to the shape of the Doge‘s hat, from the curves of Byzantine arches to the taste of sarde in saor (Venetian sardines), the influence of eastern culture – first  Byzantine, then Arabic and Turkish – pervades the alleys and squares of this city.

GIANLUCA LEONE

Naples Expert

He grew up in the very centre of the City, in Palazzo San Severo, he has a degree in Foreign Languages with a dissertation on the comparison between the Latin American languages and Swahili that focused on the migration of animistic religion to South America. He travelled the world participating in development projects in Africa, in a Masai village, and Cuba for a sustainability project. Then to China where he lived in Shangai and work with many companies for the made in Italy. He returns to Naples to start appling his deep knowledge of the history and culture of the city to intercultural tourism and is currently responsible for Casa Tolentino, a project that involves cultural and economic development for young Neapolitans.

ELEONORA ONGHI

Scientific Director Elesta - Expert lecturer

Art historian and critic. She has a degree in Literature at the Bologna University, with a dissertation on the Grand Tour of English landscape painters of the sixteen Century. She holds a specialization diploma in History of Art and a PHD from the Siena University, focused on Maniera Tosco Emiliana and the relation between literature and art during the fourteen century and Leonardo discovery from the eighteen Century artists. She collaborated with the Esthetic department. She worked for FMR Edistion, she coordinated the cultural activities as well as the magazine of Arte Amica and FMR Symposium. She teaches art and culture in  American Universities in Italy. For Elesta she is the scientific director. 

ALESSIO NERI

Sardinia Expert

After a degree in Communication and Political Science at the Luiss University in Rome he has been working in the cultural sector to support the promotion and communication of cultural destinations. Communication has always been his passion, he worked for a publishing house specialised in digital communication. With Fare Digital Media he is developing a community magazine for Italian tourism and with Elesta he curates itineraries in Sardinia. 

SHANA FORLANI

Crafts Expert

After completing a degree in Modern Literature with a specialisation in Art History, Shana worked for the Reina Sofia Museum in Madrid, and then in the curatorial department of the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago and the Sandretto Re Rebaudengo Foundation in Turin. For five years she coordinated the educational activities for the Peggy Guggenheim Collection of Venice, following a Hilla Rebay fellowship at the Solomon R. Guggenheim in New York and the Guggenheim. in Bilbao. Shana followed her passion with a series of courses in Applied Art at various ateliers in Paris and Venice. She then founded the association Trends and Tradition with Valentina Cefal, and curated exhibitions in Florence and Ivrea.

LUCA VIVONA

Artistic direction

Art historian, actor and theatre director. He holds a degree in Philosophy from Siena University, where he also finished a Ph.D. on Logos and representation. He has interdisciplinary Studies in Literature, Esthetic, Art, and performance specializing in the heritage of ancient art in Modern and Contemporary art. At the same university, he thought aesthetics and researched the relation between philosophy and figurative arts. He worked for FRM, Franco Maria Ricci as editor of “arte amica” and “FMR Symposium”. He also curated all cultural activities reserved to art collectors of FMR. He was the director of Symposium, for UTET Grandi Opere, a series of museum lectures inside Museums and other art significant places in Italy.

GIOVANNI VANOSSI

Historic Houses Expert

Giovanni is a lawyer that also holds a university degree in Heritage Conservation and Cultural Activities from Insubria University. His dissertation focused on the Historic Houses heritage and their value for Italian culture. Since then, together with Silvia Brusadelli, Giovanni has worked to promote the historic houses heritage of the north of Italy designing itineraries and creating experiences. Through his public work in institutions, such as the department of touristic promotion of lake Como, he has promoted a deeper knowledge of this immense and vastly unknown heritage. Historic houses in Italy represent a huge and varied heritage, including country houses and mansions, palazzi, villas and castles, as well as gardens and farm estates. They are spread on all Italian territory and are mostly located in the countryside or in small cities. Each of these assets has a precise identity, unique in Europe, for its history, cultural value and are closely related to the surrounding environment.

GIUSI CARAI

Sardinia Expert

Giusi holds a Master of Art from the King’s College in London, with a final dissertation on digital publishing and travel industry: “If Marco Polo had a blog. Travel publishing in the digital age”. She shares with Elesta the passion for arts and crafts and has developed an extensive knowledge of her region. She studied communication at the University of Siena and went on to specialize in communication for cultural heritage. Giusi and Alessio Neri are our preferred partners to design and create journeys in Sardinia.

VALERIA GERLI

Archaeology Expert

Since obtaining her degree in Classical Literature with a dissertation on Etruscology from the University in Milan, Valeria has followed her passion for archaeology. As a guide, she specializes in classical archaeology and curates the elaboration and publication of itineraries at the Archeological Museum of Milan. She has excavation experience and research in Gortyna (Crete), Tarquinia, Villa del Foro, and Lavagnone in Italy. Valeria is currently president of GITEC, an Association of Italian Guides for Tourism and Culture. She supervises the creation of Archeologic journeys for Elesta.

FRANCESCA GRIGNAFFINI

Art Expert

Her passions cover all forms of art: from architecture to photography, from antiques to books. After graduating in Architecture, she has a first experience in architectural firms including Vittorio Gregotti. She then completed her professional path in Franco Maria Ricci Edizioni, a great master of art editing. In contact with the finest art editions and surrounded by a unique art collection, she acquired skills in the graphic and editorial sector, to become an editor and journalist.

FRANCESCO MAZZAI

Art & Gamification Expert

Francesco Mazzai in an expert guide in Verona. Francesco holds a degree in Cultural Tourism at the University of Padova and has been working to promote Cultural Heritage in northern Italy. Selected one of the most innovates ideas for cultural tourism in Italy he is able to combines his cultural knowledge with his gamification passion to create unique journeys. He is passionate about art and culture and has developed an innovative way to visit places, that transform the way to look at the world: telling stories to inspire a way of thinking that is research-oriented, even in everyday life.