tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53938828754792405812024-03-14T09:40:40.739+01:00My place in TuscanyHow to live the good life in Tuscany.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-72586041363766489722014-03-31T18:18:00.002+02:002014-03-31T18:20:15.547+02:00Camucia Cortona European Hill Climb Championship April 2014Today I want to introduce newcomers to the <b><a href="http://www.visitcortona.it/en/hillclimb-camucia-cortona/"><span style="color: black;">Camucia Cortona European Hill Climb Championship April 2014</span></a></b>. Since 1930, FIA, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, has organised a series of short, intense road races in which various categories of cars race against the clock, on an uphill course along a public road. These routes are scattered all over Europe, from Portugal to Slovakia, and one of them is <b>the winding road from Camucia to Cortona</b>. The <i>Hillclimb Camucia Cortona</i> was conceived and is organised by Fabrizio Fondacci, director of the Italian Grand Prix Formula 1, in conjunction with the race director of Camucia Cortona, Marcello Cecilioni.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HO25uMzAqrE/UzlqeYc6CEI/AAAAAAAAAUA/q9O6WvxdiQA/s1600/cortona_car_race_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Camucia Cortona European Hill Climb Championship April 2014" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HO25uMzAqrE/UzlqeYc6CEI/AAAAAAAAAUA/q9O6WvxdiQA/s1600/cortona_car_race_1.jpg" height="266" title="Camucia Cortona European Hill Climb Championship April 2014" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Vintage car in last year's Camucia Cortona European Hill Climb Championship</b></span></td></tr>
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Every year, the highly skilled and motivated drivers take part under the
three categories established by the FIA. The first category consists of
the cars manufactured up until 1969, the second up to 1975, the third
up to 1981. The two-seater racing cars made before 1990 make an
additional group. The <i>Hillclimb Camucia Cortona</i> offers authentic charm, with its natural setting, difficult road, drivers who are truly driven, intrepid racing, finely honed engineering and proximity with the public.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D5XjYncaVSk/UzluM7cnFaI/AAAAAAAAAUM/wJqOasPWwr0/s1600/cortona_car_race_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A modern, high performance car taking part in the Camucia Cortona Hill Climb" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D5XjYncaVSk/UzluM7cnFaI/AAAAAAAAAUM/wJqOasPWwr0/s1600/cortona_car_race_2.jpg" height="266" title="A modern, high performance car taking part in the Camucia Cortona Hill Climb" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A modern, high performance car taking part in the Camucia Cortona Hill Climb</b></span></td></tr>
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This is thus a great event for car enthusiasts, both participants and spectators, whether your interest is vintage cars, racing cars or modern classics. If you will be observing rather than driving, the idea is to show up fairly early before the event and station yourself at a strategic point on the route, preferably one that will give your a good photographic angle as well as letting you see the drivers handling corners. The official test run takes place on Saturday, 12 April, starting at 3 pm. The competition itself takes place on Sunday, 13 April, starting at 10 am.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cJk1xrLIrc4/Uzl0by9sX5I/AAAAAAAAAUc/HnNBv0yqCtk/s1600/cortona_car_race_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Camucia Cortona Hill Climb Rally" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cJk1xrLIrc4/Uzl0by9sX5I/AAAAAAAAAUc/HnNBv0yqCtk/s1600/cortona_car_race_3.jpg" height="266" title="Camucia Cortona Hill Climb Rally" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Camucia Cortona Hill Climb Rally</b></span></td></tr>
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If you decide to come to Cortona for the Hill Climb and to stay for lunch or dinner in Cortona during the event, I strongly suggest you make table reservations.<br />
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Last but not least, here's a video that gives some idea of what it's like to drive in this rally on board a Lucchini SN88 Alfa Romeo 3000V6. Enjoy!<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" height="105" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013 - 2014. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-39284519572123461772013-08-22T13:38:00.000+02:002013-08-22T13:38:29.493+02:00A Boccaccio anniversary and an appropriate manuscript findThis year is the <b>700th anniversary of the birth of</b> <a href="http://www.certaldo-info.com/giovanni_boccaccio.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Giovanno Boccaccio</b></u></span></a>, Renaissance writer in both latin and the Italian vernacular, author of the <i>Decameron</i> and friend of Petrarch. Boccaccio was born either in Florence or in nearby Certaldo and although referring to himself as a Florentine, always signed his name as Boccaccio da Certaldo. Certaldo is well worth a visit if you're in the area and hosts the <a href="http://tuscany-toscana.blogspot.ch/2013/03/mercantia-at-certaldo-tuscany-one-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Mercantia</b></u></span></a>, one of the best street theatre festivals in Europe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhqM2ihDSiE/UhK2SjD28CI/AAAAAAAAANY/s8khXC6AhTg/s1600/boccaccio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Giovanni Boccaccio da Certaldo" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fhqM2ihDSiE/UhK2SjD28CI/AAAAAAAAANY/s8khXC6AhTg/s1600/boccaccio.jpg" height="320" title="Giovanni Boccaccio da Certaldo" width="277" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Giovanni Boccaccio da Certaldo</b></span></td></tr>
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Boccaccio was tutored by Giovanni Mazzuoli and received from him an early introduction to the works of Dante (1265 - 1321). In 1326, Boccaccio moved to Naples with his family - his father was a prominent banker. It was in Naples that he realised his true vocation of poetry, despite spending six years studying canon law. Pieces that he wrote while in Naples include <i>Filostrato</i> and <i>Teseida</i>, the sources for Chaucer's <i>Troilus and Criseyde</i> and <i>The Knight's Tale</i>, respectively. He might also have played a role in introducing the Sicilian octave to Florence, where it influenced Petrarch.<br />
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Boccaccio began work on the <i>Decameron</i> around 1349 and the work was largely complete by 1352. It was Boccaccio's final effort in literature and one of his last works in Italian. He revised and rewrote the Decameron in 1370–1371 and this manuscript survives to the present day.<br />
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During his life, Boccaccio spent considerable amount of time in Venice, Padua, Romagna, Brandenburg, Milan and Avignon, as well as, of course, Florence. Many of these journeys were on Florentine government business and for meetings with Petrarch who became a close friend. Boccaccio died at the age of sixty-two on 21 December 1375, in Certaldo, where he is buried. Following his death, his entire collection of books and manuscripts was donated to the monastery of Santo Spirito, in Florence, where it still resides.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cL7-LXlqjKo/UhK62o6-WwI/AAAAAAAAANo/WjnzCJonbrY/s1600/decameron.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Boccaccio's Decarmeron" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-cL7-LXlqjKo/UhK62o6-WwI/AAAAAAAAANo/WjnzCJonbrY/s1600/decameron.jpg" height="150" title="Boccaccio's Decarmeron" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A setting for Boccaccio's Decarmeron</b></span></td></tr>
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By chance, earlier this year, Dr. Guyda Armstrong discovered an uncatalogued manuscript copy of the first version of Laurent de Premierfait's French translation of Boccaccio's <i>De Casibus Virorum Illustrium</i>, unrecognised and in plain view, at the John Rylands Library of Manchester University. This French humanist and courtier translated the title as <i>Des cas des nobles hommes et femmes</i>. This manuscript is a very rare copy of the 1400 translation. Laurent de Premierfait carried out a second translation in 1409.<br />
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<i>De Casibus Virorum Illustrium</i> ("On the Fates of Famous Men") consists of 56 biographies composed in Latin prose in the form of moral stories of the fates of famous people, similar to his work of 106 biographies "On Famous Women". <i>De Casibus</i> is a work in the 'exemplary lives' tradition that began with Plutarch's <i>Parallel Lives</i>, where the tragic biographies of the past are used as a political guide and warning for current rulers. The book is notable for its critique of tyranny and for 400 years was much more widely read that Boccaccio's vernacular works upon which his fame now rests.<br />
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Chaucer's <i>The Monk's Tale</i> might have drawn inspiration from <i>De Casibus</i> since Chaucer's incipit reads: "Heer bigynneth the Monkes Tale De Casibus Virorum Illustrium" and many of the characters are the same, but Chaucer credits only Petrarch as a source. Neither of them would have thanked Chaucer for the credit since, unlike much of Chaucer's work, <i>The Monk's Tale</i> is indescribably dreary and boring, in sharp contrast to Boccaccio's compelling stories and forceful latin.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E2BakL0DgHM/UhLFG4ggyRI/AAAAAAAAAN0/EnQcvSjVy18/s1600/passolini.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Pasolini's Decameron" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E2BakL0DgHM/UhLFG4ggyRI/AAAAAAAAAN0/EnQcvSjVy18/s1600/passolini.jpg" height="265" title="Pasolini's Decameron" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>One of the few presentable scenes from Pasolini's 1971 film adaptation of nine<br />stories from Boccaccio's <i>Decameron</i>.</b></span></td></tr>
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<a href="http://www.boccaccio2013.it/pdf/eventi_boccaccio_2013_04_19.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Click here</b></u></span></a><span style="color: #38761d;"> <b>to download the programme of the events taking place in Florence and Certaldo to celebrate Boccaccio's seventh centenary anniversary year.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;">More about the</span> <a href="http://www.certaldo-info.com/casadelboccaccio.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Boccaccio Museum in Certaldo</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" height="105" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-60867230980476143912013-08-22T12:34:00.001+02:002013-08-23T01:16:27.213+02:00Mona Lisa, the lady and the painting, once again in the newsI was about to start off like a newspaper reporter by saying that <b>Leonardo da Vinci's painting of <i>Mona Lisa</i></b> has fascinated the world for the past 400 years, but the truth is that the painting's notoriety is comparatively recent. After Leonardo's death in France in 1519, François I bought the painting and kept it at the Palace of Fontainebleau where it remained until it was given to Louis XIV, who moved it to the Palace of Versailles. After the French Revolution, it was displayed in the Louvre. During the mid-19th century, Théophile Gautier and the Romantic poets had much to say about Mona Lisa as a person and as a painting, but the picture really only began to achieve its current fame after World War I. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFm3apC8c4s/UhQ3dunM7jI/AAAAAAAAAOE/om0tRU0Zbik/s1600/monalisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A comparison of the Louvre and Prado Mona Lisa portraits" border="0" height="285" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sFm3apC8c4s/UhQ3dunM7jI/AAAAAAAAAOE/om0tRU0Zbik/s400/monalisa.jpg" title="A comparison of the Louvre and Prado Mona Lisa portraits" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A comparison of the Louvre and Prado <i>Mona Lisa</i> portraits</b></span></td></tr>
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Although there a numerous copies of Leonardo's <i>Mona Lisa</i> in existence, the cleaning during 2012 of the copy stored away in the <b>Prado Museum in Madrid</b> has revealed a contemporary copy of great skill and beauty. Infrared reflectography images of the Prado painting show underdrawing similar to that of the Louvre <i>Mona Lisa</i> before it was finished. This suggests that the original and the copy were begun at the same time and painted next to each other in the same studio. All the evidence currently points to either Andrea Salai, who joined Leonardo’s studio in 1490, or Francesco Melzi, who joined around 1506, as the painter. The Prado's curator favours Melzi.<br />
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Along with fame came numerous theories about who the subject of the
painting was, despite Vasari - who would have known - clearly stating
that she was Lisa Gherardini, a member of the Gherardini family of
Florence and wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant, Francesco del
Giocondo. Some scholars have proposed that Lisa Gherardini was the
subject of a different
portrait, especially since Vasari specifically comments on the beauty of
the eyebrows and eyelashes, of which the Louvre <i>Mona Lisa</i> is
famously lacking. In any case, there's little doubt that Lisa Gherardini
is portrayed and that she was born in Florence and not at <a href="http://www.lamole.info/vignamaggio.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"><b>Villa Vignamaggio in Chianti</b></span></a>,
despite what the owner of that magnificent villa says, since the villa
was sold by the Gherardini family 58 years before her birth.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIfxNlO0XoM/UhSQcDv0RAI/AAAAAAAAAOU/YK6hd04rVBA/s1600/excavation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Excavating a skeleton purported to be that of Lisa Gherardini, Mona Lisa." border="0" height="222" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PIfxNlO0XoM/UhSQcDv0RAI/AAAAAAAAAOU/YK6hd04rVBA/s400/excavation.jpg" title="Excavating a skeleton purported to be that of Lisa Gherardini, Mona Lisa." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Excavating a skeleton purported to be that of Lisa Gherardini, Mona Lisa.</b></span></td></tr>
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This brings us to the current headline-generating antics of <b>Silvano Vinceti</b>, an archaeological flibbertigibbet who, among other things, claimed to have found that bones of Caravaggio in an obscure cemetery crypt in Porto Ercole - by "pure coincidence", during the year of the 400th anniversary of Caravaggio’s death - and to have demonstrated that the model for the Mona Lisa was a man.<br />
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He seems to have forgotten this latter hypothesis, having somehow obtained permission to exhume the "remains of Mona Lisa" from among the hundreds of skeletons in a crypt of the former Convent of Saint Ursula (Convento di Sant’Orsola) in Florence. Lisa Gherardini retired to the convent after the death of her husband, herself passing away there at the age of 63. Just a few days ago, Vinceti exhumed remains, which he claims are those of Lisa Gherardini's sons, from the family tomb in the Martyrs' Crypt behind the altar of the Santissima Annunziata Basilica in Florence. All of this he proposes to confirm by DNA comparison between the different sets of bones and, perhaps, the very-much-alive Princesses Strozzi who are descendents of the Gherardini. The grand design behind all this digging and DNA blotting is to identify Lisa Gherardini's skull and to use the wildly unreliable forensic reconstruction technique to recreate her face and confirm or otherwise that Mona Lisa the person is Mona Lisa the painting. One thing we can be sure of, whatever Vinceti comes up with will be sensational, not least in its lack of verisimilitude!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVGZrKz75Ws/UhSQ2jdarnI/AAAAAAAAAOc/47r-R0AbisY/s1600/annunziata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Santissima Annunziata Basilica in Florence" border="0" height="237" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EVGZrKz75Ws/UhSQ2jdarnI/AAAAAAAAAOc/47r-R0AbisY/s400/annunziata.jpg" title="Santissima Annunziata Basilica in Florence" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Santissima Annunziata Basilica in Florence where the current excavations are in progress.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-66668000872667554282013-08-22T11:28:00.004+02:002013-08-22T11:52:39.004+02:00Cortonantiquaria, the Cortona antiques fair held in late August and early SeptemberEveryone interested in buying antiques or simply admiring them should mark their calendars for <a href="http://www.cortona-italy.com/cortonaitalytouristinformation.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #38761d;"><b><i>Cortonantiquaria</i>, the Cortona antiques fair held in late August and early September</b></span></a> - <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>24 August until 8 September in 2013</b></span>. This antiques fair has been held in Cortona every year since 1963 and is now one of the most prestigious in Italy. The exhibition is housed in the 17th century Palazzo Vagnotti, located in the centre of Cortona, between the Piazza Signorelli and the Piazza del Duomo. I know that this antiques exhibition is a highlight of each year for many owners at <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Borgo di Vagli</b></u></span></a> and I think we can look forward to a great show again this year!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e1DZfl5gQEY/UhVXkxFWAPI/AAAAAAAAAOs/2eiYQdAszGc/s1600/cortonantiquaria_cortona.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cortonantiquaria, the Cortona antiques fair" border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-e1DZfl5gQEY/UhVXkxFWAPI/AAAAAAAAAOs/2eiYQdAszGc/s1600/cortonantiquaria_cortona.jpg" title="Cortonantiquaria, the Cortona antiques fair" width="244" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Palazzo Vagnotti, venue of <i>Cortonantiquaria</i>, the Cortona antiques fair.</b></span></td></tr>
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The quality of the antiques displayed is very high - many of them are of museum quality - and the range is considerable. The fair initially specialised in furniture as a way to raise awareness of Cortona's flourishing restoration and furniture reproduction workshops, but over the years the antiques offered for sale have come to include not only furniture, but also paintings, engravings, ceramics, jewellery, carpets, bronzes and much more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXAi07caAfg/UhVbyFWSQuI/AAAAAAAAAO4/A9jFIf9NbZw/s1600/cortona_antiques.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cortona antiques" border="0" height="260" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LXAi07caAfg/UhVbyFWSQuI/AAAAAAAAAO4/A9jFIf9NbZw/s1600/cortona_antiques.jpg" title="Cortona antiques" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A dealer's display at the Cortona antiques exhibition.</b></span></td></tr>
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In addition to the main exhibition, every year there are also lectures, contemporary art and design shows and, of course, wine tastings and gastronomic events to enjoy when you are not scutinising the antiques at <i>Cortonantiquaria</i>. The timing of the fair has also been chosen with care, making it a popular social event following the summer holidays and taking advantage of the beautiful weather usually enjoyed in Cortona at the end of September.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRqpVIr3ECk/UhVmzpPiXsI/AAAAAAAAAPI/SyWWR3c4gDM/s1600/cortona_antique_ceramics.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Antique ceramics and fan paintings at Cortonantiquaria" border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TRqpVIr3ECk/UhVmzpPiXsI/AAAAAAAAAPI/SyWWR3c4gDM/s1600/cortona_antique_ceramics.jpg" title="Antique ceramics and fan paintings at Cortonantiquaria" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Antique ceramics and fan paintings at Cortonantiquaria.</b></span></td></tr>
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Cortona also offers an excellent <a href="http://www.cortona-italy.com/cortonaitalytouristinformation.htm" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black;">monthly collectables and bric-a-brac market</span></b></a> that takes place on the third Sunday of the month in Piazza Signorelli. A similar but much larger bric-a-brac fair in Italy takes place on the first Sunday of the month and the preceding Saturday in <a href="http://www.arezzo-info.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>nearby Arezzo</b></u></span></a>. Over 500 dealers usually show up, offering a vast range of collectables for sale.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.cortona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Cortona</u></span></a></b>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://borgo-di-vagli.blogspot.com/2013/02/where-is-best-place-to-park-in-cortona.html"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Parking in Cortona</b></u></span></a>.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Cortona Restaurant tips:</b></span></h3>
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<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>La Bucaccia
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<span style="color: #38761d;">
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<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>L'osteria del teatro
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<span style="color: #38761d;">
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<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>Pane e vino
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<li><span style="color: #38761d;"><b>La loggetta</b></span></li>
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-62069423142416449202013-06-30T21:40:00.001+02:002013-07-01T06:06:48.297+02:00Visiting Lake Trasimeno from Borgo di VagliA few weeks ago, I outlined some of the <a href="http://borgo-di-vagli.blogspot.com/2013/02/visiting-val-dorcia-from-borgo-di-vagli.html"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>many attractions of the Val d'Orcia</b></u></span></a>. Another excursion popular with our hamlet owners is <i><a href="http://www.bella-toscana.com/lake_trasimeno.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">visiting Lake Trasimeno from Borgo di Vagli</span></a></i>. So, today, a few pointers on what to include on a trip to the lake and its environs.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AkXgrLCD-M8/UdBKw17SDzI/AAAAAAAAAMM/TDl6_VD-c_w/s851/lake_trasimeno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Visiting Lake Trasimeno" border="0" height="215" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AkXgrLCD-M8/UdBKw17SDzI/AAAAAAAAAMM/TDl6_VD-c_w/s320/lake_trasimeno.jpg" title="Visiting Lake Trasimeno" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>View of out over Lake Trasimeno</b></span></td></tr>
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Firstly, I have to say that we are very lucky to have such a large lake near Borgo di Vagli - indeed, Lake Trasimeno is the largest lake in Italy outside of the northern Italian Lakes District. It's only slightly smaller in area than the Lake of Como but of course much shallower and therefore with murkier water. For this reason, the lake is not suitable for swimming nor for strolling along the shore which consists mostly of reedy marshlands. The accessible parts of the shoreline can be crowded in summer. My recommendation is therefore to visit some of the charming villages on the hillsides above the lake by car and to enjoy the beautiful panoramic views out over the lake.<br />
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By the way, Lake Trasimeno is not only a destination for the views, cool breezes and
enjoyable villages, it's also of significance to history buffs. During the Second Punic War, the
Battle of Lake Trasimeno (Trasimene) took place here on the 21st of June, 217 BC
(April in the Julian calendar). Hannibal's
Carthaginians defeated the Romans led by the consul Gaius Flaminius in
one of the largest and most successful ambushes in military history. In
less than four hours, the Roman army was annihilated. When you visit the battle site near Passignano, take a good guide
book to help conjure up the past!<br />
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Back to the present. Of the towns on or near the lake, my favorites are <a href="http://www.citta-slow.com/index.htm#castiglione_del_lago" target="_blank"><b><i><span style="color: black;">Castiglione del Lago</span></i></b></a> and <a href="http://www.bella-umbria.com/panicale.htm" target="_blank"><i><b><span style="color: black;">Panicale</span></b></i></a>. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUK1JsPkXEc/UdBgL9ATM4I/AAAAAAAAAMc/_W9u0rzH1_c/s620/castiglionedellago.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno" border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sUK1JsPkXEc/UdBgL9ATM4I/AAAAAAAAAMc/_W9u0rzH1_c/s320/castiglionedellago.jpg" title="Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno</b></span></td></tr>
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<i><b>Castiglione del Lago</b></i> has almost intact town walls and is dominated by the ruins of its massive castle, the <i>Castello del Leone</i>, built for the Emperor Frederick II by Elia di Cortona and finished in 1247. The town has an atmospheric piazza and a surprising number of Umbrian food speciality shops. The views out over the lake from the top of the castle tower are worth the climb! Not surprisingly, Castiglione del Lago has been elected to the <a href="http://www.borghitalia.it/?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>club of most beautiful towns in Italy</b></u></span></a> and is also a member of the <a href="http://www.citta-slow.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Città Slow</b></u></span></a> movement. <br />
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On the slopes of the surrounding hills, not far away from Castglione del Lago, are <i><b>Panicale</b></i> and its neighbour, <i><b>Paciano</b></i>. Panicale is a well-known Umbrian destination while Paciano is described by the guide books as "without interest". I beg to disagree! Both Panicale and Paciano are well worth a visit, the latter not least for its over-the-top 14th Century <i>Chiesa della Concezione e di S. Giuseppe</i>. Inside the gates of Panicale, two or three concentric streets spiral in to the Piazza Grande. Although documented as early as 907, Panicale in its current forms dates from the 15th Century when it came under the sway of Pope Martin V. The best starting point for visiting Panicale is the <i>Church of Saint Sebastian</i> which houses Perugino's very beautiful fresco of <i>Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian</i>. This fresco takes up the entire rear wall of the Church. The landscape with lake in the background of the painting is the same as that visible from outside the church and is very similar to the background of Perugino's <i>Adoration</i> in <a href="http://www.val-di-chiana.com/citta_della_pieve.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Città della Pieve</b></u></span></a> not far away to the southwest. Panicale is also home to the charming <i>Teatro Caporali</i>, dating from 1690 and one of the smallest theatres in Italy.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yYIgzfB7iiE/UdB85nlCKPI/AAAAAAAAAMs/AmG8wq2j_zc/s846/panicale.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Panicale near Lake Trasimeno" border="0" height="263" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yYIgzfB7iiE/UdB85nlCKPI/AAAAAAAAAMs/AmG8wq2j_zc/s400/panicale.jpg" title="Panicale near Lake Trasimeno" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e06666;"><b>View over Panicale towards Lake Trasimeno</b></span></td></tr>
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More castles are located all around Trasimeno, many in the centre of small
towns while others are isolated and in ruins. In addition to Castiglione del Lago,
Passignano, as well as the islands of Magione, Maggiore, and Polvese are all the location of picturesque castles,
while the Castello di Zocco, the Castello di Montali and others are situated on hilltops overlooking the lakes.<br />
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There are numerous restaurants and trattorie dotted through the little lakeside towns. Among them are some real gems and, in general, value for money is better than one might anticipate in such a popular area.<br />
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The nearest part of Lake Trasimeno is about 25 minutes by car from Borgo di Vagli.<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8utJcFM-8I/UdCNzTKOqxI/AAAAAAAAANE/SUC5mrc4TGs/s845/lago_trasimeno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Lago Trasimeno" border="0" height="197" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-x8utJcFM-8I/UdCNzTKOqxI/AAAAAAAAANE/SUC5mrc4TGs/s845/lago_trasimeno.jpg" title="Lago Trasimeno" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
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<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-77167213678348251642013-06-28T18:40:00.001+02:002013-06-30T21:53:58.120+02:00See Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce at eye level.From time to time, I try to alert my readers to <a href="http://borgo-di-vagli.blogspot.com/2013/04/a-compelling-exhibition-currently-at.html"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>exciting art shows</b></u></span></a> taking place within reach of Borgo di Vagli, and today my strongest possible recommendation is to spend a day in Florence and <a href="http://www.abbeys-of-tuscany.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">see Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce at eye level</span></a>. This is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9MNhgeOLexE/Uc0MBQqm8iI/AAAAAAAAALc/O3nvtjDBEYc/s844/basilica_santa_croce_florence.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce" border="0" height="271" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9MNhgeOLexE/Uc0MBQqm8iI/AAAAAAAAALc/O3nvtjDBEYc/s844/basilica_santa_croce_florence.jpg" title="Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence</b></span></td></tr>
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Some background: as most of you will know, the <b>Basilica of Santa Croce in Florence</b> is the largest Franciscan church in the world and one of the principal sights of Florence. The church as we see it today was consecrated in 1442 and its most notable feature is its sixteen chapels, many of them decorated with frescoes by Giotto and his pupils. Slightly less famous but equally beautiful is a huge cycle of frescoes above the main altar, <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i>, painted by Agnolo Gaddi in the late 14th century and based on the famous <i>Golden Legend</i> written by the Franciscan monk, Jacopo da Varagine. The expressiveness of Gaddi's figures and the drama of their interactions reveals his debt to Giotto, but the colours and eccentric details are all his own. (Incidentally, these frescoes were one of the inspirations for the cycle on the same subject by <a href="http://www.sansepolcro-info.com/piero_della_francesco.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Piero della Francesca</b></u></span></a>, painted in <a href="http://www.arezzo-info.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Arezzo</span></a> in the middle of the 15th century.)<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cckkyi1tzY/Uc0NhuNSQDI/AAAAAAAAALs/OfK39A3LBm4/s845/Legend_of_the_True_Cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The Legend of the True Cross, painted by Agnolo Gaddi" border="0" height="253" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--cckkyi1tzY/Uc0NhuNSQDI/AAAAAAAAALs/OfK39A3LBm4/s845/Legend_of_the_True_Cross.jpg" title="The Legend of the True Cross, painted by Agnolo Gaddi" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Part of <i>The Legend of the True Cross</i>, painted by Agnolo Gaddi</b></span></td></tr>
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For the past five years, Gaddi's frescoes have been obscured by scaffolding during a major restoration. This restoration is now virtually complete but the scaffolding will be left in place for the summer of 2013 and is open for guided tours until it is removed sometime before Saint Francis' Day in October. Seeing the frescoes at eye level, you can see the attention Gaddi paid even to details totally invisible from below. The restoration has cleaned away centuries of grime as well as the work of the 1946 restoration to reveal a huge amount of detail in bright colours, almost as originally painted. It's also interesting to observe how Gaddi painted the figures on the upper levels larger and simpler than those lower down, to make then seem of equal size when viewed from the floor of the church.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lNaOcqsBZx0/Uc0VKwZxOJI/AAAAAAAAAL8/qExWsQQ--Vk/s845/santacrocealtar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce" border="0" height="281" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lNaOcqsBZx0/Uc0VKwZxOJI/AAAAAAAAAL8/qExWsQQ--Vk/s845/santacrocealtar.jpg" title="Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Agnolo Gaddi's frescoes in the Basilica of Santa Croce</b></span></td></tr>
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Aside from being able to examine the details of the frescoes, from 100 feet up you will also enjoy a totally different view of the church interior - one that won't be possible after the scaffolding has been dismantled. As I discovered when <a href="http://borgo-di-vagli.blogspot.com/2013/03/tour-of-roof-levels-of-duomo-of-siena.html"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>clambering up in the ceiling of the Duomo of Sienna</b></u></span></a>, both the structure and the details of a church become uniquely clear when viewed from above.<br />
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The guided tour takes place from Monday through Saturday at 11 am and 3 pm and on Sunday at 3 pm, in either English or Italian. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The price is €10 and includes the ticket to visit all of Santa Croce - the church, the Pazzi chapel and the museum.</b></span> (The ticket for just the church and museum would cost you €6.)<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Bookings are required and should be made by email sent to booking@santacroceopera.it.</b></span> The tour lasts about an hour. The climb up the scaffolding is 90 steps, about 7 floors, with pauses from time to time for the guide to explain the subjects depicted as well as the techniques used to create the frescoes and in the restoration process.<br />
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For a quick lunch just 50 m away from Santa Croce, try Finisterrae, Piazza Santa Croce 12. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-48433568919073679332013-05-30T20:46:00.001+02:002013-05-30T20:46:48.582+02:00The Castello di Pierle, a striking feature in the view from Borgo di Vagli near CortonaI think I can safely say that every owner and every guest at <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Borgo di Vagli</b></i></span> immediately notices the magnificent <a href="http://www.castelli-del-chianti.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Castello di Pierle</b></i></span></a> across the valley. It really is one of the high points of Borgo di Vagli's panoramic vistas. I've had so many questions about the story behind Pierle Castle, that I decided to do a bit of research into the history of this amazing structure. So here are my notes on the history of a castle that in its prime was one of the most powerful fortresses in the region.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ9-Th3BMx0/UadPE-A-EVI/AAAAAAAAAKg/nmIVHEpsvN0/s1600/pierlefromvagli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Castello di Pierle seen from Borgo di Vagli" border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YJ9-Th3BMx0/UadPE-A-EVI/AAAAAAAAAKg/nmIVHEpsvN0/s400/pierlefromvagli.jpg" title="Castello di Pierle seen from Borgo di Vagli" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Castello di Pierle as viewed from Borgo di Vagli</b></span></td></tr>
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The earliest fortifications on the site were probably constructed sometime during the 10th century and the present castle was built on the foundations of this earlier structure around the year 1371.<br />
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Dating from October 1098, the first documentary evidence for the existence of a "Rocca di Pierle" is the will of Enrico, son of Ugo, Marchese di Monte Santa Maria, who, having fallen seriously ill in his castle of Pierle mentions it among his legacies. From then on control of Pierle bounced back and forth between Cortona and Perugia with periods of effective independence in between. In 1202, after a period of prosperity, the Marchesi del Colle (Monte Santa Maria) were forced to surrender the castle to Perugia due to famine. Just a few years later, in 1217, we find the Marchesi del Colle submitting to the lords of Cortona, who then took control of Pierle. In 1225, the Oddi of Perugia came into possession of Pierle thereby removing it from the control of Cortona. By 1236, Pierle once more belonged to the Casali, lords of Cortona, but at some stage it reverted to the Oddi family. By 1325, we read that the Casali family were ruling Cortona without being accepted by populace. The Casali had the title of "vicari imperiali" and exercised power in large part for their own benefit. Subsequent events indicate that they continued in this vein for several decades. On the 11th of August 1369, the peasant farmers of Pierle rebelled and assaulted the palazzo of the Casali in Mercatale and looted the storehouses. (A foretaste of the revolt of the Ciompi in Florence, nine years later.) As a result of this, the Oddi of Perugia decided to dispose of the assets they held in the Valdipierle and they sold the castles of Pierle and Lisciano to Francesco Casali. This event is recorded in their accounts of 1370.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7X_pMk_LqI/Uadlut-cYLI/AAAAAAAAAKw/TIJYoz8MDfw/s1600/roccadipierle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rocca di Pierle near Cortona" border="0" height="263" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-C7X_pMk_LqI/Uadlut-cYLI/AAAAAAAAAKw/TIJYoz8MDfw/s400/roccadipierle.jpg" title="Rocca di Pierle near Cortona" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Castle of Pierle as rebuilt in 1371.</b></span></td></tr>
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In 1371, Francesco Casali constructed the present castle on the ruins of the old one. The new castle or <i>rocca</i> was intended to be a haven for the lords of Cortona, whither they could flee to seek safety during the periodic disorders that erupted in this border area. The design of the new castle was developed by Ranieri Casali, one of the sons of Francesco, who, being a knight of Rhodes, had some experience of military architecture. In fact, the defences are quite sophisticated and have served the castle's inhabitants well.<br />
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Four years later, on the 26th of July 1375, Francesco Casali died and his powers were transferred to his son Nicoló Giovanni, who was only nine years old. In 1384, Nicoló Giovanni died of the plague and was succeeded as ruler of Cortona by his eight year old brother Francesco Senese Casali, under the tutelage of Ilario Grifoni. In 1387, Uguccio Casali became lord of Cortona by removing Francesco Senese from power on the grounds that he was not old enough to rule and nor to fight against neighboring Perugia. Uguccio Casali fought vigorously against the lords of Perugia and in 1394 conquered the Castle of Pugnano, capturing and imprisoning in Pierle the Marchese Carlo degli Oddi and his children. On the 11th October 1400, Uguccio Casali died and was succeeded at Cortona by Francesco Senese Casali. This latter was murdered seven years later and Aloigi Battista became the new lord of of Cortona. Aloigi Battista was removed from power on the 3rd June 1409 by Ladislaus the Magnanimous, King of Naples, when he conquered Cortona.<br />
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In 1411, the castle passed to the Florentine Republic which acquired it from King Ladislaus for 1200 florins, together with Cortona for 60,000 florins. For the next 165 years, the Castle of Pierle followed the fate of the Florence and its lords, the Medici.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y392iZMmxs4/Uad0ARej5CI/AAAAAAAAALA/sRGF8B_Lesk/s1600/francesco_I_de_medici.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici" border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y392iZMmxs4/Uad0ARej5CI/AAAAAAAAALA/sRGF8B_Lesk/s320/francesco_I_de_medici.jpg" title="Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici" width="244" /></a></b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Grand Duke Francesco I de' Medici</b></span></td></tr>
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In 1576, Grand Duke Francesco I ordered the destruction of the Castello di Pierle to prevent it from becoming a nest of evildoers, "vi si annidassero i malfattori". Such was the fate of one of the most beautiful and powerful examples of a feudal castle in Tuscany.<br />
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It's interesting to ponder the thought that Borgo di Vagli and its inhabitants have looked out over these changes for almost as long as the Castello di Pierle has existed. The reason this is so is, of course, that Pierle Castle needed a network of watch towers to protect it from attacks coming down from the mountains behind. One of these towers was the first building (14th century) at Borgo di Vagli and now houses its candlelit Trattoria.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about the</span> <a href="http://www.greve-in-chianti.com/castelli-del-chianti/castles-of-chianti_eng.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>castles of Tuscany</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-1489873031485053012013-05-30T13:10:00.003+02:002013-05-30T13:10:38.070+02:00Flag throwing in Tuscany, who gives a toss?I wrote the title of this post like that just to get your attention! Today I want to say something about not just <a href="http://www.tuscanyitaly.info/flagthrowingfestivalsintuscany/flagthrowingintuscany.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><b><u>flag throwing or flag tossing in Tuscany</u></b></span></a> but more generally about the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>great costume festivals</b></span> that we have in this part of Tuscany. Annual festivals, related either to the season or to religious holidays and local saints' days, have always played an important part in Tuscan social life, going right back to pagan times. Indeed, the foundations of many of the Christian festivals, like those of a number of Christian churches, date from Roman times or earlier.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvcN9kh_13o/UabfRLkbeeI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/i_zW339jWJY/s1600/flagthrowing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Flag throwing in Tuscany" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XvcN9kh_13o/UabfRLkbeeI/AAAAAAAAAJQ/i_zW339jWJY/s1600/flagthrowing.jpg" height="268" title="Flag throwing in Tuscany" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Flag thrower at a costume festival in Tuscany</b></span></td></tr>
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These costume festivals have enjoyed a considerable revival over the past 40 years and annual re-enactments of famous events in local history have similarly become very popular. These events, usually mediaeval in character, have become increasingly skilled and sophisticated in their presentation to the point where they not only occupy the attention of the local population but have become major attractions for a wider audience. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rJlejW4xs0Y/UabsED6G8cI/AAAAAAAAAJw/GscTTnAhGqg/s1600/giostradellarchidado.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Giostra dell'Archidado in Cortona" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rJlejW4xs0Y/UabsED6G8cI/AAAAAAAAAJw/GscTTnAhGqg/s1600/giostradellarchidado.jpg" height="212" title="Giostra dell'Archidado in Cortona" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Giostra dell'Archidado in Cortona</b></span></td></tr>
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Nearest to home and during June, we have the famous festival known as the <a href="http://www.festivals-of-tuscany.com/index.htm#Giostra%20dell%20Archidado%20Cortona" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Giostra dell'Archidado</b></i></span></a> (crossbow tournament) in <a href="http://www.cortona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Cortona</b></span></a>.
This competition commemorates the wedding of Francesco Casali, Lord of
Cortona, and the noblewoman Antonia Salimbeni of Sienna, which took
place in 1397. In addition to the crossbow competition itself, there's
an excellent costume parade and usually a flag throwing exhibition
(which featured in the film version of Frances Mayes' book "<i>Under the Tuscan Sun</i>"). This year, the <i>Giostra dell'Archidado</i> takes place on 9 June but there are celebrations on the 1, 2, 7 and 8 June as well.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g4W7baAfHB0/UacrPqkt5yI/AAAAAAAAAKA/zbGNHdZfxoQ/s1600/giostradelsaraceno.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen) at Arezzo" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-g4W7baAfHB0/UacrPqkt5yI/AAAAAAAAAKA/zbGNHdZfxoQ/s1600/giostradelsaraceno.jpg" height="241" title="Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen) at Arezzo" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen) at Arezzo</b></span></td></tr>
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A very colourful festival tales place in <a href="http://www.arezzo-info.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Arezzo</b></span></a> at night on the last but one Saturday of June, and during the day and on the first Sunday of September. This is the famous <a href="http://www.festivals-of-tuscany.com/index.htm#Giostra%20del%20Saracino%20Arezzo" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Giostra del Saracino (Joust of the Saracen)</b></i></span></a>, a jousting tournament that has its origins in the early 16th century and commemorates Christian efforts to hold back the Moslem tide in the 14th Century. In the main event, eight costumed knights charge towards a wooden representation of the Saracen, aiming to hit the Saracen's shield with lances. The Saracen is mounted on a swivel so that part of the task of the knight is to avoid being struck back as the Saracen spins round from the force of the blow. The format of the tournament reflects its origins as a military training exercise.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-b2XbaztDA/UaczVJq0k3I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/kOnD_-gdBjo/s1600/lamaggiolata.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="La Maggiolata at Lucignana" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-b2XbaztDA/UaczVJq0k3I/AAAAAAAAAKQ/kOnD_-gdBjo/s1600/lamaggiolata.jpg" height="248" title="La Maggiolata at Lucignana" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>One of the four floats of La Maggiolata at Lucignana</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>La Maggiolata</b></i></span> is a flower festival that takes place during the last two Sundays and the preceding Saturday nights of May in <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Lucignano</b></span>, a charming village in the <a href="http://www.val-di-chiana.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Val di Chiana</span></a>. Four allegorical floats, one for each quarter of the village, are pulled through the town. Between 15,000 - 20,000 flowers are used for each float and the floats are judged at the end of the Maggiolata. The victors are the first to sing and dance. Some of the parade costumes are 12th and 13th century in style while others are traditional European folkloric costumes, especially those of the dancers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e7r4RES1AIQ/Uabh-BSPYqI/AAAAAAAAAJg/7mxfw5Nlu6I/s1600/giostradeibastoni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Giostra dei Bastoni San Gimignano" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-e7r4RES1AIQ/Uabh-BSPYqI/AAAAAAAAAJg/7mxfw5Nlu6I/s1600/giostradeibastoni.jpg" height="302" title="Giostra dei Bastoni San Gimignano" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Giostra dei Bastoni at San Gimignano in June</b></span></td></tr>
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Another good example coming up in June is the harvest festival called the <span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Ferie delle Messi</b></i></span> with its <a href="http://www.festivals-of-tuscany.com/index.htm#giostra%20dei%20Bastoni%20San%20Gimignano" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>Giostra dei Bastoni</b></i></span></a> (literally, "stick joust") at <a href="http://www.san-gimignano.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>San Gimignano</b></span></a>, about two hours drive from Borgo di Vagli. The event takes place on the third Saturday and Sunday of June, the highlight on the Sunday being the Grand Procession when more than two hundred citizens of San Gimignano parade in mediaeval costume from the middle of town to the Rocca di Montestaffoli to watch the <i>Giostra dei Bastoni</i>. There are plenty of food stands and other attractions throughout the festival.<br />
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In
summary, mediaeval and Renaissance costume festivals take place
throughout the year in Tuscany, including several within easy reach of
Borgo di Vagli. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Many of these events are extremely
exciting and colourful, and should not be missed if you have the chance
to attend.</b></span> <br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.festivals-of-tuscany.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Festivals and other events in Tuscany</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" height="105" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</u></span></a>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-3123597715692087202013-04-30T20:00:00.003+02:002013-04-30T20:00:29.370+02:00A compelling exhibition currently at the Palazzo Strozzi in FlorenceThis post is a strong recommendation for a compelling exhibition currently at the <b>Palazzo Strozzi in Florence</b>, namely "<span style="color: #cc0000;"><i><b>The Springtime of the Renaissance</b></i></span>", subtitled <i>Sculpture and the Arts in Florence 1400-60</i>. It might well have been called "<i>The impact of Donatello on his compatriots and Western art.</i>"<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y4eW6sIwMUU/UX7W3UT3usI/AAAAAAAAAIY/UnX0fz8KbP0/s1600/pazzi_madonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Madonna Pazzi" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-y4eW6sIwMUU/UX7W3UT3usI/AAAAAAAAAIY/UnX0fz8KbP0/s320/pazzi_madonna.jpg" height="320" title="Madonna Pazzi" width="303" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><i>Madonna Pazzi</i></b></span></td></tr>
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Every year, the Strozzi hosts a major exhibition and they are invariably of high quality. This year, 2013, the organisers have surpassed themselves with this splendid show, the theme of which is the central role played by sculpture in the development of what we call Renaissance art. The exhibition has been organised by the Bargello together with the Louvre, and their joint pull means that we see major works from museums as far afield as Cleveland together for the first and in some cases probably last time. Just one amazing example among these juxtapositions is Donatello's incredibly modern-looking <i>Madonna Pazzi,</i> from Berlin, hanging next to a 1450, painted and gilded, stucco copy from the Bardini collection. Other pairings place sculptures by the early Florentine masters next to the Hellenistic and Roman pieces that inspired them, and sculpture, including painted wooden work, next to "sculptured painting" where the painters are clearly attempting capture the three dimensions of sculpture. Even perspective made an early appearance in carved reliefs, as in Donatello’s use of precise central-point perspective when carving in very shallow relief.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vvw0M9XSLrM/UX7nwUg0YxI/AAAAAAAAAI4/qAAKrRpq08g/s1600/cumaean_sibyl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cumaean Sibyl by Andrea del Castagno" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vvw0M9XSLrM/UX7nwUg0YxI/AAAAAAAAAI4/qAAKrRpq08g/s320/cumaean_sibyl.jpg" height="320" title="Cumaean Sibyl by Andrea del Castagno" width="202" /></a></b></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Cumaean Sibyl by Andrea del Castagno</b></span></td></tr>
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</div>
<br />
During my visit earlier this month, I was surprised at how few people
there were at the exhibition. This is possibly a reflection of the very
slow start to the tourist season this year. In any case, if you have the
flexibility, a visit earlier in the year will mean more opportunity to
enjoy the art without the throng. (I can guarantee that this show will
be packed when it moves to Paris in August.) Furthermore, the absence of
electronic proximity detectors means that you're free to examine
details from an inch away. This can be enlightening, especially when
studying some of the pieces restored specially for this exhibition and
the miniature pieces. One example is the life-sized <i>St Stephen</i>
carved by Francesco di Valdambrino around 1409, placed next to a
beautiful gothic Madonna carved in Pickardy in about 1270 and a
miniature Parisian ivory Madonna of the same decade.<br />
<br />
In last room, we encounter some magnificent portrait busts and medals. Some are old friends, some are easily accessible for the first time. Placed alongside these are classical portrait busts. The Renaissance artists had so completely absorbed the spirit of classical antiquity that sometimes the styles are indistinguishable.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mygsTRJZGy0/UX7c-wt2SgI/AAAAAAAAAIo/OAzW_wOj1KE/s1600/niccolo_da_uzzano.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Niccolò da Uzzano" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mygsTRJZGy0/UX7c-wt2SgI/AAAAAAAAAIo/OAzW_wOj1KE/s320/niccolo_da_uzzano.jpg" height="320" title="Niccolò da Uzzano" width="259" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Niccolò da Uzzano</b></span></td></tr>
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Don't miss this exhibition if you have the chance to see it!<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.palazzostrozzi.org/Sezione.jsp?idSezione=938" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>La Primavera del Rinascimento</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
</td>
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<td><img border="0" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" height="105" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <u><a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;">Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</span></a></u>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-36863919979147141432013-04-30T20:00:00.001+02:002013-06-10T23:05:46.243+02:00A steam engine journey through the Val d'OrciaI'm not sure how many of my readers used to ride in trains pulled by steam engines during their younger days, but whether you did or not, every year during spring and autumn there are excellent opportunities to go on a whole day steam engine journey through the Val d'Orcia. The "<i><b>Trenonatura</b></i>" follows a variety of track loops starting in Siena and dropping off its passengers for a few hours at whichever one of the picturesque towns of the <a href="http://www.valdorcia-info.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Val d'Orcia</span></a> has some kind of festa or fair in progress on that day.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OqeS8_gcJes/UX6l_isEY0I/AAAAAAAAAHo/97TEjI_0XlM/s1600/trenonatura.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A steam engine journey through the Val d'Orcia" border="0" height="257" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OqeS8_gcJes/UX6l_isEY0I/AAAAAAAAAHo/97TEjI_0XlM/s320/trenonatura.jpg" title="A steam engine journey through the Val d'Orcia" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The <i>Trenonatura</i> steam engine in the the Val d'Orcia</b></span></td></tr>
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I seized the opportunity last Sunday to travel to <a href="http://www.san-quirico.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>San Quirico d'Orcia</b></u></span></a>
where they was a not very good wine festival in progress. Actually, the train took us
to Torrenieri where a bus was waiting for the short trip to San Quirico.
Here some of the passengers went directly into town while the rest of us
continued another 3 km to <a href="http://www.san-quirico.com/bagno_vignoni.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Bagno Vignoni</b></u></span></a> where we were given a tour of the ancient
baths and a guided walk back to San Quirico.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwLwpk4sj5o/UX6nrx84l2I/AAAAAAAAAH0/1-nxPgA_uCY/s1600/bagnovignoni.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bagno Vignoni in the Val d'Orcia" border="0" height="195" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XwLwpk4sj5o/UX6nrx84l2I/AAAAAAAAAH0/1-nxPgA_uCY/s320/bagnovignoni.jpg" title="Bagno Vignoni in the Val d'Orcia" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The ancient baths at Bagno Vignoni in the Val d'Orcia</b></span></td></tr>
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San Quirico itself is well worth a visit. Although the old town is somewhat disneyfied - a rare thing in Tuscany - it is the location of a virtually untouched Romanesque church, the <b>Chiesa di Santa Maria Assunta di San Quirico</b>, and also of the famous <b>Collegiata di San Quirico</b>, a Romanesque church with a hint of the gothic in its beautifully decorated "portale di mezzogiorno". If the church is open, there is wonderful marquetry and a fine 15 C Siennese polyptych inside. San Quirico is well-provided with restaurants, making it a pleasant place for lunch.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dBRs5AFK-4/UX6phdyawoI/AAAAAAAAAII/4gwwacvvOcU/s1600/collegiata_san_quirico.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Collegiata di San Quirico" border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5dBRs5AFK-4/UX6phdyawoI/AAAAAAAAAII/4gwwacvvOcU/s320/collegiata_san_quirico.jpg" title="Collegiata di San Quirico" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Collegiata di San Quirico</b></span></td></tr>
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The locomotive refills with water at Monte Antico where there is plenty of time to take pictures of the engine as it manoeuvers to attach to the other end of the train. The carriages are for the most part Third Class and dating from before WW II. The seats are wooden and remarkably comfortable. Just remember to close the windows as you go through tunnels. The drivers are licensed steam engine drivers and this is work for them, but the people helping out and giving informative talks during the trip are all enthusiastic and knowledgeable volunteers.<br />
<br />
These excursions are great value for money but, of course, they need to be booked a couple of weeks in advance. <b>We set out from Siena at 9 am and were back in Siena by 6.46 pm, meaning that this is an easy one day excursion from Borgo di Vagli.</b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about the</span> <a href="http://trenonatura.terresiena.it/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><u><span style="color: #3399ff;">Trenonatura</span></u></a></b>.
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <u><a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;">Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</span></a></u>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-65677922348297143232013-03-29T22:01:00.005+01:002013-03-29T22:01:50.768+01:00Tour of the roof levels of the Duomo of Siena. A unique opportunity during 2013.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBO-bUt3LzM/UVWvIZ5w9PI/AAAAAAAAAHU/5dak9Tuemug/s1600/duomo_di_siena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Cathedral of Sienna" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aBO-bUt3LzM/UVWvIZ5w9PI/AAAAAAAAAHU/5dak9Tuemug/s1600/duomo_di_siena.jpg" height="400" title="Cathedral of Sienna" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The Cathedral (Duomo) of Sienna</b></span></td></tr>
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I think everyone agrees that the Cathedral of <a href="http://www.sienna-italy.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Sienna</span></a> (il Duomo di Siena) is one of the most beautiful buildings in Italy, if not the world, and an incredibly rewarding one to explore. Last week, I recommended a wonderful <a href="http://borgo-di-vagli.blogspot.ch/2013/03/a-not-to-be-missed-art-exhibition-in.html"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>"underground" tour of the Duomo</b></u></span></a>. Today we have something even more spectacular! During 2013, for the first time, it will be possible to take a <a href="http://www.siena-info.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">tour of the roof levels of the Duomo of Siena</span></a>. Passages, balconies and other spaces high up in the structure of the cathedral will be open to small, guided groups. Until now, these parts of the Cathedral were accessible only to the architects and builders in charge of maintaining the structure over the centuries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-InkI4rhTp1o/UVWsHwC7yhI/AAAAAAAAAHE/AwFz_5QPAcs/s1600/duomodisiena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Tour of the roof levels of the Duomo of Siena" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-InkI4rhTp1o/UVWsHwC7yhI/AAAAAAAAAHE/AwFz_5QPAcs/s1600/duomodisiena.jpg" height="267" title="Tour of the roof levels of the Duomo of Siena" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>View of the pavement of the Duomo of Siena</b></span></td></tr>
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The two huge towers on each side of the façade of the Duomo house spiral staircases that lead up into the roof where there is a series of walkways and rooms that provide astonishing views of both the interior of the Duomo and the city of Siena outside. You will be able to look down onto the <i>intarsia</i> floor of the main nave and understand its design in a way that until now could only be done by means of not-very-good photographic collages. You will be able to traverse the walkway over the main altar and examine Duccio di Buoninsegna’s rose window from just a short distance away, and, of course, to walk along the balcony inside the dome of the cathedral from which there is a fabulous view of the high altar. The exterior views extend over the Basilica of St. Domenico, the Medici Fortress, the entire dome of the chapel of St. John the Baptist and the landscape of the surrounding Siennese hills.<br />
<br />
Don't miss it!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j8DheS4CJlA/UVWsgyEjGdI/AAAAAAAAAHM/t0bWK6J_YVM/s1600/la_porta_del_cielo_siena.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="la porta del cielo siena" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j8DheS4CJlA/UVWsgyEjGdI/AAAAAAAAAHM/t0bWK6J_YVM/s1600/la_porta_del_cielo_siena.jpg" height="320" title="la porta del cielo siena" width="290" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The staircase up to the roof area of the Cathedral of Sienna.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>The Door to Heaven Guided Tour (La Porta del Cielo)</b><br />
<b>6 April – 27 October, 2013</b><br />
Reservations required: tickets per person €25, groups of max 17 people €400. Tel +39 0577 286300 (Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm) or email: opasiena@operalaboratori.com<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
</td>
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<td><img border="0" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" height="105" width="160" /></td>
<td style="text-align: justify;"><div>
Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <u><a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;">Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</span></a></u>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-75310197290533828212013-03-21T11:12:00.000+01:002013-03-21T11:50:31.948+01:00Getting to understand the Etruscans of CortonaLack of extensive written records combined with a wealth of sometimes enigmatic tomb art has earned the <a href="http://www.chianti.info/etruscan_origins.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Etruscans</span></a> the qualifier "mysterious", and I guess it's true that they are among the most mysterious of the Mediterranean peoples of any significance. Luckily, here at <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><b><u>Borgo di Vagli</u></b></span></a> we have several excellent nearby opportunities to <a href="http://www.cortona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">get to understand the Etruscans of Cortona</span></a> quite well. First and foremost is the fine <b>Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca di Cortona</b> (Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona), <b>MAƎC</b> for short. This museum compares favorably with the <b>Museo Archeologico Nazionale in Chiusi</b> and the <a href="http://www.volterra.net/guarnacci_museum.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u><b>Museo Guarnacci in Volterra</b></u></span></a>.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8KDEJITyUvY/UUqFcGih5OI/AAAAAAAAAGU/FvGvQRlZEoA/s1600/MAEC.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona" border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8KDEJITyUvY/UUqFcGih5OI/AAAAAAAAAGU/FvGvQRlZEoA/s400/MAEC.jpg" title="Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Museo dell'Accademia Etrusca di Cortona.</b></span></td></tr>
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The Etruscan Academy Museum is located in the Palazzo Casali, also known as the Palazzo Pretorio and dating back to the 13 C. The Museum was founded in 1727 and between 2005 and 2008 underwent major renovations including much-needed modernisation of the displays. It's now one of the most pleasing archaeological museums in Italy.<br />
<br />
An entire if small viewing space is dedicated to the <a href="http://www.cortona.com/cortona_main_sights.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">bronze <i>lampadario</i> found at Fratta near Cortona</span></a> in 1840. This is a magnificent bronze hanging lamp very likely cast for a north Etruscan religious edifice of the highest importance during the 4th century BC. An inscription shows it was rededicated in the 2nd century BC. Under the 18 burners, its iconography includes alternating representations of Silenus playing double flutes and of sirens. Within reliefs of waves, dolphins and other fiercer sea-creatures is a gorgon-like face with protruding tongue. Between each burner is a horned head of <a href="http://www.chianti.info/etruscan_mythology.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Achelous</span></a>. Don't miss it! It's housed adjacent to the entrance of Room II.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORSEvyl4SvI/UUqHN0qmhMI/AAAAAAAAAGc/RLwomjsoaUQ/s1600/etruscan_display.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Display gallery in the Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona" border="0" height="273" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ORSEvyl4SvI/UUqHN0qmhMI/AAAAAAAAAGc/RLwomjsoaUQ/s400/etruscan_display.jpg" title="Display gallery in the Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Etruscan display in the Etruscan Academy Museum of the City of Cortona.</b></span></td></tr>
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In addition to the Museum, there is evidence of <a href="http://www.cortona.com/cortona_main_sights.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Cortona's Etruscan past</span></a> throughout the town and in the surrounding countryside. Within Cortona, Etruscan remains include parts of the mighty defensive walls, the double-arched gate of Porta Bifora as well as a series of underground sites such as the vaulted arch in the Palazzo Cerulli Diligenti, the barrel vault in the Via Guelfa, and an Etruscan section of wall in the Palazzo Casali itself.
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<br />
The countryside around Cortona is dotted with "<i>meloni</i>", Etruscan burial-mounds. These can be seen at <b>Camucia</b> and also in the village of Sodo. <b>Tumulo II at Sodo</b> displays imposing terrace-steps decorated with sculptural groups and other architectural elements.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu4BxwRKR0U/UUqNjLS2xuI/AAAAAAAAAGk/6xUPZonj6wE/s1600/tumulo_II_sodo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Etruscan Tumulo II at Sodo, near Cortona" border="0" height="266" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wu4BxwRKR0U/UUqNjLS2xuI/AAAAAAAAAGk/6xUPZonj6wE/s400/tumulo_II_sodo.jpg" title="Etruscan Tumulo II at Sodo, near Cortona" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Etruscan Tumulo II at Sodo, near Cortona</b></span></td></tr>
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At the foot of the hill among the olive groves is the so-called <a href="http://www.cortona-italy.com/cortonaitalytouristinformation.htm" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: black;">Tanella di Pitagora (Tomb of Pythagoras)</span></b></a>, an Etruscan monument already known to travellers as early as in the 1500s, the <b>Tanella Angori</b> and the <b>Mezzavia</b> burial site.<br />
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A day spend first at the Cortona Etruscan museum followed by a circuit of the archaeological sites around Cortona makes for a very pleasant (and educational) excursion. <br />
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Some Etruscan proclivities differed from ours. One was a love of <b>roasted, stuffed dormice</b> (<i>ghiri</i>). These were reared in a large terracotta pot kept in the kitchen and known to us as a <i>ghirarium</i>. The numerous examples in Etruscan museums have climbing shelves built into the walls and air holes. There's a good reconstruction of a ghirarium in the MAƎC. The Roman recipe - possibly of Etruscan derivation - for preparing dormice involves creating a stuffing of dormouse meat or pork together with pepper, pine nuts, broth, asafoetida and some garum (anchovy paste will do), stuffing it into the dormice which are then stitched up and baked in an oven on a tile (180 C for 45 minutes). They are still a popular delicacy in Slovenia. You can also preserve the roasted animals in honey for later consumption. <i>Buon appetito</i>!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZk-8w7b7Sc/UUqVj52IfSI/AAAAAAAAAG0/jPNLke1afb0/s1600/etruscandinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Etruscan dinner" border="0" height="306" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dZk-8w7b7Sc/UUqVj52IfSI/AAAAAAAAAG0/jPNLke1afb0/s320/etruscandinner.jpg" title="Etruscan dinner" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Etruscan couple dining in style.</b></span></td></tr>
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<b>Museum Opening hours:</b><br />
1 April – 31 October open everyday from 10 am to 7 pm.<br />
1 November – 31 March open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 am to 5pm.<br />
Closed Mondays, closed on 25 December.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
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<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <u><a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;">Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</span></a></u>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-43313348112300782282013-03-07T16:14:00.001+01:002013-03-08T06:00:10.168+01:00A not-to-be-missed art exhibition in Siena during 2013An excellent new art exhibition, "<a href="http://www.tuscany-toscana.co.uk/history_of_tuscany.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><i><b>Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione</b></i></span></a>" ("<span style="color: #3399ff;"><i><b>Resurrexi: From Passion to Resurrection</b></i></span>"), has just opened in Siena and continues until 31 August 2013. The full title of the exhibition is "From Passion to Resurrection, a route amongst the masterpieces of the monumental complex of the Cathedral of Siena for the Year of Faith." It provides a fantastic opportunity to see depictions of the death and resurrection of Jesus by artists represented in the holdings Opera della Metropolitana of Siena. And since paintings of the last moments of the life of Jesus were an important part of the canon of every Renaissance artist, there are some astonishing masterpieces to be seen in here.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2FVcjv8plvg/UTgCb8SoAtI/AAAAAAAAAFk/5DMD_cr5Eqo/s1600/passion_fresco.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione" border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2FVcjv8plvg/UTgCb8SoAtI/AAAAAAAAAFk/5DMD_cr5Eqo/s1600/passion_fresco.jpg" title="Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Frescoes on the crypt itinerary of the Siena exhibition:<br />Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione</b></span></td></tr>
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The exhibition includes two itineraries, one through the Crypt of the Duomo and the other through the Museo dell’Opera, highlighting specific works of art. Many of these masterpieces are in fact always accessible to visitors who have done their homework, a famous example being the northern gothic pulpit sculpted between the end of 1265 and November 1268 by Nicola Pisano and several other artists. This is actually the oldest art work in the Duomo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X9u1PakT96k/UTgDHUBsdWI/AAAAAAAAAFs/LWGrou7v494/s1600/passion_pulpit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Northern gothic pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1265 - 1268)" border="0" height="212" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-X9u1PakT96k/UTgDHUBsdWI/AAAAAAAAAFs/LWGrou7v494/s1600/passion_pulpit.jpg" title="Northern gothic pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1265 - 1268)" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Northern gothic pulpit by Nicola Pisano (1265 - 1268)</b></span></td></tr>
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However, the exhibition also includes works not usually on public display, particularly many exquisite miniatures as well as the reverse side of Duccio di Buoninsegna’s <i>Maestà</i>, painted between 1308 and 1311 and which depicts the entire cycle of the Passion of Christ. Frescoes are also prominent in the itineraries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-30A1nHQIYwQ/UTgD2XMh6PI/AAAAAAAAAF8/y3jER7cgBzA/s1600/passion_manuscript.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Historiated initial of a manuscript on display at the exhibition Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione in Siena." border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-30A1nHQIYwQ/UTgD2XMh6PI/AAAAAAAAAF8/y3jER7cgBzA/s1600/passion_manuscript.jpg" title="Historiated initial of a manuscript on display at the exhibition Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione in Siena." width="305" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Historiated initial of a manuscript on display at the exhibition<br />Resurrexi: Dalla Passione alla Resurrezione in Siena.</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #006600;"><b>Sienna is just one and half hours from Borgo di Vagli, making this a worthwhile day excursion for anyone with an interest in art. Highly recommended.</b></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600;">After absorbing so many works of art in the passageways under Siena, you'll no doubt be feeling hungry. My best tip for a meal (at a "like Dina's" place) is</span> <a href="http://www.osterianonnagina.net/il-locale" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;"><u>Osteria Nonna Gina</u></span></a>.</b><br />
<br />
The exhibition opened on 1 March and continues until 31 August 2013.<br />
Hours 10.30 to 19.00. Last admission 18.30.<br />
Tickets: Opa SI Pass: € 12. Free for children younger than 11 years old.<br />
Location: Sienna Cathedral and Piccolomini Library, Museum of the Opera and Panorama from Facciatone, crypt under the cathedral, baptistery, Oratorio S. Bernardino.
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
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<td><img border="0" height="105" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <u><a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399ff;">Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</span></a></u>.</b></div>
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-26261298398799470122013-02-12T03:54:00.000+01:002013-03-07T04:20:16.900+01:00Visiting the Val d'Orcia from Borgo di VagliMany Fractional Owners at Borgo di Vagli, our restored Tuscan hamlet, comment to me that one of their favourite day excursions is <a href="http://tuscany-toscana.blogspot.it/2012/12/sights-and-attractions-of-val-dorcia-in.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">visiting the Val d'Orcia from Borgo di Vagli</span></a>. For those who haven't visited this fascinating area, I think I can safely say that the Val d'Orcia is one of the most popular areas of Tuscany for visitors to this part of Italy. The iconic wide-sky, sweeping landscapes, the beautiful hilltop towns, the italianate gardens, the art and the culinary specialities and wine all make the Val d'Orcia an area of inexhaustible interest. Depending on when you're here, there are also some great folkloric festivals to be enjoyed. Here I'll indicate just a few of the aspects of the Val d'Orcia that draw me back there again and again. From Borgo di Vagli to Pienza, which is well into the Val d'Orcia, takes just over an hour (43 miles). To Montepulciano, which is in the Val di Chiana but on the same route to Pienza, takes about 50 minutes (30 miles).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2TEl3pN9Gbo/URfEo9rCTkI/AAAAAAAAAFM/ZXCc2RzC2yA/s1600/valdorcia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Iconic scene in the Val d'Orcia of Tuscany, Italy" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2TEl3pN9Gbo/URfEo9rCTkI/AAAAAAAAAFM/ZXCc2RzC2yA/s400/valdorcia.jpg" height="263" title="Iconic scene in the Val d'Orcia of Tuscany, Italy" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>Iconic scene in the Val d'Orcia of Tuscany, Italy</b></span></td></tr>
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Towns and villages characterised by particularly beautiful architecture and a charming ambience:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pienza.com/pio_istoria_eng.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Pienza</span></a> - hometown of the <a href="http://www.pienza.com/pio_istoria_eng.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Piccolomini Pope, Pius II</span></a>, an amazing Renaissance man who created this exquisite Humanist town near his birthplace. Pienza is a perfect case study of what a powerful family can do for its own locality. Pius II brought the best architect – Rosselino, definitively inspired by Leon Battista Alberti – and most the renowned artists of the time to work at Pienza. No one can miss the huge “gap” between the splendour of the main piazza, the church and the Piccolomini Palace itself and the rest of the very simple, humble village.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.montalcino.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Montalcino</span></a> and the nearby <a href="http://www.montalcino.net/sant_antimo.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Abbey of Sant'Antimo</span></a> where Mass is celebrated with Gregorian chant.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.san-quirico.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">San Quirico</span></a> and neaby <a href="http://www.san-quirico.com/bagno_vignoni.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Bagno Vignoni,</span></a> a thermal bathing area enclosed in a beautiful Italian square and dating back at least to the Romans.</li>
<li>The large <a href="http://www.monte-oliveto.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Benedictine monastery of Monte Oliveto Maggiore</span></a> located in the <a href="http://www.cretesenesi.org/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Crete Senesi</span></a> and frescoed during the Renaissance by Sodoma and Fra’ Paolo Novelli.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.montepulciano.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Montepulciano</span></a>, not in the Val d'Orcia but often included in an excursion to the valley. </li>
</ul>
Formal gardens in the Italian style<br />
<ul>
<li>One of the most famous 20th century gardens in Italy is at <a href="http://www.montepulciano.net/la_foce_iris_origo.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Villa La Foce</span></a>, created for the author Iris Origo and her husband by Cecil Pincent.</li>
<li>The <a href="http://www.pienza.com/piccolomini_gardens_en.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Renaissance garden of the Palazzo Piccolomini in Pienza</span></a>, with its fabulous view out over the Val d'Orcia towards <a href="http://www.monte-amiata.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Monte Amiata</span></a>. This view is deservedly considered one of the most beautiful in the whole of Italy</li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cqhVbOVoZRA/URfE_e787PI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Eq1axuQIpzw/s1600/pecorino_shop_in_pienza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="A pecorino shop in Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Tuscany" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-cqhVbOVoZRA/URfE_e787PI/AAAAAAAAAFU/Eq1axuQIpzw/s400/pecorino_shop_in_pienza.jpg" height="265" title="A pecorino shop in Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Tuscany" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><b>A pecorino shop in Pienza, Val d'Orcia, Tuscany</b></span></td></tr>
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Gastronomy and wine:<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="http://www.pienza,com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Pienza</span></a> is rightly famous for its pecorino (ewe's milk cheese) - stock up while you're there!</li>
<li>Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino wines.</li>
<li>Vino Nobile di Montepulciano.</li>
<li><a href="http://tuscany-toscana.blogspot.com/2010/12/truffle-festival-at-san-giovanni-dasso.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Truffle fair at San Giovanni d'Asso in November</span></a>. </li>
</ul>
Castles - because of its strategic position, the Val d'Orcia is the location of numerous picturesque castles, among them being Rocca d'Orcia, Castiglione d'Orcia and Ripa d'Orcia.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.valdorcia-info.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399FF;"><u>the sights of the Val d'Orcia</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #006600; font-size: medium;">Borgo di
Vagli restored mediaeval hamlet in Tuscany</span></b></span>
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<td><img border="0" src="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/borgodivaglituscany.jpg" height="105" width="160" /></td>
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Borgo di Vagli has been authentically restored as
a Tuscan vacation hamlet. The residences can be bought in the form of
fractional ownerships, making a holiday home in Tuscany possible at
modest cost.</div>
</td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="2"><div align="center">
<b><span style="color: #cc3300;">More about</span> <u><a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #3399FF;">Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership</span></a></u>.</b></div>
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<br />
<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-9514621812761722632013-02-08T10:59:00.001+01:002013-02-10T16:36:50.446+01:00Where is the best place to park in Cortona?As many of you will know, <a href="http://www.cortona.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Cortona</span></a> looks deceptively flat on a map but in reality is spread over a steep hillside and has only a single horizontal street. The latter is via Nazionale which runs from Piazza Garibaldi to Piazza della Repubblica and Piazza Signorelli. Together they form the centre of the town. You won't be able to park on Via Nazionale, since it's closed to traffic from 8 am until 9 pm every day.<br />
<br />
In fact,<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b> the simplest solution to the question of <a href="http://www.cortona-italy.com/cortonaitalytouristinformation.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">where is the best place to park in Cortona</span></a> is to use one of the parking areas provided outside the walls.</b></span> These parking lots are spaced at equal intervals around the town and they are free. One of the best is just below Via Garibaldi because there is an escalator (marked "S" on the map) that carries you all the way up to the piazza and hence onto Via Nazionale. This definitely beats walking up the steep streets of Cortona! Note that there's a shop at the bottom of the escalator that offers a very good range of guide books not only about Cortona but many other areas of Tuscany and Umbria.<br />
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Inside the walls, there are often parking spots free on via San Marco or on via Moneti, the street immediately before via San Marco. However, if you park on the street, do remember that if you park where a "P" sign is in place, blue lines mean you pay by buying a ticket from one of the machines nearby, yellow lines mean parking is for local people with a special permit only, and a white line means free parking.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Js_-jMn5RAA/URHpL5Y6JWI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ssvH2C7MZDQ/s1600/donotparkontheyellowcross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Where is it best to park in Cortona?" border="0" height="265" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Js_-jMn5RAA/URHpL5Y6JWI/AAAAAAAAAE4/ssvH2C7MZDQ/s1600/donotparkontheyellowcross.jpg" title="Where is it best to park in Cortona?" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b><span style="font-size: small;">How not to park in Cortona, no matter how fancy your means of transport<span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></b></span></td></tr>
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DO NOT park on the yellow cross or under the no parking sign (<i>Passo Carrabile</i>)!<br />
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Last but not least, be aware that Cortona, like many other Tuscan towns and cities, has <b>limited traffic zones (ZTL)</b> watched over by automated cameras. If you drive into one of these zones without a permit, sooner or later you'll receive a fine in the mail whether you were driving your own car or a rental car.<br />
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Don't let any of this put you off visiting Cortona. It's a wonderful place, readily accessible from Borgo di Vagli, that rewards multiple visits. In later posts, I'll be telling you a bit about some of the important sights there.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">Click this link for a</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/downloads/map_of_cortona.jpg" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>printable map of Cortona showing the official parking lots</u></span></a></b>. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.bella-toscana.com/traffic_violations_italy.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>limited traffic zones in Italy</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>More about <a href="http://www.cortona-italy.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>Cortona</u></span></a></b></span>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership vacation village in Tuscany</u></span></a>.</b><br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-65493765228015639362013-01-29T12:54:00.004+01:002013-03-07T04:28:18.151+01:00Buying hand-painted ceramics from Deruta in Umbria<a href="http://www.deruta.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">Buying hand-painted ceramics from Deruta in Umbria</span></a> makes a pleasant one day excursion from Borgo di Vagli. The picturesque little town of <a href="http://umbria-italia.blogspot.com/2011/01/deruta-italy-ceramics.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><b>Deruta</b></span></a> was a major centre of <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>majolica production</b></span> during the 15th and 16th centuries. In fact, production of painted pottery began there during the Middle Ages and developed in a rather particular way, partly because of a lack of fuel suitable for high temperature firing of the pots. Metallic lustre glazes in golds and ruby red became popular in Deruta because they don't require high temperatures. However, more importantly, as the decorative designs created by Raphael became known outside of Rome through the distribution of inexpensive engravings, for some reason these were taken up enthusiastically by the potters of Deruta and remain a characteristic part of the modern Deruta style.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JGSZkr-oHyA/UQc5PQwmIOI/AAAAAAAAAEU/3XZL8gzOYTA/s1600/deruta_antique.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Antique majolica plate from Deruta, Umbria, Italy" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JGSZkr-oHyA/UQc5PQwmIOI/AAAAAAAAAEU/3XZL8gzOYTA/s1600/deruta_antique.jpg" height="320" title="Antique majolica plate from Deruta, Umbria, Italy" width="315" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>A 16th century piece of Deruta majolica</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Deruta is definitely worth a visit by anyone interested in ceramic art or interior decorating</b></span> and is an excellent place to buy hand-painted ceramics directly from the source. After a period of decline during the 18th and 19th centuries, Deruta
revived it ceramic workshops and these flourish to the present day.
There are now some 200 workshops producing painted pottery in Deruta. Some of the modern majolica is incredibly skilled and even among the more routine production there are many fine decorative pieces. And not just decorative - you can build up a dinner service of these beautiful pieces. I sourced several of the pieces used in the apartments at Borgo di Vagli from Deruta and a number of our apartment owners have taken Derutaware back with them to their homes in other countries.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4uiIPhyY668/UQc7TpYMVjI/AAAAAAAAAEk/ZYMDtC4gqQg/s1600/deruta_modern_lady.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="An example of modern Derutaware" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4uiIPhyY668/UQc7TpYMVjI/AAAAAAAAAEk/ZYMDtC4gqQg/s1600/deruta_modern_lady.jpg" height="319" title="An example of modern Derutaware" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>An example of modern Derutaware</b></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>It's about a one hour drive to Deruta from Borgo di Vagli.</b></span> A recommendable procedure for a majolica buying expedition is to spend some hours looking at what's available and educating your eye, if that's necessary, as well as getting a clear idea of prices, and <b></b>then to<b> </b>make your purchases. The town itself is very pleasant and there's quite a good museum of majolica there. Deruta is a hill town which means its a good destination for an excursion on a hot day! However, don't neglect the large outlets down on the plain outside of town.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.deruta.net/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>Deruta ceramics</u></span></a></b>.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.montelupo.com/italian_majolica.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>Italian majolica</u></span></a></b>. <br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli mediaeval vacation village in Tuscany</u></span></a>.</b><br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5393882875479240581.post-11936573814410246282013-01-17T22:13:00.002+01:002013-04-06T15:17:36.977+02:00Is there an economical way to own a vacation home in Tuscany? A great many visitors to our region are justifiably smitten by the beauty and culture of Tuscany and ask themselves <a href="http://www.fractional-ownership-tuscany.com/fractional_ownership.htm" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><b>is there an economical way to own a vacation home in Tuscany</b></span></a>. One good answer to this question is <b><a href="http://www.fractional-ownership-tuscany.com/" target="_blank"><i><span style="color: #0099ff;">fractional ownership</span></i></a></b>. This is a form of economical shared ownership that bears a distant resemblance to the timeshare system but with real differences. Fractional ownership means that you own a true share of your physical holiday home, not just some time. This means that you can pass it on to your family, sell it etc. and as the value goes up over time so does the value of your share. It also provides flexibility in when you spend time at your place in Tuscany because one of the tasks of the property manager is to organise the calendar so that availability is transparent and flexible.<br />
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Accommodation in the mediaeval village of <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>Borgo di Vagli</b></span>, which I restored some years ago, is sold using exactly this fractional ownership principle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Do1aTm0Wa5A/UPfi6jnuX5I/AAAAAAAAAC8/x7i58eDRbds/s1600/borgodivagli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="How to own your own place in Tuscany" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Do1aTm0Wa5A/UPfi6jnuX5I/AAAAAAAAAC8/x7i58eDRbds/s1600/borgodivagli.jpg" height="191" title="How to own your own place in Tuscany" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>The restored mediaeval village of Borgo di Vagli, near Cortona, Tuscany</b></span></td></tr>
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Borgo di Vagli was an abandoned ruin in the wilds of Tuscany near Pierle Castle when I started restoration in 2000. The aim was to restore the village to its original appearance using, as far as possible, the techniques of the original builders, while providing all the comforts that we require in modern life. I also paid huge attention to the authenticity of the furnishings and the interior decoration. The result is that we now have a happy community of owners who, for a reasonable expenditure, own their own place in Tuscany.<br />
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From time to time, I will be posting stories about Borgo di Vagli here along with posts about events and life in this part of Tuscany.<br />
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<b><span style="color: #cc0000;">More about</span> <a href="http://www.clubborgodivagli.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #0099ff;"><u>Borgo di Vagli fractional ownership village in Tuscany</u></span></a>.</b><br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/113766259411011124802?rel=author" target="_blank"><span style="color: #cc0000;">Fulvio Di Rosa</span></a><span style="color: #cc0000;"> </span>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;">All content copyright © Fulvio Di Rosa 2013. All rights reserved.</span></b></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14641162198706903027noreply@blogger.com