Le Marne Relais hosts Riccardo Illy

"I call myself a self-made man, and then I also became an entrepreneur. I started by working very practically, my job was as a porter in a cooperative, of which I later also became a partner. When I was a boy I had first thought of being a doctor, and then I read a book by an Italian doctor who made me realize that there were baronies in hospitals and universities, and so I changed my mind. But that basic idea of spending my life to improve the lives of others... Let's say, a doctor saves the lives of others, but that idea stayed with me and I tried to apply it both in business and in business related to public administration."

What fascinated you when you first came here, and what has maintained that fascination over time?

"First of all, the beauty of the area, the beauty of the Langhe, its hills, its vineyards, in all seasons, by the way, with snow they are stunning. With fog, also. Generally, if we go to see, usually fog is considered as a jinx. In Piedmont even fog manages to be beautiful. Especially in the hills of the Langhe it has an ability to beautify the land. And then above all the people, wonderful people. Great workers, people who are passionate about their business, their craft, and people of great humanity. These are the two aspects that fascinated me the most. The territory, its beauty, and the people."