Elizabeth Graceffo's favorite memories growing up involve family around a table; a table filled with Italian dishes and a cacophony of voices. She would sometimes place a recorder in the center of the table to capture the beautiful sounds of her Italian-American family; It was a thunderous symphony. 

Upon her arrival in Florence, she felt immediately connected. The lyrical dance of the language had nuances from her Italian roots in upstate NY. It was warm and inviting like her grandmother's house and the intoxicating aromas from restaurants transported her back to her aunt's kitchen. The heart-beat of family is the table. As a junior at the American college in Florence, Graceffo started her life-long relationship with Italy. Six wonderful years later, she decided to return home and bring Italy with her. She started Via Graceffo with a few bucks in her pocket and the artistic connections she developed while living and working in Florence.