In Italy - Food mirrors Life

The magazine, L’Italo-Americano the #1 source of all things Italian since 1908, shares with us about eating and living with Italian gusto . . . which is what we at ​Villas of Italy create for our guests while on tour. Not only during our meals at the villa with Chef Mauro, but also while on tour with Giacomo and our city guides . . . we share the life, culture, cuisine, and art of the Italian people who always - no matter what they do – live life with gusto.

​Eating in Italy mirrors life: it speaks of family, friends and love, of history and local heritage, of a past that shapes the future, something of which we are still profoundly and undeniably proud.  This is what we share with our guests on every tour. 

​Just like the arts, food is one of the most important aspects of Italian life and Italian culture. As I experienced growing up in the kitchens of my grandparents, my great aunts and uncles they always used simple recipes, simple ingredients, respect for the past and a lot of love. In Italy, food is an expression of love (sounds a bit corny, but if you’ve met our villa Chef Mauro you know what I mean) where eating becomes a joyous gathering and food is a sign of welcoming, of affection.

​We recreate this ‘tradition’, this ‘feeling’, with each meal while on tour at the villa, a philosophy where simplicity is key, using ingredients that are local, fresh and organic, because the most beautiful surprises come from the humblest of things - in the kitchen, just as in life. 

In Italy, “every meal counts:” it counts because it becomes, day in day out, the central moment for family and friends to take time to gather. A meal in Italy is a moment of profound community, of sharing and discussion. You eat, and enjoy the warmth of those you love the most. Our Italian ancestors all understood the importance of sharing food and gathering around a table. In a world of social media and smartphone relationships, learning from this Italian tradition could make many rediscover the pleasure of true human contact. 

The soul of Italy has been, for centuries, agricultural and it’s here we find the origin of much of our time-honored dishes: and so, out comes our Italian cuisine’s tradition of using simple ingredients and seasonal recipes, for things that fill you up from morning to evening, that comfort the stomach just as much as they soothe the soul.

Very rarely does Italian food ask for ‘special’ ingredients, very rarely does it involve complex, overly fancy preparations. Those who have been at the villa with us and have experienced the phenomena that is Chef Mauro, know it is understanding the beauty of what we have and discovering the treasures of what’s around us. And if this is not a lesson to learn for life as well . . . 

Italians are pleasure lovers! And food is one of the pleasures we love the most. What does Italy’s affair with fresh, organic ingredients in the creation of unbelievably delicious food tell us about life?

Well, I think it’s simple: it is an invitation to enjoy the earthy pleasures of everyday living with an open heart because life is too short to be perennially on a diet or to postpone that trip we’ve always wanted to take. 

At Villas of Italy we strive to share with our guests that eating the Italian way also teaches us a thing or two about how to live a better life, how to live life filled with friendship, with love, with serenity. 

We hope we will see you at the villa soon to experience the life, culture, cuisine, and art of the Italian people who always - no matter what they do – live life with gusto.

Our Tuscan Adventure, August 18-28, 2019 (6 couples Max.) has 3 couples spots (double occupancy) remaining. Contact us for special early booking pricing saving up to $1000 per couple. A small $500pp deposit will hold your space. 

​We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us.