Lee's Tuscan Odyssey: Open gardens and courtyards

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

Showing posts with label Open gardens and courtyards. Show all posts

192. Villa di Bibbiani

It's another gorgeous May weekend as Florence is enjoying a mini heatwave.

Saturday afternoon and after work we take our rug down to the river Arno and join the sun worshippers.

Sunday and it's 'Open Gardens' in Tuscany. Last year I visited the Castle of Celsa near Siena, while Annette was studying for her DELTA exam. This year we can enjoy it together and I pick this super location in a place called Limite-Sul-Arno near Empoli, called Villa di Bibbiani.

The Villa set on the Montalbano hills is pretty, but it's the garden we're here for...

It was the brain child of Politician and Agronomist, Cosimo Ridolfi, who decided to experiment with his botanical skills and planted two dozen exotic trees. Some of these today are over 300 years old!

We have a very informative guided tour around this extensive 20 hectare property and enjoy the Palm trees, Sequioas, Junipers, Lebanese Cedars, Pecan, Chestnut, Pines, Magnolias any of course many Cypresses. Annette is in tree heaven! There is a cool stone archway, called 'The Arch of Man', which was part of the old entrance and a tree house high up in the forest. It is a fascinating day which we end lazing on a huge lawn.

Having got the tree bug, we pick up some azaleas and a purple rhododendron from our local nursery - well we couldn't fit a Sequoia in the car boot!

(Original journal entry 5/5/05)

190. Open gardens in Florence

'I took refuge

in Tuscany

to be free

to do

as I liked'

Pliny

Book 8

Villa Torrigiani

My favourite month gets off to a flying start with an event I missed last year - Open Courtyards and Gardens in Florence. We have invited Gemma and Tiziano over for the day - three weeks before their big wedding day. Lunch is rather forgettable as my pasta dish sticks in one big lump and the wine I bought was corked. However we all laugh it off and go out and have some fun. It's a beautiful sunny day and we head off towards Porta Romana to the first of our two villas.

Usually when you drive past this large property all you can see over the large old city walls is the large Rapunzel-like tower. Hiding behind is a beautiful, enormous (17 acres) garden. Apparently it is the largest privately owned garden within city boundaries. We enjoy strolling round and looking at the botanical gardens and extensive trees, even if we're supposed to be following a tour guide. The tower is great, but we get told off for sitting on the grass. Oh well, so we move on to our second villa.

Corsini sul Prato

The owners are much more friendly here, it's a very impressive villa, designed by Buontalenti, with some wonderful statues lining the pathway, we spot some baby tortoises, which pleases Tiziano and we have a very pleasant time here among the wisteria and oak trees.

We pop back home for a cup of tea, before bidding Gemma and Tiziano farewell.

(Original journal entry 1/5/05)