My name is Michele (mee-keh-leh) — Michael in English — and Italy isn't just where I'm from. It's how I think, how I cook, and how I travel.

I was born in Naples, where the table has always been the center of life. Not just for eating — but for talking, laughing, arguing, and belonging. That culture shaped me, and it shapes every journey BellaVia creates.

By education, I'm a master chemist. By calling, I'm a cook, a wine lover, and someone who firmly believes that the deepest way into a culture is through what it puts on your plate — and who sits at the table with you.

Why BellaVia

I kept meeting travelers who had done Italy — and somehow missed it entirely. Rushed itineraries, tourist menus, beautiful places seen through a bus window.

Italy deserves better than that. And so do you.

BellaVia was born from one simple belief: Italy should be experienced slowly, personally, and with someone who truly knows it.

That's why our groups are small — never more than 6 to 8 travelers — and why every journey is led with the kind of care and warmth you'd expect from a friend, not a tour operator.