Life
brings us
to unexpected places.
​
Love
brings us
"home"
Who am I?
​
Some days I feel like Ulysses. Some days Penelope. Some others Telemachus.
Have you ever had the feeling the world is too big a place to settle?
That’s how I feel most of the time.
In the past that feeling turned into a life on the move. But we all know this: life brings us to unexpected places, and love brings us back home.
Because we all share the human need to belong somewhere, and I know I belong here. I belong to the cliff overlooking the blue sea, I belong to the narrow alleys in the old town, I belong to the generous land of the South. And above all, I belong to my people.
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And so, as Ulysses, after a long journey full of adventures and dangers, I got back here, in Polignano, my home town. To find out that coming back, sometimes, it is harder than being away. But we all need a place that we call home to come back to after a journey, to share our experiences and our stories.
And guess what? I still feel that longing for exploration and discovery. I still crave stories and adventures, which travelers share as a gift in this journey we call life.
Because the point of traveling to me is to make new stories and share them.
I actually believe that the point of living is to be with people, so that we can share stories about who we are and see in others, parts of us we did not even know existed.
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That’s why I decided to turn my home into a “meeting place”.
Itaca is a residence for explorers from all over the world, who share a passion for stories.
If you love traveling and discovering the soul of a place, and you plan on visiting Polignano, my home town, and Puglia, my region, I would be honored to share with you my place…and my stories, of course.
When I travel I love to see places through the eyes of local, as I believe that we can only know a place if we live it, even if only for a few days or a few hours.
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Suspended between the craving for exploration and the human need to belong, we sail the ocean of life, knowing the only place where we feel "home" is...our heart.
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Welcome to Itaca. Welcome home.
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Vittoria
The rest of the crew
Giulia
Every house has a pulsing heart. Somebody who makes sure things happen, people are taken care of and joy is spread. At Itaca, that's her.
Anna
She is my mum, and much more than that.
She is the one who reminds me where I am from, when I get lost. She taught me that to love is to let people free to go.
Ilaria
She is the soul and the eye behind most of the pictures on this website.
We share the passion for our region and a deep yearning for adventure.