What makes you unique?

“Undoubtedly our portfolio of villas and private properties. We know them because of the relationships we’ve built over the years with owners and families who would never entrust their homes to a platform. We can find an architect’s house in Puglia or a celebrated artist’s retreat in Tuscany, a watchtower perched above the sea, a Ligurian entrepreneur family’s villa on the Monte di Portofino. This specialisation has led us to develop another dimension to what we do: private celebrations. We organise events — often for New Yorkers who choose to mark significant anniversaries with friends and family in Italy. People tell us we’re very creative, that we think outside the box, and that our events surprise even those who know Italy well. We always try to bring out the most authentic and least predictable aspects of the country.”

Can you give us an example of what you offer?

“In Florence, we prefer to take our guests to the Medici Chapels rather than Michelangelo’s David. In Sicily, we propose a boat trip where the skipper prepares pasta alle vongole with Stromboli erupting in the background — rather than watching Etna from the usual Taormina terraces. An American partner once described us as masters of balancing ‘high and low’ — moving seamlessly from a grand palazzo on the Grand Canal to a cheesemaker’s ageing cellar in the countryside. In our view, that is precisely what makes a journey through Italy so special.”

How have traveller requests changed?

“Today, interests are far more segmented — and requests are far more specific. People want to explore Milan’s Design Week with an architect, tackle a Dolomite route with a cycling champion, spend an afternoon in a restorer’s studio watching them work. True luxury today is ultra-specialisation. The most discerning travellers need a purpose. They want to return home with a cultural, human and emotional richness they didn’t have when they left. A fundamental part of what we do is advising on taste and lifestyle. In a world saturated with information and noise, our guests — who typically have limitless options — are desperately seeking direction.”

Do you need to be part trendsetter, part psychologist?

“Our great fortune is that this work coincides with our way of life. Everyone in the company is a passionate traveller and, thankfully, none of us spend our days behind a desk. We don’t even have an office. We’re a team of twelve, working remotely from across Italy — and a few still based in London, where we started the business in 2019.

We travel, attend events, nurture relationships and, crucially, stay curious. That curiosity drives us to research constantly and to test things before recommending them. Over the years you develop a certain instinct — a set of criteria for recognising genuine quality, without chasing trends.

In our relationship with guests, empathy and intuition are everything — for understanding what they truly want, and equally for building the relationships with those who will open a door for you or help navigate a delicate situation.

After many years, you begin to recognise certain profiles from a distance — particularly at the very top end. A word of caution: the person who seems effortlessly laid-back may turn out to be the one who complains about the colour of the towels on the boat. Having seen it all, we’ve learned to anticipate needs and expectations before they’re even voiced.”

To tell your version of Italy, you made a film

“We set off for eight days of filming, from north to south, with a crew of ten and three minivans. A proper rock-and-roll adventure. The idea was born almost as a whim, with my brother Davide — director and director of photography — out of a personal, professional and I’d say cultural desire to look at Italy through a new aesthetic. It will be a kind of manifesto on the beauty of our country, as we experience it.”

Can you give us a preview of the plot?

“It’s the story of a Manhattan family on holiday in Italy — completely disconnected from reality, sealed inside their digital world — who gradually awaken from their torpor when confronted with the Dolomites, immersed in the enchantment of the Venetian lagoon or the ancient art of Rome, and finally surrender to the slow rhythms of the Gulf of Naples. It’s a progressive letting go — a reconnection with oneself and with others, and a rediscovery of the pleasure of simply being together.

We believe strongly that an education in beauty leads to personal growth and a deeper self-knowledge — a process that is set in motion through contact with culture, art, nature and the people one encounters. Travel is an extraordinary instrument of transformation. A belief reflected in our motto: ‘Real People, Inaccessible Places.’ Beauty sets us free. Or, as Dostoevsky put it: ‘Beauty will save the world.'”

An American family gets in touch — they’ve already been to Italy several times. Where would you suggest?

“Ponza and Palmarola, absolutely — particularly out of season. They’re easily reachable and yet almost entirely unknown to our American guests. Or I’d propose the less-touristed Veneto — Asolo, the Palladian villas, the Prosecco hills — which, combined with Venice and the Dolomites, offers an entirely fresh vision of a very well-known region. Though I genuinely believe the real difference is never made by the destination itself, but by how you experience it. Even a famous place can feel like a discovery when you look at it with the right eyes.”

n2sitalia.com

*A DMC — Destination Management Company — is a tourism company that operates within a specific territory, acting as the local point of reference for international agencies organising travel there on behalf of their clients. A DMC doesn’t work directly with travellers; instead, through its portfolio and contacts, it provides essential on-the-ground support: building itineraries, identifying the best accommodation, and pointing agencies towards the right places and people based on their clients’ needs. In short, a DMC is the travel agency’s “man on the ground.”