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: Puppy Love + Dog Travel.

I am happy to report that the new puppy, Lucy, and Vivan, my sweet girl, have finally bonded. I was worried about bringing a young pup into our little family. Vivi was cool initially, but it took about a month for her to warm up to the idea that we had an interloper. They will both be traveling to Italy with me. To ensure a great travel day, they will travel in separate kennels. They ride with me in the cabin. I will bring my girlfriend along to handle Vivi during the flight, which involves nothing. Vivi is a pro and sleeps the entire flight. The jury is out with on Lucy? I don’t like to drug the pups, but I will bring a little something to calm her if needed. I have never drugged Vivi; I suspect Lucy will do well. In the meantime, I will place them together in Lucy’s crate when possible. It helps them bond. Lucy has been a great addition, and we LOVE her.

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Think about your retreat in 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: Turbot with Pickled Vegetables.

This week, I made a lovely, oily, flaky fish called Rombo in Italian and Turbot in English. This goofy-looking fish is delicious. I also prepare pickled grilled vegetables from my garden. The recipes are in my cookbook At the Table of La Fortezza. If you’re a paid subscriber, the recipe is below. It is a fun video featuring the La Fortezza Chef Leo. He and I will be back in the Spring making recipes from my upcoming cookbook, The Sweet Life at La Fortezza, a new cookbook featuring desserts from the table at La Fortezza. Available for pre-order in July. Thanks for watching and subscribing!

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MY LATEST REAL-ESTATE YouTube VIDEO:

All About Annette YouTube: This week, we tour a home in a beautiful village. Initially, I was not a fan, but I changed my mind as I toured this space. Along for the ride is Kim, my friend who has bought and is renovating a house near me.

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 11.8K + subscribers! I'm trying for 20K this year; thanks for the support! Love you guys x