Category: About Tuscany

Boccaccio’ s Women

Boccaccio in LUCCAOne hundred paintings inspired by the Tales of Boccaccio by Jenny McIntosh, Scottish transplant to Bagni di Lucca, are on exhibit in Lucca at Corte dell’Angelo, via Roma this week beginning on November 5th (see What’s On). Her discov- ery of Boccaccio is a tale within a tale in- volving Franklin Samuel Stych, “Sam” as he is known to all. Humanist scholar and bib- liographer, Sam Stych has been researching Boccaccio for 30 years, and continued even after moving to Bagni di Lucca in 1977.

Sam’s mind is remarkably sharp despite his age. When we visited him (and Alessio his cat) a few weeks ago he directed Jenny and me to several books from his shelves: his bibliographical work on Boccaccio pub- lished by Greenwood Press, the monograph he authored for the Pinocchio Foundation entitled Pinocchio in England, and his 430-page Ph.D. dissertation for the University of Sheffield on Lucchese novelle by Nicolao Grannucci (1521-1603).

Jenny’s weekly visits to 95-year-old Sam have been an occasion to share a glass of wine while talking about literature, history and life. She learned that the Decameron, a collection of 100 novellas written be- tween 1349 and 1351 – shortly after the plague had decimated Florence and driven many people to country retreats – was sur- prisingly complex in its approach to women. As she read the tales and talked with Sam, she found herself painting her way into the psyches of women like Griselda, Alibech, Madonna Agnesa, Monna Sismonda, Belcolore, and also of the seven women narrators who spent their time swapping tales with their three male companions before returning to their tra- ditional life and roles in Florence.

The countryside, then as now, offers an es- cape from ordained behavior into a bucolic and sometimes barnyard world where codi- fied rules are loosened and natural expres- sion is enhanced. Many of the women in the tales trick and cuckold their husbands. But the Decameron ends with a twist, Boccaccio’s famous story of the “patient Griselda”, a young wife taught to “tow the line” by her older husband Gualtieri, a law- yer. Dioneo, the narrator of this tale, warns his companions, and by extension we the readers, that his tale is descriptive and by no means a prescription for good behavior. Indeed, Gualtieri is not only a misogynist, he is even sadistic in enforcing his moral les- sons of obedience and patience on his wife. Savonarola and the Inquisition, although 150 years in the future, might even come to mind! We are reminded that the young peo- ple are about to return to Florence, their idyll coming to an end.

Sam’s life offers a remote parallel to the Decameron. He and a group of friends working in Florence (headed up by Ian Greenlees, then head of the British Institute) began coming to Bagni di Lucca on weekends, enjoying conversations, wine and a retreat from urbanity. Sam still lives in Via del Bagno, next door to the house of Montaigne – whose plaque reads: “In the summer of 1581, Michel de Montaigne lived in this house for 74 days, and wrote about it in his Journal du voyage”. The Fondazione Michel de Montaigne, estab- lished in 2007, continues to promote cul- tural initiatives in Bagni di Lucca.

Boccaccio’s Decameron, presenting women as they might have lived in medi- eval Tuscany, is no manifesto. Jenny’s clear-eyed, vibrant women gazing thoughtfully from their portraits may also reflect other women known to Boccaccio. Having completed the Decameron, he went on to write De claris mulieribus (On Famous Women), about 106 women from Eve to Giovanna I Queen of Naples. If you want to understand women, these two very different books might be a good read. For those who find Italian, or especially Latin, heavy going (and don’t we all?), De claris mulieribus is now, finally, available in English from Italica Press (translation by Guido A. Guarino, 2011).

 

Lucca Italy – Giacomo Puccini’s Birthplace Museum Now Open

The birthplace of Giacomo Puccini Museum, originally opened in 1979.  It was closed for extensive renovations and is now open again for visitors.  The museum contains precious objects belonging to the musician on the piano with all the work which he composed Turandot.
There are also autograph scores of early works like the Mass for 4 voices of the 1880 Symphony of 1883 and the Capriccio, sketches, letters and photos.  A series of interesting paintings are a veritable gallery of family.

Lucca can boast a musical tradition that has few equals, and enumerate composers: Nicolao Dorati, Cristoforo Malvezzi, Josephus Guam, Giovanni Lorenzo Gregori, Francesco Barsanti, Francesco Geminiani, Filippo Manfredi, Luigi Boccherini,  and Alfredo Catalani, but certainly no one is loved and known as well as Giacomo Puccini.  Manon Lescaut, La Bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, La fanciulla del West, Il Trittico, Turandot play in venues worldwide attesting to the greatness of his music.

On 22 December 1858, in the early hours of the night, Giacomo Puccini was born in Lucca in this house. He spent his childhood and early youth in Lucca, before moving to Milan to continue his studies. Today, the birthplace of Giacomo Puccini contains objects that belonged to him: family furniture, a coat, and valuable awards that testify to the extraordinary success achieved by the composer in the world.  Also on display are autographs of important early compositions, the Mass for 4 voices (1880) and Capriccio Symphony (1883), a rich collection of letters written and received by the composer between 1889 and 1915 (senders and recipients: the wife Elvira , his son Antonio, Giulio Ricordi).  Finally, you can admire the fine portraits of Giacomo Puccini Sr. and his wife Angela Piccinini by Giovanni Domenico Lombardi.

 

 

Luminaria di Santa Croce–A Festival in Italy

In Lucca, a medieval walled city in the Tuscany region of Italy, an illusionary festival of lights called the Luminaria di Santa Croce, is held in September. It is part of the traditional Santa Croce Festival which is called “Settembre Lucchese” in Italian, meaning “Lucca’s September.”

The origin of the festival is said to be either a traditional event from when
merchants would come and go to the town, or as a religious festival celebrated
in rural areas.

During the festival, various events are held along with the festival of lights,
including music concerts, opera, cultural events, sports events, and fairs.

Located at the center of the festival is “il Volto Santo,” a wooden sculpture of
Christ. The sculpture is housed inside the Lucca Cathedral. According to legend,
the sculptor was Nicodemus, a disciple of Jesus. It was lost some time in the 8th
century, but was found and carried back to the town in the year 782. Since then,
Lucca has been a place where pilgrims from all over Europe visit.

On the evening of September 13, the citizens of Lucca, dressed in their Medieval
costumes paraded to the center of the town. They went to the Lucca Cathedral
and prayed to the “il Volto Santo”.

During the procession, the lights were turned off. People placed candles in
front of their houses and on signs of shops. Churches, belfries and palazzi
were also decorated with many candles.

Lucca is a beautiful town, preserving historical streetscapes and surrounded
by walls of the 16th to 17th centuries. The town was originally explored by
Etruscans, and unified by ancient Rome around 180 B.C. Since then, Romans have
made up a large part of it’s population.

After the Western Roman Empire was destroyed, the town was pillaged by Odoacer.
In 553 A.D., it was besieged by the Eastern Roman Empire. It played an important
role as a city and as a fortress.

Through such historical transitions, Lucca was incorporated into the Kingdom of
Italy, established in 1861.

The town features Piazza dell’ Anfiteatro, the plaza of the former amphitheater
of ancient Rome, and the opera composer Giacomo Puccini, whose 150th birthday
is being celebrated in the year 2008. Tourists from around the world visit the
town and it’s many Puccini-inspired areas .

Nobody knows exactly when the Luminaria di Santa Croce began and when the candle
decorations started. However, the candles set among the historic buildings in
Lucca make many people feel as if they were in ancient times.

 

 

Movies: to inspire your Italian vacation thoughts!

A Room with a View: When Lucy Honeychurch and chaperone Charlotte Bartlett find themselves in Florence with rooms without views, fellow guests Mr Emerson and son George step in to remedy the situation. Meeting the Emersons could change Lucy’s life forever but, once back in England, how will her experiences in Tuscany affect her marriage plans?  (Florence, Tuscany)  James Ivory, Helena Bonham Carter

Casanova: Set in Venice in the 1700s, the movie tells the story of the legend, whose dalliances have inspired countless lovers through the centuries. When Giacomo Casanova discovers Francesa Bruni, he meets his perfect match, succumbing to the only woman ever to refuse his charms…until he can prove himself worthy.  (Venice, Vicenza)  Heath Ledger, Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons

Bread and Tulips: A housewife starts a new life with a new man in Venice. The scenes in Venice are very good.  (Venice)  Licia Maglietta, Bruno Ganz, Giuseppe Battiston

Ciao, Professore!: Want to try to understand the difference between the north and south of Italy? Well, in this film a teacher applies to be transferred to a nice northern Italian city, when a typo on his application changes his destination from a village in the wealthy north to the impoverished south. He is forced to teach kids in a village where schooling is given a very low priority. Despite it all, this is a very upbeat film.  (Sicily)  Paolo Villagio

Dangerous Beauty: Beautiful scenes of Venice in this historical movie about an infamous courtesan set in the 16th century. (Venice)  Catherine McCormack, Rufus Sewell, Jacqueline Bisett

Gladiator: When a Roman general is betrayed and his family murdered by a corrupt prince, he comes to Rome as a gladiator to seek revenge.   (Rome, Tuscany)  Ridley Scott, Russel Crowe

Il Postino: The man selected to deliver letters to Pablo Neruda, exiled on an island off the coast of Italy, has his worldview changed by the poet, who returns to Chile, leaving the postman with dreams and aspirations he can’t figure out how to achieve.  (Amalfi Coast, Positano)  Michael Radford, Massimo Troisi

La Dolce Vita: A journalist and man-about-town Marcello struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome’s elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.  (Rome)  Federico Fellini,  Marcelo Mastroiani, Anita Eckberg

Life is Beautiful: A Jewish man has a wonderful romance with the help of his humour, but must use that same quality to protect his son in a Nazi death camp.  (Arezzo, Tuscany)  Roberto Benigni, Nicoletta Braschi, Giorgio Cantarini

Much Ado About Nothing: Set in the beautiful Tuscan countryside with magnificent scenery, this Shakespeare tale will get you in the mood for a trip to Tuscany. It’s one of the easier Shakespeare plays to understand and it’s in English.  (Tuscany)  Kenneth Brunagh, Emma Thompson, Denzel Washington

Only You:  Woman believes that two soul-mates can be united if they find each other.  (Rome, Tuscany, Venice, Positano) Marisa Tomei

Roman Holliday:  Take a delightful romp around Rome with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck in this 1953 movie set in Rome.  (Rome)  William Wyler, Gregory Peck, Audrey Hepburn

Tea with Mussolini: Tea with Mussolini, directed by Franco Zeffirelli, is a Merchant Ivory period movie set in Florence during the rise of fascism. The movie centers on a group of British and American women and a young boy living in Florence. (Florence)  Char, Judi Dench, Joan Plowright, Maggie Smith

The Italian Job: Thieves plan to pull off the heist of their lives by creating Los Angeles’ largest ever traffic jam.  (Venice)  Gary Gray, Mark Wahlberg, Donald Sutherland, Charlize Theron

The Scarlet and the Black: The true story of Vatican efforts, lead by Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, to save Allied POWs and downed Allied airmen from Nazi imprisonment. Set in 1940’s Rome, the film also explores the SS effort, lead by SS-Lieutenant Colonel Kapplar, to stop him. (Vatican, Rome)  Gregory Peck, Christopher Plummer, John Gielgud

The Talented Mr. Ripley: While you might not warm up to Mr. Ripley himself, the beautiful Italian scenery is sometimes breathtaking. The movie is a thriller in English staring Matt Damon that takes place in several parts of Italy, including the Amalfi Coast.  (Amalfi Coast)  Matt Damon, Gwyneth Paltrow, Jude Law, Cate Blanchett

Under the Tuscan Sun: Cortona is a scenic hill town in Tuscany, Italy.  After Frances’s seemingly happy San Francisco marriage ends abruptly, she goes into a funk. Urged by her friends to move on, she joins a bus tour of Tuscany where, on the spur of the moment, she buys a crumbling villa.  (Tuscany) Diane Lane, Raoul Bova

1900: Set in Italy, the film follows the lives and interactions of two boys/men, one born a bastard of peasant stock the other born to a land owner. The drama spans from 1900 to about 1945, and focuses mainly on the rise of Fascism and the peasants’ eventual reaction by supporting Communism, and how these events shape the destinies of the two main characters.  (Italy)  Bernardo Bertolucci, Robert Deniro, Gerard Depardieu

 

 

 

 


More Recommended Reading – Tuscany by Sonja Bullaty

Memorable are the splendid photographs in Tuscany, which exquisitely capture the light, colors, and textures of Italy’s most romantic and inspiring region. For three decades Sonja Bullaty and Angelo Lomeo have been drawn to Tuscany and its surrounding areas endeavoring to photograph the special light, the sculpted countryside, the heralded cities and hilltowns, and the celebrated art and architecture. Their photographic themes include timeless views of ocher landscapes where farmers arrange their haystacks like artists; castles overlooking acres of irises and vineyards; shadowy cypress trees defining the land; explosions of color in springtime; incandescent views of Florence, Siena, and Pisa; faces on sculptures; faded frescoes in silent cloisters and other details of art and architecture; humorous vignettes of the daily round; and sparkling Mediterranean seascapes. This photographic album of Tuscany is truly unlike any other. In her fascinating text, Marie-Ange Guillaume provides a verbal portrait of the scores of artists and writers, as well as infamous people, who lived or worked in Tuscany, including Michelangelo, Leonardo, Stendhal, Savonarola, the Brownings, Henry James, Modigliani, Fellini, and James Ivory. The anecdotal text, liberally flavored with quotes from the letters and diaries of these well known individuals, provides insights about Tuscany today and in centuries past.