A transgenerational journey behind the scenes of our country’s living monuments, where excellence is passed down from one generation to the next, defying the passage of time.

Italy is internationally renowned for its millennia-old history and its exceptional hospitality. However, what truly sets the peninsula’s historical and gastronomic heritage apart is the human element: the personal and entrepreneurial stories of family dynasties which, for decades or even centuries, have been at the forefront of the nation’s hospitality industry. The 2024/2025 edition of the Guide to Historical Places of Italy celebrates precisely this unbreakable bond between bloodlines, memory and enterprise.

«Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the keeping of the fire.»

(Gustav Mahler)

The Concept: beyond standardisation

In an age dominated by rapid change, standardisation and large international chains, our member families represent an extraordinary anchor of stability and an invaluable added benefit. Traditions – understood as the passing on of knowledge, ways of doing things and ways of thinking – are the true lifeblood of hotels, cafés, patisseries and restaurants renowned throughout the world. Through the passing of the business from one generation to the next, a symbiotic and intimate relationship is forged with the guest, who does not merely consume a service but feels welcomed into a shared historical narrative. These family-run businesses are, in their own right, the jewel in the crown of the Italian tourism and hospitality sector.

The Dynasties of Relief: Great Stories of Continuity

The ideal itinerary mapped out by the 2024/2025 edition highlights stories of extraordinary business longevity, with companies that have weathered wars, disasters and social upheavals unscathed:

• The undisputed record for longevity: The Allegrina-Fontana family holds the national record, having run the kitchens and dining rooms of the Ristorante Corona in San Sebastiano Curone (Alessandria) since as far back as 1702, spanning no fewer than twelve generations.
• Ten generations amongst the peaks: At the Hotel Cavallino Bianco in San Candido (Bolzano), the Kühebacher family has been running the hotel since 1759, making it the Italian hotel with the longest unbroken history of family ownership.
• Seven generations of local identity: from the Gran Caffè Renzelli in Cosenza (founded in 1803) to the Ristorante Erasmo in Ponte a Moriano (Lucca, 1760), and on to the Caffè dell’Ussero in Pisa (linked to the Agostini family since 1775) and the Osteria il Governo 1801 on Lake Como, the legacy of the Risorgimento and the historic recipes live on, intact.
• The six and five generational transitions: Iconic establishments such as the Royal Victoria Hotel in Pisa (run by the Piegaja family since 1837), the Hotel alla Posta in Caprile-Alleghe (run by the Pra family since 1866), Pasticceria Pansa in Amalfi and Pasticceria Vigoni in Pavia (founded in 1878 by Enrico Vigoni) demonstrate how artisanal expertise can evolve in the new millennium without losing its original spirit.

Leafing through or rediscovering the contents of this edition is a way of paying tribute to those who have been able to innovate and adapt to contemporary markets without ever compromising the authenticity of their culinary roots and local hospitality – the true intangible heritage of our civilisation.