Alessia Paionni was born in Roma on January 21, 1974. During her childhood, she travelled around the world with her parents, sharing her father's passion for art and photography.

Soon, she became so fond of foreign languages and cultures that she would have liked "to live in - almost - every place and country" that she visited. So, she started studying English, French, and German.

After receiving her high-school diploma (liceo classico), she enrolled at the University of Rome "La Sapienza", where she graduated magna cum laude in Classics in July 2000, with a thesis on the social and economic issues affecting farmers in the eastern part of the Roman Empire between III and IV century a.C.

She occasionally writes articles and reviews on art, ancient history and temporary exhibitions for local papers issued by cultural associations.