I was born and bred in central Italy and settled in Australia in 2015 where I studied Travel and Tourism Management. In the land downunder I found my new home, my real passions and true love! Here I met my husband, Ben, who was an importer of Italian food and wine and originally organised tours as an annual trip for his clients. When I joined my first tour in 2016, I knew it was a venture I wanted to pursue, so slowly, the formerly known business Benfatti Fine Italian Foods, founded by Ben, eventually became Benfatti Fine Italian Tours.


As Ben became busier with his main business, Gnocchi Gnocchi Brothers, It seemed natural for me to take over Benfatti Tours, managing and leading many tours in different regions of Italy, including Tuscany, Lazio, Le Marche, Emilia Romagna, Trentino Alto Adige, Campania, Sicily, Puglia, and Sardegna.
Curating itineraries, discovering exciting destinations, and leading enthusiastic travellers through my home country became my passion. The priceless surprise on my guests’ faces made every hour spent researching and designing the tour worthwhile, and I still can’t get enough!


My childhood was spent on the hazelnut farm and villa my Nonno bought in the ’50s when he moved to Lazio from Sicily. The farm, initially self-sufficient, followed rural Sicilian traditions. We had chickens, horses and a beautiful veggie garden. I still have memories of my Nonna and my mum making “arancini” on the vintage marble table in the kitchen.


Growing up this way instilled in me an appreciation for fresh, local, unadulterated food, fostering my interest in home cooking. My culinary passion only grew with traveling and was influenced by exploring languages, cultures, and cuisines worldwide. I absolutely adore cheese and I love learning about unusual traditional shapes of pasta, like “culurgiones” from Sardegna.


Today, Ben and I live in the leafy suburb of Ashgrove in Brisbane with our son, Adriano, and our fluffy puppies, Vino & Otto.


I am also the founder of ‘Mamme Downunder’, a community group welcoming and assisting newly migrated Italian mothers in Australia, and the President of the related Non-Profit Organisation ‘Famiglie Downunder’.


Are you ready to join me on an unforgettable journey to Italy? Let’s turn your travel dreams into reality!