Experience a truly enchanting holiday in one of my Tuscan Villas
Pievana at San Pancrazio in Tuscany
The Church of San Pancrazio in Tuscany is a 10th century baptisimal church. It is situated in Lucca area.
It is built in stone and has a nave and no aisles; the apse and the facade are surmounted by suspended arches. Its current layout is the result of restoration work carried out in 1855 which eliminated the additions that had been made throughout the century.
Lucca Elegance
May the pagan month. But also the month when spring sunshine flooding into rooms can get you thinking about replacing tired fabrics or furniture. If you’re feeling the nestbuilding urge, you could do worse than spend the weekend of 14-16 may at Lucca Elegance, the art, antiques and interior design fair at the Real Collegio in the centre of Lucca.
This is the second year of Lucca Elegance which attracted over 4000,00 visitors in 2009 drawn by the chance to see and buy paintings, furniture, fabrics and jewellery from top suppliers from all over Italy.
Clearly, living in houses that are often 300 or 400 years old has its responsibilities, and modern furniture will not always seem quite right.
Lucca Elegance strives to recreate the look of the typical 17th century salotto lucchese, displayed to perfection in the spacious rooms of the Real Collegio.
Whether you’re in acquisitive mood or not, the fair is an artistic experience in itself, where you can learn much about good art and design.
For example, there will be an exhibition feauturing many of the major Italian artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, especially those local to Tuscany.
In short, a great way to experience gracious living at its best.
Lucca Elegance will be at the Real Collegio (behind the Church of San Frediano, in the centre of Lucca) on:
Friday 14 May (3 pm – 11 pm)
Saturday 15 May (10 am – 11 pm)
Sunday 16 May (10 am – 7.30 pm)
Web-site: www.luccaelegance.it
Salted cake with fresh onions, zucchini and zucchini flowers. Camaiore style.
Camaiore is a lovely little town 24 km NW from Lu7cca on the SP1 road.
This excellent recipe is well know only in this area and is traditionally prepared at this time of year with the first harvest of local zucchini.
Ingredients (serves 6)
6 fresh onions
12 zucchini flowers
12 fresh young zucchini
2 eggs
4 tablespoonful flour
4 tablespoonful extra virgin olive oil
salt, pepper
Method
Slice the onions and cook them in olive oil, add the finely chopped zucchini flowers and the zucchini cut into small cubes of roughly 1 cm.
Heat the oven to 210/220° C.
Pour the zucchini/onion mixture into a bowl, add the flour and the grated pecorino cheese, spoonful by spoonful, and the eggs one by one.
Keep stirring, and add one tablespoon of olive oil, salt and pepper and luke warm water to obtain the thickness of a soup. Pour the mixture into an oiled baking tin, spread with olive oil and cook in the oven for 30 /40 minutes, until the top of the cake is dark gold.
Serve lukewarm or room temperature either as starter or as vegetarian main course with a salad dressed with vinaigrette.
The name is Longobard in origin and comes from Massagrausi (the farm of Grauso), a wealthy man who owned most of the land in the area. In 932, king Hugo of Provence donated Massagrausi to the priests of the cathedral of Lucca.
Thanks to this, Massarosa was saved from expansionist ambitions of the Cattani family of Bozzano and Montemagno, but it was frequently under attack from Saracen pirates and the inhabitans of Massarosa obtained the right to construct a castle on a small rise in the north of the village.
Subsequently, they also obtained the status of castrum from Henry IV, Frederick I and Otto IV, according to which priests were the proprietors of a fief. The political and economic importance of the Jus of Massarosa therefore grew. In the 13th century the feudal potentate had to handle the political and military claims of the inhabitans who had formed a free municipality in the 12th century.
The disputes were so bitter that they required the intervetion of emperors and popes. In 1799 the State of Lucca took over the direct administration of the municipality of Massarosa, leaving only the ownership of land to the canons.
The parish church of Massarosa was probably built round about the 16th century, and over the years it underwent continuous modifications until it was completed in 1895. Inside there is a fine 16 th century altar-piece with the Madonna col Bambino benedicente tra i Santi Jacopo e Andrea, and 15th century marble shrine for hly oils.
Web-site: www.aptversilia.it
When you leave the walls of Lucca heading northwest on the SS 12 road (the Brennero) towards Abetone, you will immediatly begin to notice the mountains surrounding the plain of Lucca. Our trip is taking us to Brancoli. Or rather to the villeges of the Brancoleria. On entering the tiny village of Vinchiana perched right on the river Serchio, you will find a cluster of signs on your right, announcing the villages of the Brancoleria. The are many of them, and they are still inhabited and doing business, fortunately many are served by local Lazzi bus.
Piazza Brancoli is the oldest and was at one time a Roman lookout village called a platea. This tiny village sports one main road into the centre where a cluster of houses are still inhabited and several cobled roads leading up to houses on the hillside above.
The church of Santa Maria Assunta dates from the 700s and is still used.
There are also some families still working here in the trades of their ancestors, for example at the Studio di legno, where the Casoli Cecchettini family still make windows and doors.
In Campitello, the Di Aiuta family make a sweets and have a travelling van that goes all over the Lucca area.
The Giammattei Morelli family keep bees and sell their honey and other products in the Tuseday “mercato” in Ponte a Moriano and on the Brennero outside Lucca.
And the there is the wonderful “Bottega”, open daily and on Sundays by demand.
Established fifty years ago and run by Liliano Diodati, his wife Livia and their children, particulary Nara and her husband Armando. This wonderful emporium stocks fresh tuscan products and is godsend for villagers who would otherwise have no travel by car to do their daily shopping.
The “Bottega” now proudly displays a new sign, the work of local resident artist Marj Picchi, an enthusiastic customer.
With springtime weather now hopefully upon us, take a little trip from Lucca to explore this charming corner of the Garfagnana.
And if you think you may get peckish, you can place an order with Nara Diodati at the “Bottega” for a basket lunch or sandwiches by telephone on 0583.965041.