Stories of expats moving to Italy – Eva-Noelle Fassbender

Born and raised in Germany 🇩🇪 with southern Italian roots, Eva graduates from the University of Düsseldorf and begins her career as a Marketing Manager for the city of Düsseldorf, shaping the destination’s image through strategic communication. After moving to Berlin, she dives into the tech startup scene as strategic Partner Manager working with leading brands in e-commerce and smart home innovation.

While in Berlin, Eva transitions into freelance life as a content and brand strategist, seeking more freedom and purpose. This shift sets her on a personal journey toward slowness and intention – one that eventually leads her to Sardinia 🇮🇹.

Reconnecting with her Neapolitan roots and meeting her Sardinian partner during travels in South America, Eva decides to build a life where heritage, creativity, and opportunity intertwine. Now based in Cagliari, she supports international clients in bringing their dream life and business to Italy, blending strategic thinking with human-centered storytelling. She is also the founder of The Sardinian – a lifestyle magazine celebrating the wild beauty, hidden stories, and cultural richness of Italy’s most quietly magnetic island.

On LinkedIn and beyond, she shares insights on what it really takes to move, create, and thrive in Italy – not as a passing expat, but as someone cultivating a meaningful, rooted life with a long-term vision.

We asked Eva about her experience with Italian work culture.

🇮🇹 What made you move to Italy?
Honestly, it wasn’t part of the plan. I was busy building a career in Berlin, but life had other ideas. It started with reconnecting with my Italian roots – quite literally, by finding my long-lost family in Naples after 50 years of silence. A whole part of me I didn’t even know was missing. And then, somewhere between hostels and horizons, I met a Sardinian while backpacking through South America. Life had pulled me toward something I couldn’t ignore. Italy for me wasn’t about escaping. It was about returning. A version of myself that finally made sense. Even though I didn’t grow up here, I’ve never felt more at home.

💼 Something that positively surprised you about working in Italy?
That slowness isn’t the enemy of progress. Things don’t always run on time here – but they run deep. And that changed me. In Germany, I learned how to optimize systems. In Italy, I learned how to listen. What surprised me most was how *human* work becomes in Italy. Conversations matter. Trust is built around the table, not just on paper. And if you come with an open mind you’ll find substance. In conversations, in community, in courage.

🌍 Something you miss from abroad?
Germany’s efficiency – I won’t lie. Some days, I’d give anything for a fast lane in the supermarket or a straight-to-the-point meeting. And of course, I miss my friends and family deeply. But what I really miss – and this might be controversial – is proper German bread. In Italy, it’s often treated like an afterthought: Pizza, Pasta, Pa… ? How can a country with a thousand types of cheese be so casual about the one thing that holds it all together? (And no, focaccia doesn’t count.)

💡 Any lessons or advice for people considering a move to Italy?
Yes. Please – don’t come with a fantasy – come with a plan. Italy is gorgeous. But it’s not a lifestyle brand. Learn the language. Understand how things really work here. And dive deep into the local logic. Invest in real relationships. And most of all, be clear on why you’re moving. The people who thrive here aren’t trying to live out a dream. They’re ready to build a life. One with roots. One that gives back. Because if you’re willing to create something meaningful, even when it’s messy, Italy has a way of giving you more than what you came for.

Thanks Eva-Noelle for sharing your story with Pietro!