An Italian abroad. A traveler at heart. A guest everywhere.
When I was preparing to leave Bergamo and move to the United States, I had a very simple thought — one that would quietly become an Italian lifestyle blog before I even knew what that meant: I’m Italian, and wherever I go, I will be a guest. Not a tourist passing through — but a guest. Someone who shows up with curiosity, with gratitude, and with the intention of truly experiencing a place. Someone who brings something of himself to the table, wherever that table happens to be.
That thought became this blog — and ultimately, my identity.
Where it all began
I grew up in Bergamo, a small city in northern Italy that most people fly over on their way to Milan — and that’s exactly why you should go. It has a medieval upper city perched on a hill, a food scene that will ruin you for everywhere else, and the kind of slow, intentional approach to life that — as is often the case — I didn’t fully appreciate until I left.
Food was the language of my family. My father taught me le bon ton of dining — that a meal is never just about eating, it’s about connection, ritual, and respect. My mother and grandmothers taught me to cook — really cook. The kind of patience they had only comes from people who truly believe that what you put on the table matters. I grew up understanding that food is love made edible. I still believe that.
At 17, I went to study abroad in England. It was the first time I had ever truly been a guest somewhere — away from my language, my food, my people. I fell in love with English — and with the feeling of being somewhere new and figuring it out. Looking back, that year quietly shaped everything that came after.
The journey beyond
In college, I met Nina — my wife, my travel partner, and the person who first suggested I start writing any of this down. She’s American. And I’m Italian. Between us, we’ve always had two ways of seeing everything, which turns out to be the best possible setup for exploring the world.
I moved from Bergamo to Chicago — one of the greatest cities in the world, and a place that welcomed me in the way only truly great cities can. Years later, I became an American citizen. But I never stopped being a guest — curious, observant, and just Italian enough to notice everything.
Today, Chicago is finally home in the fullest sense of the word. I’m navigating it all with my wife Nina, our two-year-old son Luca — who is already, I’m proud to report, showing signs of being Italian about food — and a husky who has never once done what he’s told.
The Italian Guest grew from a small personal project into something I’m genuinely proud of. Italy is always the starting point — but the journey goes far beyond. I write about the places I discover, the meals worth traveling for, the hotels that make you want to stay forever, and the moments between all of it that nobody puts in a guidebook.
What this Italian lifestyle blog is about
This blog is for people who travel to feel something — not just to see things. It’s for anyone who has ever sat at a table in a foreign city and thought: I could stay here. It’s for lovers of Italy travel who want to go deeper than the tourist trail. For curious travelers everywhere who believe that how you experience a place matters as much as where you go. Start exploring through my Bergamo guides — or dive into everything else.
I bring an Italian sensibility to everything I write — because beauty, food, and hospitality are not luxuries. They are the whole point.
Welcome. Pull up a chair.
— Enzo
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