Porto San Giorgio (Fermo), August 28, 2026 – Behind one of the most recognizable success stories in Italian cuisine is a man who, by choice, has always preferred to stay a few steps behind the spotlight. He is Marco Gentili, 54-year-old husband of Benedetta Rossi, born in Altidona (Fermo) and her life partner. The couple recently adopted Natacha and Sharlyn, two girls aged 10 and 9, whom they met in Costa Rica. “They are wonderful, full of light and a desire to live,” they wrote in a post. Marco, besides in life, is a decisive figure also in the construction of the professional project that transformed the Marche food blogger into one of the most popular faces on the web and television. The two have been together for almost thirty years and their story began far from cameras and social media, in the province of Fermo.
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Who is Marco Gentili
Born in 1972 in Altidona, in the Fermo area, Gentili has built over the years an entrepreneurial path mainly linked to communication and marketing. He is the founder of Maui Media Srl, a company that handles the promotional and communication aspects of Benedetta Rossi’s activities and her editorial projects. A fundamental role, but mostly carried out behind the scenes, while in front of the cameras it has almost always been Benedetta telling recipes, daily life, and work.
Meeting Benedetta
Their story began in 1997, when they were both young. The first meeting took place in the university environment, but also thanks to their passion for horses. Gentili was indeed attending the riding school run by Benedetta’s family and it was precisely a horseback ride that became the occasion to get to know each other. “We met halfway,” he said talking about the beginning of the relationship, thus rejecting the idea that he was the only one to make the first move.
The wedding in Hawaii
After more than a decade together, the couple decided to get married in 2009, choosing a solution far from the traditional wedding: a secret ceremony in Hawaii. Ten years later, in the same place, Benedetta and Marco renewed their vows. For Gentili, however, the true meaning of their union is mainly linked to the life built together. “The real marriage, the commitment that really tested us, was fixing up this house,” he explained, referring to the farmhouse that over the years has become their home, but also the symbolic place of Benedetta’s productions.
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The partner and the man behind the success
Gentili was not only the food blogger’s partner, but also one of the people who first believed in her potential. He was the one who encouraged her to bring her recipes online and gave her a camera with a tripod, the tool with which the video recipe project started. From that idea came millions of views and a business that later became a real enterprise.
Today the couple therefore shares both private life and work. In 2024 Mondadori acquired 51% of “Fatto in casa da Benedetta”, the company founded by the two, in a 6.9 million euro deal. Gentili continues to take care of the organizational and managerial part, leaving Benedetta the more visible face of the project. And even when talking about their life together, Marco maintains the simplicity that has always characterized him. Asked about the recipe capable of making him happy, the answer was disarming: “I am a simple tastes kind of guy and when she says ‘come on, let’s make polenta together,’ it makes me happy!”.
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