TOThe Argentario women are not a new presence, but a constant one. For years, while men were at sea, fishing, sailing and sailing, they were the ones who held daily life together: activities, relationships, the domestic economy and the more informal one that supports a community. An often silent but decisive jobwhich has contributed to building the identity of this Tuscan territory over time.
The Argentario of women, between business and environmental commitment
Today that role becomes more visible and translates into different paths: there are those who lead international hospitality groups, those who work on the sea from new perspectives, those who move between business, institutions and transformations of local tourism. Here then five stories, five trajectories to tell how Argentario is changing and because, more and more often, it is women who are directing their future.
Chiara Orsini, Councilor of Argentario: «Focus on cultured and identifying tourism»
«The responsibility is that of venhance such an identifying place without distorting it», explains Chiara Orsini, Councilor of Monte Argentario with responsibilities for Tourism, Culture, Sport and Commerce. «We need balance and awareness: Argentario is not only a tourist destination but also a cultural, social and environmental one. Today there are many development models, but they must be well adapted to the territory. We need to increase the number of tourists, but this must mean offer them a unique, emotional experience. There are several studies by the Altagamma Foundation and Demoscopika that show us the way: luxury today is that of a journey that leaves a memory, that changes you from when you arrive to when you leave.
Chiara Orsini Councilor of Monte Argentario with responsibilities for Tourism, Culture, Sport and Commerce
Keyword: deseasonalize
This is my development vision for the next few years, thinking first of all about deseasonalization. We are lucky enough to have a mild climate all year round: many tourists from Northern Europe swim until well into November, not to mention the possibility of going on excursions in the hinterland, food and wine and wellness itineraries. Our position is strategic for reaching, for example, the Maremma and the Terme di Saturnia. The tourist has no borders and for this reason we want to tell ourselves in a different way, with storytelling about the historic centres, the paths, the communities, the contact with those who live here all year round. We are already working on this: there are sporting events such as bike races, the Argentario SailingWeek, which brings together historic boats, the Italian Sailing Cup and the Pirate Night in Porto Ercole, one of the most beautiful villages in Italy. It is a recreational-folkloric event with important references to our history.
From the moment I took office, one of my desires was to revive the Argentario Festival, which was very famous from 1959 to 1963. Today we present it again as cultural meetings, with important figures, alongside small festivals, but no less important, such as the short film festival which has gained an international dimension.
Small ships for cruises of the cultured and curious
Another sector that we want to promote is that of cruises on small and medium-sized ships, which bring cultured and curious travellers. There is a lot of commitment, there are many projects and ideas, and to find the right energy I like to take refuge in my house in Spini Bianchi. More than a family home, it is a refuge with the horizon of the sea, deserted beaches where you can walk out of season and unforgettable sunsets that give me back the serenity to work.”
The hotel entrepreneur, Marie Louise Svò: «Hospitality must take care of the places»
«Hospitality has always been a profession that has a lot of femininity: care, intuition, ability to create atmosphere. Yet there are few women at the top of the sector”, explains Marie Louise Svò. Ceo and creative director of Pellicano Hotels Italy. «It is a paradox that I experienced at the helm of Pellicano Hotels Italy, with our three addresses: Il Pellicano in Argentario, La Posta Vecchia on the Lazio coast and Mezzatorre in Ischia.
Marie-Louise Sciò @StephenRinger
«If I had been a man it would have been different»
I’m proud to be one of those few, we need more. Twenty years ago when I started I was not only an exception, but also the owner’s daughter, and this was not easy. For many it was as if my father had handed me a toy. A perception that I had to dismantle piece by piece, with work and with character. If I had been a man it would have been different.
Sustainability, territory and women’s network
Offering high-level hospitality in a fragile context like Argentario also means taking care of the place that hosts you and those who live there. For Pellicano Hotels, Il Dolce Far Bene was born, a program on several fronts: the collaboration with the NGO Marevivo, the reduction of emissions, the elimination of plastic, the cleaning of the beaches, something I had already done as a child. There is no lack of local involvement: local producers, excursions, staff training. Argentario is a small place, where everyone knows each other. And women network. In our hotels 60 percent of the roles are female. It is often women who choose the holiday and they love Argentario for its unique style.
Wellbeing in Argentario
Travelers seek regeneration, pleasure and connection with the environment. This is where The BenISSIMO Club was born: an idea of well-being that runs through the entire stay, from treatments to in-room rituals, from yoga to excursions, right down to the food. A balance between what is good and what gives pleasure. In 2027 we will open La Badia, a former abbey between the hills of Orvieto and La Suvera, a Renaissance villa in the Sienese countryside. Extraordinary places, to be preserved with the same philosophy.”
Dharma Nettuno, diving instructor at Argentario: «Diving is an experience of inner peace»
«It all started by coincidence, in 2005», recalls Dharma Nettuno, of Il Nostromo Diving Center. «I was accompanying a friend for a dive in Argentario and I said a phrase that I still remember: “It feels like I’m returning home after a long period of absence“. Then when I was baptized by the sea it was an exciting surprise: silence, peace, a sense of total liberation. At the time I was living in Rome, I was an art director and I had a completely different life: offices, travel, technology, fast pace. Then the encounter with the sea and the turning point. I followed the courses, I specialized and in 2011 I moved here. This is how Diving was born.
Dharma Nettuno, from Il Nostromo Diving Center
Protect the sea, together with the fishermen
Unfortunately, in the last ten years I have seen the seabed change: the corals are degrading, there are fewer fish, the exploitation of the sea is evident. To protect it we collaborate with local fishermen. When a fishing boat loses a net, for example, we go and recover it from the bottom before it becomes a dangerous trap. The sea is joy, especially when I see passion arise in the eyes of those I accompany into the water for the first time.
Diving as a wellness practice and women instructors
Diving is a fun activity suitable for everyone, which helps to overcome small fears and phobias. It is not just a tourist exploration, but an experience of inner peace. If before there were few women who dived, perhaps because they imagined an extreme sport, a test of courage or strength, now this is no longer the case. Thanks to popularization, diving is now perceived as a wellness practice, an exercise in introspection and pleasant weightlessness. Under the surface of the sea it is good. The credit for this new approach also goes to the women instructors. There are more and more of us teaching, throughout Italy and also here at Argentario, an important presence that has changed the face of this wonderful job.”
Beatrice Sordini, real estate agent: «Between luxury homes and the luxury that is time»
«For fourteen years my life was university», explains Beatrice Sordini, of the BS Immobiliare Group. «I was a researcher in Siena, I dealt with medieval history and in particular with hospitals. Then I coordinated the projects for Siena, European Capital of Culture and, shortly after, my daughter arrived. It was the moment I decided to change. We already had a real estate agency in Argentario and so we moved. At the beginning it was hard: I couldn’t imagine myself in the home-family-gym triangle, I needed a professional challenge. I looked for something new related to our business, I obtained the qualification and I launched myself into short-term rentals, which didn’t exist here at the time. I learned a trade from scratch and built a network, which was basically what I was already doing at university: every experience is useful.
Beatrice Sordini, Photo by Marco Solari
«In the first house I sold, a message for me»
From there, new activities were born, up to the sale of prestigious homes and the tailor-made management of properties when the owners are not there. Today I work with a network of professionals, designers, architects, lawyers, with whom a natural empathy is created. My customers are looking for what has become true luxury: time. They ask me: “Can I go out on foot? Can I take the dog for a walk?”. More than square footage, they are looking for quality of life and relationships. I have dealt with many houses, but there is one in my heart: the first villa I sold in 2017. It housed archaeological remains from the Roman era. I read it as a message, a bridge to my studies and my past. After the sale, the owner asked me to continue taking care of it: a relationship of trust that gave birth to my Home Management agency in 2025. Its logo takes inspiration from the Roman mosaics of that villa: it is the symbol of a closing circle, the sign that my soul as a scholar and my new professional challenge have finally found a common home, set between the rock and the sea of my promontory.”
Roberta Berti, among the boats of the Argentario. «Emergency repairs at sea guaranteed»
«It’s true that people generally think that boating is a male domain, but I had a different experience», explains Roberta Berti, of Power Boats Service. «I was born into this world: my father worked at the Argentario Shipyard and I grew up among boats with the smell of wood in my nostrils. Then I met my husband Cristiano, his family also worked in the same sector, and we started a business together: he took care of maintenance and I took care of administration. We were always available to intervene, without schedules, and this helped us to have an increasingly loyal clientele, leading us to become one of Volvo Penta’s most important partners.
Rental boats that enter the heart
Living in Argentario I have seen the sector evolve profoundly: the changes have not only been technological, but above all concern the type of requests. Today it has become difficult for owners to personally take care of their boat: it is a job lasting twelve months a year, not just the summer ones. From here the idea of Power Boats Charter was born, a rental service with different types of boats for those with less time and increasingly shorter holidays. Last year, a Morgan 44 was added to the fleet, a true jewel, a boat that has entered my heart. All in wood, English style, a boat with a unique charm, loved by the motorcycling champion Giacomo Agostini.
The micro-workshop on the jet ski
But I am also particularly fond of the memory of a used jet ski that I gave to my husband years ago and which I had set up as a waterproof micro-workshop for emergency repairs at sea. It was a gift designed for him and his work. Now we have a new one, flaming yellow, to guarantee our customers fast and effective assistance. Those who are at sea don’t want to give up their holiday if they have an unexpected event and that’s exactly what we’re there for.”