I am Valeria, the custodian of Living Civico.
Living Civico is my way of thinking about hospitality: living in a holiday apartment that feels like home and living a city not only as a tourist but as a traveler.
Building and shaping Civico42 Garda was really pleasant and amusing for me.
Day after day I have spent a long time imagining the sensations I would like my guests to feel: the beauty of attention to details, the fulfilling feeling of being at home even in a different place, the enthusiasm for surprise and discoveries.
I have followed the home renewal step by step and learnt a lot from the various craftsmen who have worked to give shape to my dreams.
I have devoted myself to choosing wood, ceramic, furniture, textile and fittings always keeping one thing in my mind: how to turn a holiday into an unforgettable experience.
This is more than just a house, it’s a home: a safe harbour, where you can be spoilt, recapture peace, recover energy and enjoy a regenerating experience.
About me.
To tell the truth, being the custodian of Living Civico has not always been my job. I have graduated in Literature and then in History. While I was attending university, my dream was to become a librarian. I have furthered my studies and worked in some libraries in order to gain experience, even if it has been quite difficult.
Then my life was marked by a watershed: in 2013, I was offered to attend the School of Library Science directed by the Vatican Library and I moved to Rome. This was the beginning of three wonderful years, full of jobs different from each other but in some way overlapping, constantly changing perspectives, new experiences. My last period in Rome is still crystal clear in my mind: I stayed at Casa Coronari, a structure managed by a wonderful couple.
I think the concept of Living Civico was born there in those months, when I collected my first inspirations: I experienced a concept of hospitality, welcome and attention to the guest that I am still keeping in my heart.
(I still love going back to Casa Coronari when I am in Rome).
I came back in 2016 and since then I have been living between Garda and Verona. One day, while I was dealing with interviews, reworking my CV and sending job applications, I got the chance to bind my plans for the future to a small house on sale near my family’s house. It was just an empty cellar: everything was lacking except for bricks, but its vaults were stunning. Moreover it had a small garden and the view on Lake Garda was literally exciting. I realized I had already begun to imagine how to shape it. Therefore, I decided to venture into the activity that has now become my ideal job.
Many factors have merged into this project: the experience I have gained during my travels around the world, the people I have met and who have taught me something about hospitality, the hotels I was accommodated at as well as the special and peculiar places I could visit and I am always glad to discover. There are also the memory and experience of a little girl, who has loved helping her grandmother preparing breakfast for the guests of her hotel during the summer and has observed her as she received them with great thoughtfulness.
It’s my pleasure to welcome you in this happy place.