La Dolce Pilates

Pilates in the vineyards of Piedmont, a UNESCO World Heritage site region in northern Italy? Sì, per favore.

- By Anne Marie O’Connor

THE CHARMING VILLA NESTLED IN THE HILLS OF PIEDMONT, A REGION OF NORTHERN ITALY LESS THAN TWO HOURS FROM MILAN, HOUSES AN ASTONISHING SURPRISE: A FULLY EQUIPPED PILATES STUDIO. It’s the brain(and love) child of Shell Bern, a Montreal-based method fan who first fell in love with the region 10 years ago. “I had found a villa in the area with a room large enough to build a state-of-the-art studio,” he recalls. “Then in 2016, I had dinner with friends at a boutique hotel in Piedmont that was renovated by a local designer and artist named Cristina Pas. I outlined the project and Cristina and I worked together on the details.”

Another key player was Claudia Fink, the owner of Pilates Italia in Milan and the distributor for STOTT PILATES® equipment in Italy. She helped design the studio, which is equipped with eight Stott Reformers with Towers, eight Stability Chairs and separate areas for mat and barre work. “There are also stability balls, stability cushions, resistance rings, straps and toning balls, plus a SONOS sound system and high speed internet for streaming music,” Bern adds.