The Acquaviva Method among the finalists at the Italian Tourism Awards 2025

It is with great satisfaction that I share an important milestone: in 2025, the Acquaviva Method was selected among the finalists in the Innovation category at the Italian Tourism Awards. The awards ceremony took place on 10 December 2025 at The St. Regis Rome and was broadcast on Rai 2 on 16 December.

This article is not simply the account of an evening: it is the sharing of what this experience meant to me and my team, and what I learned from engaging with some of the most compelling realities in the Italian tourism landscape.

What this recognition truly represents

There comes a moment in one’s professional life when the path built over time is acknowledged by an external, competent and independent eye.

When we were named among the finalists in the Innovation category, within a landscape as broad and extraordinarily diverse as Italian tourism — one of the most recognised forms of excellence in the world — the emotion ran deep.

It was the confirmation that a vision built over the years, rooted in the science of longevity and in an integrated approach to health, was finding concrete recognition within the contemporary tourism landscape.

The Italian Tourism Awards 2025 evening

The evening was intense, elegant, perfectly representative of the value of Italian tourism. The hosting by Gabriella Carlucci guided the different moments with poise, while the presence and coordination of leading figures in the industry — including Palmiro Noschese, one of the most authoritative personalities in international tourism — gave the event additional depth.

Being selected in the Innovation category meant seeing a precise vision recognised: the one I have been building over the years through the Acquaviva Method.

What is the Acquaviva Method: a new model of longevity tourism

The Acquaviva Method today represents an innovative longevity tourism model, developed at Palazzo di Varignana, which brings together science, experience and local culture.

It is an integrated scientific approach founded on the 5 Pillars of Health:

• nutrition
• inner harmony
• physical activity
• sleep
• supplementation

An approach that translates advanced disciplines such as epigenetics, nutrigenomics and chronobiology into concrete, accessible and genuinely transformative experiences.

The experiential ecosystem that convinced the jury

What made this project distinctive — and what was recognised by the Italian Tourism Awards jury — is the ability to transform science into a complete experiential ecosystem. An ecosystem that takes shape through:

• personalised retreats, guided by tailored scientific coaching
• a functional cuisine based on the biology of longevity, expressed at the Ginkgo Longevity Restaurant
• programmes such as the Longevity Experience and Longevity Cooking Classes, where the menu unfolds across multiple stages, accompanying guests on a true journey of regeneration
• integrated practices of mindfulness, movement, sleep and regeneration

All of this takes place within a unique setting: Palazzo di Varignana, at the heart of a 700-hectare regenerative farm, among lakes, olive groves, vineyards and the ornamental garden of Villa Amagioia — recognised among the 100 most beautiful gardens in Italy within the Grandi Giardini Italiani network — alongside the Varsana Spa, one of the largest in Northern Italy.

Here, nature, nutrition and sustainability come together coherently, creating an authentic and integrated experience.

One of the most innovative elements is precisely this balance: a scientific wellness model that is not medicalised, where the guest is not a patient but a person guided through a journey of conscious evolution.

What truly makes the Acquaviva Method innovative

Looking at this experience with clarity, I can say that the recognition stems from a series of key elements:

• it introduces the biology of longevity into gourmet dining
• it develops a personalised coaching system with concrete objectives
• it integrates multisensory experiences that engage both body and mind
• it translates complex scientific concepts into replicable daily practices
• it involves younger generations through dedicated educational projects
• it is built on a regenerative agricultural supply chain that ensures coherence and quality

It is not simply a wellness experience. It is a structured model designed to generate real and lasting change.

The value of engaging with fellow finalists

Standing alongside realities such as Blastness and the “Dante per i borghi” project by Massimiliano Finazzer Flory was extremely stimulating. Different projects, yet united by the ability to innovate.

The Golden Microphone was deservedly awarded to Blastness, but stepping onto that stage as a finalist represented a moment of great value: an opportunity for exchange, growth and openness to new perspectives.

Gratitude and awareness

I would like to close with a thought of gratitude.

Thank you to my team, with whom I have built this reality over the years. We are links of the same chain, and this experience is proof that together we can go far.

Thank you to everyone who follows me and has supported me with trust and consistency over time.

Looking ahead

This recognition is not a destination, but a milestone along the way.

It gives me even more energy to continue developing the Acquaviva Method and to contribute to a vision of tourism that is not merely experience, but transformation.

Because today, more than ever, I believe that true luxury is this:
feeling well — consciously, scientifically and lastingly.