Stanley Tucci Wants to Give You $10,000 to Vacation Like an Italian This Summer

Stanley Tucci thinks you deserve to summer like an Italian. So much so that he's willing to give you $10,000 to do it.

The actor, host, and avid traveler has long been known for his love of the European nation, which also happens to be his ancestral homeland. He's dropped not one but two seasons of his acclaimed show, "Searching for Italy," which is a true love letter by the Italophile, and is now partnering with one of the county's most celebrated brands, San Pellegrino, to bring that Mediterranean magic to the masses.

In February, Pellegrino and Tucci announced a multi-year partnership that aims to help fans to slow down and "savor life's perfect moments," the brand shared in a statement. Now, it's upping the ante by announcing the "S.Pellegrino Summer," which will give one lucky winner $10,000 so they can take off enough time to match their European counterparts.

"I think it's absolutely crucial that we try to take as much time as we can for ourselves," Tucci emphatically told Travel + Leisure. Specifically, Tucci suggests traveling as much as possible on that time off, too.

"It just broadens everything. It broadens your perspective on life," Tucci said about the importance of travel. "It makes your life richer. It makes your life better."

To Tucci, these aren't just platitudes.

"I'm not someone who grew up traveling. We went to live in Italy for a year. But prior to that, we never traveled anywhere," he explained, noting that, when his grandparents moved from Italy to the United States, they put down roots and rarely wanted to leave.

But, when Tucci was just 12 years old, the family packed up for a trip to the motherland, and, as he told T+L, "that changed everything for me overnight." So, at 18, feeling a familiar pull, he packed up again and went straight back to Italy. "I was desperate to go back. I didn't even know why. And I went back and I felt so at ease," he said. "And I traveled then to Paris. I went to Austria. I went to France. I went to Italy and I went to England."

He hasn't stopped since. But it's still Italy that he finds to be the most magical of all, especially leading into the warmer season.

"In Italy, the spirit of summer comes alive in the simple things. It's about the wonderful times spent relaxing outdoors and gathering around the table with family and friends," Tucci added in a statement, noting his favorite drink, S.Pellegrino "fits naturally into those moments. While they may be divided on the country's best dish, Italians collectively enjoy an extended summer holiday. This creates an amazing sense of community nationwide. I hope our celebration of this time-honored tradition inspires Americans to give it a try."

Fans can enter for a chance to win the "S.Pellegrino Summer" and live like an Italian by visiting the giveaway's website here. Enter now through June 27, 2022. One grand prize winner will receive a $10,000 cash prize to take an extended summer vacation, as well as a summer's supply of S.Pellegrino and S.Pellegrino Essenza. Ten first prize winners will also receive a summer's supply of S.Pellegrino and S.Pellegrino Essenza.

And if you don't win, Tucci still hopes you'll find a little time off just for you, even if it means an Italian-inspired staycation in your backyard. Because travel, he said, "matured me. I don't know how to better put it than that. I became a different person after that first trip. And so every time I traveled, I always learned something. And I think travel helps you become a smarter, richer, better person."