Savoring Florence Food Tour

Originally from Siena, Luca has lived in Florence since college. He studied the history and restoration of monuments at the University of Florence and the restoration of historical gardens and parks in Siena. Luca was also co-author of the "Guide to Villa Demidoff and the Pratolino Park." He has continued to study Florentine traditions and arts and crafts, collaborating with the Agency of Tourism on the initiative "Re-Discovering the craftsmen of the Oltrarno." Over the past five years, Luca has contributed to several projects focused on the relationship between artisan skill and local traditional tastes in Tuscan food specialties.

Patricia holds an Master's in Italian Renaissance history from Cornell University, and another in Italian Renaissance art history from Syracuse University. Both of her theses were on Florentine topics. She also writes about Florence, Tuscany, and Emilia-Romagna for a popular guide book, has led wine tours in Chianti, and has cooked in several Florentine trattorie. She lives in the Tuscan countryside with her husband and six dogs.

After a well-traveled childhood, Martino completed a Ph.D in philosophy at Cornell University. He then taught philosophy for a few years in the States before returning to Italy. Here, he teaches college courses in ethics, Italian culture, and history at various study-abroad programs. He has lectured at the British Institute in Florence on contemporary moral topics. Teaching rekindled his interest in Dante and "The Divine Comedy," as well as the controversy between Galileo's astronomy and the Church. Martino lives in the countryside with his wife and their too many dogs.