Vannella earned her Master's in art history from the Sapienza University of Rome, with a special focus on teaching. She is an accomplished lecturer and teacher, and has been organizing on-site learning and tours in Rome for nearly thirty years. Vannella is an official guide for the Vatican Museums and has worked in such Roman museums as the Borghese Gallery, Castel S. Angelo, Galleria Colonna, and Galleria Doria Pamphili.