Land of Artists

Just a few weeks ago, I had a chance to travel through Eastern Tuscany. Even though this territory is quite familiar to me, it had never before occurred to me that there is a phenomenal concentration of artists, poets, mathematicians and Italian painters including Michelangelo, Giorgio Vasari, Piero della Francesca, Francesco Petrarca, Luca Della Robbia, Guido Monaco (Guido d’Arezzo) who were all born in or around the medieval town of Arezzo. Even Academy Award Winner Roberto Benigni is native of this area.

Our wanderings took us on the Strada dei Sapori, (road of flavors) as the locals like to call the road that from Arezzo, the province’s capital, leads to four of the most beautiful valleys of Tuscany.

Val di Chiana is famous for its breed of beef cattle called Chianina, the type used for the famous Bistecca alla Fiorentina. The neighboring valley, Val Tiberina, is known for its art towns of Anghiari, Caprese, Sansepolcro and Monterchi. Casentino Valley is known for the monasteries of Camaldoli and La Verna, and lastly Val d’Arno that winds along the banks of the Arno River up to Florence.

I spent most of the time in Arezzo and in Val Tiberina where we visited and argued about one of the most controversial and enigmatic Renaissance paintings, the Madonna del Parto, by Piero della Francesca who was born in the town of Sansepolcro in 1420.

We know little about this eclectic artist, but we do know that he was a formally trained mathematician. There are no written records about his career, about how, where or when he got started in the business of painting. There is no record of him working in the “bottega” of older contemporary artists, and it doesn’t appear that he ever had his own bottega, yet he came to fame at a relatively young age, in his 20s.

Even less is known about the “Madonna del Parto” painting. Was he trying to make a statement about the church and the Roman Catholic establishment of the time? Or, did he want to be humorous and poke fun at something or somebody? Conclusions about him must be drawn from the collection of paintings created during his career.

No matter what Piero della Francesca had in mind, he is one of the many geniuses born and raised in Tuscany during the Renaissance period. His countless masterpieces can be admired in many churches throughout Tuscany or in the museums of Sansepolcro and Perugia. There are works in London’s National Gallery and in many other major international museums.

Last, but not the least, one small token of appreciation for another local master Michelangelo Buonarroti in Caprese just a few miles from Piero’s birthplace. Not much of his work can be admired there; Michelangelo returned to Florence with his parents while still a baby and started working in the Medici Gardens during the reign of Lorenzo de Medici. Most of his masterpieces can be found in the Uffizi Gallery, in the Academia Gallery (The David), the San Lorenzo church and many other places in and around Florence.

Our tour of his works began in the small village of Caprese, on the Tuscan Apennine Range and continued to Florence, the Tuscan capital. I continued on my own to Rome where the highest of his accomplishments can be admired in the Sistine Chapel, the St. Peter in Chains church and the Campidoglio.

This journey is food for thought………..and a feast for the eyes.

August 2008 on “Gelato”

This month’s spotlight is on GELATO the legendary Italian sweet treat. With summer well under way and temperatures in Italy in the dry and hot range with no relief in sight, our thoughts turn to the pleasures of eating gelato. Italian food experts define gelato as nourishment, a preparation obtained from cold solidification of ingredients. In effect, most often gelato is made from different substances like chocolate, vanilla, coffee, hazelnuts, lemon and even rosemary, with endless combinations of tastes. In 2004 actuality, a gelato products company’s survey found a whopping list of more than 580 different tastes. Who can deny that it’s the most popular nourishment in the country where everyone young and old looks forward to a cool gelato and an evening passeggiata! Have you ever thought about how to taste gelato? There is a tasting method similar to, tasting wine or chocolate. First, examine its body or its texture. Having good body in gelato means the feeling shouldn’t disappear immediately once you put some in your mouth. Second, evaluate its creamy consistency; this depends totally on the products used in the production, mostly on the fat content. An excessive amount of fat contained in the milk, eggs or other ingredients, will leave a thin film or greasy patina on your tongue that it will be detected for several seconds. Third, think about sweetness; this should strike a perfect balance between not too much and too little, just like the well-balanced sweetness in a good vintage wine. This is a parameter that can vary from region to region or in different parts of the country, the southern regions are known for excellent sweets and therefore may have a palate that requests more sweetness. A very important requisite is the resistance to sgocciolamento (dripping). A well-made gelato does not drip excessively. A good way of visually judging a gelato is to look at it when it is in the refrigerated display. If you see that the vaschette or little rectangular containers used to display and sell “gelati” is heaping full with gelato mounded above the top of these containers or the linea del freddo, and there is no sign of dripping, you can be quite sure it has been made with quality artisanal ingredients. If you happen to be in Italy and are looking for a good gelato, move away from the touristy area and wander through the back stage of the cities orvillages, look for BARS or CAFES populated by locals and there you can be sure that the gelato is home made and delicious. Stay away from places advertised by travel magazines; you can be 99% sure that their products are of the industrial variety. Buon appetito!

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Emilia Romagna (Italy) revisited

Mosaics of Galla Placidia

The 100 Italian Art Cities fair is an annual happening organized by the Emilia-Romagna region in collaboration with other local public and private organizations. The purpose of this event is to promote tourism to the 100 Italian Art Cities that span from the North to the southern most part of Italy, including Sicily. Each city, as a member of this organization, has a booth to distribute promotional material and people on duty that help tourists, both domestic and foreign, plan travel to those cities.  There is also a fair specifically organized for travel industry tour operators, travel agencies, travel promoters, and various associations.   Comacchio Canals I was among a group of about hundred tour operators in attendance from around the world including: Japan, Brazil, Mexico, Australia, USA and many western and eastern European countries. I’m happy that I was able to participate because it refreshed my memory about Ravenna, Ferrara and Bologna, cities I had not visited for several years. Ravenna, what a surprise it was! My recollection of the city goes back to the days when it was an important industrial center. With easy access to the Adriatic Sea it was an ideal spot for refinery, chemical plants and related businesses. I remember the smoky cloud hanging over the city and the smell stemming from these activities. Now the Montecatini chemical plant is long gone, and the refinery has been downgraded to a mere deposit of finished products. The air is nice and clear, the smoky cloud gone and even the houses are well-maintained and inviting. The city is different from what I remember, the pace seems slower, the streets cleaner and tidier, and its art treasures are more striking than ever. The city is a showcase of art, history and culture. Only about an hour’s drive south of Venice, it shouldn’t be missed by the tourist in search of authentic Italian experiences. I would recommend at least a half-day stop to take in the sights there. Try the local cuisine at Ca’ de Vèn, and wines, walk around town, try a gelato, do some shopping; you’ll be happy you did. Ferrara, my last visit to Ferrara was recent and this time I was able to confirm my previous impressions. Ferrara is the typical sleepy, lazy town of the Italian “provincia.” Its imposing, well-preserved castle, right in the middle of town makes you feel you are back in the Renaissance when Lucrezia Borgia, famous daughter of Pope Alexander VI was ruling the city. You can enjoy nice shopping, excellent cuisine, a very attractive medieval town center with an interesting cathedral and other Renaissance monuments. If you are traveling north or south, or if you plan to visit Ravenna, I would suggest a stop here, maybe with an overnight there or in Ravenna. Bologna, Fountain of Neptune Bologna, This well-mixed old-new city is often bypassed because of its location as a divider between northern and southern Italy, but it’s well worth a days visit. Famous for its gastronomy and the oldest university in the world, Bologna shares an important part in Italian history. Powerful in medieval and Renaissance times, it still enjoys a very important role in the modern Italian economy as an active entrepreneurial place. Its gastronomy, Ragù alla Bolognese hand-made tagliatelle Parmigiano and Aceto Balsamico are only a few of the highlights of its cuisine. With a very interesting and totally unknown medieval center, Bologna and its central location between Rome and Milan should be a must for every traveler to Italy. If you are interested or would like to learn more about the Emilia region, feel free to contact us or visit our web site for information on travel packages to the region.