It happens, wandering through the villages of our beautiful Tuscany, to come across forgotten pieces of history. Yes, the very ones that in lands less rich in antiquity and traditions would drive tourists crazy as if they were rare and precious stones, and which, to us, seem so normal that we don’t pay much attention to them. In Sarteano this is the case of the “Pope’s House”, the palace where Francesco Todeschini Piccolomini, born Pope Pius III (1439-1503), was born.
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In this new season I would like to continue to produce new ice cream tastes but also to carry on my new literary stimulus at the same time. I already have contacts with musician friends with whom I would like to return to play the role of the showman, as in the past, and maybe finally find a producer who sits in front of me to listen to my rhyming songs embraced by the music.
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Far from being a pedantic history lesson, this digression on the three Florentine republics that succeeded one another from 1494 (the year of the expulsion of the Medici who, fearful, conniving and rumoured in cahoots with the French of Charles VIII, were overthrown by spontaneous citizen uprisings) intends to bring to light that voluntary, popular and democratic spirit that took place after decades of Medici domination, ignited by the vehement preaching of Friar Girolamo Savonarola.
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In the splendid residence of the Podere ‘La Stanghetta’, surrounded by cypresses and dotted with multiple points of colour of many essences in bloom, in this locus amoenus that is an oasis of peace, we meet Stefania Gornati and Claudio Gori who introduce us to the secrets of plant cultivation and extraction of essential oils – absolute protagonists of an interesting cosmetic line of which we speak. Let’s get to know them.
read more >![The ‘Quore’ [play on Cuore, ‘heart’] of Tuscany](https://www.valleylife.it/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/d-2.jpg)
The association was established in 2022 and already includes nine DOP and IGP products: Castagna del Monte Amiata IGP, Fagiolo di Sorana IGP, Farro della Garfagnana IGP, Marrone del Mugello IGP, Mortadella di Prato IGP, Pane Toscano DOP, Pecorino delle Balze Volterrane DOP, Olio di Seggiano DOP and Olio Terre di Siena DOP.
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“I am strongly convinced of the need to support and promote new ways of using the sea – continues Nappi – especially when these are focused on environmental sustainability. Since my establishment we are constantly confronted with the operators of the fishing sector and we are carrying out a fruitful cooperation between the seafaring, the culture and the traditions of the territory. For me, all this means encouraging the development and economic growth of both the fishing sector and all related industries “.
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The Club Il Principe disco has had a facelift since and there are now two rooms. The restaurant is open for two Fridays a month and every Saturday.
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But let’s get to the tasting that was dedicated to us: we start with the curious, opulent, speciality of the pizzeria, that “Scarpetta” which refers to the same all-Italian custom, made with ‘Authentic Integrated Grinding Flour’ from the famous mill mentioned above .. Our ‘scarpetta’ (small shoe) is with “Pecorino fondue, nduja, crispy bacon and pepper powder” and is an extra-menu, recurring in the restaurant that follows the best of the market. Large and baroque alveolation, it seems that it opens and closes like an accordion, perfectly absorbing the ‘sauce’.
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In fact, history and tradition have been intertwined since the times of the ancient fair promoted by the meritorious Lega del Chianti …
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We meet the Milanese chef – but Tuscan by adoption – Alessandro Chiesa, while he’s baking strictly homemade bread in a wood oven: he has been at the reins of the brigade for a year now… – being in a castle let’s say “at the reins of his kitchen garrison!”
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In the mind of every bride or in the imagination of every couple who intends to announce and seal its (hopefully) eternal union, there is a unique marriage, unrepeatable and never equal to others.
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In a recent edition of Valley Life (n. 163, spring 2021) we had already told the passionate historical-documentary research of Umberto Pippolini on Francesco di Bernardone, better known as “Saint Francis of Assisi”. The exciting research of Umberto – esteemed professional and inexhaustible creative – ended with the release of the text, already available in the bookstore: “Il Mio San Francesco di Assisi – Alla ricerca della sua unica e vera immagine”.
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The atmosphere is familiar and informal, but also extremely elegant: the beautiful veranda on the course of Sansepolcro during the Christmas holidays is adorned with lights, the atmosphere is even warmer, there is the desire to take a break from the working rhythms and enjoy a typical Tuscan appetizer, a good wine, a cut juniper and rosemary… But also a cod and shrimp difficult to find in the other restaurants in the area, because the cook Nicoleta has a great skill in cooking fish and in combining its flavors with those of the Tuscan tradition.
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The visit to the Abbadia San Salvatore Mining Museum Park is structured in three parts, each one fascinating. The first is represented by the multimedia museum The ‘Geography of Mercury’, where, like a script, everything revolves around this metal element and immerses the viewer in the narrative of mining life: the myth, the territory, the work, the men and the material constitute the chapters of the story; multimedia technologies take the visitor on a fascinating journey: “there are numerous mining parks ̶̶ explains Massimo Sabatini, president of the Terre di Toscana Consortium ̶̶ but very few focused on mercury and it is no coincidence that we are twinned with Idrija in Slovenia and Almadén in Spain which, together with Abbadia, formed the three main poles of mercury production in Europe. In the museum you will find films, videos and oral testimonies of those who spent their lives in mining.”
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In 2001, after years of experience, Patricia brought her innovative idea of education to the Val d’Orcia, with the motto of ‘have fun learning’. The classrooms are colourful and welcoming. Entering them one gets the impression of belonging to a large family.
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A historic and ground-breaking Riviera hotel, the Lucerna was founded in Castiglione della Pescaia in 1958 by Nello Raffi, Laura’s grandfather. In the same year, just think, that the famous Riva del Sole hotel opened. It was in 1972 that her parents Gino and Brunella started working so much there that the young Laura spent her youth here, breathing the air and life of the hotel in the management work as well as in the extraordinary ambience of encounters and acquaintances with the legendary characters of the time.
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