True Pilates

What True Pilates does

True Pilates Firenze is a single-location, direct-to-consumer Pilates and wellness studio founded in 2005 by physiotherapist and certified Pilates instructor Laura Vari in Florence, Italy. Operating from Via Dante da Castiglione 39 in Florence's Porta Romana district, the studio is positioned as the first authentic Pilates center in Florence, employing the original method created by Joseph H. Pilates with original equipment imported from New York. Laura Vari is trained as a second-generation instructor under Master Teacher Romana Kryzanowska, who was personally selected by Joseph H. Pilates to spread the method globally, and is also the only Italian-certified MELT Method (Hand & Foot) instructor since 2012.

The studio's offering centers on authentic Pilates instruction (one-on-one and group), supplemented by four specialized service modules: Massofisioterapia (physiotherapy and therapeutic massage), the MELT Method (neurofascial treatment), Sports Massage, and MPC (Metodo Pilates per Ciclista) — a proprietary Pilates program for professional and amateur cyclists with Power and Regen variants. All services are delivered in-person at the Florence studio by appointment, Monday through Saturday from 7:00 to 21:00, with no online/digital distribution, no app, and no digital product. The underlying technology stack is essentially traditional — original Pilates apparatus and instructor expertise — with no software, AI, or data systems disclosed.

The business is structured as an Italian sole proprietorship (Partita IVA: 05391240487) with approximately 30 employees, no external investors, no parent company, and no institutional funding. Revenue is generated entirely through professional-services fees for sessions; pricing is not publicly disclosed. Customer acquisition relies primarily on nearly two decades of reputation, word-of-mouth referrals, and local presence in Florence's wellness community, supported by an informational website and direct phone/email contact for bookings. Customer segments span general wellness seekers, cyclists, other athletes (running, tennis, golf, swimming), and individuals requiring rehabilitation or chronic-pain management.

Name

True Pilates

Legal name

True Pilates Firenze

Website

https://truepilatesfirenze.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

True Pilates Firenze is a Florence-based Pilates and wellness studio founded in 2005 by Laura Vari, offering authentic Pilates instruction, physiotherapy, the MELT Method, sports massage, and specialized cycling Pilates to individual clients in Tuscany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Pilates and Physiotherapy Studio

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

akta.pro primary industry

Pilates Instruction (Mat & Reformer) (HSADACAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private 1:1 Yoga/Pilates & Small-Group Sessions (HSADACAI), Therapeutic/Adaptive Yoga & Clinical Pilates (HSADACAE)

Keywords

• Authentic Pilates instruction
• Physiotherapy and massage
• Neurofascial therapy sessions
• Cyclist performance training
• Sports recovery massage

Headquarters

HQ city

Florence

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Pilates Sessions: One-on-one and possibly group Pilates instruction sessions taught by certified instructors, appointment-based.
2. Physical Therapy Services: Massofisioterapia (physiotherapy) services including therapeutic massage, sports massage, lymph drainage, and myofascial stretching.
3. MELT Method Sessions: MELT Hand and Foot method instruction and treatment sessions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

True Pilates Firenze operates a single-location Pilates and wellness studio providing authentic Pilates instruction using original equipment imported from New York. It also provides physiotherapy and therapeutic massage, MELT Hand & Foot treatment, sports massage, and specialized Pilates programs for cyclists.

Product overview

True Pilates Firenze operates as a single-location Pilates and wellness studio offering the authentic Pilates method as its core product, along with complementary therapeutic and specialized services. The core offering is traditional Pilates instruction taught by certified instructors using original equipment imported from New York. The studio supplements this with four key service modules: Massofisioterapia (physiotherapy and therapeutic massage), Melt Method (neurofascial treatment), Sports Massage, and specialized Pilates for Cyclists (MPC). These services are designed to work together, with Pilates forming the foundation and the complementary services addressing specific therapeutic and athletic needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Melt Method: Melt Hand and Foot method introduced in Italy by Laura Vari, certified in 2012 in New York by founder Sue Hitzmann. Reduces chronic pain in hands and feet, cervical, back and lumbar pain, injury risk, tension and stress.
• MPC (Metodo Pilates per Ciclista)

Products and services

• Pilates Instruction In-person Pilates instruction based on the original method created by Joseph H. Pilates, using original equipment imported from New York and focused on the body-mind connection, posture, muscle toning, and correction of muscular imbalances.
• MELT Method (MELT Hand & Foot) In-person neurofascial method sessions for the hands and feet that address connective-tissue tension, chronic pain in the hands and feet, neck and back pain, injury risk, and stress.
• Massofisioterapia (Physiotherapy) Physiotherapy and therapeutic massage services for the treatment and prevention of pain and disorders affecting the muscular, joint, and circulatory systems, including therapeutic massage, sports massage, and lymph drainage.
• Massaggio Sportivo (Sports Massage) Sports massage for athletes and amateur sports participants, including pre-race preparation, post-race recovery, muscle-trauma prevention, and support for recovery between competitions.
• MPC (Metodo Pilates per Ciclista) One-to-one Pilates exercises for professional and amateur cyclists delivered by a certified physiotherapist, with MPC Power for strength development and MPC Regen for recovery during winter training and race periods.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced recovery times for cyclists after races and training
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Polestar Pilates: Globally recognized Pilates education organization offering teacher training and studio certification. Comparable to True Pilates on premium instructor-education positioning, though broader in scope and presence.
• Merrithew (STOTT PILATES): Global leader in Pilates education and equipment, offering contemporary and rehab-based Pilates programming. A broader incumbent that competes in the same certified-instructor and studio-quality landscape, with much larger scale.
• Club Pilates: Large franchised contemporary Pilates chain operating hundreds of studios globally. Competes for the same Florence/Tuscany customers with a group-class, lower-price, more accessible model — relevant for assessing competitive pressure on traditional single-location studios.
• BASI Pilates: International Pilates education brand offering teacher training, equipment, and studio resources. Comparable on the professional-education side of the authentic Pilates market where True Pilates could expand via teacher training.

Others

• Balanced Body: Major Pilates and movement equipment manufacturer and educator. Comparable as an ecosystem participant whose apparatus and education choices shape the broader authentic-Pilates market in which True Pilates Firenze competes.
• Gratz Industries: Manufacturer of authentic Pilates apparatus (the same original-equipment category used by True Pilates Firenze, imported from New York). Adjacent as a key supplier and a peer in preserving the authentic apparatus standard.

Direct peers

• MELT Method: Founded by Sue Hitzmann, the neurofascial self-treatment method for which True Pilates Firenze is the exclusive Italian certified provider. Comparable as a sub-brand partner and as a therapeutic/movement-method peer serving overlapping chronic-pain and rehabilitation use cases.
• True Pilates New York: The originating studio in NYC (formerly Drago's Gym) where founder Laura Vari trained under Romana Kryzanowska. Operates the same authentic classical Pilates method on original equipment, sharing lineage, philosophy, and customer positioning with True Pilates Firenze.
• Romana's Pilates: The studio and certification body of Romana Kryzanowska — the direct lineage source for Laura Vari. Offers the same authentic Pilates method on original equipment and trains new instructors, making it the closest comparable on method, lineage, and premium positioning.

Emerging players

• Pilates Anytime: Leading online Pilates video subscription platform. Represents the digital-distribution route True Pilates Firenze has not taken; relevant as both a competitive threat (for at-home learners) and a potential partnership/onboarding channel.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/true-pilates

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 True Pilates