Category: About Tuscany

Tuscany, with its sweeping hillsides planted with vineyards and olive trees, Mediterranean villas, and distinctive regional cuisine, is one of the most popular regions to visit in Italy. It can be difficult to choose which of the villages to visit to get the most out of the region.

Bentley highlights 37 villages and towns; both for their intrinsic beauty and for the part they have played in Tuscan history and culture. Page after page of Alex Ramsay’s magnificent color photos evoke the beauty of the land and capture the charms of the architecture, the landscape, and the people. Specially compiled listings of hotels, restaurants, and festivals complete the tribute to Tuscany and its villages.

This is a beautifully put together book.  The photography is outstanding.  You will long to visit Tuscany after reading this book.  It makes a beautiful coffee table addition.  You will find it hard to resist looking at it again and again. Here are just three of the recommended towns.

Artimino

Artimino is a small fortified hamlet in the Provence of Prato surrounded by olive trees and cypresses. The first evidence of the Village of Artimino dates to 998 with the  documented presence of the Pieve di San Leonardo, one of the best examples of Romanesque Lombardo architecture in Tuscany. The Etruscans were the first inhabitants of this site. Artimino affords splendid views of the neighboring countryside, whose vineyards produce excellent wines.

Bagni de Lucca

Bagni de Lucca, “land of princes and poets”, is the largest mountain commune in Italy with a great number of hamlets.  It is known for it’s historic spas.  It is situated in the valleys of the Rivers Serchio and Lima, surrounded by green hills covered with century-old forests of chestnut trees. Scattered in the area are many elegant mansions of the 19th century, surrounded by rich gardens populated with rare plant species, which poets and musicians used as a romantic retreat and source of inspiration.

San Gimignano

The “city of the beautiful towers” rises up from Tuscany’s Elsa Valley like a medieval dreamscape. Once an Etruscan settlement, founded in the 6th century, it became a town in the 10th century, and in its heyday boasted 72 towers.  The towers were symbols of the power and wealth of the city’s medieval families.  Today it is noted for its intact gates and palaces, as well as the 13 remaining towers built in 1150.  The town is surrounded by lush, productive land and the setting is altogether enchanting.

Chianti Wine Basics (pronounced key-ON-tee ) Everyone loves Chianti, right? But what exactly IS Chianti, and why do so many people love to order it with dinner? To begin, Chianti Classico is inside Tuscany, a region that raises the grapes that one day grow up to be part of Chianti Classico wine (Italy and France often name wines after their region). Typically, the wine is made from a large amount (90% or more) of Sangiovese, a red grape that grows very well in the Chianti Classico region, and blended with small amounts of the white and/or red grapes that also grow locally—as nondescript as Canaiolo Nero to as famous as Cabernet Sauvignon. (It is also possible for a Chianti wine to be made from 100% Sangiovese.) For years the symbol of Italian wine was the straw-covered Chianti flask. Ever since Laborel Melini came up with the bright idea of shipping wine in these flasks, Chianti has been the symbol of Tuscany, and for Italian wine throughout the world. Unfortunately, those same straw flasks, which are remembered for decorating tacky Italian restaurants with red and white checkered tablecloths, came to symbolize Italy as a producer of cheap wine—an identity that has been tough to shake until fairly recently. In the last 20—30 years, Italian wine producers have worked very hard to dispel this myth, and the effort started first and most aggressively in the Chianti district—the soul of Italian wine. Their quality wine revolution has been a great success, as the greatest wines of Italy rank among the best in the world. Indeed, some excellent wines from the Chianti region, and similar “Super Tuscans” are considered world-class. To be sure we’re on the same page, let’s go over the basics of Chianti. First, Chianti is the name of a region in the heart of Tuscany, and the red wines produced there must contain at least 80-100% Sangiovese grapes to be labeled as Chianti. There are seven distinct subzones of Chianti; the most important you need to know about are Classico and Rufina—although the other five can produce good wines, these two districts are the most popular. Historically, Chianti Classico is where it all started, and today the general consensus is that the best wine of the region is made there. Almost all producers of Chianti Classico belong to a consortium that acts as a watchdog and ensures that high quality is preserved in the wine. Wines made by these high standards are identified by a black rooster on the neck of each bottle. (Why a rooster? That’s a whole ‘nuther story…) If you are interested in the rules and details of Chianti winemaking as set forth by the consortium, click here: Chianti Classico Wine Consortium Code. For everyday drinking, your best bet is a bottle labeled simply “Chianti” that costs in the $6-10 range from a reliable producer such as Piccini, Fonterutoli, Badia Coltibuono, Castello D’ Ama, Carpineto, Fontodi, Ruffino, and Falchini. Simple Chianti is high in acidity and has a fruit flavor similar to cherries, making it a great match with everyday foods like pasta with marinara or other red sauce, chicken cutlets, salami sandwiches (a Tuscan staple), pizza, and any of many other foods. When purchasing simple Chianti, get it as young as possible—usually the vintage will be only two or three years old. When you want a Chianti with a bit more “oomph”, such as for a nice veal cutlet, grilled chicken, pasta primavera, grilled eggplant, or similar dish, go with a Chianti Classico or Chianti Rufina in the $12-25 range. Often you can get a Riserva in this price range; this means the wine has been aged in oak for at least three years (usually longer). The oak adds a nice complexity to the wine and vanilla touches to the nose and Chianti Wine Basics (pronounced key-ON-tee ) Everyone loves Chianti, right? But what exactly IS Chianti, and why do so many people love to order it with dinner? To begin, Chianti Classico is inside Tuscany, a region that raises the grapes that one day grow up to be part of Chianti Classico wine (Italy and France often name wines after their region). Typically, the wine is made from a large amount (90% or more) of Sangiovese, a red grape that grows very well in the Chianti Classico region, and blended with small amounts of the white and/or red grapes that also grow locally—as nondescript as Canaiolo Nero to as famous as Cabernet Sauvignon. (It is also possible for a Chianti wine to be made from 100% Sangiovese.) For years the symbol of Italian wine was the straw-covered Chianti flask. Ever since Laborel Melini came up with the bright idea of shipping wine in these flasks, Chianti has been the symbol of Tuscany, and for Italian wine throughout the world. Unfortunately, those same straw flasks, which are remembered for decorating tacky Italian restaurants with red and white checkered tablecloths, came to symbolize Italy as a producer of cheap wine—an identity that has been tough to shake until fairly recently. In the last 20—30 years, Italian wine producers have worked very hard to dispel this myth, and the effort started first and most aggressively in the Chianti district—the soul of Italian wine. Their quality wine revolution has been a great success, as the greatest wines of Italy rank among the best in the world. Indeed, some excellent wines from the Chianti region, and similar “Super Tuscans” are considered world-class. To be sure we’re on the same page, let’s go over the basics of Chianti. First, Chianti is the name of a region in the heart of Tuscany, and the red wines produced there must contain at least 80-100% Sangiovese grapes to be labeled as Chianti. There are seven distinct subzones of Chianti; the most important you need to know about are Classico and Rufina—although the other five can produce good wines, these two districts are the most popular. Historically, Chianti Classico is where it all started, and today the general consensus is that the best wine of the region is made there. Almost all producers of Chianti Classico belong to a consortium that acts as a watchdog and ensures that high quality is preserved in the wine. Wines made by these high standards are identified by a black rooster on the neck of each bottle. (Why a rooster? That’s a whole ‘nuther story…) If you are interested in the rules and details of Chianti winemaking as set forth by the consortium, click here: Chianti Classico Wine Consortium Code. For everyday drinking, your best bet is a bottle labeled simply “Chianti” that costs in the $6-10 range from a reliable producer such as Piccini, Fonterutoli, Badia Coltibuono, Castello D’ Ama, Carpineto, Fontodi, Ruffino, and Falchini. Simple Chianti is high in acidity and has a fruit flavor similar to cherries, making it a great match with everyday foods like pasta with marinara or other red sauce, chicken cutlets, salami sandwiches (a Tuscan staple), pizza, and any of many other foods. When purchasing simple Chianti, get it as young as possible—usually the vintage will be only two or three years old. When you want a Chianti with a bit more “oomph”, such as for a nice veal cutlet, grilled chicken, pasta primavera, grilled eggplant, or similar dish, go with a Chianti Classico or Chianti Rufina in the $12-25 range. Often you can get a Riserva in this price range; this means the wine has been aged in oak for at least three years (usually longer). The oak adds a nice complexity to the wine and vanilla touches to the nose and palate. When you have a more serious game dish (venison, pheasant, lamb), or serving aged cheeses, you can go for the gusto and get a serious Chianti Classico Riserva from $20 to a ridiculous price such as Castello D Ama “Bellavista”—a wine which can cost in excess of $1000 per case! When faced with a tough decision, settle on your price range and first look for producers you know . If you’re not familiar with too many, the list mentioned above is a reliable starting point. Following are a few pointers … stick with: 1. Chianti Classico; 2. Riserva bottlings; 3. “Single Vineyard” bottlings; 4. Strong vintages, such as 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004. From a snob’s point of view, there is a lot more to Chianti than what we’ve covered here. However, Italian wine, thankfully, is a non-snob’s dream. No matter what you choose, you get a wine built for food, and you don’t really have to think about which direction the vineyard is facing nor the soil components. Just pull the cork, pour the wine, and get drinking! Did you know ? The black rooster that appears on many Chianti Classico labels, signifies the peace between Florence and Siena—two Tuscan cities that had for centuries been arch rivals. When you have a more serious game dish (venison, pheasant, lamb), or serving aged cheeses, you can go for the gusto and get a serious Chianti Classico Riserva from $20 to a ridiculous price such as Castello D Ama “Bellavista”—a wine which can cost in excess of $1000 per case! When faced with a tough decision, settle on your price range and first look for producers you know . If you’re not familiar with too many, the list mentioned above is a reliable starting point. Following are a few pointers … stick with: 1. Chianti Classico; 2. Riserva bottlings; 3. “Single Vineyard” bottlings; 4. Strong vintages, such as 1988, 1990, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2004. From a snob’s point of view, there is a lot more to Chianti than what we’ve covered here. However, Italian wine, thankfully, is a non-snob’s dream. No matter what you choose, you get a wine built for food, and you don’t really have to think about which direction the vineyard is facing nor the soil components. Just pull the cork, pour the wine, and get drinking! Did you know ? The black rooster that appears on many Chianti Classico labels, signifies the peace between Florence and Siena—two Tuscan cities that had for centuries been arch rivals

Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was born in Lucca, Italy on December 22, 1858 and died November 29, 1924.  From 1891 onwards, Puccini spent most of his time at Torre del Lago, a small community about fifteen miles from Lucca situated between the Ligurian Sea and Lake Massaciuccoli, just south of Vaireggio. While renting a house there, he spent time hunting, but regularly visited Lucca.  By 1900, he had acquired land and built a villa on the lake, now known as the “Villa Museo Puccini.” He lived there until 1921, when pollution produced by peat works on the lake forced him to move to Viareggio, a few kilometers north. After his death, a mausoleum was created in the Villa Puccini and the composer is buried there in the chapel, along with his wife and son who died later.

Puccini’s villa has been transformed into a museum. The rooms are well preserved and contain Puccini  heirlooms including the piano on which he composed some of his most famous operas. In a chapel room inside the house there are the sepulchres of  Puccini, his wife and son, and in another room his shotguns are preserved.  The Villa Museo Puccini is presently owned by his granddaughter, Simonetta Puccini, and is open to the public.  It is well worth a visit!

Operas written at Torre del Lago;

Manon Lescaut (1893), his third opera, was his first great success. It launched his remarkable relationship with the librettists Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, who collaborated with him on his next three operas, which became his three most famous and most-performed operas. These were:

La bohème (1896) is considered one of his best works as well as one of the most romantic operas ever composed. It is together with Tosca one of today’s most popular operas.

Tosca (1900) was arguably Puccini’s first foray into verismo, the realistic depiction of many facets of real life including violence. The opera is generally considered of major importance in the history of opera because of its many significant features.

Madama Butterfly (1904) was initially greeted with great hostility (mostly organized by his rivals) but, after some reworking, became another of his most successful operas.

La fanciulla del West (1910) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto  by Guelfo Civinni and Carlo Zangarini, based on the play The Girl of the Golden West by the American author David Belasco.

La rondine (1916) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Giuseppe Adami, based on a libretto by Alfred Maria Willner and Heinz Reichert.

Il trittico (1918) is composed of three one-act operas: a horrific episode (Il tabarro), in the style of the Parisian Grand Guignol, a sentimental tragedy (Suor Angelica), and a comedy (Gianni Schicchi). Of the three, Gianni Schicchi has remained the most popular, containing the popular aria “O mio babbino caro“.  The work received its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera on December 14, 1918.

Inaugurated in 1956, the Pinocchio Park is no ordinary theme park, but rather a precious masterpiece        created by artists of great character working together. The literary itinerary, marked out by mosaics, buildings and sculptures set amidst the greenery, emerges from an inspired combination of art and nature. The path is winding, and the dense vegetation means that every stage on the route comes as an unexpected surprise, with the very plants and trees contributing to create the atmosphere and the episodes in the story of the Adventures of Pinocchio. The Park itself is the site of constantly renewed cultural activities that are always mindful of its roots: exhibitions of art and illustrations inspired by children’s literature and the Story of Pinocchio, puppet-making workshops, puppet and marionette shows and minstrels enliven the visit to the Park, depending on the season.

The Pinocchio Park could not have been set up anywhere else but in Collodi, where the ancient village has remained as it was hundreds of years ago, a cascade of houses that ends behind Villa Garzoni and its scenographic Garden. It was here that Carlo Lorenzini’s mother was born, and here that he spent his childhood with his grandparents, the Orzali. This is no ordinary theme park, but rather an evocative precious masterpiece created by great artists working together where we can retrace a tale that comes to life through the encounter between the images expressed in the symbolic language of art and the visitor’s own imagination. The resulting enjoyment is spontaneous and natural, thanks to the beauty of the art and the surroundings. The original idea for the monumental complex came to the Mayor of Pescia, Professor Rolando Anzilotti, in 1951. Consequently he set up the Committee for the Monument to Pinocchio and invited leading artists to enter the competition. No less than eighty-four sculptors responded to the invitation: the joint winners were Emilio Greco with Pinocchio and the Fairy and Venturino Venturini with the Square of the Mosaics. In 1956 the famous bronze group that symbolically represents the metamorphosis of Pinocchio, and the extraordinary mosaics showing the principal episodes from the Adventures were unveiled in an area  designed by the architects Renato Baldi and Lionello De Luigi. In 1963 came the Osteria del Gambero Rosso, housing the restaurant of the same name, designed by Giovanni Michelucci, with red bays that recall the pincers of the crab; in 1972 the Park was enlarged by the addition of the Land of Toys, a fantastic itinerary stretching over a hectare of Mediterranean maquis, designed by Pietro Porcinai and hosting twenty-one sculptures in bronze and steel by Pietro Consagra and constructions by Marco Zanuso, evoking the plot of the Adventures. Finally, in 1987, came the “Laboratory of Words and Figures”, designed and created by Carlo Anzilotti to an idea by  Giovanni Michelucci.