Our story begins in the beautiful town of San Marco in Lamis, Puglia, Italy, where our family roots and traditions were first established. Nonna and Nonno, Angela (born in 1914) and Luigi (born in 1912), laid the foundations for the generations that followed.

In 1953, Luigi travelled to Australia alone, determined to build a better future and save enough to bring his wife and four daughters to join him. Two years later, Angela and their four girls, Lucia, Emanuela, Antonietta and Michelina, embarked on a 30-day voyage by ship before settling in Melbourne, Victoria. Arriving without speaking any English, they faced the challenges of starting over in a foreign country, including the racism experienced by many Italian migrant families. Through resilience, hard work and an unwavering commitment to family, they built a new life while holding tightly to the traditions, flavours and values of their homeland, Italy.

The next chapter brought Michelina and her husband John, to Gippsland, where they moved to raise their five children. Initially drawn to the region to be closer to family, they soon fell in love with its beautiful landscapes and country charm. Although circumstances eventually took them away, their love for Gippsland never faded, and the family ultimately returned to settle in the place they had always felt was home.

Their youngest daughter, Amy, developed a love of weddings from an early age. At just five years old, she was a flower girl as her three older sisters married within the space of a single year. During this time, Amy watched Michelina and her daughters work tirelessly together, organising, sewing, cooking and lovingly preparing every detail for the three weddings. In fact, the first word Amy learnt to write when starting school was ‘wedding’ — a childhood passion that would shape her future.

Together with her husband, Hayden, Amy turned her lifelong love of weddings, creativity and Italian heritage into Amarti, a beautiful Italian-Inspired Wedding and Events Venue with Restaurant in the heart of Gippsland. Their children, Lachlan and Allethea, have been part of the journey from the very beginning, helping with renovations from the age of 10 and growing up to become an integral part of Amarti and the family’s next generation.

Today, Amarti is more than a family-owned venue. It is a reflection of generations of courage, tradition, creativity and a deep love of Gippsland. A place where our Italian heritage and family history meet the region we proudly call home, creating a legacy built to be shared with generations to come.