Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Tuesday, 17 January 2012
Warm Christmas and New Year weather in Chianti
Well, we had great weather from mid-December into January this year. The days were very short, of course, but from 10.30 am until 2.30 pm, I routinely sat out on my terrace without a jacket, that's how warm the sunshine was. As soon as a shadow fell, it was very cold. In other words, cold ambient temperature but lots of radiant heat. At night I kept the fire going in the kitchen. A friend in Florence told me that they had several deluges there but here in the country there was just a bit of drizzle every now and again.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Tuesday, 20 December 2011
Public swimming pool in Tuscany
If your accommodations in Tuscany don't offer a pool, you might well feel like cooling off and/or relaxing at a public swimming pool in Tuscany. The municipal pools in Greve in Chianti are highly recommended. The two outdoor pools, one for small children, are spotlessly clean and sun umbrellas and comfortable plastic chairs are available. The two indoor pools are reserved for swimming classes, clubs etc. The Greve pools are located a 15 minute walk (flat, not hilly!) from the main piazza of Greve. That's one hour by bus or 45 minutes by car from Florence.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| Greve in Chianti public swimming pool in Tuscany |
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Wednesday, 7 December 2011
The village of Calcata near Rome, Italy
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| The village of Calcata near Rome, Italy |
The fortified village of Calcata, Italy is not in Tuscany, but rather it is near Rome. Nevertheless, we mention it here because of our interest in castles and fortified villages. Calata in on the outshirts of the Valle del Treja Natural Park which is an easy 40 km drive from Rome. The village is a large castle that stands high up on a tuffa volcanic plug. The fortifications, especially the gate passage, are extremely well-preserved and the entire village is worth exploring. The population consists largely of "fricchettoni" meaning roughly "freaks", artists, bohemians, aging hippies and New Age types, with their associated galleries and cafes. These latter might or might not appear to you, but Calcata is definitely worth a visit if you are in the region of Lake Bracciano.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Tuscan events and festivals
Visitors planning their trips to Tuscany will probably be keen to attend any Tuscan festivals and events coinciding with their vacation dates and location. Some of these festivals are spectacularly good and even the smallest of village festas are fun and provide an insight into life in Tuscany.
Here's a link to an example of a local mediaeval festival known as “A cena da Messer Boccaccio”, a mediaeval dinner taking place in Certaldo. And I have reported on the great mediaeval costume festival at Monteriggioni here.
The major festivals are described at: Annual Festivals and Events in Tuscany.
As comprehensive a list as is possible of events in Tuscany (there are literarily thousands of festivals every year in Tuscany) is give at: Events in Tuscany.
Another way to enter into Tuscan life a bit is to buy your supplies at the nearest weekly open air market - or at least go there and have a look around. Markets are very informative about life in the community you're visiting! A list of the days of the week when these open air markets are held is give at: Market Days in Tuscany.
For those of you interested in Renaissance art, perhaps read my review of the 2013 Palazzo Strozzi exhibition, "The Springtime of the Renaissance".
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| Flag throwing at a Tuscan festival |
Here's a link to an example of a local mediaeval festival known as “A cena da Messer Boccaccio”, a mediaeval dinner taking place in Certaldo. And I have reported on the great mediaeval costume festival at Monteriggioni here.
The major festivals are described at: Annual Festivals and Events in Tuscany.
As comprehensive a list as is possible of events in Tuscany (there are literarily thousands of festivals every year in Tuscany) is give at: Events in Tuscany.
Another way to enter into Tuscan life a bit is to buy your supplies at the nearest weekly open air market - or at least go there and have a look around. Markets are very informative about life in the community you're visiting! A list of the days of the week when these open air markets are held is give at: Market Days in Tuscany.
For those of you interested in Renaissance art, perhaps read my review of the 2013 Palazzo Strozzi exhibition, "The Springtime of the Renaissance".
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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Tuscany tourist information - tourist information
Sunday, 4 December 2011
Brolio Castle
Castello di Brolio in Chianti or Brolio Castle, as it is known in English, is one of the most famous inhabited castles in Chianti, indeed, in all of Tuscany. This is quite strange in a sense because although a manor house or castle has been documented on the site since before the year 1000, the current structure is in large part a mid 19th century product of the Gothic Revival. Even the gardens are 19th century, despite one part being in 16th century italianate style. Brolio Castle has been the property of the Ricasoli family more or less continuously since 1141. The most famous member of this family was Baron Ricasoli, an important politician in the early days of the newly united Italy and also an agronomist who systematised a grape blend that remained the definition of Chianti wine for more than 150 years.
The gardens and ramparts of the Castello di Brolio can be visited for free and the views are definitely spectacular. The chapel and museum of Brolio Castle require a ticket, and there is also a wine tour. Whether either of these tours are worth the money draws mixed reviews.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| Brolio Castle depicted on the map of the Capitani di Parte Guelfa, 1595 |
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Tuscan culinary specialities
There's an excellent page devoted to Tuscan culinary specialities on the Greve in Chianti web site that's worth a look. It provides a brief introduction to the following topics with links to more comprehensive information.
Tuscan olive oil - some good advice on making sure that your olive oil is the real thing. There seems to be a certain amount of low grade oil, some of it not originating from olives, on the market labelled as extra virgin olive oil.
Tuscan bread - unsalted and misunderstood.
Schiacciata con l'uva - a delicious sweet version of focacci, a kind of flatbread, prepared during the grape harvest in September.
Porcini mushrooms - delicious in endless dishes as well as fried in olive oil with some nipitella.
Tuscan truffles - when fresh and the real thing, they add a wonderful aroma to pasta or poultry (e.g. under the skin of a roasted pheasant).
Tuscan saffron - like truffles, very expensibe but needed in only small quantities to provide a unique flavour. Buy from the grower to be sure you're getting unadulterated saffron.
Bistecca alla fiorentina - Florentine grilled steak - learn how to cook it and how to order it in a Tuscan restaurant.
Tuscan prosciutto crudo - cured ham slice off the bone and accompanied by Tuscan bread.
Tuscan pecorino - ewes' milk cheese.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Tuscan olive oil - some good advice on making sure that your olive oil is the real thing. There seems to be a certain amount of low grade oil, some of it not originating from olives, on the market labelled as extra virgin olive oil.
Tuscan bread - unsalted and misunderstood.
Schiacciata con l'uva - a delicious sweet version of focacci, a kind of flatbread, prepared during the grape harvest in September.
Porcini mushrooms - delicious in endless dishes as well as fried in olive oil with some nipitella.
Tuscan truffles - when fresh and the real thing, they add a wonderful aroma to pasta or poultry (e.g. under the skin of a roasted pheasant).
Tuscan saffron - like truffles, very expensibe but needed in only small quantities to provide a unique flavour. Buy from the grower to be sure you're getting unadulterated saffron.
Bistecca alla fiorentina - Florentine grilled steak - learn how to cook it and how to order it in a Tuscan restaurant.
Tuscan prosciutto crudo - cured ham slice off the bone and accompanied by Tuscan bread.
Tuscan pecorino - ewes' milk cheese.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Saturday, 5 November 2011
The Cinque Terre of Liguria, Italy
The Cinque Terre are a group of five fishing villages located along an eleven mile stretch of steep coastline between Levanto and La Spezia, in Liguria, Italy. They are accessible by boat and train, the train passing mostly through tunnels excavated from the cliffs, and by mule trails which are now extremely popular as tourist hiking paths. The views along the coast and over the villages of the Cinque Terre from these walking paths are truly spectacular. Until twenty years ago, fishing, wine and olive oil were the main source of income to the villagers, but tourism is now extremely important to the local economy, to the extent that during parts of summer the number of tourists visting the Cinque Terre somewhat spoils the ambience. Nevertheless, the area is still well worth a visit and is easily accessible by train from Florence and other parts of Tuscany.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
British Consulate in Florence to close
After being represented diplomatically in Florence for 555 years with few breaks, the UK will close its consulate in Florence at the end of 2011. The official duties of the Florence consulate will be taken over by the Milan office.
This was one of Britain’s oldest international diplomatic seats, tracing its roots back to 1456 when an English legation was based in Florence. The list of consuls begins in 1698 with Sir Lambert Blackwell, “consul at Leghorn”, as the port city of Livorno was then known, and continues through Sir Horace Mann, who as consul in Florence from 1760 to 1786 turned the consulate into a salon, receiving all Britons of rank who passed through the city. In the meantime, since 2007, the UK Foreign Office has opened consulates in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo; Antananarivo, Madagascar; and Juba, Sudan. I wonder if they really have their priorities right.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| British Consulate in Florence |
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Monday, 31 October 2011
Annual Events and Festivals in Tuscany
Italy is famous for the variety and high quality of the annual events and festivals in Tuscany and other regions. These feste fall into two broad, sometimes overlapping, categories: festivals of Christian (and sometimes pagan) origin and seasonal and/or food- and wine-based sagre (fairs). These annual festivals are characterised by a high level of local participation (often cited as contributing to the generally low youth crime rate in Italy outside of the big cities), high quality of costumes, floats and spectacles, and the great atmosphere and food. It is definitely worthwhile to make a note of any festivals taking place in your vicinity when you're visiting Italy - they form an important part of the "Italian experience".
The festas and festivals of Tuscany website lists and describes the most important and popular events taking place in Tuscany during the course of the year.
Some important festivals of Umbria are listed on the city of Orvieto web site.
And there is a comprehensive list of major and minor annual events in Tuscany with dates but no descriptions on the Tuscany, Italy web site.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| Flag throwers at a festival in Tuscany |
The festas and festivals of Tuscany website lists and describes the most important and popular events taking place in Tuscany during the course of the year.
Some important festivals of Umbria are listed on the city of Orvieto web site.
And there is a comprehensive list of major and minor annual events in Tuscany with dates but no descriptions on the Tuscany, Italy web site.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Public Toilets in Florence
A great many tourists visiting Tuscany sooner or later have to ask about public toilets in Florence. In fact, there are many of them and they are on the whole perfectly useable and in some cases remarkably clean and practical. There is a link to a map of public WCs in Florence on the Tuscany Italy website as well as a description of the locations of true public restrooms and the protocol when using the toilets of bars and restaurants where you are not a customer.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Market Days in Tuscany
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| Tuscan fruit and vegetable market |
When spending your vacation in the Region of Tuscany, Italy, it's always a good idea to know the dates and locales for your local market days in Tuscany. These are usually weekly markets dominated by fresh fruit, fresh vegetables, cheese and cooked meat (whole roast chickens, roast pork - porchetta) and shoes, clothing, household items and hardware. These Tuscan local markets are normally held in the largest (or only) piazza in the town or village and can be for half a day only. Prices are generally very good especially for items such as household linen, table cloths and shoes. This is where you can come to stock up on provisions if you're renting a self-catering vacation rental in Tuscany. Linen makes good presents for the folks back home and is light and easy to transport without risk of damage.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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Friday, 30 September 2011
Chianti Classico vendemmia 2011 :: Chianti Classico grape harvest 2011
The Chianti Classico vendemmia 2011 - Chianti Classico grape harvest 2011 is in full swing. The whole of the grape-growing period of 2011 has been at good temperatures and with very little rain. However, there was a very hot period during the last week of August (in the 30's) which scorched some of the grapes, making them shrivel. This will mean selection of grapes will be important and production will be a bit less than expected. Otherwise the crop is excellent and we can expect an outstanding 2011 Chianti Classico vintage.
Imported varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet suffered more from the heat than Sangiovese clones which, being indigenous Chianti and Tuscany wine grape varieties, are well-adapted to the heat. This is good news since Sangiovese grapes contribute 90% of the composition of Chianti Classico wine.
Be sure to check our post on shipping wine from Tuscany.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Imported varieties such as Merlot and Cabernet suffered more from the heat than Sangiovese clones which, being indigenous Chianti and Tuscany wine grape varieties, are well-adapted to the heat. This is good news since Sangiovese grapes contribute 90% of the composition of Chianti Classico wine.
Be sure to check our post on shipping wine from Tuscany.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Weather in Tuscany
Visitors to Tuscany often ask about the weather in Tuscany before they plan their trip. Well, it rained today, lightly, for the first time in months. The weather pattern used to be very stable here in Chianti but it has slowly changed. There's noticeably less persistent snow in February, for example. Nevertheless, a rule of thumb is that the rainy months in Chianti and Tuscany generally are April and October. August is traditionally hot but this year, for example, it was quite mild with cool evenings while we had a boiling week in June and another at the end of August. Don't be put off visiting Tuscany in August just because you've heard it's hot but do note that Florence, in its valley, can boil while life is pleasant in the hill towns of Chianti.
The days become noticeably short by mid-October and it is cold but clear during much of November and December. In the hills it can snow in January and February, usually more often in February, but a fall rarely remains on the ground longer than four days. If you are thinking of renting an agriturismo in Chianti - a farm house vacation rental - don't completely dismiss the idea of coming here in winter. Sightseeing is definitely possible and the museums are much less crowded. In addition, there's a lot to be said for sitting in front of a fire in your cosy farmhouse looking out over the cypress trees and olive groves.
The best website for current weather conditions in Tuscany is: http://www.ilmeteo.it/meteo/provincia-FI
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
The days become noticeably short by mid-October and it is cold but clear during much of November and December. In the hills it can snow in January and February, usually more often in February, but a fall rarely remains on the ground longer than four days. If you are thinking of renting an agriturismo in Chianti - a farm house vacation rental - don't completely dismiss the idea of coming here in winter. Sightseeing is definitely possible and the museums are much less crowded. In addition, there's a lot to be said for sitting in front of a fire in your cosy farmhouse looking out over the cypress trees and olive groves.
The best website for current weather conditions in Tuscany is: http://www.ilmeteo.it/meteo/provincia-FI
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| www.bella-toscana.com |
Saturday, 30 July 2011
Tuscany Italy Tourist Information
The expanded Tuscany Italy Tourist Information website puts a number of new and interesting articles online, alongside its excellent list of owner-direct Tuscany vacation rentals. This website is a must for anyone planning a vacation in Tuscany outside of the main art cities.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Thursday, 21 July 2011
Volterra
The relatively isolated Tuscan hilltop town of Volterra remains a place of inexhaustible enchantment, despite having been "discovered" by a well-known writer of guide books a few years back.
Volterra preserves its mediaeval ambience with its 12 C city walls and mediaeval urban layout of narrow streets, palaces, tower houses and churches. The Renaissance had an important influence on Volterra but without changing its mediaeval character. The superb palaces of Minucci Solaini, Incontri-Viti and Inghirami, as well as the imposing Fortezza Medicea and the Convent of San Girolamo, which are all integrated into the mediaeval city, date from the Renaissance. Definitely worth a visit.
More about Volterra.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| The main gate of Volterra, Tuscany |
More about Volterra.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Tuesday, 21 June 2011
Tuscan village holiday - vacation in a wine village in Tuscany
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| Tuscan borgo of Tignano |
Gaiole in Chianti - main sights
Gaiole in Chianti is a favorite place for lunch during wine tasting visits to the Chianti Classico wineries east of the Chiantigiana road.The town of Gaiole itself is quite attractive, with the Castello di Barbischio visible above it on the forested slopes.
The surrounding hills are mainly woods with vineyards and terraced olive groves near the villages. The entire area is dotted with interesting sights including castles, fortifed mediaeval villages, abbeys and tower houses. One of the most famous is the former abbey of Badia a Coltibuono which is now a well-known winery and offers a quite original restaurant. It's possible to take a tour of the Badia that includes its italianate herb garden. The area of Chianti around Gaiole is well-provided with tourist accommodation in the form of agriturismi.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
More about Gaiole in Chianti.
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| Gaiole in Chianti |
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
More about Gaiole in Chianti.
Sunday, 19 June 2011
Radda in Chianti - things to see
The small town of Radda in Chianti, along with Gaiole and Castellina, is one of the three original members of the Chianti League which dates back to at least 1384. All three towns are worth a brief visit while you explore the castles of Chianti and other things to see in the surrounding territory. Radda in Chianti is surrounded on every side by vineyards and almost every winery has a "degustazione" sign at the gate, making it easy for those of you who wish to organise your own wine tasting in Tuscany.
The area is dotted not only with castles, some ruined, some still inhabited, but also by abbeys, Romanesque parish churches and tower houses. There is also plenty of economical accommodation in the area around Radda in Chianti, most of it in the form of agriturismi, meaning accommodation offered on working farms (usually wineries) in the form of farm houses or farm house apartments. These agriturismi are almost univerally beautifully restored and comfortable locations for your vacation in the area. Some of them have swimming pools. There are restaurants within Radda in Chianti and also several out in the nearby countryside.
More about Radda in Chianti
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| Radda in Chianti - fountain |
The area is dotted not only with castles, some ruined, some still inhabited, but also by abbeys, Romanesque parish churches and tower houses. There is also plenty of economical accommodation in the area around Radda in Chianti, most of it in the form of agriturismi, meaning accommodation offered on working farms (usually wineries) in the form of farm houses or farm house apartments. These agriturismi are almost univerally beautifully restored and comfortable locations for your vacation in the area. Some of them have swimming pools. There are restaurants within Radda in Chianti and also several out in the nearby countryside.
More about Radda in Chianti
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Sunday, 12 June 2011
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
In Tuscany, Italy, bistecca alla fiorentina rules as the most popular and delicious beef dish. Bistecca alla fiorentina, as its name implies, is a grilled beefsteak in the Florentine style. Outside of Tuscany, it's commonly referred to simply as a fiorentina. It is, in fact, a porterhouse or T-bone steak, traditionally from calves of the chianina ox but these days very likely Spanish beef, grilled at high heat over charcoal so that it has a brown, almost charred exterior while being quite rare in the middle. (Don't ask for a well-done bistecca alla fiorentina - even if the chef agrees to cook it that way it will be tough.) It should be brought to your table on a very hot, iron serving tray or a block of wood and then cut off the bone and into strips in front of you. It should be salted after being grilled and might be flavoured with rosemary and/or some olive oil. The traditional accompaniment is a bowl of fagioli, Tuscan white beans.
It's actually not that easy to find a good bistecca alla fiorentina, sometimes because not enough care has been taken in selecting the meat, but more often because it hasn't been grilled exactly as it should be. Ask local people for a recommendation on where to go to try this great Tuscan treat.
More about bistecca alla fiorentina.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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| Bistecca alla Fiorentina as cooked in Tuscany |
It's actually not that easy to find a good bistecca alla fiorentina, sometimes because not enough care has been taken in selecting the meat, but more often because it hasn't been grilled exactly as it should be. Ask local people for a recommendation on where to go to try this great Tuscan treat.
More about bistecca alla fiorentina.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Porcini mushrooms
Although porcini mushrooms grow throughout the northern hemisphere and are very popular in France (cèpe), Germany and Switzerland (Steinpilz), perhaps it is in Italy, with its myriad local cuisines, that you have the chance to try the widest variety of porcini dishes. And in fact if you stay at an agriturismo in the Chianti countryside, you can easily go out and pick your own porcini and cook them up at your accommodation. In Tuscany, porcini mushrooms are served alongside fried meat dishes (vitella, for example) and as the flavouring constituent of pasta sauces and ragouts. Porcini risotto is also commonly on the menu even though risotto is a speciality of Milan and its environs. While on holiday in Tuscany, on no account miss trying one or more dishes containing porcini.
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
Author: Anna Maria Baldini
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