About Donna Franca

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In Loving Memory.

Donna Franca Franzaroli passed away on Jan, 08, 2020.

Franca Franzaroli was born and raised in Rome, Italy, and was baptized and married in St. Peter's Basilica. She received her teaching degree from the Magistero University in Rome. She was trained as a Montessori teacher, and taught third grade in an all-girls school before marrying and moving to Boston in 1955.

She entered the travel industry in1967 while raising her four children. She was the President and Owner of Donna Franca Tours, one of the leading tour operators specializing in custom designed vacations to Italy and Europe, working hand in hand with legacy carriers such as Alitalia, Air France, Delta, KLM, Lufthansa and Swiss International. Donna Franca strived to go above and beyond to assure her client's a seamless, carefree travel experience.

Franca Franzaroli was the proud owner of a Villa in Tuscany, where she had spent time in the summer with her family. Many of her clients, on their way to Florence or Siena, stopped at her villa for an outdoor country barbecue lunch and wine tasting with Chianti produced in her own vineyards. She was a pioneer in the agriturismo rural movement.

In 1995, Donna Franca, inspired by the overwhelming appreciation of all her clients who contributed to her success, composed a poem I AM ITALY. She is proud to share it with you:

I'm real, I'm alive

I'm happy, I'm Rome

I'm Florence and Venice

Pisa and Assisi

Taormina and Capri

I'm the Colosseum

I'm the David

I'm Valentino, Ferragamo and Gucci

I'm Ferrari

I'm the best cuisine in the world

I'm art, culture, nature

I'm a generous mother

My heart is 2,000 years old

I'm a friendly country

I bore such children as

Columbus and Pavarotti

Michelangelo and Rossini

Rudy Valentino

and Sophia Loren

I'm yesterday and today

I have the Mediterranean in my eyes

I don't know the cold

I'M ITALY

And I would like to tell you

I love you!

In 2016, Donna Franca published a book on her memoirs, "Pride and Perseverance: A Story of Love and Courage My Recipe for Success" which recounts her humble origins, the trials and tribulations of running a successful tour operation while raising 4 children, her life accomplishments and achievements. Following each chapter, you will find a tasty recipe! She translated her book into Italian and was planning on publishing her memoirs in Milan, Italy prior to her passing. The English version is available on Amazon or through Barnes and Noble.

Donna Franca with Luciano Pavarotti

On December 27, 1985, the passenger terminals at Rome and Vienna airports experienced suicide grenade and gun attacks, killing sixteen (including five Americans) and injuring more than 100 civilians. American travelers were shocked by this terrorist attack and that fear was clearly evident in the dramatic drop in booking vacations to Italy.

In December of 1986 Donna Franca was invited by her long time good friend, the countess Maria Teresa Maschio, to a private party which took place in the Modena Opera House, where Luciano Pavarotti was celebrating an event representing his twenty years of association in the world classical music industry.

In the photo, Donna Franca is handing the great maestro a gift of an inscribed Paul Revere silver bowl. The inscription read: “To Luciano Pavarotti, the voice and soul of Italy”. Pavarotti then invited Donna Franca to meet that week with him and his family at his home in Modena. At that meeting Donna Franca asked him to do something special to appease American fears and promote future travel to Italy. Pavarotti then said “The Prime Minister Pertini asked me the same thing. However, I don’t want to get myself involved in politics, but I have a proposition for you. I will allow you to sponsor one of my deeply cherished recordings, “Alla Mia Citta’, by Luciano” for you to give as a gift to your clients who will travel to Italy.”

I gladly accepted Luciano's proposition, and since then I am very pleased to offer this CD to all my direct clients who travel with Donna Franca Tours at least three times. I offer this as a token of appreciation because I believe that Luciano Pavarotti represents “The Voice and the Soul of Italy.”

Donna Franca with Julia Child

In 1989 Donna Franca belonged to a gourmet association called ''Les Amis D’Escoffier Society". Members would meet once a month in one of the deluxe hotels of Boston for a gourmet wine dinner.

In the photo, Donna Franca asked the celebrity chef Julia Child if she could have a picture taken with her. Julia was also a member of the association. Julia was a wine connoisseur, over and above being a great chef. This photo was taken at a dinner at the Ritz Carlton of Boston. On that particular day, I happened to be lucky enough to be seated next to Julia Child. The great celebrity chef had shown a particular interest in one of the wines we were tasting together. I distinctly recall that she scolded one of the waiters for trying to remove one of herr wine glasses too hastily from the table. She said "Young man. Don't take my glass away. Fill it up again please!"

Testimonials

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19 July 2019

We had a great trip! Milan was a lot of fun and that tour was quick and hit all the hot spots so it was perfect! Hotel was modern and they upgraded us to a bigger room with the best bathroom ever! The hotel in SML was p e r f e c t…just what you would expect on the coast. Staff was awesome too!! Genoa tour very interesting; driver for that day very accommodating! Missed the 5 terre tour as garrett was not feeling well but did it by ourselves the next day so it worked out great. Monaco hotel was nice, great location. The tour guide for the day in Monaco was FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sorry that I can’t remember his name but he...

Beth & Garrett

24 May 2019

Safely home and back at work. I just wanted to thank you for the planning and coordination of our trip. It was great. Both hotels were beautiful and the service could not have been better. It was a great time and we would not hesitate to use your services again. The weather wasn't good but we made the best of it.

Bill

16 November 2018

My husband & I just returned from the most fabulous trip to Italy.

The hotels, tours, hands on pasta making, not to mention the vineyards, wine tasting and meals exceeded all of our expectations. We were part of a group on a very comfortable, deluxe minibus. We had enough time to explore the towns, churches & received excellent guided tours.

We chose to extend our stay and every part was expertly coordinated by Juliana from Donna Franca Tours. We had private drivers and guides assisting us in visiting Sorrento, the Amalfi Coast & Naples (even visited my husband’s ancestral home) and found the resting place of his...

Mary & Guy

7/30/18

I just returned home from the most perfect vacation I have ever taken in my life. 3 countries, 5 cities, 3 flights, 2 trains 5 hotels, airport transfers, many tours. Everything went perfectly. The hotels were beautiful and welcoming, located in the perfect parts of the cities. The tour guides were extremely knowledgeable and provided access to areas that other tours
could not go. The transfers from airport / train station to the hotel was a welcome sight after getting off the plane, and without exception, our drivers were wonderful and provided excellent insights into the city where we were staying. I can not thank Donna Franca...

Brad

11/15/17

Mary and I would like to express our most sincere thanks to you and Donna Franca Tours for a wonderful culinary vacation in Florence Italy. It was so much more than we expected. The apartment at Via dei Bench 7 was great, it was convenient to everything we were going to do. The walking tour of Florence, the hands cooking classes, the Olive Oil tasting, the tour of the Mercado the tour of the Uffizi Gallery, the Mercato Centrale in Piazza San Lorenzo,and the fantastic dinners at Ristorante Cimatori.

The tasting tours to Parma,to visit the factory where the made Parmigiano Reggiano, to Langhirano to the factory were they made the...

Marge & Mary

11/6/2017

We had an unbelievable experience!! The trip was perfect and everything went off without a hitch. The pick ups and rides were always on time and very courteous. Most spoke English well enough to get by. I do speak the language at a moderate level which helped at times, but English was always spoken at the hotels/transfers.

The hotels in Venice and Lucca were just spectacular. We would highly recommend the Lucca establishment to anyone looking to get off the beaten path and out of the busy city

Kristen and I setup on our on a hands on cooking class. It was called Cook with us in Rome, Gianni and Cesare were just phenomenal. I...

Jim and Kristen

10/20/17

Cindy and I arrived late Tuesday night after a long 24 hour day of travel! We are starting to catch up on the time lag.

Again, we cannot tell you how much we appreciate the great job that you did in helping us explore your beautiful country. You were not just a driver or a guide but a newfound friend that we are so happy to have met. I also appreciate the help you provided to me with my "broken" Italian! We look forward to keeping in touch with you and I have a feeling that we might just find our way back to Sicily.

Thanks,

Steve and Cindy

9/26/17

We are pleased to report our satisfaction with Donna Franca Tours regarding our 50th wedding anniversary tour of Sicilia with our daughters & granddaughter.

Although Joe had mapped out our itinerary, chosen restaurants, and booked the hotels but one, it came together with the finalization of the itinerary and vouchers for the various entrances to the wine tastings in Marsala, the guide for Agrigento, the Greek Theater in Taormina, the Kalura hotel in Cefalu, etc. Having the vouchers & admission tickets beforehand saved us the time and discomfort of having to wait in lines, as well as knowing that eating at the desired...

Joe, Rosary, Maria Rose, Juliana & Francesca

8/9/17

We knew Sicily would be great as we have been there before. But we were hesitant about how Italy would be as we would be traveling a lot. Donna Franca tours made it easy!!! From the minute we landed in Rome and the driver already there waiting for us with sign in hand. The Hotels were everything we wanted and more! The transfers were always on time and ready!! Traveling by train was a easy and comfortable. Even when our train was 2 hours late arriving back to Rome, the driver waited for us to get back. That's awesome!!! Again we cannot thank you enough and I will not hesitate to recommend you to anyone!!! A Plus!!!

Jack & Joanne

7/25/17

The entire family is having an excellent time!

All of your suggestions have been spot on.

It would not have been possible without your dedication and attention to detail.

Natalie is super happy. We are off to Florence tomorrow!!!

Thanks again.

...

Frank and Natalie

7/10/17

We wanted to let you know how happy we were with our trip!

Everyone, the meet and greeters, drivers, tour guides etc. were terrific!
The hotels were beautiful and the staff friendly and helpful!

Thank you for arranging the trip! We will definitely recommend you!

Have a wonderful summer!

Marty and Michele

6/8/2017

We loved Rome! Just like Florence, private tour is the way to go. Tour guide was awesome! Way too much to see & hear for one day. We will definitely have to come back.
Lori

Lori

6/6/2017

Sorry for the lateness of this note.... it's taken me quite some time to get back on track since this amazing trip. Everyone we met, everything we saw and everyplace we stayed was spectacular. Thank you for everything you did to facilitate this trip of a lifetime. I will always treasure the memories.
Hopefully life will offer another gift and blessing to travel like this again. All my best and gratitude to you and everyone that represents you from Sicily.

Wende

5/25/17

Hi Leo,

Just wanted to say we all enjoyed our DF tour of Sicily very much. Our driver, Marco, was great, and so were all the local guides who so proudly showed us the sights and expounded on the incredible Sicilian history. Thanks again for your help!

Lucia

5/16/2017

Dear Donna Franca Tours,

I wanted to let you know our Italy trip was magnifico! It was a trip of a lifetime and we thoroughly enjoyed every single aspect! Thank you so much for all your patience and help putting it together, we couldn't have asked for a better vacation!

Joe

5/2/2017

I wanted to let you know that I am very happy with our group trip.

All the guides were wonderful. Vincenzo and Marco were so accommodating and pleasant. We had so much fun with them. They are great drivers and alway very punctual.

We went to Vincenzo's wife restaurant , Casablanca, where they prepared us a grand meal and it was amazing. You may want to add that to your tour as an option. I highly recommend it!

The cooking school class in Alcamo with lunch was outstanding. We all enjoyed it very much and our host

...

Chris

5/1/2017

The trip was great! You did an exceptional job with our entire Italy trip. I thank you and say thank you to Donna for having a knowledgeable employee like you, Steven.

I wish you the best.

Nancy

12/12/2016

Terri, Amy and I recently chatted about our recent trip to Italy and I want to thank you for the great work you and your folks performed. From the moment we landed until the moment we left all the arrangements were perfectly in order and successfully fulfilled. In particular the hotels you selected were all fantastic and charming. Top shelf for sure. ( I got a kick out of the tuxedo service for breakfast in Lake Como.)

All tour arrangements were comfortable, historically informative and fun. The locations of the hotels was perfect as we were able to explore on our own on occasion.

We talked about our favorite spots but one...

Paul, Terry & Amy

12/06/2016

Steve,

The trip was better than excellent. All of the arrangements for transfers and tour guides could not have been better. Everything happened as it was supposed to. Our private tour guides were knowledgeable and just great to be with. The tours were phenomenal. Our hotels were all great. I just wish the Home Hotel in Florence was a little larger room. There was very little space to put our things but it was still a very nice hotel. It would have been helpful if it was a little closer to the Duomo. We did eat lunch at that little café across the Arno that you recommended. It was a lot of fun and we were the only...

Jim and Abbe

11/07/2016

Hi Leo,

We had an absolutely awesome time! the 3 hotels were perfect: service, amenities, breakfast, linens, beds, staff all spoke English and were very helpful! The Rome hotel was a great location: we walked to the Spanish Steps, down to shopping, to Piazza Navona, Campo dei Fiori, and Pantheon, then cabbed to Colosseum and Palatine Hill, all in one day! The concierge made a reservation for us at a great little place with traditional food (Americans, be ready to order and be prepared for the crappy table but just suck it up and mangia!) Radda was a great town and location and we ate at Botte da Bocce: pricey but worth every...

Beth & Sue

11/03/2016

Dear Leo,

Fran and I want to thank you so very much for the beautiful trip that you recently planned for us. Last year you planned a trip of a lifetime to Rome, Florence and Venice as we celebrated our 40th wedding anniversary. It was our hope this year to recreate that magical experience once again, but in Southern Italy where we both have roots. We went to Acri and did some ancestry research of Fran's family. We found documentation of his great grandfather that dated back to 1843. We were so amazed at seeing the town of Acri and came back with such appreciation for our ancestors and the sacrifices that they made to come to...

Frances and Fran

10/25/2016

Dear Leo - back from a very successful trip to Sardinia and Rome. Tours were very interesting and I want especially to recommend the restaurants where we had our group dinners/lunch - really excellent.

Thanks!

Maravan

09/29/2016

Three of us traveled to Sicily this September on the Donna Franca Sicilian Fever Tour. We give it an extremely high rating! Every part of this tour has been thoughtfully designed by the company and a local trip coordinator. Vincenzo was the very best driver ever!! and the local tour guides were knowledgeable, personable, and fun! Having the flexibility of a small group tour enabled us to get that last photo, shop an extra minute, linger over lunch, savor the gelati--in other words, make it OUR vacation, completely stress free. The sights and activities and balance of free time were well-chosen. (If we did it again, we'd probably skip...

Faye, Lexington, MA

06/20/2016

I would like to let you know about one of your agents who assisted us in Venice at the Palazzo Giovanelli.
We had requested a deluxe triple with a canal view. When we arrived last Saturday, we were squeezed into a double room with view of a wall. I asked at the desk for another room and the woman said there was nothing available and that perhaps we could change rooms the next day... No guarantee.I called your office and spoke to Leo. He was extremely helpful and called me shortly after to tell me a room had been secured. In fact, it was a lovely suite right on the canal.

Best wishes,

Joel, Barbara & Madeline

05/31/2016

Dear Leo,

We wanted to send you some feedback on our trip to Italy. It was fantastic and wonderful. We loved it and will have memories for a lifetime. The voucher system you use is an excellent system because it was a paper trail on the different connections we had to make. We loved the papal audience and thank you for getting us the passes. Overall, it was a very good trip and we will consider Donna Franca again for another Italy trip down the road.

Thank you!

Paul and Cecilia

05/23/2016

Our clients arrived in Rome and were met promptly by their transfer. When they checked into Hotel Quirinale, they were very impressed with the hotel and thought it was beautiful and located in a desired location. In comparison to other rooms, they said that in their room the bathroom alone was bigger than many other rooms they had stayed in!

Two wonderful touring days with Michaela to Ancient Rome and the Colosseum one day with a private tour of the Vatican and Sistine Chapel the next. This afternoon they are headed to the Trevi Fountain to make a wish to return to Rome.

Thank you, Donna Franca tours.

Happy clients!

4/13/2016

Thank you so much for all of your help planning the Studley family trip to Italy. The trip was so wonderful and really full of once-in-a-lifetime moments. We SO appreciated your efforts to make our trip run seamlessly. All the people that transported us from place to place made us feel welcomed, settled, and safe.

Dana & Family

11/3/2015

A million thanks for a vacation of a lifetime. Its already been a week since our return, and we are still on cloud nine. This vacation was a 40 wedding anniversary present to ourselves.

Every detail of this vacation was seen to by your staff and made to be comfortable and stress free. It was absolutely perfect in every manner. Our drivers, our tour guides, the tours themselves, trains, and flights were amazing. We worried about nothing, for it was all taken care of. A special thanks to Michele, Kathia, and Anna, our guides. They were the essence of professionalism and knowledge in their subject matter. My husband and I...

Francis & Frances

10/13/2015

We want to thank you for this fabulous trip to Italy. Both hotels….Buca di Bacco & Hotel Barocco were wonderful. In Positano at the Buca di Bacco we had a balconey that overlooked the Gulf of Salerno. Late afternoon, after we had finished our outing for the day, we would sit, me with a glass of wine & Fred with a beer & watch the comings & goings of the various boats. The service was excellent & having breakfast on the outside dining area was so beautiful. I ate my share of prosciutto & melon. I just loved the charm of Positano. The weather was perfect.

And then……we went to Rome. Hotel...

Dawn & Fred

March 5, 2015

Hi Leo,

Yes you can use the testimonial Oh I might add and i mean this with complete sincerity. You made that trip for us a trip we will never forget and easily the best trip we have ever been on and we are world travelers. First class all the way. Hotels A+ Itinerary A+ Services A+ Guides A+ Flights A+.

We cant wait to go back and when we do it would only be through Donna Franca and you!!!!

Thanks again so much!!

Rick

May 5, 2014

We loved the Hotel Berchielli. The rooms were nicely appointed, breakfast and breakfast rooms were presented lovely and the location was great.

Our guide in Florence was excellent. She went over her 3 hour time limited and didn’t seem to care. Since all in our group had been to Florence previously, she adjusted her normal tour to include sights on the other side of the Amo which the ladies thoroughly enjoyed.

Thanks for all Donna Franca Tours did to allow us to have the best trip to Tuscany and Florence possible.

Denise - Madison, MS

17 September, 2014

I have hundreds of e mails to get to after 10 days away from the office but expressing my appreciation to you and the tour company is a top priority. Carrie and I had a great time. The drivers you picked were excellent. Pino and Maria Rosa were so knowledgeable and considerate. The special trip to the mosaic home in the middle of Sicily was astounding. We took a side trip to Sciacca where my grandfather came from. This was very special.

We had a private car as you arranged to take us from Taormina to Marsala and we connected with my sister and cousin and took them to our relatives where we...

George & Carrie

17 August, 2014

Leo,

Many thanks for EVERYTHING – it’s PERFECT!!!!

Patty l was very excited you were able to secure a bridge play location for her and Patrick.

Warm regards,

Stephanie

25 July, 2014

Hi Leo,

Just wanted to send a quick note from my clients Mr. and Mrs. Ariagno. They just came back from the 2 weeks in Italy that you set up for them. They absolutely loved it all. The drivers were exceptional as well as the hotels. Especially loved the hotel in Zermatt.

There again Thank you for your help!!

Diane

14 July, 2014

Leo,

Amanda and Joey got back from Italy yesterday. They said the trip was amazing.

Thanks for your excellent advice and for making all the arrangements. Buona salute!

Mario

08 July, 2014

Hi Leo,

Just a quick message to thank you for planning our wonderful trip. It was truly a trip of a lifetime. Everything went very smoothly and we all had an amazing time. I am happy to give you more specific feedback on the hotels and tours if you are interested, but I wanted to highlight our tour guide in Rome (Michaela), as well as the staff and restaurant at Ultimo Mulino in Chianti, as being excellent.

But those are just a few highlights in a spectacular trip.

Rachel

18 September, 2014

What a wonderful time we are having. Our Amalfi segment was spectacular. The hotel was terrific, great location, views were unbelievable, room was great, balcony perfect. We had just the right amount of time.

We were busy every minute and Bruce did super with the driving. On the way to Positano on Saturday night we stopped for dinner on our way to hotel at 11:15 pm, you would have been proud. Sunday we explored every inch of Positano, Monday we took a private boat to Island of Capri, went to blue grotto, then explored island for 4 hours, then boat back to Positano. We never climbed so many steps and roads! Tuesday we drove to towns...

Lilly and Bruce

28 September, 2014

Dionne Guerra, is one of the best guides I've ever had in my many times in Italy. This opinion was shared by all in the group: knowledgable, enthusiastic, and pleasant. She wears her learning well. Excellent, excellent farewell dinner. All all all appreciated it very muchIn any case, I look forward to the itinerary for next year.

Again, I am most thankful for the labor and detail that went into this tour. A winner with everyone.

Jim

27 September, 2014

I just spoke with the D B party. They had a wonderful trip! They raved about their driver, Giuseppe. – and can’t wait to book another Donna Franca Tour.

Thank you for your help!

Alana

Donna Franca Tours