ONE TUSCAN HOME BASE • SMALL GROUPS • ONE MEANINGFUL EXPERIENCE A DAY • GENUINE LOCAL CONNECTIONS
Your Italy Vacation Shouldn’t Feel Like a Race
You’ve waited years to go to Italy. And now your itinerary has you changing hotels, chasing trains, and counting how many famous places you can fit into each day.
It may look impressive on paper. But somewhere between packing your suitcase again and hurrying to the next reservation, the trip you dreamed about begins to feel like another list to finish.
Italy offers something better.
The long lunch that becomes the memory you keep talking about. The village café where the barista recognizes you. The afternoon with nowhere else you have to be. The conversation that could never have been scheduled.
You don’t need to see more of Tuscany.
You need enough time to feel where you are.
The Truly Italy method
One meaningful experience a day.
Enough time left to belong.
Truly Italy is a slower way to experience Tuscany—built around connection rather than a checklist.
Instead of changing hotels every few nights, you settle into one carefully chosen place. Instead of filling every hour, you enjoy one meaningful experience a day and leave room for rest, curiosity, and the pleasures you cannot plan in advance.
You might cook with someone sharing a family recipe, step inside an artisan’s working studio, or linger over a meal in a place most visitors would pass by. And because you aren’t rushing toward the next city, you have time to notice the life happening around you.
This is not about doing less for the sake of doing less.
It is about experiencing more of what makes Italy matter.
“Truly Italy was one of the most amazing trips I’ve ever taken. Katie and Stefano’s knowledge, fluency in Italian, and genuine relationships with local people created a personalized experience unlike any other.”
-Kelsey, September 2024
Truly Italy at a Glance
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Founded and personally led by Katie Portanova
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More than 20 years of firsthand experience in Italy
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Fluent Italian and deep personal ties to Florence and Tuscany
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Village-based Tuscany experiences limited to eight guests
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Generally one meaningful planned experience each day
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Personal trip-planning guidance and digital Tuscany guides
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Experiences hosted by Katie and her Florentine husband, Stefano
Choose Your Way to Experience Tuscany
Choose the kind of help you need
Whether you want to plan your own slower week, need an expert eye on an itinerary that feels too full, or want Katie and Stefano to host the entire experience, there is a way to travel with Truly Italy.
A 7‑day village‑based itinerary & planning guide to design your own calm week in Tuscany
Turn a long Tuscany wish list into a calm, realistic week. This practical guide helps you choose the right home base, create a rhythm that leaves room to enjoy it, and plan a trip that feels like a vacation—not a logistical exercise.
A 60‑minute 1:1 session to turn your scattered ideas into a slower, realistic itinerary.
Bring Katie the itinerary, questions, or decisions keeping you stuck. In a private planning session, she’ll help you simplify your route, make thoughtful tradeoffs, and create a trip that works in real life—not only on a map.
A small, village‑based week in Tuscany limited to eight guests, planned for June 2027.
Spend a week living from one Tuscan village with Katie, Stefano, and no more than eight guests. Enjoy meaningful local experiences, beautiful meals, genuine free time, and the reassuring ease of having every important detail thoughtfully handled.
Who Truly Italy is for
You may have found your kind of Italy trip if…
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You would rather know one corner of Tuscany than race through five cities.
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You want a tiny group—not a coach tour described as “small.”
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You care more about local life, beautiful meals, and human connection than checking off every landmark.
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You want planned experiences without having every minute of your vacation planned for you.
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You are traveling on your own and want companionship without giving up your independence.
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You want someone who understands both Italy and the practical concerns of an American traveler.
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You believe the best moments often happen after the itinerary leaves a little room.
Truly Italy may not be right for you if your priority is seeing as many cities, monuments, and famous attractions as possible in the shortest amount of time.
And that’s okay.
This is Italy for travelers who want to be present for it.
A sample Day
What does a slower day in Tuscany feel like?
You wake without an alarm and walk into the village for a cappuccino. There is time to sit down instead of drinking it on the way to somewhere else.
Later, you meet a local cook who welcomes you into the kitchen and teaches you a dish connected to this place and her family.
Lunch stretches longer than expected—because nobody is watching the clock.
The afternoon is yours. Read. Wander. Nap. Stop for a glass of wine. Return to the little shop you noticed yesterday. Do nothing at all.
That evening, you meet the group for dinner. The conversation has become easier. The village is becoming familiar. And for a moment, Tuscany doesn’t feel like a destination you are passing through.
It feels like a life you have stepped into.
One village.
One meaningful experience a day.
Enough time left to belong.
Meet Katie and Stefano
Your guides to a more personal Italy
I’m Katie Portanova, the founder of Truly Italy.
I first arrived in Florence in 2002 and later made the city my home from 2009 to 2013. Across more than 20 years of living in and returning to Italy, I became fluent in Italian and built relationships with the cooks, artisans, winemakers, and families who now shape the Truly Italy experience.
Italy also gave me Stefano, my Florentine husband and co-host. Together, we help our guests move comfortably between two worlds: the practical needs of an American traveler and the everyday rhythms of Italian life.
We won’t show you Italy as though it were a collection of attractions. We’ll introduce you to it through the people we know, the places we return to, and the way life here is actually lived.
Because the Italy you remember most won’t necessarily be the Italy you photographed.
It will be the Italy that made you feel something.
What Guests Remember
Felt Like Home
“Having Katie and Stefano as our hosts made the experience feel completely different from a conventional tour. Their knowledge and thoughtful itinerary were wonderful, and the villa felt less like a place we were staying and more like home.”
-Jan, May 2024
The experience is truly unforgettable
“Tuscany was a feast for the eyes at every turn, but the people made the experience truly unforgettable. Their warmth, generosity, and pride in their countryside, wine, and food brought everything to life.”
—Skip, September 2022
Turn your crowded Tuscany wish list into one calm, realistic week.
Get the free Slow Tuscany Starter Kit and begin planning a trip with fewer hotel changes, more breathing room, and enough time to enjoy the Italy you traveled so far to experience.
Inside, you’ll discover:
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A simple framework for planning from one home base
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A sample rhythm for a slower week in Tuscany
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Guidance for deciding what to leave out
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Katie’s practical advice for creating space without missing what matters
You’ll also receive occasional letters from Katie with thoughtful Tuscany advice, stories from Italian life, and first access to future Truly Italy experiences. Unsubscribe anytime.
Explore Tuscany Through the Podcast & Substack
Keep a little Italy in your life
Listen to Florence & Me and read The Road Less Expected for personal stories, thoughtful reflections, and practical guidance for experiencing Italy with more curiosity, confidence, and ease.
Podcast Episodes
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How to Plan One Slow Week in Tuscany (Without Seeing Everything)
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Learn how to plan one calm week in Tuscany using a single home base, slow mornings, one meaningful experience a day, realistic drive times, and unhurried evenings—so you return home rested rather than exhausted. Listen to the episode
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How to Choose your Base in Tuscany
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Learn how to choose the right home base for a slow week in Tuscany using a simple checklist—so you can stop comparing 17 beautiful towns, avoid common planning mistakes, and finally feel confident about where to stay. Listen to the episode
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Substack Articles
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Why One Base Beats Five Cities
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Learn why choosing one Tuscan home base—with slow mornings, one meaningful experience a day, and unhurried evenings—creates a deeper, more relaxing trip than racing through five cities. Read the article
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Imagine one slow Tuesday in a Tuscan village—quiet mornings, meaningful local experiences, leisurely afternoons, and long dinners that help you stop rushing and start truly feeling where you are. Read the article
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Frequently asked questions
What does “slow travel in Tuscany” mean?
Slow travel means creating enough time to experience a place beyond its famous sights. Truly Italy encourages travelers to stay in one thoughtfully chosen base, plan fewer activities, build connections with local people, and leave room for the unscheduled moments that make a trip memorable.
How small are Truly Italy’s group experiences?
The Tuscan Village Experience is limited to eight guests. The intimate size allows the group to travel comfortably, share personal experiences with local hosts, and enjoy the ease of a gathering rather than the atmosphere of a conventional escorted tour.
Can I join a Truly Italy experience on my own?
Yes. Truly Italy is designed to be welcoming to guests traveling without a companion. You’ll have the reassurance and connection of a small group while still enjoying personal space and meaningful free time.
Will every day be scheduled from morning until night?
No. The Truly Italy approach generally centers each day around one meaningful planned experience. Free time is an intentional part of the week—not an empty space that needs to be filled.
What if I want help planning my own trip?
You can begin with Katie’s Slow Week in Tuscany Guide or book a private planning session. Katie can help you simplify your route, choose a practical home base, improve the pace, and make confident decisions about the trip you are already planning.
Do I need to speak Italian?
No. Katie is fluent in Italian, and Stefano is Florentine. During hosted experiences, they help guests communicate comfortably and understand the people, traditions, and places they encounter.
Italy will always give you more places to see
