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Maria Paola Tesei

by | Jul 28, 2026 | People, The Staff

I’ve always been madly in love with my region, Marche, and have lived in Macerata, Ancona, and Grottammare, my hometown.
I worked for many years in Mediterranean plant nurseries and then as a social worker at various initial reception centers.
At WWOOF Italia, I mainly handle administrative support, assist WWOOFers, and manage the Minors Project.

When I’m not at work, I love to escape up into the mountains in my Qubo camper van,
and continuing WWOOFing. Since 2023, I’ve had the pleasure of coordinating my region alongside Fabio.

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Chiara Degl’Innocenti

Chiara Degl’Innocenti

I was born in Florence, and today I live in the hills surrounding the city.After earning a degree in Literature and a specialization in Archival and Library Science, books became the bridge between my love of literature and my longstanding interest in the land. In 2020, I began working in agroecology, focusing on libraries, publishing, and communications.

At WWOOF Italia, I handle communications and relations with the Federation of WWOOF Organizations (FoWO), helping to showcase and strengthen our community.

In my free time, I sing and play the accordion, mostly folk music.

Maria Paola Tesei

Maria Paola Tesei

I’ve always been madly in love with my region, Marche, and have lived in Macerata, Ancona, and Grottammare, my hometown.I worked for many years in Mediterranean plant nurseries and then as a social worker at various initial reception centers.At WWOOF Italia, I mainly handle administrative support, assist WWOOFers, and manage the Minors Project.

When I’m not at work, I love to escape up into the mountains in my Qubo camper van,and continuing WWOOFing. Since 2023, I’ve had the pleasure of coordinating my region alongside Fabio.

Fabrizio Romagnoli

Fabrizio Romagnoli

Director/Staff

Born in Bologna in 1973, I have been within the WWOOF world since 2005. For more than ten years we have been hosting woofers on our farm in the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, in the province of Bologna, and participating in several projects (in particular Viewwoof and LLOOF, an international project of which we hosted the final meeting). Currently for family and work reasons we have left the farm and moved back to Bologna. After supporting my wife for years in the coordination of the provinces of Bologna and Modena, I have been in charge of the coordination of Romagna for a few years now. I joined the Board of Directors in 2020, and since 2022 I have been part of the staff, where I am in charge of coordination, host relations, and (partly) the editorial page.

Francesco Bifulco

Francesco Bifulco

WWOOFer since 2012. Then coordinator, then host. Originally a city dweller, by doing Wwoofing in Italy I discovered that it is possible to integrate real nature into people’s daily lives, just a stone’s throw from the cities. I now live on a small farm in Ficulle and contribute together with other farmers and inhabitants of this vast area to animate, cultivate and protect the land that hosts us. The WWOOF network continues to contribute a great deal, offering tools and contexts to capture the opportunities of a local network!

When I have time, I go exploring, try out recipes or invent games.

Francesco Ciarimboli

Francesco Ciarimboli

Hi, I am Francesco, a native of Marche, Italian-Swiss, living in Switzerland for a few years now.

Fun fact about me: I have never spent a year of my life without seeing and getting to know WWOOFers. The experience with WWOOFers for me was the equivalent of growth in many ways, which made me realize how important is the concept of “exchange” that is manifested by this way of discovering the world around us. Exchange that, in my opinion, is the basis of this mission and governs its development.

I gladly play the role of arbitrator because this gives me the opportunity to follow the association’s activities closely.I have a law degree, speak a few foreign languages and call the billhook “fluke”

Marcella Leoncini

Marcella Leoncini

Councilor

I was born (1975) and grew up in the urban environment of Lombardy, I now live in the countryside of Cortona (AR) aspiring to be a farmer.In 2017 I joined WWOOF Italy by participating in a work camp of a project promoted by a group of members; I do some experience as a woofer in central Italy then, in 2019 I move there and from that moment, in a crescendo, I dedicate part of my energies to WWOOF.

Paolo Ciarimboli

Paolo Ciarimboli

Director

I am a professional organic farmer, born in 1963 and working in agriculture since 1981, with my farm we have been hosting WWOOFers since 1990. …In short, I’m a bit “seasoned” but after receiving so much satisfaction from WWOOF Italy and having so many new friends I think I’ll commit a bit to this forward-looking association!

Gabriele Taverna

Gabriele Taverna

Councilor

Gabriele, born in 1986. I was born and grew up in the country, always amongst animals and nature, which keep me tied in a close knot, and of which I have made my raison d’être; in search of essentiality. I am about to start a small project of rural life and work in the mountains, in Piemonte, and I am also working as a dry stone craftsman.

A member of Wwoof Italia since 2014, I became acquainted with this movement because I was looking for someone who could show me that it was possible to concretise, even more radically than I already did, an essential lifestyle that respects my needs, others and the nature that surrounds us. I actively participated in the VieWwoof project and closely followed other projects of the association. I help in the coordination of some provinces in Piedmont. I like to take care of what I feel involved in and bring people and ideas together, with the aim of initiating truly participatory processes and the development of good practices. For the past few years I have been training in the field of Facilitation, particularly with regard to groups for social change.

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