The nucleus of Monteriggioni is a small strengthened city.
The diameter of the castle is of 172 meters, surrounded by a thick walls of elliptic form of the thickness of well 2 meters, alternated by 15 towers and two doors, that it encircles a hill called mount Ala. The towers, raise today him above the walls for 6,5 meters, with a thickness of 4×6 meters, and they are only 11 visible of it: the others four have been reduced to the level of the walls. Above the surrounded walls a passage that crossed the whole perimeter raced. In 2005 some parts of the passage are been reconstructed, from which is possible to enjoy of an unique and suggestive sight.
Category: Tours
Tuscany, Forte dei Marmi’s Famous Weekly Market
Forte dei Marmi offers its rich villa dwellers a Wednesday market that deals in designer clothing, among other things. It is known to offer bargains, it’s the place to go to get cut-price reproductions of expensive designer clothes. The town of Forte dei Marmi is centred around the market and the marble fortress built in 1788.
Tuscany, Carnival in Viareggio
Carnival is the very old festival that precedes Lent and is traditionally a time for partying and making whoopee. Viareggio’s carnival dates back to 1873 when some young men, all frequenters of the same casino, decided to organise a procession of carriages on Shrove Tuesday evening, with the passengers in fancy dress. It was such a success that it was repente the following year, and, in a sense, every year thereafter (except for the periods of two World wars) growing ever more ambitious and elaborate.
By the end of the 19th century, carriages had been moine by carts drawn by horses oxen, with tableaux made of jute, wood, iron and plaster of Paris, very heavy and therefore very small by today’s standards. These had subjects such as The Little Zulus, The Triumph of the match in honour of the newly invented Cerini maches with wax sticks, and The Goddess of Flowers in praise of unspoilt nature, with prizes awarded for originality, design and ingenuity.
It wasn’t long before Viareggio’s local government began to appreciate the financial advantage of these parades wich attracted people from the surrounding villages as well as foreign tourists, all with money to spend. Public funding of the event began in 1910.
Two principal factors changed the rather earnest character of the event into the wonderfully exhilarating funfest that it is now.
The first was the use of paier-machè, introduced in 1925. This meant that enormous, hollow, lightweight figures could be made and animated by people with ropes and pulleys. The workshops where the’re made are in the purpose-built Cittadella del Carnevale, a multi purpose building opened in 2001 wich now also has a Carnival Museum.
The second was the increasing emphasis on satire and grotesquerie. No public figure, beh e President of the United States or the Pope, is exempt, Indeed, these two are amongst the main targets-what will the designers do with Barack Obama next year, I wonder? This year’s image is almost benign.
In a perverse way, however, being the the object of this savagery i san honour ( or at least a distinction of some kind) and politicians and other kent faces come to the opening Carnival to see how the paier-machè wizards have dealt with them. Before the event begins, the designers’ sketches are published with explanations of their message. The title of the one at the top of the page is “The cow licks and licks.. she ate the calf!!!”
This is the description. “The construction is a biking satire on the economic and political situation in Italy. At the centre of the float i san enormous cow representing our Republic.
She lies sprawled on a huge, wobbly, gilded armchair. She has her tongue hanging out and is guarded by two cavalry officers wearing breastplates. She would love to lick her calf which here represents the italian people, but only a dangling skeleton remains.
There’s nothing left to lick. Today, the builder is warning us, we must pay for everything and life for the people of Italy is down to the bone”.
Carnival doesn’t consist only of the major floats, however. There are smaller floats and lots of lorries carrying associations, school groups and people all dressed up, having fun and/or making a point. Many of the people who come to watch are wearing fancy dress and wigs and carrying spray cans of goo. It’s all so good-natured. There’s also a lot of very loud music.
The setting for the parade is the seaside “passeggiata” where the floats trundle back and forth at walking speed all afternoon till it grows dark. All that commotion and noise under the wide wintry sky, with the sea, the umbrella-less beach, the sagge mountainous backdrop… Magic
Casale Sodini Perks, Meeting with the Artists in Pierasanta
Casale Sodini is proud to offer you the chance to savour – “Meeting with the Artists in Pietrasanta”.
Book the Villa during January 2009 for a stay at any time in 2009 and we’ll include “Meeting with the Artists in Pietrasanta” program of event at no extra cost!
This enchanting medieval town, so beloved to very renowed sculptors as Mitoraj, Botero, Cascella, Finotti, Capotondi, Rhon, Gamundi, Heppe, etc. , will be the special meeting point where spending a delightful and unforgettable day. This chance is not to be missed! It is an opportunity reserved to few and lucky people who love to be in touch with the “sculptor’s closest world”. Realise a work of art is always an intimate process for the artist and he is sometimes very jealous about his works, but we are allowed to this unique, incredible experience.
To start our trip, it is a pleasure for us to welcome you in Duomo Square (one of the most beautiful square in the world) around 10 o’ clock, 10:30 a.m.
We immediately reach the artist’s studio/workshop. The artist waits for us, as an old, kind friend, just to disclose his secrets and show us how his sculpture was born. Behind a creation there is always an hard work, lot of passion and affliction till the last day, when the work is finished and the artist finally feels a great joy and forgets the agony.
A fine collection of bronzes take the same care and attention, in order to see statues made of bronze, we will visit a foundry, where we could feel again the same charm as before. The artist, as an intimate friend, will gladden us sharing the “pleasures of the table”.
We can choose a characteristic restaurant in the countryside, or one of the many restaurants on the beach breathing the sweet smell of the sea and eating fresh fish. The inevitable conclusion is a toast to celebrate this wonderful day together.
Tuscany, Matilde of Canossa
Matilde of Canossa,Countess of Tuscany, also called “the Church -builder”, was the most influential woman of her time(1046-1115), and probably of any time. She was the sole survivor of a powerful Longobard family.
At the age of 8 she inherited from her father Maurquis Bonifacio 3 vast amounts of Lombardy and Emilia. Her mother was Beatricie of Lorraine ,daughter of Frideryk II Duke uof Upper Lorraine and granddaughter of Herman 2 of Swabia.
Matilde may have been born in Mantua ,but since her father had castle and country home at Vivinaja (now Montecarlo ),this is also considered a likely birthplace for Her. Her fathers home at Vivinaja was a gathering place for the popes and emperors, in this period when Lucca was the Tuscan capital. Matilde had a aristocratic education; she spoke German, Latin and French. She learned to ride horses and use weapons.
Matildes first marriage was to a pious man with the uninspiring name of Godfrey the Hunchback, who allegedly died in the Crusades. Later (in 1090 ,when she was 54), she got married for political motives to a younger man, Welf Guelfo of Bavaria.
It is uncertain whether Matildes one child from her first marriage, Beatricie, survived past childhood. Matilde may have been the last for her line. However, Michelangelo claimed to be her Descendent…..This is hearsay. Matildes most potent legancy was spirityal and political.
Matilde wanted to become a nun to celebrate the mass.
This latter is a radical idea even today! According to legend Pope Gregory told her to build 100 churches and then he would consider her request. (For the of her story ,see Andy*rindls book A Compation to Lucca.) Instead he gave her authority over all of Tuscany.
She become a military heroine,deeply loyal to the Pope during the Guelply-Ghibelline conflict, when the Holy Roman Emperor wanted to assume spiritual us well as earthly authority. He ally in Lucca was Bishop Anselmo. Togheter they gave enormous wealth to the Roman church.
They tried to push back the churchs enemies, but Bishop Anselmo was forced to retreat to canossa ,near near Reggioin Emilia. In Lucca she commissioned the spectacular Ponte della Maddalena, now more commonalty known as the Devils Bridge, acros the Serchio. Anselmo become to Canossa a Benedictine monk and come to Canossa as Matilde s spiritual advisor.
He died in 1086 ,ten years after one of historys key events, an event whith sealed Matildes name in history.
In 1077,excommunicated Holy Roman Emperor Henry 4 was advancing agains Pope Gregory,who then staying at matildes castle. But Henry had sufferen huge losses. At the bottom of the hill leading up to the castle, henry knelt in the snow as a barefoot penintent and begged for-giveness, recognizing Papal authority.
Since then, the expression “going to Canossa” has come to mean eating humble pie. Pirandellos play Enrico 4, inspired by this historical moment, empha-sizes Henrys madnes, re-interpreting the story in a modern context, with Matilde in the role of Henrys wife.
Dantes Paradiso, on the other hand,finds Matilde singing, gathering flowers and moving like a dancer in the lower circle of Paradise. She helps him undergo the penitential cleansing required after loss of innocence by having him taste the rivers Lethe and Eunoe (meaning “good memory”in Greek) which flow in opposite direcions from the Earthly Paradise and represent forgetting and remembering.
After this phase of death and regeneration ,he can then meet his final Guide and Patron, Beatricie.
Dante leaves behind all the bleak characters from his pass, immortalized and entrapped in Inferno and Purgatorio.
Dantes vision of Matilde might have influenced Shakespeare in Hamlet. OPhelia tries to lead Hamlet out of his madness with her innocence and love ,but he remains fixated on avenging his fathers ghost. Hamlets words recall historical Matildes wish: “Get thee to a nunnery” — though he adds “why wouldest thou be a breeder of sinners.?” Later Queen Gertrude rapport’s Ophelia, enveloped in Hamlets madness, dies as a young virgin. Matilde, one of Italys most powerful and evocative woman lives on the legend and literature. She died at the age of 69 years, after a long and fascinating life.