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Towns of Tuscany

Towns of Tuscany: Certaldo

Certaldo
Like many other Tuscan towns. Certaldo is divided between its medieval walled town on a hill and the modern residential and industrial suburb spread out below. Etruscan and Roman in origin. Certaldo was also situated on the Via Francigena.

In the lower town is the main square Piazza Boccaccio (car park), with a marble statue by Augusto Passaglia (1879) which was commissioned to mark the fifth centenary of the death of Giovanni Boccaccio.

Certaldo Alto
The charming medieval upper town, reached on foot in 10 min or by cablecar from the station in the main piazza (2min). built almost entirely of brick, is well preserved despite some damage during the Second World War. All the principal buildings, as well as some attractive houses, face onto Via Boccaccio.
Half-way up on the left is the Casa del Boccaccio (rebuilt in 1947). with a tower and loggia, which was bought and restored in the early 19C by Marchesa Carlotta dei Medici Lenzoni.

Facing onto the little piazza is the church of Santi Michele e Jacopo. The simple brick facade dates from the 1 3C and the interior has been restored to original Romanesque appearance. In a niche is an urn containing the body of Beata Giulia.

Next to the church is a small cloister which gives access to the Museo d’arte Sacra inaugurated in 2001 (open daily 10.00-19.00). The museum has some fine and rare works which include: a monumental 13 C Crucifix; paintings by Meliore, the Bigallo master Puccio di Simone and Ugolino di Nerio most of them removed from churches in the countryside around Certaldo.

At the top of the street is Palazzo Pretorio, originally the castle of the Conti Alberti with its facade decorated with picturesque coats of arms in stone and glazed terracotta which record the Governors (Vicari) sent from Florence. Around the courtyard are the rooms where justice was administered, dungeons, and a chapel with a fresco of Doubting Thomas attributed to Benozzo Gozzoli. Several rooms have Fine doorways, fireplaces and some fresco decoration.

A terraced garden and a walkway overlooking the town walls provide a splendid view stretching from the hills of the Val d’Elsa to San Gimignano.

Leslie Halloran
Please check out my website at: www.lihdesigns.net

“A frog in the well does not know the sea.” – Japanese Proverb

Exhibitions in Lucca

Immagini del suono (images of Sound)
A series of visual experience to accompany the Summer Festival pop concets. All shows are free.

VILLA BOTTINI
Immagini che suonano bene (great sounding images). Upstairs: photos, paintings, drawings, rock’n roll portraits, installations by Lou Reed, David Byrne, Patti Smith, Anton Corbijn etc.
Downstairs: videos.
Reckless Road Marc Canter’s photos of Guns N’Roses.
Open tuesday to sunday 10.00-13.00 and 16.00-19.00 till 29 August.

MUSEO VILLA GUINIGI (the Casermetta)
Via della Quarquonia, 4 tel. 0583 496033.
Love me Fender
Photos, drawings, memorabilia dedicated to Fender guitar. Open tuesday to sunday 10.00-13.00 and 16.00-19.00, till 29 August

GALLERIA 38 Via del Battistero
Wonderful Tonight photographic exhibition.
Shots of the Beatles in India, Jeff Beck, Rolling Stones etc. taken by Pattie Boyd. Open monday to saturday 10.00-13.00 and 16.00 to 19.30, till 29 August.

PALAZZO GUINIGI
Divas: fro the Dolce Vita to the latest scoop photos from a lifetime’s work by Rino Barillari the King of Paparazzi. Open monday to thursday 10.00-13.00 and 17.00-20.00; same hours and also 21.00-23.00 on friday, saturday, sunday. Till 22 August.

Lu.C.C.A Lucca center of Contemporary Art, Via della Fratta 36.
Steve Mc Curry and Pieatro Gilardi Time after Time. Giuliano Ghelli Le vie del tempo. Otto minuti al sole, un minuto dalla luna. Videoart. Closed mondays. Till 5 September.

VIAREGGIO
Centro Matteucci per l’Arte Moderna
Da Fattori a Casorati. Capolavori dalla collezione Ojetti. Experts have meticulously re-assembled the 19th and 20th century Italian masterpiece collection dispersed when the Florentine home of the writer and art critic Ugo Ojetti was turned into a Hotel. Tuesday – saturday 15.30-19.30 Sunday 14.30-20.00 Closed Mondays. Till 12 September.

Tuscany itineraries

Tuscany wine

In vino veritas
Convinced that there is no more sane and simple way to live than the Montecarlo way, you may now be ready to join us on a country tour.
Landscapes that have not been overly re-modelled (sometimes ruined in the process) offer scope for the immagination, for self-expression and creativity. just look around and see what appeals to your taste: Montecarlo DOC reds or whites (especially Trebbiano, Malvasia, Sauvignon, Chardonnay, San Giovese, Canaiolo, Ciliegiolo, Merlot, Pinot, Cabernet, Sirah and Roussanne) and excellent golden olive oil (with an acidity level below 0.4% and an almondy after-taste), for example.

Many Montecarlo events are centered on wine. In mid-May Via Vinaria offers tastings of DOC and IGT wines with a Wine Bus for carefree visits to the Fattorie; Montecarlo in Festa honours the Madonna del Soccorso on 8 september but for 10 days glories in the grape, local gastronomy and cultural and musical entertainment; the Festival of New Wine and Oil takes place on the second wekend in November. Then of course there is the summer Jazz and Wine Festival.

With its surroundin vineyards and olive groves, Montecarlo has existed at least since 1000 AD. Its people moved from a nearby site called Vvinaia (property of the Duchi della Tuscia) after suffering a disastrous attack by the Florentines: soon thereafter in 1333 Carlo IV of boemia founded his “Montecarlo” by building the Fortress. Little has chenged, at least architecturally and agriculturally, since that time. Montecarlo wines were appreciated even in the 16th century, by Pope Paul Farnese III and Gregory XII and many others. In 1999 the wine route became “officially” identified; see www.stradadelvinoeoliolucca.it for more information and enjoy Montecarlo wines in Lucca at Enoteca Calasto (piazza S. Giovanni) and many other fine establishments.

Italian Festival

Barga proclaims itself “the most Scottish town in Italy”. These two articles give some idea why. First, Sonia Ercolini describes the town’s own very special summer “sagra”.

The Barga Fish and Chips Festival started from 23rd July to 19th August. every evening from 7.30 pm onwards you can try out our special fish and chips, fried in the best traditional Barga-Scottish way. As a matter of fact some of the very first restaurants to serve fish and chips in Scotland were opened up by our very own “barghigiani” when they emigrated there at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century.

When many of these emigrants came back to Italy, traditional fish and chips then made its appearance in Barga. In the early 1980’s to honour the history of the Barga emigrants, the barga Sports Association decided to put fish and chips on the menu at the traditional “Muletto” Festival. It was so successful that it gradually became the “Fish and Chips Festival”. Lately the success of the Festival has also been recognised in the UK with coverage in the “The Indipendent” newspapaer and special BBC TV report.

At the Festival, other tasty dishes are served alongside the traditional fish and chips: various first courses, grilled meat, cold dishes and typical home-made cakes and dessert.
The event is held at the Barga Football Stadium the “J. Moscardini Stadium”. The stadium is completely covered so you can eat there even in bad weather.

After dinner, entertainment guaranteed with live music and dancing and special evenings dedicated to piano-bar, karaoke and the 60’s, 70’s and 80’smusic. There is also a special play area where children can enjoy themselves in safety on “bouncy castle” games. Come along and enjoy the fun and the fish and chips.

Web-site: www.asbarga.com

Tuscan cooking

From the beach to the kitchen
A gastronomic competition that can change your life. Aprons girded and utensils at the ready! For the 18th edition of “A tavola sulla spiaggia” the epic clash of fabulous dishes from ancient recipe books and others that valorize traditional on the beach picnic foods at the Roma di levante arena in late August.

Besides tasty tidbits, the event has proved its capability to “dish up” unexpected talents: many of the partecipants in past edition have transformed a hobby into a profession at which they excel. Take Toni Brancatisano, a Pietrasanta resident originally from Australia, the house-wife contender at the 2008 edition who recently took first place at the “La scuola-cucina di classe” gastronomic talent show and now hosts a program on Gambero Rosso Channel.

Or the Roman princess Orietta Boncompagni Ludovisi who in 2006 tickled Forte’s palates with the turquoise cabochon dessert she invented just for fun and went on to author the novel and very popular “Guida delle migliori pizzerie d’Italia”. Or Fabiana Giacomotti, a journalist and writer who delighted us in 2007 with her Mediterranean antipasto and has now launched Dolcelieve, the first-ever line of haute patisserie for gluten intolerants with a sweet tooth.

Web-site: www.atavolasullaspiaggia.it