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



104. Macchiavelli, San Andrea in Percussina and Antinori

October is coming to a close and what better way to mark the halloween/All-Saints and Soul's celebrations, than to pay a visit t the home of 'old Nick' himself, Niccolò Macchiavelli. He came to live in San Andrea in Percussina, which is a tiny village near San Casciano, to write his world famous novel 'The Prince' - handbook to military megolomaniacs and dictators!   There is a small museum here at the house where he lived and a hotel and restaurant, which looks cosy.


Today is All-Souls day and we see streams of locals dressed in black, carrying the funeral flower of choice, crysthanthamums and visiting cemetries to pay respects to their deceased loved ones. We take a peak at the Villa Borromeo in San Casciano, which has been converted into a restaurant. There is a pretty courtyard and we decide it would be nice to come here in the summer... We also explore our new local area of Montefiridolfi. There are lots of nice walks and we stumble across a 3,000 year old Etruscan tomb! Today we opt for a walk down the road at Santa Maria a Macerata, that eventually leads to the tiny hamlet of Badia a Passignano. This is Antinori territory. We check out their Agriturismo at 'Fonte dei Medici'. They also have a villa at Santa Cristina and own many vineyards which go into two of Italy's most famous wines, Tignanello and Solaia. It's a beautiful afternoon and the Autumn colours are coming into their own...                   


(Original journal entry 2/11/03)
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