Six weeks after launching The Liquid Factory (though it feels like ages ago!), we closed applications for our 2024 batch last night, October 31st. I remember telling friends and family, “If we get only 10 applicants, we're done for. If we get 30, that’s decent. With 50, we’re doing great. And if we get 100, I’ll be jumping all over the place!” We m...

Italy rarely needs an introduction. Great wine? Check. Fresh, vibrant food? Practically the country’s calling card. Fabulous places to stay? Of course. However, combining all three in one property, filtered for responsible farming and winemaking practices and a general ethos of sustainable hospitality, proves a bit harder. Fortunately, we’ve done t...

Returning to Valtellina, where I was born and raised, was a real homecoming. After so many years spent abroad, there is a strong emotional component to this return. I have been back here for two years now, and I can draw a first balance: on a human and social level, it was a very positive experience. Professionally, however, it was not easy to get...

The Leonardo3 Museum, a renowned institution celebrating the research and inventions of Leonardo da Vinci, is situated near the prestigious Piazza della Scala in Milan. It is a must-visit for scholars and enthusiasts eager to deepen their understanding of this extraordinary 16th-century artist, inventor, and scientist. This exceptional exhibition i...

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce have developed a taste for La Dolce Vita after their Roman holiday this summer. The A-List couple are said to be eyeing an Italian love-nest where they can escape to after their Eras Tour and NFL duties have come to an end.  The Kansas City Chiefs star, 35, and the songstress, 34, are looking to invest in a more perman...

Italian Design spans the centuries, evolves in the spirit of the times and today also translates into innovative forms of cultural design. La Grande Brera is the project to expand Milan's Pinacoteca of the same name by restoring, adapting and fitting out the adjacent Palazzo Citterio as an exhibition space, where modern art collections can be house...

No name in art sells like Leonardo da Vinci. Even Banksy’s pranks and Damien Hirst’s provocations can’t seem to shake Leonardo’s exalted status in the hearts (and the wallets) of today’s image-consumers. His Mona Lisa alone keeps the Louvre afloat, the highlight of the hasty tours that shuffle visitors through miles of master pieces only to have th...

Looking up at the small sign that says Uscita, as the street car rattles and shakes down the Embarcadero along the San Francisco Bay, I think about what it means, to exit, to get out, to leave.  Like so many before it, this tram, complete with all of its original elements, left its home in Milan, destined to ride along the streets of San Francisco...

Lombardy is the region in Italy that strikes a balance between the Italy of centuries past and country’s progression toward innovation. Lombardy may be known for its bustling city life in Milan (the region's capital and Italy's premier business hub), but it also encompasses picturesque medieval villages, glitzy lakeside resorts, glacial lakes and s...

If you're itching for a holiday in a warm, sunny and relaxing location that also offers plenty to see and do, Lake Garda in Italy is hard to beat. As the largest lake in the country, this stunning area in the north of the Mediterranean hotspot has long been a favourite among tourists seeking to experience the Italian lifestyle - even if only for a...