Italia magazine Tuscany 2018 - Special
Italia! is the award-winning magazine for everyone who has a passion for Italy. Each month, you¹ll find a wide variety of beautifully photographed and intelligently written articles to inspire and inform you. Covering every aspect of Italian life, from travel, holidays and property to food, wine and culture, we bring Italy closer to English-speaking readers across the world.
i denne utgaven
the iris
The iris is a symbol of Florence and has been since time immemorial. It used to be a white iris on a red background, but when the Medici came to power in the 14th century, they changed this to a red iris on a white background, and this is the symbol you will see in the city today. It is not, however, the flower, but the root that was significant to the Tuscans. From the root come the oils that are used in perfumes, pot-pourris, even gin – and the methods used today to extract the oils are much as they were in the days of the Medici, and indeed, in Ancient Greece, whence the culture of the iris came here. The interest in the flower itself is a French…
the leaning tower of pisa
A long with the Eiffel Tower in Paris, Big Ben in London and the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, this is one of Europe’s most readily recognisable buildings. You might include the Colosseum in Rome on that list, but if you had to represent Italy with one building only, that building would simply have to be the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Why? Because it leans… You’d think that most people, having noticed that their tower had already developed a pronounced tilt before even the second floor was finished, for the plainly obvious reason that the foundations were on unstable ground, would have given the whole thing up as a bad job. But that would be to underestimate the people of the Pisan Republic. They, instead, just left it to settle for 100 years,…
48 hours in… puccini’s tuscany
Our morning starts early at Villa de Lanfranchi with cockerels, peacocks and cockatoos calling across the swimming pool. Upstairs I can hear Claudio is setting breakfast. Claudio is our host at this Renaissance villa, bursting with antiques, just outside Lucca. Knowing that we are here for Puccini, he is keen that we visit the Fondazione Cerratelli nearby. Cerratelli make the costumes for the annual Puccini Festival at Torre del Lago, but we say maybe tomorrow. Today we’re heading off on a pilgrimage to Puccini’s hometown before the day gets too hot. The sun is already bright across this rolling Tuscan landscape as we motor towards Lucca. Every road we take is lined with poplar trees and here comes a young man bicycling towards us. Add in the strains of O mio…
land of the etruscans
The Ancient Greeks knew what is now the region of Tuscany as the ‘land of wine’, and for good reason. The history of wine production in the area dates back to around 700BC, when the Etruscan civilisation was formed there. Sangiovese was almost certainly the most established grape variety at the time (as it is now), and when the Etruscans were eventually assimilated into the Roman Republic (circa. 400BC) their friends from the south were particularly partial to the wines of the region.…
local specialities
FLORENCE Florence is the home of the costoluto fiorentino tomato, and of the luxury semifreddo dessert zuccotto, which is full of cream, candied fruit and the local shocking-pink Alkermes liqueur – an exception to the tradition of cucina povera! Try also the bistecca alla fiorentina, cooked alla brace. A favourite street food is lampredotto, tripe cooked in broth and served in a roll. If that is not to your taste go to a bakery during the grape harvest for a slice of schiacciata all’uva, a grape bread. The wines of Chianti need no introduction! PISA Food in Pisa reflects the maritime history here, with elvers (baby eels) sometimes on the menu. The zuppa alla pisana, based on bread and beans, is exemplary Tuscan thrift. Try too a slice of torta co’ bischeri, with…
48 hours in… viareggio
I confess I didn’t know much about Viareggio before I took a trip there myself, but the idea of a coastal resort perched in the northwest of Tuscany was – of course – very appealing. Arriving in early September I was first struck by the end-of-season air about the place, with legions of unoccupied sunloungers stationed on the beach. There was, however, still a hot wind blowing in from the sea, and plenty of warmth in the sunshine. Holidaymakers still strolled around in flip-flops and beachwear and there were plenty of takers for ice cream at the gelaterie along the beach. The beach in Viareggio seems an endless stretch of golden sand, peppered with sunloungers and rollmat paths down to the sea. Beach bars, shops and cafés line the edge of…
