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Tuscany – Forte dei Marmi

Forte dei Marmi is a sea town and comune in the province of Lucca, in northern Tuscany (Italy).
It is the birthplace of Paola Ruffo di Calabria, Queen of the Belgians.
The census of 2001 states that Forte dei Marmi has 8,444 inhabitants, though population nearly triples during the summer, because of the hundreds of tourist who mainly come from Florence, Milan, Germany, and Russia.
Tourism is the principal activity of Forte dei Marmi’s citizens.
In Italian Forte dei Marmi means Fort of the Marbles. In fact, the town takes its name from the fortress that rises in the middle of the main square, built under Grand Duke Peter Leopold, who was to become Leopold II, Holy Roman Emperor, in 1788.
The fortress was built to defend the coast from outer attacks, but in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century it became the place where the marble quarried from the Alpi Apuane (they are the same mountains of the famous marble of Carrara) was stocked before being sent to the pier for shipping.

Tuscany – Pisa

Pisa is a city in Tuscany, central Italy, on the right bank of the mouth of the Arno River on the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its Leaning Tower, bell tower of the cathedral, the city of over 87,500 residents contains more than 20 other historic churches, several palaces, and various bridges across the Arno River.
The Pelasgi, the Greeks, the Etruscans and the Ligurians have variously been proposed as founders of the city. Archeological remains from the 5th century BC confirmed the existence of a city at the sea, trading with Greeks and Gauls. The presence of an Etruscan necropolis, discovered during excavations in the Arena Garibaldi in 1991, allowed to clarify its Etruscan origins.
Pisa is first of all famous for its artistic and architectural treasures. However, it is often associated only with the Leaning Tower and therefore, underrated.
On the contrary, Pisa is a city of great history and of an enormous artistic wealth: it is much more than its famous tower.
Of course, the Field of Miracles, with the Duomo, the Baptistry, the Monumental Cemetery and the Tower are definitely a must see.
The Museum of the Duomo and the Museum of the Sinopie preserve incredible treasures.

Tuscany – Pietrasanta

Pietrasanta is a town and comune on the coast of northern Tuscany in Italy, in the province of Lucca.
Pietrasanta straddles the last foothills of the Apuan Alps.
The town is located 3 km (1.8 miles) off the coast (where the frazione of Marina di Pietrasanta is located).
Not far in the mainland is the Alpi Apuane massif.
The town has Roman origins and part of the Roman wall still exists.
The area, like most of Tuscany in general, has long enjoyed the patronage of artists. Pietrasanta grew to importance during the 15th century, mainly due to its connection with marble. Michelangelo was the first sculptor to recognize the beauty of the local stone.
Today, the Colombian painter and sculptor Fernando Botero as well as the Polish sculptor Igor Mitoraj and Polish F1 driver Robert Kubica have residences in the comune.

Tuscany recipe: “Pollo del vignaiolo”

Ingredients:
1 chicken weighing about 1 kg;
one bottle of Montecarlo Bianco wine;
one 400 g (approx.) bunch of Trebbiano Toscano grapes;
a little podere cinnamon;
3 glasses of brandy, salt, pepper, a little white flour, some bay leale.
Marinade the grapes in the brandy and cinnamon.
Place the grapes inside the chicken and close the opening. Add salt and pepper and brown the chicken in a saucepan with the bay leale.
When it is well browned, add a glass of wine and continue to cook for about 40 minutes in the oven.
Baste woth glasses of wine to keep it moist.
Carve, place on a serving dish and surround it with the grapes and sauce made by adding the flour and glass of wine to the coking juices.

Tuscany – The Rebirth of a Mediaeval Country Road

Below the village of Collodi Castello i san old stone road. Some say it was built on the foundation of a Roman road no one is quite sure. The stones were straight and true. I always fondere where they had been quarried as they were creamy in color, not at all like the brown shale-like rocks that are always in a state of downward movement in our part of Castello.
Laid down over a thousand years ago, it was a miracle the road had lasted so long.
After the “Great War” it had been the principl passageway for farmers to bring their wares – wine, grain, olive oil to Pescia to sell while avoiding the dogana (custom station) on the Via pesciatina down below the village. The fermers would tie thick cloths over the feet of their mules or horses so as not to make any suspicious clip-clopping noises on the stone surface that might give their secret passage away.
The road had always served the villagers of Castello and neighboring San Gennaro as the short cut to the city of Pescia. Yet, with all this traffic the road remained straight and true.