My name is Mariangela Catalani, I was born in Matera, a beautiful town in the South of Italy, but I’ve now been living in Florence for many years.
After having experienced different types of jobs I finally decided to follow my instinct and, having found a splendid house in the neighbourhood of Santa Croce, my favourite part of town, I have had it refurbished and in 2002 launched myself on this adventure.

Cooking, has always been one of my great passions, but if somebody asked me how I learnt, sincerely I’d have a hard time answering the question; I think I learned watching my grandmother when she used to prepare her biscuits, and observing my mum kneading the dough to make the tagliatelle for Sunday lunch. I’d say therefore that learning to cook is something you “breathe in”, and then one day you find yourself in front of your burners and somehow you know how to cook.

And for a time this passion also turned into a profession - in fact I ran a restaurant with an extensive winecellar - but, well.. even that was not enough!

I also love travelling and recently I’ve been to Mongolia, Libya and India; I used to sing in a professional choir at the School of Music in Fiesole; I am interested in alternative therapies and in fact I am also an aromatherapy consultant and know all you need to know about the flowers of Bach; obviously I love people and I love their company, it would have been rather strange otherwise for me to run a bed and breakfast, and moreover…. The sea - it is always in my dreams !

You might also come across my two sons: Filippo e Raffaele, thanks to their stimultating and encouraging advice they’ve both helped me enormously to follow and realise my dreams.