My Beautiful Fortress in Italy.

Thanks for stopping by. This space is devoted to my life in the Italian countryside. In the furthest northern part of Tuscany. A region known as Lunigiana. I am a photo/prop stylist and author.

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What is happening this week: Design and Construction, a new start.

No one likes a design project more than me. NO ONE. Of course, I am beyond excited to start working at my new home. I love living here. I lived in the suburbs for most of my life. Even though I have always wanted to move into the city. Frank was bound by his need to be close to the hospital, so his professional needs dictated where we lived. I will say I loved our home. I designed and built it; it was the perfect place for our family. But moving into town has made me feel more alive and more excited about the next phase of life. I love my new neighborhood; it’s much more ME. After all, I am an artist and have always been a creative soul, and now I see more of “my” people around me. More diversity and more visual eye candy with the beautiful murals around me. I know I am going to love living here. Once my space is finished, it will be my happy place.

I hired my long-time friend and designer, Niki , to help me with the project. She is doing a fantastic job. Shopping for new things for my new surroundings has been healing. I will define my own space and start my new chapter. I will post updates. I am listening to pounding in my closet as I write this. My custom closet is phase one of the design project. I am looking forward to the new space and the new me.

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All Retreats for 2025 are now SOLD OUT. Think about 2026!

Start planning your 2026 retreat experience at La Fortezza. We are completely sold out for this year. Check out the menu of experiences from which you can choose for your custom retreat. Consider a corporate retreat. Please bring your friends and family and celebrate with us—birthday anniversaries, or simply the sweet life in the Italian countryside.
We look forward to hosting your perfect Italian holiday next year. Please feel free to email Gen with any inquiries or general questions. For more in-depth information, please visit the retreats page.

Menu of Experiences:

● Cooking Classes from my cookbook, At the Table of La Fortezza - Learn to create authentic Italian dishes from the Lunigiana region*

● Cocktails and Charcuterie board lesson*

● Yoga by the pool - Start your day with yoga taught by a local teacher in Italian and English*

● Truffle Hunting with lunch (seasonal - Fall only) - Forage for truffles with an experienced truffle hunter, then linger over a four-course truffle-infused lunch. Moderate difficulty hike

● Foraging and Flower arranging*

● Styling and Photography lesson*

● Olive Mill/Flour Mill - Tour our local olive oil or fl our mill, learn about the process of pressing oil or grinding flour, and sample the freshest ingredients

● Amaro Factory Tour and Tasting - Learn about the famed Italian digestivo and enjoy a tasting

● Tour of Fivizzano - Tour this lovely historic town, including one of Annette’s favorite local cafes

● Tour of Sarzana - Tour a medieval town and fortress

● Tour of Modena - City tour and balsamic vinegar tasting with lunch at an artisan purveyor

● Tour of Parma - Tour the city and experience a tour and cheese tasting at a parmesan cheese factory

● Winery with Wine Tasting - Learn about biodynamic winemaking, followed by lunch with wine tasting

● Slow Food Lecture and Cooking Class - Visit the town of Fivizzano and learn about the slow food movement, followed by a cooking class at a local shop

● Panagacci Dinner - Experience this delicious specialty of the Lunigiana region at a local restaurant

● Pizza Party* a must

● Day at Cinque Terra, Portovenere (seasonal - Fall only) - Enjoy a day taking in the sights, sounds and flavors of the Italian Riviera

● Lunch or Supper at a Farm to farm-to-table winery

● Hiking, caving, rafting, mountain climbing, biking

● Flea Markets

● Tour of Pietrasanta - Tour this historic town famous for its artistic contributions to Italian culture

● Private Carrara Mine Tour with Lunch at the top of the mountain

● Private Castle Tour and art collection

● Testaroli Maker - Discover this ancient pasta, prepared by a local food purveyor

● Forte dei Marmi Market (seasonal - Summer only) - Experience this vibrant open-air market and enjoy a day at the beach

● Harvest at our Vineyard, dependent on the harvest timing

● Private boat rental; cruise the Bay of Poets with friends and have a picnic lunch on board.

*Indicates an experience personally hosted by Annette on-site

We have loads of choices and options for excursions and experiences. This is just a sample. You’ll get to know a little-known beautiful part of Italy. My special place. ~Annette x

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La Fortezza Kitchen on YouTube: Italian Chocolate Cake with Lemon Rosemary Gelato

Watch Chef Leo and me make my famous La Fortezza Chocolate with Lemon Rosemary Gelato from my cookbook, At the Table of La Fortezza. It’s a funny episode that may involve the film crew's day drinking. Fun in the La Fortezza Kitchen!

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MY LATEST REAL-ESTATE YouTube VIDEO:

All About Annette YouTube: This week's episode is SO exciting. Kim, my dear friend from Savannah, has bought a property, a renovation project near La Fortezza, in Cotto, an ancient Roman village on the top of a hill. She cried throughout the entire video, which was so cute. It’s a great video. A massive construction project. I found her the property last summer, and she came to see it in October, and we filmed her reaction seeing it for the first time. We are going back in March to start the renovations. July we will film the progress. I am so thrilled that my dear friend will become my neighbor in Italy.

Check it out, and please like and subscribe to keep this crazy adventure going.

Thanks so much for watching my YouTube Channel, All About Annette. Please share my channel with your friends.

The channel has almost 11.1K + subscribers! Thanks for the support! Love you guys x