My Beautiful Fortress in Italy.
Thanks for stopping by. This space is devoted to our 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.
What’s happening at La Fortezza this week: Closing up La Fortezza for the 2024.
As we close up La Fortezza until next year, I reflect on everything that’s happened this season. We arrived in dreary February, and I filmed content for my YouTube channel and traveled to the Dolomites in March for a vacation in the snow. In April, Levi, our son, visited with his girlfriend Hannah and their friends. It was wonderful. We rented a sailboat for a glorious day. In May and June, we welcomed corporate retreat guests and cooked a thousand meals for the season. Taught a lot of cooking classes. We drank five hundred bottles of our wine and made hundreds of Hugo cocktails. My team was exceptional this year. Everyone bonded and worked well together. Cristina, Maria, and Chef Martina really brought it. I can not thank them enough. We also had Chef Leo make the occasional guest appearance. Of course, Gianluca holds it all together, the best groundkeeper in all of Italy. Because of him, our veggie garden and fruit trees provide substantial homegrown food for the La Fortezza table.
I wrote and tested one hundred recipes for my upcoming Italian dessert cookbook.“The Sweet Life at La Fortezza”- I love this title. It will be available for pre-order in mid-November on my website; look for upcoming announcements. We made more YouTube videos and welcomed Artist in Residence Melinda Beck. We held her opening last weekend in July. It was epic—so much fun. We welcomed friends from all over the world and made the weekend more than memorable. We visited friends in August in Athens, Greece, Umbria, and Tuscany. September, we attended a beautiful vineyard dinner in Chianti. We welcomed more retreat guests, did our grape harvest, and photographed my upcoming dessert cookbook, The Sweet Life at La Fortezza, with amazing photographer Cliodhna Prendergast. Finally, we had the YouTube crew here for two weeks to film the rest of next year’s content. I cannot wait for you to see some of the ensuing surprises.
Note* This will be the last newsletter from Italy in 2024… (Don’t worry; there will be more information and happenings every Friday, and the format will change slightly.)
INSIDER Flea Market Retreat for Spring 2025. June 1-6th, 2025. Do not wait…spots are selling fast!
You’ve been asking for it. Here it is… the Shopping Retreat of all shopping retreats. The Top Secret Flea Market Retreat…is on the site. Join us and delve into secret flea markets with me and local experts leading the way. I have a few surprise guests who will show you things you never imagined. Lunch in magical settings with delicious seasonal food. A genuinely incredible flea market/antiques fair crawl. A stylist’s list of places to see and places to shop.
Bring an empty suitcase or two to haul your stash. June 1-6th 2025. Plus, we suggest that you take in the Arezzo Antiques Market right after June 8-9th. We will help you plan these extra days of treasure hunting.
Of course, there will be a cooking class in the La Fortezza Kitchen, and massages will be available after a day of intense hunting. Drink the wine we make and enjoy a custom cocktail aperitivo hour every evening on the terrace. Meet the most amazing dealers face-to-face. Lunch in the most elegant antique showroom in Prato.
If this sounds good to you, please email Gen for the details ASAP. We have limited spots available. So don’t wait; these retreats tend to sell out quickly. Gen can get you booked.
La Fortezza Corporate Retreats:
Have you considered a Corporate Retreat at La Fortezza? We hold a few every year, and they are becoming more common. La Fortezza is the perfect place to relax, hold inspirational meetings, build teams, and more. We offer creative alternatives to bonding with your team or saying thank you to your best clients.
Email Gen, and she can explain all our options in the Italian countryside. Treat your employees and clients to incredibly memorable days in Italy. We can build the perfect retreat for you.
Private Retreats: ARE YOU BOOKING A LA FORTEZZA RETREAT IN 2025?
PICK YOUR DATES!
WE ARE NOW taking reservations for 2025 Custom La Fortezza Retreats: If you’re interested in planning your custom retreat in June or September 2025, please email our guest liaison, Gen, and she will get you started. We are filling up.
Check the calendar and start planning. Every retreat comes with a pasta cooking lesson and a custom itinerary!
Contact Gen to reserve your place in 2025: Gen is our La Fortezza Guest Service Liaison: genesis.carlina@gmail.com
La Fortezza Kitchen on YOUTUBE:
La Fortezza Kitchen latest episode. Have a look, and please like and subscribe. I post every OTHER Monday! Come on a truffle hunt with me, my truffle hunter friend Simone, and his dog Tito in this episode. Make rabbit with me; see the recipe below in the paid subscriber edition. If you’re not a paid subscriber, consider becoming one. You are missing loads of great information. Grazie.
MY LATEST REAL-ESTATE YOUTUBE VIDEO:
All About Annette YouTube: In this week's episode,
Check it out, and please like and subscribe to keep this crazy adventure going. This week a lovely little fixer upper in a very charming village. You won’t want to miss it.
Thanks so much for watching my YouTube Channel, All About Annette. Please share my channel with your friends.
The channel has 9100 subscribers! I am beyond thrilled! Now, let’s get to 10,000 by the end of this year…Please like and subscribe, and ring the bell to be notified when new videos are released.
Grab a copy. It’s a fun read.
The latest five-star reviews are in….
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GREAT TRAVEL TIPS OFF THE BEATEN PATH, GIVEAWAYS, INSIGHTS, EVENTS, DISCOUNTS, AND WEEKLY RECIPES ARE ALL GREAT REASONS TO BE A…PAID SUBSCRIBER
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