The Florentine

What The Florentine does

The Florentine, legally operating as B'Gruppo Srl, is an English-language news magazine and media platform founded in 2005 in Florence, Italy, by Americans Nita and Tony Tucker alongside Italian co-founders Marco Badiani, Giovanni Giusti, and Leonardo Cardini. It produces a monthly print magazine (11 issues per year, 5,000 copies per issue) distributed free at 120+ pickup points across Florence, alongside a digital-first news operation running on a WordPress publishing platform that draws over 1 million website visits per year and 51,000 monthly unique visitors (March 2024), with a global subscriber base of 800+ and a weekly email newsletter reaching 7,200+ subscribers at a 58% open rate.

The product portfolio centers on editorial coverage of art, culture, food, wine, community, news and events for the English-speaking community in Florence and Tuscany, supplemented by sub-brands including The Florentine Press (books since 2006), Destination Florence Magazine (in partnership with the local CVB since 2021), The Tuscan Times (broader Tuscany since 2015), Visit Prato (since 2016), The Curators' Quaderno (art and women, since 2024), TheFLR literary review, TF Weekly newsletter, and Restoration Conversations. A network of 2,500+ writers, photographers, and videographers produces content across these channels.

The business model combines five revenue streams: paid subscriptions (paper €55/year, digital €33/year, supporter PLUS tier €150/year); advertising across print, online, newsletter, classifieds, social and sponsored content; paid classifieds (€10-€160 per listing); book and special-issue publishing; and professional services including translation, copywriting, and international journalism support (BBC, CNN, New York Times, Guardian). Audience segments include 130,000 foreign residents using English as a second language, 36,500 annual study abroad students, 4 million annual American tourists to Tuscany, and a globally distributed subscriber base (42% US, 36% Italy, 9% UK). The company's ownership remains private and founder-controlled, with a current stated employee count of 1-10 full-time staff plus the contributor network.

Name

The Florentine

Legal name

B'Gruppo Srl

Website

https://theflorentine.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Florentine is an English-language news magazine and digital media platform founded in 2005, serving Florence's international community with monthly print issues, daily online content, a weekly newsletter, book publishing, and B2B journalism and translation services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional News Magazine Publishing

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (51312), Book Publishers (513130), Newspaper, Periodical, Book, and Directory Publishers (5131)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

News, Politics & Current Affairs Magazines (MPAJAEAO), Travel & Outdoors Magazines (MPAJAEAH)

Keywords

• English news magazine
• Regional media publishing
• Expatriate community news
• Cultural journalism services
• Print digital subscriptions

Headquarters

HQ city

Firenze

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Subscriptions: Digital and paper subscriptions available worldwide. Paper subscription costs €55/year, digital subscription €33/year.
2. Advertising: Print advertising (full page, half page, third page, quarter page formats), online advertising (MPU, half page, billboard, modal banner), classified ads, newsletter advertising, social media advertising, and sponsored content.
3. Classified Ads: Online classified ads starting at €10 for 15 days, €20 for 30 days. Print classified ads €20 for 1-3 issues, €15 per issue for 4 or more issues.
4. Publishing and Books: The Florentine Press publishes books including Study Abroad guides, art books, literary review (TheFLR), and special issues. Also publishes Destination Florence Magazine with Destination Florence Convention & Visitors Bureau.
5. Professional Services: Translation and copywriting services for companies; international journalism support (fixing, interpreting, photos, videos) for organizations like BBC, CNN, New York Times, Guardian.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Florentine publishes a monthly English-language news magazine covering Florence and Tuscany's community, art, culture, food, wine, news, and events. Distributed free at 120+ pickup points in Florence (5K copies/month) and via paid digital and print subscriptions worldwide, the magazine operates on a digital-first approach with daily website updates, a weekly newsletter, and multiple sub-brand publications. The company also monetizes via advertising, classifieds, book publishing, and B2B services including translation, copywriting, and international journalism support.

Product overview

The Florentine is a media company offering a unified portfolio of print and digital publishing products centered on English-language content about Florence and Tuscany. The core product is The Florentine Magazine, a monthly publication available in print (5K circulation) and PDF digital formats, distributed free at 120+ locations and supported by paid subscriptions. The product line extends through complementary offerings including the TF Weekly Newsletter (7.2K subscribers), online Classifieds platform, and book publishing via The Florentine Press. Specialized sub-brands include DF Magazine (Destination Florence partnership), The Curators' Quaderno (art and women focus), and Restoration Conversations. The company also offers B2B services including translation/copywriting and international journalism support. The portfolio operates on a digital-first approach to news and events while maintaining traditional print publishing.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Florentine Press: Publishing imprint founded in 2006, producing books about Florence, Tuscany, and Italy. Published Italians Dance and I'm a Wallflower by Linda Falcone (now in seventh edition).
• Destination Florence Magazine
• The Curators' Quaderno
• The Tuscan Times
• Visit Prato
• TheFLR (The Florentine Literary Review)
• DF Magazine (Destination Florence)
• tcq
• Restoration Conversations
• TF Weekly

Products and services

• The Florentine Magazine Monthly English-language news magazine covering art, culture, news and events in Florence and Tuscany. Published 11 times per year (not in August) in both print and digital PDF formats. Distributed free at 120+ pickup points in Florence with 5K monthly print circulation, and available via paid subscriptions worldwide.
• Digital Subscription (PDF) Annual digital PDF subscription at €33/year providing downloadable access to all magazine issues; PDFs available forever and consultable offline.
• Paper Subscription

Quantifiable outcome

• Reaches over 1 million annual website visitors, with more readers in New York than Florence
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• El DuomominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Publishing partnership announced in 2025 with El Duomo, the first Spanish magazine in Tuscany.
• Calliope ArtsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partnership to introduce The Curators' Quaderno editorial imprint focused on art and women.
• Destination Florence Convention & Visitors BureaucoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Launched Destination Florence Magazine to promote Florence from an original point of view covering trade fairs, conferences, study abroad, start-ups and intellectual capital.
• U.S. Consulate General FlorencecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Partnership to celebrate 200 years of U.S. diplomatic presence in Florence.
• Advancing Women ArtistsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership on The First Last crowdfunding campaign. 409 people from 19 countries contributed $67,810 to restore nun-artist Plautilla Nelli's Last Supper and return it to public view.
• The International School of FlorenceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to provide students with their first bylines in journalism, fostering next generation of writers.
• Palazzo TornabuonicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides marketing consultancy services to Italy's only private residence club. Also produces quarterly newsletter for members.
• Hershey FelderminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreative partnership supporting Live From Florence musical film productions, particularly during the pandemic when live events were not possible.
• British Institute of FlorencecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint fundraising evening and gala events. Held special gala evening with actor and pianist Hershey Felder.
• Opera di Santa CroceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on Crazy for Pazzi crowdfunding campaign - the first cultural Kickstarter campaign in Florence. Over $100,000 raised in 33 days to restore the loggia of the Pazzi Chapel.
• Toscana Promozione TuristicaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to promote the region's adventure tourism campaign and showcase partnership in luxury tourism between Tuscany and the Langhe area in Piedmont.
• Flod (sister company)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister company providing services including branding, design, development of communication campaigns, and content production for clients.
• BBC, CNN, New York Times, GuardianminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorInternational journalism support services including fixing, interpreting, photos and videos for major international media organizations.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves13 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wanted in Rome: English-language news and lifestyle media targeting the international community in Rome, Italy. Closest direct peer: same business model (free print distribution, digital-first news, advertising, and subscriptions) for English-speaking expatriates and tourists in a major Italian city.
• The Local Italy: Digital English-language news outlet covering Italian politics, culture and lifestyle for expatriates. Comparable audience (English speakers in Italy) but pure-digital rather than print-and-digital.
• Wanted in Milan: English-language news and information portal for English-speaking residents and visitors in Milan, part of the Wanted in Europe network. Direct peer with the same expatriate-media business model applied to another Italian city.
• Easy Italy Magazine: English-language publication covering Italian travel, lifestyle, food and culture for international readers. Comparable product (English-language Italian lifestyle magazine) and overlapping advertiser base of tourism and hospitality businesses.
• Italy Magazine: Online English-language magazine covering Italian travel, food, culture, and lifestyle. Comparable audience of English-speaking Italy enthusiasts and overlapping content categories (art, food, wine, community).

Emerging players

• Italia Living: English-language resource for Americans and other English speakers living in or relocating to Italy. Comparable target audience (English-speaking expatriates) with adjacent content on community, life in Italy, and practical information.
• Italy Heritage: English-language platform focused on Italian art, history and cultural heritage. Comparable niche overlap with The Florentine's art and restoration coverage (e.g., Restoration Conversations, Pazzi Chapel restoration).

Others

• Studenti.it: Italian student-focused portal covering university life, study programs and study-abroad information. Adjacent because The Florentine serves a major student segment (18,000 American study-abroad students/year in Florence) but addresses Italian students broadly rather than the English-speaking expat niche.

Broad incumbents

• Time Out: Global city-focused media brand covering things-to-do, food, art and culture. Overlaps with The Florentine's travel/events editorial coverage and uses a mix of free distribution, advertising, and subscription revenue at much larger scale.
• The Local (European network): Network of country-specific English-language news sites across Europe. Comparable expatriate-media business model at much broader geographic scale, monetized through advertising and subscriptions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheFlorentine
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheFlorentineNews
• Facebookfacebook.com/tfnews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-florentine
• Instagraminstagram.com/theflorentine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Florentine