I am still working on the itinerary for the Canadian crew which is supposed to come film lavender fields and olive groves on Sunday. I have to say that this has been a really interesting experience because I have had a chance to look at the area of Tuscany where we live with different eyes and I have found out that… as a matter of fact… there are a few farms actually growing and processing lavender!

I have always told our guests that lavender is used in gardens but not as a proper cultivation as in Provence, but looking for places to film I have discovered that over the last few years several farmers have started cultivating lavender.

Today I have visited another of these farms, and beside the stunning location on the top of a hill overlooking on one side the plains of the Maremma down to the coast and on the other the Val d’Orcia hills and the Monte Amiata, this is what I have learnt:

• lavender is a plant that doesn’t need much work, except for keeping the fields clean. It doesn’t need to be watered, quite the opposite: it dies if the soil is too humid.
• it is in bloom in early to mid July.
• it is used to make many products such as lavender extract, body creams, detergents and soaps. It is also used dried as a perfume for wardrobes and underwear.
• bees love it, so it’s the ideal setting for beehives where an excellent honey is produced (I was given a jar!)
• apparently my dog loves it too… she must have sniffed every single bush!!!
• there are different types of lavender, that differ in the shape of the leaves and flowers but also in their colour (more or less purple/bluish) and smell.
• in the Maremma there is a variety of wild lavender that grows spontaneously: people who decide to grow lavender look for the presence of spontaneous plants before planting the “domestic” variety to see if the terrain is potentially good.
• selling lavender and lavender products in Italy is very difficult. Apparently the larger factories who make lavender-based products don’t buy flowers from the local producers. Only 10% of what they need comes from Italian lavender farms and the rest is imported. However since the transformation is carried out in Italy, they still have the right to say that their products are made in Italy…

If you want to discover how lavender is grown and processed in Tuscany, contact us! We can arrange half day and full day visits to several lavender farms!

Most people visit the monumental complex of Piazza dei Miracoli and leave. Others venture farther away from the Leaning Tower and visit Piazza dei Cavalieri and Borgo Stretto. Most people who say they have visited some museums as well have probably only visited Museo dell’Opera del Duomo and maybe Museo delle Sinopie.

There are, however, many other interesting museums in the city. One that is quite famous is Museo di San Matteo, which houses the works of art of  leading 12th-17th century Pisan and Tuscan artists and a rich collection of archaeological treasures. I visited it a few years back, and for some reason, the part I loved the most and which I remember best was the part dedicated to sacred art. I especially loved the wooden sculptures, the large medieval wooden Crosses, and the paintings of the Virgin Mary. One in particular amazed me: the painting of a young, pregnant mother of Jesus, a very unusual image in the Italian Roman Catholic tradition. The building itself is quite interesting too.

Another “minor” museum is Palazzo Reale. For many it is already surprising that Pisa has a “Royal Palace” to begin with. The palace was designed by Buontalenti in the 16th century and was home to the reigning families of Medici, Lorena and Savoia for centuries. The museum is interesting because of both the furnishing and design typical of a Renaissance noble residence and the works of art that it houses. In this museum, I especially liked the tapestries which once belonged to the Medici family and a beautiful polyptych of San Nicola da Tolentino, painted by a young Raphael in 1500.

Throughout the city, there are several other interesting museums and galleries. Palazzo Lanfranchi houses Museo della Grafica (the museum of graphic art). The building also hosts exhibitions on a regular basis. I loved the one dedicated to Keith Haring a few years back.

The newest “cool place to be if you like art” is Palazzo Blu. It is a recently renovated building housing a permanent collection and really nice temporary exhibitions. At the moment, there is an interesting exhibition about the French-Tuscan expedition to Egypt led by the Pisan archaeologist Ippolito Rosellini in 1828-29. An impressive collection of more than 200 archaological finds and watercolour paintings. At the beginning of this year, they hosted a fantastic exhibition devoted to Chagal and the Mediterranean Sea. Palazzo Blu is also home to a specialized bookstore selling art catalogs and art books.

Finally, the minor university museums. The Domus Galileana is well worth a visit: it houses a great library which contains manuscripts by Galileo and other famous physicists such as Enrico Fermi and Antonio Pacinotti. Another interesting collection is that contained in the “Gipsoteca” of the University of Pisa. A “gipsoteca” is a collection of plaster casts. The university collection includes casts of famous works of art used from the 18th century on to teach archaeology and art students.

Last, but not least, a gallery that only very few people know of: CentroArteModerna, a gallery of contemporary art. They have hosted a number of really interesting exhibitions dedicated to contemporary artists and  are appreciated art catalog publishers.

Happy Art Wednesday!!!

I grew up in a small village in Tuscany with corner stores and family-run grocery stores. My grandfather was a farmer, and my father has always helped out in the countryside, even though, until recently, that was not his real job. When I am in Civitella I know where my food comes from. I know where the meat sold at the butcher’s is produced and butchered. I know the person who makes the bread and the person who makes the flour. I know the people who provide vegetables and fruit to the greengrocer’s shop. My father has hens and chickens, lots of fruit trees, a large vegetable garden, vineyards and olive trees, so I know where our meat, eggs, fruit and vegetables, wine and olive oil come from. We really buy very little.

When we are in Pisa, on the other hand, we buy meat at the supermarket, and I am never very impressed. I still remember the first time I bought chicken… I was 19 and with one bite I was left with a bare bone in my hand. I promise real chicken is not supposed to be like that. And it definitely doesn’t taste like that. I am always shocked when chicken meat or pork releases water when you put it in the pan… That tells me that those animals were fed very unhealthy stuff, and now we are eating it.

I think more and more people are starting to notice these things are becoming more and more aware of what they eat. I have recently come across a “new old habit“: “la latteria“, the milk shop.

Up to the late ’80s, the village had a milk shop. A lady would sell you fresh milk delivered to the shop that very morning by local producers. You had to bring your own bottle. Over time, the milk shops closed, fresh milk was sold in milk cartons, and long-life milk became more and more popular. I always use it, but it’s nothing like the milk I used to drink when I was a kid.

The good news is that the “latteria“ is coming back, even though it has a much more “industrial” face. Milk producers throughout Italy have created an association which has opened shops throughout the country where you can go with your own glass bottle and get your raw milk from large taps. From the cow to the table, they say. This is known as “filiera corta”, literally the “short spinneret”, or as prodotti a km 0, literally products that are produced less than 1km away, all catch phrases for local products, what was once known as dal produttore al consumatore (from producer to consumer). You might find this phrase in restaurant menus more and more often.

Here is the website where you can find the closest latteria: buy milk from the producer in Italy.

The advantages? Well, the milk is 40% cheaper (you can save 40 to 60 cents per liter) and it’s fresh. The milk that is not sold on the day it is delivered goes back to the dairy and is used to make ricotta and other types of cheese. The milk is not treated, so it contains more vitamins and proteins than pasteurized milk, and it tastes better.You know who the producer is, and if you want, you can go check how the cows are kept, what they eat, how they live, etc.

The disadvantages? The milk is raw, and even if it is scrupulously controlled to ensure that it’s healthy and that none of the major pathogens are present, it might still be more difficult to digest than pasteurized milk for some people. What’s more, it has a very short life: it should not be kept for more than 24 hours, unless you boil it of course.

Another huge advantage of bringing latterie back to life is that buying milk directly from the producer with your own glass bottle is an environmentally wise choice. Every family uses an average of 365 milk cartons or plastic bottles per year. By using your own glass bottle, you have a double advantage: you help your wallet and the environment.

The political and social movement that led to the unification of Italy in 1861 is known as “Risorgimento“, the Resurgence. Many will have heard the names of the most famous players of the Risorgimento: all Italian cities have devoted streets and squares to their memory. Garibaldi, Mazzini, Cavour, Vittorio Emanuele II, Bixio and many more.

Many more men.

On February 9, in Livorno, history will be rectified with the presentation of a dvd dedicated to “Il Risorgimento delle Donne“, “Women’s Resurgence”, created by Annalisa Costagli and Giacomo Verde, and sponsored by the Region (Regione Toscana).

Even if their names rarely made it into history books, many women fought so that Italy could become a unified country. Besides heroic Anita Garibaldi and the controversial Countess di Castiglione, Virginia Oldoini, many other women were involved in the Risorgimento. They were not necessarily noble women, but also women of the lower- and middle-classes. They were active members of the secret societies such as Carboneria, and supported Mazzini’s ideas and in liberalism.

Some women contributed with simple but meaningful actions. Mrs. Sgarallino in Livorno used to secretly sew tricolour Italian flags, despite the ban imposed by the Grand Duke of Tuscany. Many cured the wounded left on the field after the battles, and it was maybe some of these women helping out after the Battle of Solferino who inspired Henry Dunant to start what today is the Red Cross. Others, like Rose Montmasson, Crispi’s wife, literally fought battles. Disguised in men clothes, she was the only woman to participate in the “Spedizione dei Mille“, (“the Thousand” or Redshirts),  the expedition led by Garibaldi. Other women were intellectuals who wrote in journals and debated in literary salons, like Angelica Palli Bartolommei in Livorno or Cristina Trivulzio Belgiojoso, publisher and journalist whose contribution to the Cinque Giornate di Milano (Five Days of Milan) was inestimable.

Here is a link to the video about the women who participated in the Risorgimento.

Inspired by the many top 10 lists I’ve seen over the last few days, I’ve decided to publish mine too!

10 interesting books about Tuscany published in 2009

1. 100 Places in Italy Every Woman Should Go (Travelers’ Tales) by Susan Van Allen. I found this book really great. It’s a thematic selections of places that every woman should see. A really well-researched book, and a lovely present for your girlfriends.
2. Secrets from my Tuscan kitchen by Judy Witts Franciny, a great cook book written by an experienced chef and teacher.
3. Pathways of Chance, by David Peat. It is the biography of the physicist F. David Peat, from his boyhood in an eccentric family in wartime Liverpool, to the swinging sixties of the Beatles, his years in Canada, and finally settling in a medieval hill top village of Pari in Tuscany.
4. Reading the White Stone: Travels Through the Italian Marble Quarries by David Macfarlane. It’s an interesting overview of the life in the mountains near Carrara, where marble is extracted.
5. Rick Steves’ Snapshot Hill Towns of Central Italy: Including Siena & Assisi (Rick Steves Snapshot) by Rick Steves. Of course he does not need a presentation, and I have to admit that in the past, I was not very enthusiastic about his work. But this guidebook is nice, even if it pushes always the most popular ones, other than proposing some less travelled and equally beautiful hilltop towns. I liked the idea behind the book.
6. Tuscany by Alistair Moffat. It’s a diachronic account of what makes Tuscany so popular among the British people. An interesting historical overview.
7. Treading Grapes: Walking Through the Vineyards of Tuscany by Rosemary George. It’s a nice book, that reads like a travel journal about a journey in the wine industry.
8. Encyclopedia of Pasta (California Studies in Food and Culture)by Oretta Zanini de Vita. This is a really interesting book about all the different types of pasta, with substantial and terminological differences.
9. Tomato Rhapsody: A Fable of Love, Lust & Forbidden Fruit by Adam Schell. It’s a novel, a weird, interesting book. A nice read.
10. A Castle in Tuscany: The Remarkable Life of Janet Ross by Sarah Benjamin. The story of a remarkable character, one of the first “expats in Tuscany”!

10 beautiful photos of Tuscany taken in 2009

1. A beautiful shot of the Maremma
2. A  dramatic area of Tuscany, the Apual Alps
3. Piazza dei Miracoli in Pisa without the Leaning Tower
4. A beautiful set of landscapes of Tuscany
5. What is left of the marshes of the Maremma, la Diaccia Botrona
6. A set of photos of the Maremma, for those who don’t know that it’s a hilly region!
7. Quintessential Tuscany
8. A spring shot at my house in the countryside
9. Olive tree in bloom
10. The colours of Autumn

10 movies shot in Tuscany between 2000 and 2009

1. New Moon (2009) – shot in Montepulciano… which in the movie is actually Volterra…
2. The certified copy (2010) by Abbas Kiarostami, not yet released.
3. Miracle at St. Anna (2008), by S. Lee
4. Quantum of Solace (2008), by M. Forster
5. A room with a view (2007), by N. Renton
6. Unrelated (2007), by J. Hogg
7. Under the Tuscan Sun (2003), by A. Wells
8. Ciao America (2002) by F. Ciota
9. Hannibal (2001), by R. Scott
10. Gladiator (2000), by R. Scott

10 undiscovered spots in Tuscany to visit in 2010

1. The Alta Maremma, the hills between Siena and the plains of the Maremma. Unspoilt countryside, beautiful hamlet, natural hot springs, castles, abbeys and great food and wine.
2. Maremma Nature Park and the Tuscan archipelago (Isola del Giglio is amazing!) You can take day cruises from Castiglione della Pescaia. The dunes in Marina di Grosseto are also a unique spot.
3. Monte Amiata, the highest mountain in Tuscany, an undiscovered area of the region, very different from the most popular areas. Charming secluded towns, forests, walking trails, ancient countryside parishes, breathtaking views over the Val d’Orcia and the Maremma. Sky runs in the winter, cool picninc areas in the summer.
4. Val di Merse and the mysterious Abbey of San Galgano, home to the “sword of the stone“: the Arthurian legends probably originated here. This is a photo of the Abbey after the snowfall of a few weeks ago.
5. Petriolo Hot Springs and the beautiful medieval hilltop village of Pari, perfectly preserved.
6. Montemassi, Roccatederighi and il Sassoforte: ancient hilltop villages with stunning views over the Maremma.
7. The fascinating area of the Monti Pisani, the hills around Pisa, that include beautiful tows like Buti, Calci (home to a great Certosa), and Vicopisano.
8. Val di Cecina, the area comprised between Volterra, Pisa and the coast. Less popular than the Val d’Orcia, it has an extremely similar feel.
9. Media Valle del Serchio, between Lucca and the Garfagnana. It’s a great area.
10. Casentino, near Arezzo. A hilly area covered in forests, home to Saint Francis’ la Verna and to a nature park.

I guess I have always been proud of being a Tuscan woman. Tuscany is a great place to live, and one of the most beautiful places in the world, both for its landscapes and for its city-scapes, for its art and for its culture.

November 30 is Festa della Toscana (Tuscany Day). The festivity is recent: it has only been celebrated since 2001, but the occasion is quite remarkable. Today, Tuscany celebrates the 223rd anniversary since Grand Duke Pietro Leopoldo abolished the death penalty and torture in 1786. Tuscany was the first “country” (it was an independent country back then) to end capital punishment, and this, I believe, is a good reason to be very proud.

Pietro Leopoldo believed that death penalty and torture were practices “convenient only to barbarian people”, and 223 years ago, a similar stance was certainly a progressive way of thinking. It still is.

For those who never miss a chance to try inexpensive traditional food, drink good wine and dance in an Italian square with the locals, here is a list of the sagre in Tuscany in the month of June.

For those who like “tortelli“, large ravioli with ricotta and spinach, here are some sagre dedicated to this type of pasta:

• Sagra del tordello d’oro, Strettoia, Pietrasanta (Lucca), June 1, 2, 5 and 7. The specialty is the “tordello” with meat sauce.
• Sagra del tortello, Sieci (Florence), June 11-21.
• Sagra del tortello, Ronta (Florence), June 13-14 and 20-21.
• Sagra del tortello, Monterotondo (Grosseto), June 26-28.

For mushroom lovers, even if they are not summer products, here is a list of mushroom-related festivals:

• Sagra del fungo porcino, Palazzolo di Incisa Valdarno (Florence), June 5-7 and 12-14. Porcini mushrooms are the protagonists of this sagra.
• Sagra del fungo prugnolo, Firenzuola (Florence), June 6-7. Prugnolo mushrooms, music and good wine.
• Sagra del fungo porcino, Casia di Reggello (Florence), June 19-28.
• Sagra del tartufo, Cellai (Florence), June 6-7, 12-14, 19-21 and 26-28. Festival dedicated to truffle.

For soups and “minestre” lovers:

• Sagra della zuppa contadina (farmer’s soup festival), Piano del Quercione (Lucca), June 5-7, 12-14, 19-21 and 26-28.
• Sagra della minestra di pane (ribollita), Vitolini-Vinci (Florence), June 20-21.
• Zuppa di cavolo (cabbage soup) e coniglio fritto alla fabbrichese (fried rabbit), Fabbrica di Peccioli (Pisa), July 4-5 and 11-12.

More unusual tastes:

• Sagra del pinolo (pine nut festival), Chiesanuova Val di Pesa (Florence), June 5-14. Festival dedicated to a traditional dessert called “pinocchiata” or “croccante di pinoli”, pine-nut brittle.
• Festa del pesce (seafood festival), Caletta di Castiglioncello (Livorno), June 13-14. The festival is mostly famous for the “padellone”, a large 4 m wide frying pan containing 850 liters of oil used to fry fish.
• Sagra del pesce (seafood festival), Agliana (Pistoia), June 29.
• Sagra della schiacciata (focaccia), Buti (Pisa), June 1-2 and 6-7.
• Sagra della Pizza, Ponte a Egola (Pisa), June 13-21.
• Sagra del Ciaffagione (sort of a rustic pancake, typical of the village), San Casciano dei Bagni (Pisa), June 13-14 and 20-21.
• Sagra estiva della focaccetta, Quercia di Aulla (Massa), July 3-5.
• Sagra del bico (a type of bread), Cetona (Siena), June 26-28 and Junly 3-5.
• Sagra della lumaca (snail), Poggio Murella, Manciano (Grosseto), June 12-14 (suggested by Donna of MaremmaGuide.com – Thank you!).

Finally, two festivals that focus on a series of traditional dishes of the area in which they take place:

• Sagra della miseria (the festival of poverty), Colle Val d’Elsa (Siena), June 6-7, 13-14, 20-21 and 27-28. The festival is dedicated to the “cucina povera toscana”, the humblest dishes of the local tradition such as cured meats, ribollita, panzanella, tripe, beans, bruschette and home-made desserts.
• Festa della Fame e della Sete (the festival of hunger and thirst), Filattiera (Massa), June 25-28. Traditional food of the Lunigiana.

I have just found about this amazing site. It’s called Arounder and it contains a selection of great 360° views of a lot of cities.

There are amazing 360° views of Florence and Pisa. The virtual tour of Piazza dei Miracoli at dusk is incredible. That’s when the piazza is at its best: so quiet and romantic! Also, the virtual tour of Pisa from the top of the Leaning Tower is really cool! You can see the roof of Behind the Tower!

There are also virtual tours of other Italian cities, like Rome, Milan, Venice, Parma, Turin and Verona.

Really, really a great idea! Enjoy!