Benedetta Lami was born in Rome, Italy. After spending her childhood in cities such as Teheran, Singapore and Paris, she returned to Italy to complete her High School studies. She then went on to graduate with distinction in Political Science at the University of Florence. During this time, she was also a private tutor and hostess for fashion events & conferences. In 2001, Benedetta moved to Stellenbosch where she has been living with her husband and son, ever since.
Over the course of her professional career, Benedetta has worked as a PA to the Chairperson of a Lobbying and Public Affairs Company in Rome and extensively in the fashion industry as Sales Person in the Versace show-room in Milan, and Responsible for the Press Office and PR for a fashion designer in Milan.
At present, she is the Sole Agent for South Africa for Mori-TEM, an Italian company which produces olive oil extraction equipment, and a Professional Olive Oil Taster and competition judge. Benedetta has also been teaching Italian at the Dante Alighieri School in Stellenbosch since 2008 and has been a part-time lecturer (Italian for Singers) at Stellenbosch University since 2010.
Benedetta speaks fluent Italian (mother tongue), English, French as well as conversational Spanish.
The passion for classical music and opera runs in her family. Her great-grandfather, Maestro Marco Falgheri (1872-1919), born in Ostuni (Italy), was a violinist, conductor and composer, and a great friend of Maestro Cilea. This passion gripped Benedetta at a very young age when she attended her first opera, Giuseppe Verdi’s Aida performed at the Roman ruins of Caracalla, at the age of 9.