Five families, five regions of Italy, and one line I keep hearing: the cooking class was our favorite part of the trip. Here is where the great classes actually are, what each region gives you in the kitchen, and how I choose the right teacher for the right traveller.

A family embroidery atelier that supplies the fashion houses. A 1930s villa with a swimming pool and a winter garden. Verdi's Milan, told by a musicologist. If you think you've already done Italy, you haven't met this city yet.

I've secured 26 Tribune Silver seats to the Marostica Living Chess Game on 12 September 2026, a biennial Veneto spectacle staged by more than 650 performers in Renaissance costume. Here's the luxury Italy journey I'm building around it.