tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57002945076716306232024-03-05T05:28:58.192-08:00Tuscany 2024 - things to see and do when you visit TuscanyTuscany, Italy - what to see and where to stay when you visit Tuscany, ItalyJack Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04301452854939162281noreply@blogger.comBlogger202125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-66686038076157969802024-01-16T05:05:00.000-08:002024-01-16T05:28:46.233-08:00The Crystal Museum in Colle di Val d'Elsa reopens 2024Colle di Val d'Elsa is a town of 20,000 people located above the valley of the river Elsa on the route of the ancient Via Francigena,
the mediaeval highway frequented by pilgrims and merchants travelling to Rome from Canterbury and elsewhere in northern Europe.The main gate of Colle di Val d'ElsaThe Crystal Museum in Colle di Val d'Elsa opened in 2001 and is the only one of its kind in Italy. Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-65254054856018566812024-01-14T13:42:00.000-08:002024-01-14T13:46:27.458-08:00Pieve di San CresciThe Italian word "pieve" means "parish church" in English, and the pievi of Chianti are in many ways a similar phenomenon to the ubiquitous Norman churches of England. They were built in large numbers during the period of rapid population growth that took place in Tuscany at the end of the Dark Age (the Early Mediaeval period), from roughly the year 950 onward, and they are dotted, often in ruinsAnna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-86938382270251652302023-10-14T09:26:00.011-07:002023-11-03T04:39:44.227-07:00Newly renovated Vasari Corridor opens to all in May 2024The newly renovated Vasari Corridor will open to all in May 2024. As my always intelligent and attentive readers will know, access to the Vasari Corridor, which runs from the Palazzo Vecchio, via the Uffici Galleries and over the Ponte Vecchio, to the Pitti Palace in Florence, has always been problematic. The renovated corridor re-opens 450 years after the death of its creators: the Grand Duke Jack Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04301452854939162281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-54536041872272632882023-03-25T07:15:00.010-07:002023-03-25T07:37:51.835-07:00The traditional start of the new year in Florence - 25 March.The 25th of March is the ancient Florentine New Year's Day and, in fact, it marked the beginning of the new year in Florence until as recently as 1750. The Grand Duke Francis III of Lorraine changed the date of the New Year into conformity with the Gregorian calendar, which had already been in force in the rest of Italy since 1582. The 25th of March is the day on which the Church commemorates theAnna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-14120929948980454172023-01-19T20:40:00.000-08:002023-01-23T04:30:37.699-08:00Visit Tuscany in winter
Winter in Tuscany - it's not always this snowy!
Now seems an appropriate moment to discuss the question of whether to visit Tuscany in winter. The final answer will be a strong 'yes', but let's look at the details. Cons first. Days are short, meaning that you're likely to set out and return from a day of sightseeing in the dark. Weather can be very cold so gloves, scarves and warm coats are Jack Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04301452854939162281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-84169842999482837192022-11-08T08:54:00.005-08:002022-11-09T06:34:26.486-08:00Roman bronze statues discovered at San Casciano dei Bagni in TuscanyA few days ago in November 2022, a dramatic discovery was made at the excavations being undertaken at the Tuscan town of San Casciano dei Bagni in the province of Sienna. In fact, the largest deposit of bronze statues from the Etruscan and Roman ages ever discovered in Italy and one of the most significant in the whole of the Mediterranean has been found. At least 24 bronze statues, each roughly Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-14209165748830047142022-08-15T13:34:00.002-07:002022-11-09T04:12:50.577-08:00Excellent 2022 Chianti wine vintage coming up Today we had another heavy rainfall here in Chianti, just 3-5 weeks before the Chianti vendemmia is due to begin, exactly when it was wished for. Already in June we knew that vines planted in Chianti indicated a bumper crop of grapes after five years of decline. Then the drought hit and growers became increasingly nervous. At first they hoped for a small but concentrated Chianti grape Jack Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04301452854939162281noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-17439978585865535402022-07-10T13:59:00.008-07:002022-07-10T14:30:14.845-07:00Things to see in LuccaLast Saturday, when temperatures were down slightly, I paid a visit to Lucca, that lovely walled town in the west of Tuscany. I had forgotten just how pleasant Lucca is for a stroll - so compact, beautiful, full of things to see and virtually free of motorised vehicles within the walls. Partial view of Lucca within the walls.The main things to see in Lucca are described on the Lucca Tourist Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-24014918910769336482022-07-02T23:47:00.000-07:002022-07-04T04:07:53.916-07:00Mercantia at Certaldo, Tuscany, one of the best street theatre festivals in EuropeMercantia, one of the best street theatre festivals in Europe, takes place this year, 2022, from 13 to 16 July in the attractive mediaeval walled town of Certaldo, Tuscany. Certaldo consists of the ancient Certalo Alto, on its hilltop, and Certaldo Basso, the modern part of the town in the valley below. Certaldo is very likely the place where Boccaccio was born and he certainly lived there Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-31611267534176713972022-06-09T11:51:00.004-07:002022-06-09T11:52:50.290-07:00Calcio Storico Fiorentino 2022The 2022 Calcio Storico Fiorentino, that brutal competition among four Florentine teams, begins tomorrow, Friday 10 June 2022, with the semifinals taking place on Friday 10 June and Saturday 11 June instead of on Saturday and Sunday because a national referendum takes place held on Sunday the 12 June. The final takes place as always on 24 June 2022.I guess almost every one has heard of the CalcioAnna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-82819917121427887632022-06-02T05:51:00.002-07:002022-06-25T02:23:55.634-07:00Covid regulations for visitors to Italy - all restrictions lifted 1 June 2022UPDATE 1 June 2022"As of 1 June, 2022, a Green Pass or equivalent certificate is no longer needed to enter Italy," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation tells us, "All Covid-19 related entry restrictions have been lifted."From June 16, 2022, it is mandatory to use FFP2 masks to access and use the following means of transport within Italy: ships and ferries used for Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-73973368598777590092022-05-19T08:14:00.003-07:002022-05-19T15:42:47.024-07:00Open day of the villas and gardens in Florence 22 May 2022Those of you who are enthusiasts for the villas and gardens of Tuscany have a great opportunity on Sunday 22 May 2022 to visit a great many of the villas and gardens that are usually closed to the public. Entrance is free. I can't emphasise enough what a wonderful opportunity this is to see some splendid architecture and historical gardens.
Palazzo Corsini and its garden in Florence
Open Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-50036804734231732202022-05-18T12:49:00.001-07:002022-05-19T15:40:45.957-07:00Open gardens day in Florence: Cortili e Giardini Aperti a FirenzeAs my faithful readers will remember, I am an enthusiast for the formal gardens of Tuscany, especially those of the larger villas of Tuscany. I therefore always look forward to Open gardens day in Florence (Cortili e Giardini Aperti a Firenze) which in 2022, takes place on 22 May, when the private gardens of Florence are open to the public - see the list here. In 2018, I took the opportunity to Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-26039764771719156162022-05-17T07:44:00.005-07:002022-05-17T14:46:32.777-07:00Donatello exhibition in FlorenceThis year's block-buster exhibition in Florence is dedicated to Donatello and goes under the not unjustifiably immodest name of "Donatello, the Renaissance." As for some of the previous exhibitions at the Palazzo Strozzi, the Donatello show is partially housed also at the Bargello (separate ticket required). Opening hours are 10 am to 8 pm every day except Thursday when the doors remain open Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-23191962587021249602022-05-10T07:21:00.002-07:002022-05-12T18:32:55.472-07:00When do the poppies appear in Tuscany?
Wild flowers in Tuscany.
This is the time of year when many readers ask me, "When do the poppies appear in Tuscany?" Of course, the exact time varies a bit from year to year, but right now, the end of April and beginning of May, is the time to see poppies and many, many other species of wild flowers in Tuscany. This is basically because April is one of the two rainy months in Tuscany (the Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-86712904633003310542022-05-08T05:54:00.003-07:002022-05-08T06:03:52.307-07:00Anglo-American Florence since the mid 19th CenturyNot everyone realises just how small Florence was in the mid-19th Century compared with today. The city walls were still intact. The latter weren't demolished until between 1865 and 1871 when Florence was provisional capital of Italy. I recently came across a provincial map dating from 1841. To the NE, Florence more or less ended just behind the railway station!Florence in 1841During the second Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-25557998146705065322022-05-07T06:45:00.001-07:002022-07-12T01:43:02.737-07:00Palazzo Chigi Zondadari in Sienna opens to the publicEveryone visiting the main piazza of Sienna, especially during the Palio, will have seen, although perhaps not particularly noticed, the Palazzo Chigi Zondadari which is located on the higher side of the Piazza del Campo and provides the perfect view of the Palio. However, very few know that the interior of this palazzo is spectacularly decorated and furnished.From 8 May 2022, the Palazzo Chigi Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-26115394239061394292022-05-04T19:34:00.001-07:002022-08-07T02:47:43.305-07:00Events and festivals in Tuscany during 2022The new year has begun and now is the moment to think about events and festivals in Tuscany during 2022. If you're planning a trip to Tuscany, do look at our lists of folkloric festivals, jousts, archery and crossbow contests and numerous other events that take place in Tuscany during the course of the year. These range from the massive float parades of the Carnevale in Viareggio through the Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-22806044081923117112022-04-27T16:36:00.012-07:002022-05-19T23:46:49.321-07:00Who was Mona Lisa? "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da VinciThe question of who was Mona Lisa has occupied scholars for at least 150 years, more or less since Leonardo da Vinci's painting, known in English as "Mona Lisa", became the most famous painting on the planet - before that time it was well-known but not as highly esteemed as it became. The subject of the painting is widely believed to be Lisa del Giocondo who Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-88593355804645438882022-04-02T07:28:00.002-07:002022-04-02T07:28:19.401-07:00Free entry to state museums in Florence on the first Sunday of each month
Starting on the 3rd of April, 2022, there will be free access for all visitors to state museums, archaeological parks and cultural sites in Florence and elsewhere in Tuscany on the first Sunday of the every month. This might not apply to municipal museums and other sights that belong to the city of Florence. Florence is one of several cities in Italy that have had, for several years, a Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-54804159496878257882022-03-20T08:45:00.004-07:002022-03-20T08:50:42.005-07:00Beavers re-appear in the wild in TuscanyThe wild life of Tuscany is by no means static. For example, several species of deer plus wild boar were rare in the Chianti Classico wine zone of Tuscany 80 year ago. They're now so common as to be a pest to the extent that most vineyards are have to be surrounded by high mess fences to keep them out. Now that these ungulate populations are out of control, wolves have made an appearance over theAnna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-7597025398163318622022-03-18T11:18:00.001-07:002022-03-20T03:45:11.108-07:00Chianti wine festival at Montespertoli
The Chianti wine festival at Montespertoli is coming up (28 May to 5 June 2022) and as usual it will be an entertaining occasion with a procession of locals dressed up in 19th century costumes and, of course, lots of wine to taste. This wine festival is unusual in the number of street musicians and costumed bands who, along with Tuscan flag throwers and street actors, turn out to provide Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-72514949898281923992022-03-08T17:51:00.003-08:002022-05-19T07:46:30.964-07:00Upcoming Chianti wine festivalsOn 28 and 29 May 2022, there is a wine tasting event taking place in the attractive village of Radda in Chianti - Radda nel Bichiere. Earlier in the year, on the first weekend of June 2022, there is another one in Lamole in Chianti, I Profumi di Lamole. And the Chianti wine festival takes place in Montespertoli from 28 May to 5 June 2022. To take in some or all of these wine tasting occasions, Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-20890900197551688742022-03-06T10:27:00.013-08:002022-03-08T09:09:31.483-08:00The Medici. Masters of Florence. Use of digital backgrounds to re-create Renaissance Florence.The TV series "I Medici" premiered on Italian television in 2016. I haven't had a chance to watch the whole series but I was greatly entertained to see in some clips how they re-created Renaissance scenes using digital composites. I'll show one or two here and add some more in due course.Here's a scene which represents one of the gates of Florence during Renaissance times.A scene of Florence fromAnna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5700294507671630623.post-42810511090951651432022-02-20T09:34:00.004-08:002022-05-20T02:51:29.331-07:00The Roman origin of the street plan of central FlorenceI think everyone knows that Florence was founded by the Romans - and not by the Etruscans, who established themselves in the cooler heights at Fiesole. Perhaps not everyone is aware of the Roman origin of the street plan of central Florence.Florence was founded by the veterans of Julius Caesar's legions, to whom, in 46 BC, under the Lex Julia Agraria, cultivatable land was assigned as part of Anna Maria Baldinihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01220442525856002356noreply@blogger.com