The Cappella della Madonna di Vitaleta on the road from Pienza to San Quirico d'Orcia

In 2001 I came to live in Italy. I had some fun, wrote a journal and this is the blog of my story...

"Tuscany is a state of grace. The countryside is so lovingly designed that the eye sweeps the mountains and valleys without stumbling over a single stone. The lilt of the rolling green hills, the upsurging cypresses, the terraces sculptured by generations that have handled the rocks with skillful tenderness, the fields geometrically juxtaposed as though drawn by a draughtsman for beauty as well as productivity; the battlements of castles on the hills, their tall towers standing grey-blue and golden tan among the forest of trees, the air of such clarity that every sod of earth stands out in such dazzling detail. The fields ripening with barley and oats, beans and beets. The grape-heavy vines espaliered between the horizontal branches of silver-green olive trees, composing orchards of webbed design, rich in intimation of wine, olive oil and lacy-leaf poetry. Tuscany untied the knots in a man's intestines, wiped out the ills of the world. Italy is the garden of Europe, Tuscany is the garden of Italy, Florence is the flower of Tuscany." Irving Stone from my favourite book " The Agony and the Ecstacy" A fictional biography of Michelangelo



65. Vinci



Bacon and eggs for breakfast and a drive out to the birthplace of Leonardo da Vinci... what better way to spend a Sunday morning!

We're actually checking out the Montelupo area as a possible location to move to, but stumble upon nearby Vinci, another pretty hill-top town. It's very cold and carnival day in Montelupo. All the children have got their bright, colourful costumes on and are covering one another with tiny pieces of coloured paper which the Italians call confetti! The Montalbano hills and contryside are very picturesque here, you can certainly see where Leonardo got his inspiration from...We wander up to the old part of Vinci and come across this Medeival castle.


It now houses a museum dedicated to who else, but Leonardo da Vinci, so we decide to take a peek...
Surprisingly it's very good. There are loads of machines and models of some of his fascinating inventions and we spend a few hours in the company of one of mankind's greatest minds... I would definitely recommend a visit here.


There is a small cafe where we have earned a well deserved cappuccino and slice of cake!



A model of Leonardo's 'Vitruvian man' in the castle grounds.

(Original entry 9/2/03)
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