Florencewise contributors

Elyssa Bernard

I'm the founder and publisher of Florencewise (and Romewise!). 

You can hop over to the About Florencewise page to read a lot more about me, how and why I moved to Italy (hint! See the photo of my husband below.)

I've been living here since 2001 and publishing since 2009. 

I hope you enjoy it!

Alessandro Bisceglie

Alessandro is from Rome, born and raised there but also lived for many years in Florence. 

He has a degree in History of Philosophy from the Sorbonne University and is passionate about architecture, history, food, and politics, past and present. 

He has also lived in France, Belgium, Holland, and the US and is fluent in English, French, and of course Italian.

Jesper Storgaard Jensen

Jesper is a freelance journalist and photographer from Denmark.

Jesper has lived and worked in Rome since 1997 and writes about travel, eating & drinking, culture, sport, and the Italian lifestyle. He likes to roam the streets of Italy in search of personal stories from Italians. 

You can see more of his photos, and learn more about him on his website.

Esther Baardemans

Esther is a tour leader and culinary guide for Details of Florence and various tour operators. 

She moved to Florence in 2017, because she was madly in love with the city and still is! She decided she wanted to share her passion for everything Florence and Tuscany and her passion for food and wine with travelers from all over the world and is doing that through leading tours and writing for different blogs, including her own. 

You’ll find her in the beautiful Oltrarno neighbourhood of Florence, where she lives with her dog Vodka. 

Joëlle Edwards

Joëlle Edwards is a British freelance writer and fully-fledged Italophile! Her grandfather’s paintings of Florence inspired her to first travel there as a student and it quickly became her home and later the birthplace of her two boys.

Currently dividing her time between the UK and Italy, Joëlle also runs a wedding and event planning business www.joellemarie.co.uk for clients looking to celebrate those special occasions in Tuscany and beyond!

You will often find her in the backstreets of Florence getting way too excited about new local eateries and drinking holes!

Warren George

Warren is a digital strategist and marketer with a passion for all things Italian, but with a particular interest in the history and legacy of ancient Rome.

Since first visiting Rome in 2013 (the first time he had ever left his native UK!) he has gone on to explore most of Italy and in 2019 made the leap and moved here permanently, after spending two years in the Veneto region.

Since 2021, Warren has lived in Ostia, on the coast just outside of Rome where you'll often find him working remotely by the beach with a caffe macchiato or spritz close to hand, depending on the time of day!

Grace Roberts

Born in the UK but raised in Singapore, Grace is a freelance writer, avid world traveler, and Disney fan who writes about her adventures on her blog Pixie Dust and Passports.

She has a degree in History and took a particular interest in all things Roman Empire-related during her time at university. After making it her mission to travel Europe after jetting around Asia as a child, she's spent extensive time almost everywhere in Italy.

From Rome and the Amalfi Coast to Venice and Florence, she's a proud Italophile!

Samantha Priestley

Samantha is a freelance travel writer from the UK. She first visited Italy 30 years ago, beginning her journey of discovery in Rome, and has been in love ever since.

She writes for a variety of travel media, which can be found on her website and loves exploring more of Italy on her travel adventures. She lives in Yorkshire, the UK, with her artist partner.

Ha Truong

Ha is an avid traveler and freelance writer from Vietnam. Having lived in Denmark and Japan for several years, she's embraced the digital nomad lifestyle.

Ha's love for travel has taken her to more than 30 countries, and Italy has a special place in her heart.

You'll frequently find her in museums, local eateries, and on off-the-beaten-track adventures.

You can read about her travel experiences on expatolife.com.

Rebecca Sharp

Rebecca Sharp is a freelance writer and content creator from the UK.

She writes about travel in Europe, film and TV, or a mix of both on her blog almostginger.com.