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



70. Villa Vignamaggio pt.3


March 20th and the world is officially at war. At least the US, Britain and Iraq. The rest of the world including Italy seems to be against it. Everywhere people are hanging out the rainbow-coloured peace flags from their windows.




This sunday we have finally got our Villa Vignamaggio appointment. After two fruitless visits searching for suitable accomodation for Annette's brother Phil, we're checking out the one-time residence of the Mona Lisa... It's a gorgeous sunny afternoon and we are on a mission. While we're waiting a housekeeper kindly shows us around the villa. Built in 1404 it still has the original floor and many antique pieces of furniture and heraldry. The views are sensational and it even has its own pool. We get to see the 'Mona Lisa' suite, a snip at 350 euro a night and complete with four-poster bed.




What an incredible place! Apparently the villa was hired by Kenneth Branagh for much of the filming of 'Much ado about nothing'. Afterwards we discover that the villa is private and we shouldn't have been allowed to look around! Thank you cleaner! We tell Phil we like the place, hopefully we can come and visit him here next month...


Here is a link to their website
http://www.vignamaggio.it/index-english.html

(Original Journal entry - 22/3/03
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