Meet Our Italy Experts

Kristin Jarratt, our founder and editor in chief, is a New Yorker who lived in Rome for 20 years. Her main concern there was the fourteen varieties of roses on her terrace overlooking the Pantheon, but she also worked as a screenwriter and travel writer, publishing numerous articles and the walking tours in Fodor's Guide to Florence. Upon returning to the US in 1991, she founded a hard-copy newsletter called In Italy in order to maintain strong ties to her second homeland. When "techie" friends offered to put the newsletter on something called the Internet, she had no idea what it was, but she thought it might be fun. 4500 pages later, In Italy Online has received more Internet awards than any other site about Italy, and Kristin is proud to call it "The Internet's Favorite Old-Fashioned Website." In 2011, she moved back to Italy, settling this time in a medieval hilltown surrounded by a 2800-year-old Etruscan wall. Click here to read some of her articles about Italy.

Filippo Ceci, the graphic artist who designed the original "look" of In Italy and In Italy Online, was born and raised in Rome. A topnotch artist with a real feel for the Internet, he has also created video games and a host of other exciting web sites.

Patrick Cooper was born and raised in Paris, France. He devoted considerable amounts of time to racing cars and motorcycles, even while specializing in computer design (back in the Dark Ages when one computer could fill half a room!). Fate brought him to the USA in the late 1980s, and eventually he wound up in Los Angeles preparing major motion pictures for foreign release. After becoming a US citizen he co-founded In Italy Online with Kristin in 1992, and he has been our resident vehicle expert ever since.

Jessica Scheible was born in Southern California and subsequently lived in Seattle and Rhode Island before moving back to Los Angeles. She came to us to fill in for a couple of weeks and has remained a valued member of the crew ever since. Her first trip to Italy included visits to the Veneto, the Lakes, Piedmont, the Riviera and Tuscany, where she also saw many of the properties we offer on our site. Recently she returned and visited Rome, southern Italy and Sicily to round out her acquaintance with our local colleagues. After so much contact with Italy, it's no wonder that Jessica recently graduated with honors from California State University, Los Angeles, majoring in Art History. Click here to learn Jessica's 10 Favorite Places in Italy.

Kirill Matrunetskiy is our Director of Sales. Born and raised in Odessa, Ukraine, he attended Odessa State Economic University before moving to the United States. When not busy making arrangements with our Italian partners to ensure all our clients needs are met, he's off to the gym to work out or play basketball (he was on the Varsity Team back in Odessa!). As you might have guessed, Kirill also speaks Russian, and he learned Italian while residing in Florence and Lucca for 18 months. During his stay he traveled extensively, tracking down painters and architects while visiting our properties in Apulia, Campania, Latium, Umbria, Tuscany, Liguria, Piedmont, Lombardy, Emilia Romagna and the Veneto! Click here to learn Kirill's 10 Favorite Places in Italy.

Jeremy Barnard is our Website / IT Administrator, born and raised in Southern California. A former United States Marine trained as a Cryogenics Engineer. While in service of the Marines, He studied Electronics Engineering at Mt. San Antonio College where he developed an intense desire to learn about web development. After researching the different languages and aspects of web development, he picked up several books and taught himself how to code for the Internet. When not busy Jeremy is usually researching new coding languages and the Internet for new ways to advance himself and his knowledge of the IT world.

Leonardo Balli is Our Man in Tuscany. We met him way back when we and he were just starting out on the exciting adventure of helping people have the vacation of their lives. Through thick and thin he is always there, coordinating details and smoothing the inevitable bumps that sometimes appear on the road to happiness under the Tuscan sun. And now that we have so many guests, Leonardo is ably assisted by His Two Els: Eleonora and Elisa. Here they are along with assistant Julian (second from right). Perpetually cheerful and courteous, they answer the phones for you, offering their assistance and solving your on-site problems in excellent English. What would we do without them!

Antonella, Giorgio, Davide and Tania hold the fort for us in Rome, Venice, Sorrento, Naples, and the Ligurian coast. Sound daunting? You bet it is! Sometimes it means waging a heroic battle against seemingly overwhelming odds, as you will learn if you read the comments from our clients. But no obstacle is too great for these consummate professionals, who speak perfect English, are passionate about their jobs, and love making your trip as successful as possible. And being real Romans, they even have time to enjoy Piazza Navona with Kristin when she's in town!

If you are lucky enough to spend a few days in Siena, or at a private villa in the surrounding countryside, you will have the pleasure of meeting our delightful colleagues Marta, Beatrice, Claudia and Luana (seen here on a very special day for Claudia!). With almost unimaginable patience and dedication, they offer you a warm Sienese welcome to your lodgings and they assist you during your entire stay. You know, as one of the oldest and most revered cities in Europe, Siena is a world unto itself -- and these lovely ladies are our deeply appreciated Ambassadors.

In Venice, we rely on Andrea (third from right) and his wonderful crew. An untiring professional, Andrea inherited his flair for organization from his dad (whom you may spot lending a hand around the office, even though he is now retired!). Over the years, Andrea learned how to make sure all the elements of a tour would come together seamlessly, so that all the visitors we entrust to him could get the most out of what he calls "one of the most unique and fascinating cities of the world, a real open-air museum that everyone should see once in their life." When not coordinating his drivers and guides and greeters, Andrea's favorite activity is hiking in the mountains with his wife and his six-year-old twins, Irene and Luca.

And what if your ship also docks in Naples? Well, lucky you, we say! Your day will be enlivened by a small group of enthusiastic young Neapolitans led by Elisa and Claudio. All speak great English, are extremely knowledgeable, and possess two other gifts that characterize this part of the world: a voracious love of life and a witty sense of humor. Their mission is to introduce you to the region's bewitching sites, delectable smells, fascinating history and charming folklore.

On Lake Como, Massimo and Alessandra are our guardian angels. Even though Massimo is convinced he was an American Indian in a former life, this time around he was born in Como, descendent of a long line of proud local residents. He is passionate about great food, vintage wine, skiing and la dolce vita, and loves discovering original destinations that will convey these passions to our clients. Of course, Massimo's #1 passion is for Alessandra, his partner in life as well as work. A lifelong swimmer, she also loves to cook and is only too familiar with that old adage about the way to a man's heart…. In the office, her organizational skills and exquisitely Italian flair are what bring it all together so that we can offer you a quintessential Italian experience in Italy's gorgeous Lake District.

If you'll be visiting Italy on a cruise that makes a stop in Livorno, be sure to plan for a magical excursion with Gianmaria and his team. An avid tennis player and world traveler who has been to Australia, New Zealand, USA, Brazil, Thailand, Egypt and all over Europe, this engaging young Tuscan spent 10 summers working as a lifeguard on the world-class beaches of Castiglioncello and Castagneto Carducci before realizing, one day, that the thing he loved best in all the world was his homeland, and more than anything he wanted to share it with visitors. That very day, he began training to be an expert driver-guide to a place where, he says, "the sea, the countryside, the history, the art and the food all combine to transmit warmth and tradition and unforgettable memories."

On the Amalfi Coast, what would we do without Teresa and Antonietta! When you're managing dozens of villas scattered over a 50-mile radius, countless little things can go wrong, but their many years of experience and profound rapport with the locals helps them keep everything in shipshape. Up and down those steps they go, day in and day out with a smile and a solution. Well, steps are nothing for Antonietta: daughter of a family that has raised the famed Amalfi lemons for generations, she was raised in a house that was 600 steps up from its own parking spot! She finally left the family aerie last year, but only so she could be closer to the villas she manages so brilliantly for us.

Our man in Palermo is Salvatore. He was born in New York but his Sicilian parents moved back home when he was still a child. As soon as he was old enough, he flew right back to the States to improve his English. Salvatore say the most important thing he learned during this period was that we are all the same no matter where we come from, but we look at things through different eyes. He also found out that he was meant to live in Palermo, so he came back, fell in love, got married and had two children who are now 7 and 11 years old. Whether you are a descendent seeking your Sicilian roots, or someone who knows nothing about this enchanting island, Salvatore is eager to welcome you and share the delightful mixture of joie de vivre and history that makes Sicily the place which most often elicits the comment, "I wish we could have stayed longer!"

Michael Brouse is our anchorman in Rome, where he has lived for almost forty years. A native Californian, he managed one of the leading Italian menswear design houses for many many years, then "retired" to write wonderful stories about life in Italy, as well as teach medieval history at one of Rome's most prestigious private schools. Most recently, Micheal is the author of the National Geographic Guide to Rome. Click here to read some of his articles about Italy.

Rosemary Torigian moved to Rome in 1967, after working as a magazine editor in New York. Whenever she could tear herself away from the bliss of cappuccino in the piazza, she worked as a writer, editor and script doctor, alongside Franco Zeffirelli, Gore Vidal, Bernardo Bertolucci, Michelangelo Antonioni and many other artists. Our hearts were broken in March, 2010 when Rosemary passed away. We are proud to perpetuate her memory through the entertaining articles she wrote for us about her days in Italy. Click here to read them.

Sims Brannon is a Los Angeles businessman with a passion for good food and fine wines, especially those of Italy. Annual trips to Italian and other European culinary destinations have given him broad exposure to restaurants, wineries and food makers of all types. Close friendships with professional chefs and restaurateurs in the U.S. have given him special insight into Italian food in America (not to mention thousands of dollars worth of free cooking lessons). In recent years, he has honed his talents with stints at cooking schools in Bologna, Positano and Paris.

Click here to read some of his articles about Italy.

Tortellino is the Chairman of the Board and CEO for In Italy Online. One of his first managerial decisions was to make Kristin his right-hand woman, but he keeps an eye on everything from his.... bottom-drawer position.

Now that you know who we are, click here to learn how we can help you plan your unforgettable trip to Italy.