Meet Martina Bartolozzi, Culinary Heritage Guardian for Italy

Martina is a licensed tour leader and travel services provider, born and raised in Tuscany to a Florentine father and a Californian mother. Her bicultural upbringing shaped her deep appreciation for local, authentic, and regional foods, which remains at the heart of her work.

She trained as a butcher under her stepfather, the renowned Tuscan butcher Dario Cecchini—an experience that grounded her in traditional craftsmanship and sparked a lifelong exploration of food culture. Martina has since traveled extensively across Italy and internationally, discovering diverse cultures through their culinary traditions.

In 2018, she started leading culinary group tours throughout Italy, guiding over 40 tours and welcoming hundreds of travelers, offering immersive, food-focused experiences rooted in local traditions.

In 2021, she was recognized as one of the Top 20 Women in Food by Corriere della Sera, highlighting her growing influence in the food and travel world. Alongside her hands-on work, she has written about Italian cuisine for various publications and shares practical insights on her social media platforms, including Instagram and TikTok.

Through her newsletter, read by an international audience, Martina offers exclusive content that goes beyond her social channels, exploring Italian food, culture, and everyday life with depth and nuance. She is committed to presenting Italy as it truly is: rich, complex, and sometimes misunderstood — challenging the overly romanticized narratives often seen online.

With a lifetime of lived experience in Italy, Martina brings an insider’s perspective to everything she does. Her goal is to provide thoughtful, informed guidance that helps others engage more meaningfully with the people and traditions of Italy.

Photographer credit Valeria Raniolo.