Tuscany -- Molto Bene!

Each day should begin with a hug, a kiss, a caress, and a coffee. So said the front of our breakfast menu in Florence during our recent trip to Tuscany. This sage advice seems to work well for the Italians and we strongly endorse it.

We found the people to be warm and friendly, with a sense of humor and a carefree willingness to modify and adapt. Perhaps drinking copious amounts of wine contributes to those traits, or perhaps our drinking copious amounts of wine made us perceive these characteristics in the Italians we encountered. Either way, we got along famously in this beautiful, romantic country and we’re already dreaming of going back.

Highlights:

The concentration of incredible ancient architecture and Renaissance art in cities such as Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano.

Spectacular untouched landscapes of rolling hills, centuries-old villas surrounded by vineyards, olive trees, and statuesque cypress and cork oak trees.

Medieval (and earlier) villages that remain largely unchanged today, with tall stone bell- and watchtowers, magnificent marble churches whose interiors hold priceless paintings, statues, frescoes, and tapestries, and broad piazzas with narrow roads and canyon-like alleyways that meander outward (and usually downward) to the village’s edges — the same roads that in many cases have been trod for a millennium.

And of course, the magnificent food and wine — antipasto, pasta, hearty meat, and delicious desserts, and luscious brunellos, barolos, and chiantis prepared, poured and consumed seemingly without pause.

Below are impressions of the various locations Donna and I visited over eight days.

FLORENCE, the political and cultural epicenter of Europe for centuries, was the birthplace of the Renaissance and home to Michaelangelo, da Vinci, Galileo, Botticelli, Donatello, and other artists and scientists who helped draw civilization out of the Middle Ages. It is among the most beautiful cities I’ve ever seen.
We stayed at the outstanding Palazzo Montebello hotel, an oasis a mile from the heart of the historic city tucked in a quiet handsome neighborhood. The staff was friendly and helpful; our concierge recommended restaurants (Natalino’s, Garga, and Gamberini) that were non-touristy, with outstanding food and gracious, friendly service.

Florence’s many jaw-droppingly beautiful piazzas and streets wide and narrow were packed with fellow tourists, it being the week before Easter and families from all over the world taking advantage of spring break. In addition, the weather was unseasonably warm and sunny, perfect for families who live nearby to join the out-of-towners. On a couple occasions we could barely move more than the dozens of marble statues populating the various broad squares.

Speaking of statues, Donna had arranged for a tour of the museum that houses Michelangelo’s iconic statue of David as well as the Santa Maria del Fiore cathedral and the cathedral’s famous dome.

David is located in the Galleria dell’Accademia, a block north of the cathedral in a room specially designed to house the 17-foot-tall statue of the shepherd boy who, according to the Bible, slayed the giant, fearsome Goliath. Michelangelo’s depiction of David with a muscular physique and mature body is a departure from earlier renderings, as is the time of the depiction – before the battle rather than after David killed and beheaded Goliath. David’s face and body position convey a sense of confidence in the outcome because he believed he had the true God on his side. The statue is remarkable for its detail in the muscles, tendons, and blood vessels Michelangelo chiseled, as well as the expressiveness of David’s face — and the fact that the sculptor was only 26 when he created this masterpiece.

Due to time constraints resulting from the crowds of people all wanting to see the same sights, our tour group couldn’t get us into the cathedral, but we did get to climb to the top of the church’s 600-year-old dome, or cupula.

The design of the cupula was revolutionary, in that it was constructed as two shells, one within the other, and built without wooden ribs to support it. The dank, narrow passageway between the shells contains 463 steep steps. About halfway up you emerge onto a platform with views of the dome’s vast interior, entirely covered with frescoes of the last judgment. At the top of the dome is an outdoor landing where you have magnificent panoramic views of the city and hills beyond.

We also visited the incredible Ufizzi museum on the Palazzo Vecchio. The horseshoe-shaped Ufizzi houses the world’s greatest collection of Renaissance paintings, the most famous of which is Botticelli’s The Birth of Venus. 

Our excellent guide picked out maybe 30 works out of the hundreds or thousands on display to walk us through the progression of styles leading to the Renaissance period starting in the early 1500s, and major works from that period. He explained the historical and religious significance of those works and the symbolism in them. The most powerful and poignant painting for us was the Madonna of the Goldfinch by Raphael. It depicts a seated Mary, with toddlers John the Baptist (Christ’s herald) and Jesus standing in front of her. John is holding a goldfinch — a symbol of death. Mary is gently urging John to give the finch to her son. Devastating.

SIENA is another beautiful, ancient town, and a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its duomo piazza is anchored by the magnificent Opera Duomo Siena, which opened in 1215, and the Hospital Santa Maria della Scala built no later than 1090. 

Over the centuries it served as a shelter for pilgrims who stopped in Siena, a place of assistance and charitable support for the most disadvantaged and destitute, an orphanage, and until the 1980s, a hospital. The cathedral, like its sister in Florence, is ornate and filled with remarkable art: four statues by Michaelangelo, frescoes, paintings, enormous black-and-white-striped marble pillars.

Another, larger piazza, Piazza del Campo, is the site of horse races known as the Palio di Siena, which have been held annually since the 1500s.

CASTELLO BANFI, a thousand-year-old castle and vineyard that has been converted into what it bills itself as a luxury wine resort. If any three words were meant to go together, it is those.

Donna had had her eye on Banfi for a decade as a bucket list destination, and the night she finally booked our reservation there, we celebrated by going out to dinner at a small local spot we like. Perusing the wine list, I saw Cum Laude Brunello from Castello Banfi! We took it as a positive sign, and more so because the wine was very good. (To put an exclamation point on it, on arrival at the castle we were taken to our room, which serendipitously was named the Cum Laude room).

Banfi was probably the highlight of our trip. The grounds were splendid, with hectares of olive trees and grapevines on hillsides staked out in neat rows as far as you could see. Our suite in the castle was enormous and had exquisite views of the bucolic country. 

We splurged on a seven-course chef’s tasting dinner (with wine pairings from the vineyard) at a Michelin-starred restaurant on-site that defies description. And we learned much about Italian wines during a private wine-tasting event with a very knowledgeable, engaging host. The resort even has a glass museum that was more interesting than I expected.

After two nights at Banfi (not nearly enough!), we headed back north to our final hotel.

GREVE IN CHIANTI is the location of Villa Bordoni

 a rustic, converted farmhouse with 14 guest rooms, and, like Banfi, is about 1,000 years old. We planned to use the inn as a base from which to visit medieval towns, and that we did. But the casual, comfortable vibe and the engaging, warm staff made us want to spend more time there. We participated in a cooking class that was great fun. Under the guidance of the delightful Chef Maria we made focaccia, pasta, tomato sauce, veal stew, and tiramisu, then the group of six students feasted on our creations, drank down the villa’s store of wine, and made friendships.  

From Bordoni we visited San Gimignano, whose roots date back to the 6^th century BCE as an Etruscan settlement. In 929 AD a church was built there, and the majestic basilica that exists today was consecrated in 1148. In the 1400s the walls were adorned by frescoes – on one side of the church they depict heaven, and on the other the Inferno, in tribute to Dante, who had visited the town in 1300 on a diplomatic mission. By the 1400s the town featured 72 towers, of which seven survive today.

We made our final daytrip to Lucca, a good 90-minute drive from Bordoni, and by this time we had tired of visiting churches and museums – we just wanted to wander around and take in what was in front of us. Ancient Lucca is encircled by a tall wall topped with a handsome treelined walkway wide enough for pedestrians, cyclists, and foot-pedaled buggies. We walked along it for a while, then dismounted and strolled along the beautiful streets. As we had done in most other towns, we found a lovely café, ate wonderful food, and recounted our incredible experiences.

We had an unforgettable, amazing experience in Italy, and it made us want to return as soon as possible.

Saluti!

Here are more pictures of our trip:

Florence

Siena

Banfi

San Gimignano

Lucca

Villa Bordoni