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Host rating
100 %
Last replied
10 Mar 2026
Reply rate
100.0 %
Usually responds within 2 days
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3
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Details
Description
Hello! We are Elisa and Marco, and we’ve recently moved into an ancient house on the hills 15 ks outside Bologna. Our home is in a scenic location, surrounded by farmland, woods, and small villages. The property was once a farm, built between the 1200s—when it was a small hermitage—and the 1900s, and was recently owned by an Italian family for over two centuries. It has plenty of Italian charm, a garden with large trees, and ample space for both relaxation and fun.
The area is well-known for its picturesque lanscapes, villages, local wineries (one is just up the road), cherries, mushrooms, truffles, and authentic farm produce. There are many family-owned traditional trattorias filled with locals and people from Bologna, as well as foreign tourists who visit for the world-famous Bolognese cuisine and local artisan produce, particularly wines, cheeses, charcuterie and the homemade pasta (tortellini and tagliatelle) and flatbreads (tigelle, crescentine and borlenghi). Yum!
A Bit About Us:
Marco and I both work from home. Marco is a researcher at a university, and I’m a designer. We’ve been working on making improvements to our new home since we moved in a little over two years ago, and we’re really enjoying the process! In our free time, we love exploring the surrounding towns, taking walks, gardening, and cooking fresh homemade food. We enjoy both socializing and quiet moments—striking a balance between the two. I’m half Italian and half English, and I also speak fluent Spanish. Marco is Italian and also speaks fluent English and Portuguese. We’re not 100% vegetarian, but we enjoy a vegetable-based diet with plenty of fresh ingredients. We also live with three cats. Our first experience with Workaway was last summer ; we enjoyed the experience and meeting new people.
We look forward to hearing from you and hope you’ll join us in this beautiful place!
Types of help and learning opportunities
Gardening
DIY and building projects
Farmstay help
Help around the house
General Maintenance
Interests
Charity work
Events & social
Movies & TV
Pets
Self development
Videography
Writing
Plant care
Music
History
Gardening
DIY & crafts
Cooking & food
Blogging
Architecture
Art & design
Beach
Dancing
Fitness
Hiking
Nature
Sailing / Boating
Water sports
Yoga / Wellness
Cultural exchange and learning opportunities
During your stay, you'll have the opportunity to learn about Italian lifestyle, language, and culture, as well as explore the surrounding area, great for walks, hikes and mountainbiking (with your own bikes). It offers horseriding, there is an observatory in the area and the food is great too! Bologna is a wonderful and very lively city to visit and from there jump on a train to Florence, Venice, and more for the weekend!
We can help you learn some skills like gardening, vegetable gardening, and making your own natural herb oils. I’m a vertical garden designer and I can show you how the system works. We can help you speak some Italian and teach you the basics of Italian cooking. We can visit Bologna together, as we sometimes go into town for work or to see our friends. We sometimes throw a garden get together with our friends, with food, wine and music.
Help
What We Need Help With:
• Cellar clearing: Help us empty and clean the old wine cellars, and the old stable. There’s stuff to sort and move. Some unwanted items will need loading into the car and taking to the nearby recycling station.
• Help with general cleaning and home improving
• Garden: help with weeding, mowing the lawn and clearing the small woods near the house. We’re planting a new hedge this year
• Vegetable garden : help with our organic veggie garden as you learn (or teach us more) about regenerative horticulture.
• Cleaning and general maintenance: Helping with ongoing upkeep and cleanliness of the house and grounds.
• Assist us furnishing some rooms
Languages spoken
English: Fluent
Spanish: Fluent
Italian: Fluent
Portuguese: Fluent
Accommodation
We welcome single travelers and couples, with a maximum of two Workawayers at a time. You’ll have your own room with a bathroom, which may be shared with another Workawayer or a family guest. Breakfast is self-served, Italian-style. We provide the basics, but everyone prepares and eats their own breakfast independently. We share one meal per working day, lunch or dinner depending on the schedule. The other meal is flexible and independent. Workawayers can use the kitchen, and we can organize supermarket trips to the nearby village . Eating together outside work time is optional and spontaneous. If you enjoy cooking there are plenty of opportunities for you to join us and learn some authentic Italian recipes or share yours. When we share meals we appreciate some help with food prepping and clearing up after meals ;)
What else ...
We are a 30-minute drive or 50-minute bus ride from Bologna city center, with the nearest bus stop located at the bottom of the hill, 2 km from the house. When possible we will gladly drive you to the bus stop or sometimes elsewhere. Local cafes, small grocery stores, a post office, a gas station, and farmers' stalls selling fresh produce are within a few Ks. The nearest town with more shops and supermarkets is just a 10-15 minute drive or bus ride away.
We don't have many house rules, just a few simple guidelines based on common sense: respect for each other, respect for personal space and time, cleanliness, flexibility, punctuality, and a serious positive attitude towards the work when you're helping us. However, we ask that there is no smoking indoors, moderate alcohol consumption, and no guests. We're looking for Workawayers who do not need residency or plan to extend their stay beyond the agreed time.
A little more information
Internet access
Limited internet access
We have pets
We are smokers
Can host families
How many Workawayers can stay?
Two
My animals / pets
Lei
Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host
Feedback (2)
Elisa and Marco are warm, curious, and passionate people. They made me feel very welcome and we had many interesting conversations. Culture, politics, herbs, healing — they have loads of valuable perspectives, experiences and skills to share, and it feels good to know that there's… read more
She’s a lovely person—very mature for her age—with a great sense of humor. We really enjoyed spending time with her and having all sorts of conversations. She’s curious, open-minded, and interested in so many different topics.
We worked very well together. Tilda helped us a lot, both… read more
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Feedback
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Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)
Cultural exchange:
(5.0)
Communication:
(5.0)
Elisa and Marco are warm, curious, and passionate people. They made me feel very welcome and we had many interesting conversations. Culture, politics, herbs, healing — they have loads of valuable perspectives, experiences and skills to share, and it feels good to know that there's… read more
She’s a lovely person—very mature for her age—with a great sense of humor. We really enjoyed spending time with her and having all sorts of conversations. She’s curious, open-minded, and interested in so many different topics.
We worked very well together. Tilda helped us a lot, both… read more
