Born to northern Italian parents, Australian travel writer Cristian Bonetto spends significant amounts of time in Italy each year.

While he loathes playing favourites, he will admit that Rome has a particular hold on him. Not only does he love its nail-biting backstory, extraordinary architecture and ivy-clad back streets, he’s also drawn to its less obvious, everyday charms, from vintage espresso bars to avant-garde concept stores, off-the-radar boutiques and suburban street art. Together, they keep his camera clicking and his notebooks full of scribbles and stories. Cristian began his writing life as a playwright, running a small theatre company and producing a handful of comedies.

In 2003, his play Il Cortile (The Courtyard) was awarded an Australia Council grant and was performed in numerous Italian cities, including Rome. After a short stint writing scripts for Australian soaps Home & Away and Neighbours in the early 2000s, Cristian turned his hand to travel writing.

Since 2006, he has written more than 30 travel guides for Lonely Planet, for destinations as varied as Naples, Venice, Copenhagen, New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and Brisbane. He is also a globe-trotting host of travel videos and a travel writer for UK newspaper The Telegraph.