M6 Travel Boston Sunday Globe JUNE 23, 2019

By Glenn Rifkin guages, including English, she wanted to attract GLOBE CORRESPONDENT Americans, Canadians, and other Europeans. Women entrepreneurs in Tuscany are scarce. She upgraded the accommodations and added a This pastoral region of Italy, beloved by tourists, host of activities that made the guests feel like is alluring because of its uniquely beautiful they were part of the family. She and Liliana be- landscape, its fine food and wine, and its stub- gan pasta-making classes in the idyllic court- born adherence to tradition. It isn’t renowned yard, teaching how to create the local favorite, for its embrace of outsiders with fresh ideas pici, by hand. They held group dinners under about how things ought to be done. Which is the stars featuring food and drink produced on why Isabella Moricciani’s story is worth hear- the farm. She offered tastings of the olive oil and ing. grappa from the farm, and she led guests on ex- At 50, Isabella is the life force behind The Is- peditions to nearby Etruscan ruins. She learned abella Experience, a hospitality concept she of the best restaurants in neighboring villages honed at Cretaiole, an alluring inn situated just such as Montepuciano and Montalcino so she outside Pienza, which was her first foray into It- could offer recommendations. And she listened aly’s famed agriturismo movement more than intently to what travelers wanted. The word of 20 years ago. She has since built her enterprise mouth began to attract more visitors, many of into a thriving business with four properties whom came back again and again. and a new restaurant attracting guests from My wife and I first visited Cretaiole in 2003 around the world. It’s one thing to run a small and promptly fell in love with the rustic accom- bed and breakfast, it’s quite another to create a modations, the bucolic setting, and the Moric- unique hospitality concept that combines many cianis. We had heard about the wonders of Tus- diverse aspects of a Tuscan holiday and is so en- cany, but we had not expected this personal, ticing it gets the attention of one of the world’s hands-on experience that Isabella presented. top travel experts. Like others who visited, we enthusiastically sent Her success, Isabella said, is based on her la- friends and family to Pienza. ser focus on her mission. “I’m not selling beds, Cretaiole’s popularity grew, eventually at- I’m selling a concept, a way to spend a holiday tracting the notice of Rick Steves, the popular in Tuscany,” she explained. “If you come here, GLENN RIFKIN FOR THE BOSTON GLOBE travel writer and host of his own PBS travel you have an experience, a week of special en- show. A glowing recommendation from Steves counters. It changes your life.” caused interest to skyrocket. The resulting re- Isabella, a self-styled “city girl” who was born quests were more than Cretaiole could handle. and raised in Milan in Italy’s industrial north in The agriturismo movement At that point, Isabella’s entrepreneurial roots what she describes as “a family of entrepre- kicked in and she began to buy other properties, neurs,” came to Tuscany, specifically the glori- branding her business as The Isabella Experi- ous Renaissance village of Pienza, back in 1997 in Italy and the rise of ence. She has added three more lodgings in the on a vacation trip during the Christmas holi- area, including her newest, La Moscadella, a days. With her brother’s recommendation, she former 16th-century monastery near stayed at Cretaiole, a 14th-century farmhouse The Isabella Experience Castelmuzio. One of the high-end properties on the outskirts of Pienza that Luciano Moric- rents for 8,500 euros (about $9,500) per week. ciani, a local farmer, had converted into an agri- “Isabella has created a kind of Tuscan cultur- turismo, a combination inn and working farm. changes. She envisioned transforming the inn al boot camp,” said Steves, who publishes travel The agriturismo movement in Italy formally into a vibrant, enticing tourist destination. “The guides along with his television series. “Creating began in 1985 when the Italian government ini- family did not really know what I was doing,” the best agriturismo experience is finding a bal- tiated tax breaks for struggling farmers who she recalled. “There was a lot of resistance.” ance between roughing it and the farmhouse could host travelers on their properties. Luciano Though Tuscany was the birthplace of the B&B equivalent of ‘glamping.’ The accommoda- had opened Cretaiole in the early 1990s to take Renaissance, the rural areas remained conser- tions may be rustic but the banquet of cultural advantage of the tax laws and add to the family vative and traditional, which made Isabella’s experiences — hikes, art, cooking, connecting income. Along with his wife, Liliana, and son undertaking an ongoing challenge. Pienza, de- with her family — is first class. That’s my kind of Carlo, Luciano raised livestock, chickens, and signed by the Renaissance humanist Silvius Pic- travel.” produce, planted olive trees and vineyards, and colomini (who became Pope Pius II) is so beauti- For Isabella, the key to success has been at- built a nice side business attracting mostly Ital- ful, set against the backdrop of the breathtaking tracting the kind of travelers who revel in this ian tourists to the working farm. On her visit, Is- Val d’Orcia, that famed Italian director Franco kind of experience. “Booking.com doesn’t bring abella, a creative and ambitious young business- Zeffirelli filmed part of his 1968 masterpiece, the right people to us,” she said. “I want people woman who was the assistant to the executive “Romeo and Juliet,” in Pienza. to come and have a cultural immersion with us. director at Campari, met Carlo and the spark “Cretaiole was my gem,” Isabella said. “It They find that the dolce vita is here.” was immediate. They dated long distance for a made me discover my passion for hospitality.” while until Carlo convinced her to relocate to Pi- From the start, she did everything, from clean- Glenn Rifkin can be reached at enza, where they married and began a family. Isabella Moricciani got her start at Cretaiole ing rooms to acting as the concierge for guests. [email protected]. His latest book is “Future Despite serious trepidation, Isabella joined the (top), a 14th-century farmhouse converted Luciano had focused only on Italian tourists but Forward,” about the life and leadership lessons family business and quickly started suggesting into a combination inn and working farm. Isabella saw that as limiting. Fluent in four lan- of Patrick McGovern.

How House came to be — brick by brick

By Jerry Soverinsky ing this writer’s visit, it was the adults GLOBE CORRESPONDENT who tended to linger over build ses- BILLUND, Denmark — There’s a sions, while their kids urged them to chicken-and-egg-like conundrum fac- press on for additional exploration. ing visitors to Denmark: Is the reason The lower level of Lego House is the Danish are so happy is that they dedicated to a historical installation created Lego? Or did they create Lego that traces the story of Lego, while a because they’re so happy? Either way, digital, interactive display allows visi- the impossible riddle plays itself out in tors to find a virtual image of every real life here, birthplace and world Lego set ever created, preserving one’s headquarters of the iconic brick and favorites as digital memories, for home to Lego House, an out-of-this- download with a free Lego app (see be- world Lego experience center and the low). global ground zero for everything Paying visitors to the Lego House Lego. receive a wristband that they can scan The first thing you notice when ap- at any one of a dozen or so capture sta- proaching Billund by car — a roughly tions, which take photos of their cre- three-hour drive from Copenhagen — ations and save copies of their stop is that you’re entering . . . well . . . Bil- motion videos, allowing them to ac- lund, not the town where the first Lego cess and download the videos after system was created in 1955 (the first their visit, with the help of a free Lego Lego brick was created three years lat- app. er, in 1958). Sure, there’s a massive Visitors to Lego House — even amusement park on the those who don’t purchase entry tickets town’s outskirts, but that’s no relation to the experience zones — will find to Lego House. (Legoland is operated tasty Lego-centric food options. The by , a UK com- Brickaccino cafe offers snacks, sand- pany, which operates eight Legoland wiches, and drinks, while Le Gourmet parks around the world.) features Nordic specialties in a French You head deeper into the town cen- If you go . . . brasserie backdrop. The most popular ter, following your phone’s GPS Arrival option is the family restaurant Mini prompts closely, and just around the There are international airports in Chef, which neatly integrates the inter- corner from a hardware store, bou- Billund (less than 10 minutes active Lego brick-building experience. tique, and bakery, you find it: the Lego from Lego House) and Copenha- How so? Customers build their own or- House, a majestic, Lego-like structure gen (about a three-hour drive der with Lego bricks, following — what in its own right, impossibly integrated from Lego House), with ample in- else? — traditional Lego-like visual in- ternational flights and connec- into BIllund’s town center. structions. No need to worry that tions from the United States to “This is not Lego Town, it is Bil- you’ve messed things up. As you feed each. lund,” says Trine Nissens, spokesper- your build into a 3-D scanner, an LED son for Lego House, responding to this Parking readout confirms your order, ensuring writer’s inquiry as to a dearth of Lego Onsite parking at Lego House is you’ll receive your meatballs and cola, House signage in Billund. It’s charac- ample — both street parking and for instance, rather than, say, shoe- teristic Lego humility, a welcome attri- a covered lot — and is charged by laces and a sofa. bute where the core focus is on the vis- the hour. The exterior of Lego House features itor. And as you step inside the sleek 13 terraces shaped like giant Lego structure, you’re immediately bathed Tourism information bricks, each with a distinct children’s in a warm yet pristine aesthetic that Visit www.legohouse.com/en-gb play area. The terraces are open to the adheres closely to Lego founder Ole for detailed English language in- public and, like the Lego House food Kirk Chistiansen’s edict: “Only the best formation to help you plan your options, are accessible even without a is good enough.” Lego House visit. Top: Lego House’s top floor The Green Zone takes Lego movie- ticket. That unofficial corporate mantra is features a Masterpiece Gallery. making to a personal level, as visitors There’s an on-site gift shop that on display from the moment you enter Lodging Above: The Red Zone is anchored access their own moviemaking setup, sells Lego House exclusive sets — the the Lego House, where the Tree of Cre- You can book accommodations on by a 2 million-piece waterfall. complete with minifigs, props, and Lego House and Tree of Creativity — ativity stretches — impossibly — 50- the Lego House website (www.le- polished set designs to create stop-mo- and in keeping with the humble Lego plus feet in the air. As the world’s larg- gohouse.com/en-gb/plan-your- tion, animated videos. Roaming LH approach, one is hardly bombarded visit/accomodation), with options est Lego model, the Tree is made up of huge, 2 million-piece waterfall, whose staff exuding Trader Joe’s-like friendli- with standard gift shop tchotchkes or for every budget — camping, hos- more than 6.3 million standard Lego kaleidoscope of colors teases visitors ness are ready to lend a hand as need- offerings. Indeed, during this writer’s tels, B&Bs and hotels. bricks, which took nearly 25,000 hours into separate areas featuring tradition- ed, even if it’s just encouragement to visit, adult Lego House shirts were rel- to build. Lego House tickets al Lego bricks as well as its larger, tod- complete a meandering story line. egated to size 4XL, with the other sizes Four color-coded zones dispersed US visitors save 30 Danish Kro- dler-friendly Duplo varieties. There’s While appropriate for all ages, the on order for several months. throughout Lego House allow for in- ners (about $2) when purchasing an endless supply of bricks here, while Yellow Zone attracts younger builders, Yes, the Lego House is decidedly fo- teractive play and construction, while tickets in advance on the Lego a Creative Lab area promotes creative who can construct sea creatures and cused on its visitors, a singular archi- LH’s top floor features a Masterpiece House website (www.lego- free builds. floral creations at various digital tectural achievement that offers end- Gallery, which includes a display of house.com/en-gb/tickets). 2019 The Blue Zone incorporates coding aquarium stations. less opportunities for creative explora- creations from Adult Fans of Lego ticket prices are 229 DKK for both strategies, as visitors help propel ro- While Lego House naturally at- tion and expression. (AFoL), a global community of accom- adults and children — about $34 bots across the South Pole to save fro- tracts children looking to ramp up plished Lego building enthusiasts. — while those 2 and under are ad- zen mammoths. It’s an interactive race their Lego building skills, it’s by no Jerry Soverinsky can be reached at The Red Zone is anchored by a mitted free. to the finish, appropriate for all ages. means a kids-only center. Indeed, dur- [email protected].