Many thanks to our Florencewise contributors for enriching the site with even more helpful and interesting content.

Here’s who you are reading on Florencewise:

Elyssa Bernard is the founder of Florencewise and Romewise, trusted travel resources inspired by her deep love for Italy. Originally from the U.S., Elyssa has called Italy home since 2001 (with a big reason for her moving here being that she met Alessandro shortly after arriving!) and has been sharing her insights through her websites since 2009.

Alessandro Bisceglie, a native Roman who also spent many years living in Florence, brings a rich local perspective to the team. With a degree in the History of Philosophy from the Sorbonne, he combines intellectual depth with a passion for architecture, history, food, and politics. Alessandro has lived in France, Belgium, Holland, and the U.S., and speaks fluent Italian, English, and French.

Together, Elyssa and Alessandro offer an international perspective on travelling in Italy which when combined with local knowledge helps you explore Italy with insight and authenticity.

More about their story can be found on the About Florencewise page here.

Sara Maxwell is a lead writer and researcher for Florencewise, and co-founder of our partner site Napleswise.

Originally from the UK, she met Warren (find out more about him below) in 2009 and together they began their journey of discovering Italy, starting with Rome in 2013. Captivated by Italian culture, Sara has since explored all of Italy, having lived for a time in the Veneto region (2019-2021) and more recently in Rome since 2021.

Today, she brings her travel insights and experiences to Florencewise giving travelers trustworthy, engaging, and helpful content about the city of Florence.

More about Sara’s story can be found the About Napleswise page here.

Warren George is a lead writer and researcher for Florencewise, and a co-founder of Napleswise alongside Sara introduced above.

Originally from the UK, Warren is a passionate explorer of Italy’s rich cultural landscape which he has persued since this first trip to Rome in 2013—a journey that sparked a deep and lasting connection to Italy.

Since then, he has explored the entirety of Italy, furthering his love its history, culture, and character. In 2019, he and Sara moved to the Venetian countryside where they quickly decided to make Italy their permanent residence, moving more recently to Rome.

With extensive experience in digital content and travel guidance, Warren now channels his knowledge into helping others discover the best of Italy.

More about Warren’s story can be found the About Napleswise page here.

Esther is a tour leader and culinary guide for Details of Florence and various tour operators.

She moved to Florence in 2017, because she was madly in love with the city and still is! She decided she wanted to share her passion for everything Florence and Tuscany and her passion for food and wine with travelers from all over the world and is doing that through leading tours and writing for different blogs, including her own.

You’ll find her in the beautiful Oltrarno neighbourhood of Florence, where she lives with her dog Vodka.

Joëlle Edwards is a British freelance writer and fully-fledged Italophile! Her grandfather’s paintings of Florence inspired her to first travel there as a student and it quickly became her home and later the birthplace of her two boys.

Currently dividing her time between the UK and Italy, Joëlle also runs a wedding and event planning business www.joellemarie.co.uk for clients looking to celebrate those special occasions in Tuscany and beyond!

You will often find her in the backstreets of Florence getting way too excited about new local eateries and drinking holes!

Born in the UK but raised in Singapore, Grace is a freelance writer, avid world traveler, and Disney fan who writes about her adventures on her blog Pixie Dust and Passports.

She has a degree in History and took a particular interest in all things Roman Empire-related during her time at university. After making it her mission to travel Europe after jetting around Asia as a child, she’s spent extensive time almost everywhere in Italy.

From Rome and the Amalfi Coast to Venice and Florence, she’s a proud Italophile!

Samantha is a freelance travel writer from the UK. She first visited Italy 30 years ago, beginning her journey of discovery in Rome, and has been in love ever since.

She writes for a variety of travel media, which can be found on her website and loves exploring more of Italy on her travel adventures. She lives in Yorkshire, the UK, with her artist partner.

Rebecca Sharp is a freelance writer and content creator from the UK.

She writes about travel in Europe, film and TV, or a mix of both on her blog almostginger.com.

Sammi DiBacco is an Italian-American dual citizen who moved to Rome in 2017 to complete her MBA and never looked back.

Sammi is a marketing and brand strategist, writer, and digital content creator. You can find her wandering the cobblestone streets of Rome with her dog, Spritz