Gemma Green Close is the founding director and owner of Passion for Italy Travel and has been travelling in Italy every year for over twenty years.  She holds a Science degree with Hons in Biochemistry and A.S.D.A letters. Gemma has travelled in 18 out of the 21 regions of Italy and is passionate about Italy.

She has also studied B.A. majoring in Italian as well as Italian language study in Rome.  

Italy and its people, the history, language and culture, (as well as the food), has always been her passion which she developed into a business in 2004, to share her source of knowledge with travellers to Italy. 

Gemma is the editor and publisher of www.passionforitaly.com, Passion for Italy Blog  , www.passioneperitalia.com,  www.passionforitaly.info and has had articles published in newspapers and magazines on a wide variety of topics. She is an avid reader of all books especially about Italy and  particularly Italian history and her interests are opera, classical music and her large family.

Lisa Kurtz is our client manager, has a business degree B.Com UNSW Sydney, She has lived in Italy for a year and travels to Italy every year. Lisa speaks fluent Italian and also writes for the PassionforItaly Blog.

She is a brilliant photographer and has a passionate interest in photographing beautiful things in Italy - see her photos of Italy www.captureitaly.com . 

Lisa leads photographic workshop tours in Italy every May and Sept - see Boutique Travel Photography Tour under Tours and Packages.

Book one now and get the early bird special.

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Edward Close is currently taking over from Sabrina working for our Italian office and travelling in Italy visiting all our beautiful hotels.

Edward has a Business degree majoring in Tourism and a postgraduate diploma in international trade.

Edward is fluent in Italian and won a scholarship from Dante Alighieri Society to study Italian in Florence. His interests are languages, music, travelling and caring for the environment.

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Giulio Zappa is Italian from Ancona, Marche and is our wonderful native translator so if the Italian on our site is wrong-blame him!!

He has a masters degree from Universita Politecnica delle Marche in international economics and foreign trade . Giulio speaks three languages.

His interests are foreign languages, travelling, swimming, soccer and music Being Italian, he has a great sense of humour and adds fun to our team. 

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Sabrina Barro is Italian,  lives in Italy near Treviso, north of Venice, in the wine area of the Veneto region.

Sabrina works for our Passion for Italy Office in Italy.

She has an International Business degree majoring in languages and foreign trade from Ca Foscari in Venice. 

Sabrina speaks  four languages - Italian, English, French and Spanish and makes a practice by reading the same book in each of the four languages!! not bad?

Sabrina usually manages our  European and British clients. but is currently expecting her first baby so is taking maternity leave but is always on hand to help. We are all excited about the first Passion for Italy baby!!

Even though Sabrina lives in the “bel paese”, she always appreciative of the wonderful art, culinary tradition and history of her country.