At 23, while earning her degree in Modern Languages, she conducted her first interview in Hollywood with film director Tony Richardson, hoping to become a screenwriter or film critic.
But destiny had other plans. Mariangela Rossi, of Ligurian and Tuscan heritage, has been living in Milan for more than three decades. She set aside that early ambition to become a writer specializing in hotels, lifestyle and well-being. Travel has always been at the heart of her life, from her first trips to the United States and the United Kingdom as a teenager to her exploration of long-haul destinations such as China and Russia in the early 1990s, and later her extensive world exploring as a long-time contributor to ELLE Italy. What she enjoys most is discovering and sharing exceptional places and interviewing entrepreneurs, creative thinkers and changemakers.
In 2004, she was a pioneer in publishing Il Libro del Profumo (The Book of Perfume), followed by several other books on well-being, stylish eco-sustainability, travel and, once again, olfactory culture. As an expert in the field, Mariangela also launched her own candle and home fragrance collection, Ready to Smell?, a tribute to Italian artistic masterpieces interpreted through the sense of smell. She also created her Scented Tours for luxury hotels: bespoke itineraries through which, thanks to her extensive carnet d’adresses, she helps guests discover, upon request, the most secret and fragrant side of a destination.
Married and the mother of a daughter, she loves the timeless beauty of Italy, but also New York City, which she has long considered a second home, as well as Asia. Her passions include well-being, hospitality, contemporary art, gardens, interior design, meditation, fine craftsmanship, sustainability, conservation, the world of fragrance and the synesthetic connections it creates with other sensory languages.
After contributing extensively to leading Italian publications, such as Io Donna and Marie Claire Maison, she is now Beauty, Spa & Hotel Editor for FOSTER Magazine. She also continues to write for HTSI Italy, the monthly magazine of Il Sole 24 Ore, as well as for Amica. Her passions continually inspire new stories and in-depth travel in remarkable hotels and destinations, which she shares through articles, social media and industry panels.
Travel is a state of mind, and she is always looking for new discoveries with curious and attentive eyes. Yet after a lifetime spent constantly on the move, she has become increasingly selective. Today, both leisure travel and readers’ interests are more conscious, thoughtful and focused on authenticity: destinations committed to conservation and ethical projects, local traditions, meaningful personal experiences, sustainable living, bespoke journeys and creativity with purpose that gives back to cultures and communities.
Travel can no longer be an act of consumption.
It needs to be an act of empathy.
Credits
All contents on this website are copyrighted and all text is owned by Mariangela Rossi. All rights reserved. Images belong to their respective owners (founders, photographers and hotel owners who generously permitted their publication on this website).