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Contents

3Tuscany’s GRAPEVINE Magazine August 2020

Direttore ResponsabileGiuseppe Brandani

EditorNorma Jean Bishop

ContributorsHelen AskhamNorma Jean BishopChiara CalabreseClaudia CasoliLucia CostaJudith EdwardsThomas S. EnglandDon GriffinSue PerryFrancis PettittSydney SmithMaria TsaousidouVannucci & Associati

Marketing & DistributionAlex GalliDiana GattiNicola Girolami

TechnicalSilvano Simi

Tuscany’s Grapevine Magazine by Grapevine Editions

Via dell’Angelo Custode 3A, Lucca Centro Storico, 55100 Italy Mailing address: Via Roma 19, Pescaglia LU 55064 Italy. Mobile +39 333 8617962 [email protected] www.luccagrapevine.com Codice univoco M5UXCR1 P. IVA 02416230460 C.F. BSHNMJ48C65Z404D Iscrizione CCIAA - LU 223932. Registrazione Tribunale di Lucca n° 4, 23 Feb. 2016.

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© Tuscany’s Grapevine Magazine© What’s On In & Around

The listings published in Grapevine are taken from reliable sources and reproduced in good faith. However, to avoid disappointment, readers are advised to check information before setting off. Signed articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or of the Direttore Responsabile.

Cover:Medusa on the beach

by Sue Perry

Art & Music

Traditions & History

Excursions

Food & Drink

Practical

Properties for Sale

Complimentary Business Cards

Markets

Bilingual Crossword

Professionals, Classifieds

Stars of Lucca Classica 5

Graduating in the Time of COVID 8

10

Remembering Ennio Morricone 6Tribute Bands, Blues, Nostalgia, Pop Festivals 7

The ABCs of Beans 20

12,13

18

20

0

Barga’s Porta Reale: Woodcut by S. Kraczyna 9

Utopia and Dystopia 14Country Devotion 15

Postcards from PortovenereCORRsica! 16

Vitalina’s Cheese 19

Summer Dessert: Buccellato Zuppato con Fragole 21

The Investor Visa 22

19

23

2020August

EditorialDear Friends and Readers,

from Norma and the Grapevine Team

Italy is emerging from lock-down and we feel freer now, able to eat at restaurants and visit our beautiful beaches. The crisis is not over, and Italians are still worried, especially about people coming here from other parts of the world. We continue to wear our masks, even as we start to attend social events and meet people we haven’t seen in months.

In Grapevine this month we introduce activities, many held outdoors, that will take place with special caution. Lucca Classica Festival (replacing the summer concerts at Pieve a Elici) gives us the opportunity to enjoy excellent music while visiting museums and public spaces. For those able to go to nearby towns such as Pietrasanta, Forte dei Marmi, Pistoia, and Livorno, there are traditional festivals such as the Versiliana and Pistoia Blues. Parents, after a day at the seashore, may want to take their children to the Versiliana cinema at Lido di Pietrasanta (if they can adapt to the Italian practice of keeping children up until nearly midnight) – see page 24.

Last month the annual Virtuoso & Belcanto Festival was held, though largely in remote and virtual fashion. The famous Lucca Summer Festival has been cancelled. Lucca Comics & Games, which brings thousands at the end of October, is also in question.

Not everyone is comfortable with re-entering the public domain. Last weekend, going to a villa-resort for dinner and a concert, my family felt uncomfortable with the number of people shaking hands and not wearing masks. Although we know the risk is low, we still worry. For people like us, in this month’s issue there are articles about country life, home cooking, and summer travel to quieter places such as the hills of Corsica, Porto Venere, and the islands of the Tuscan Archipelago. These may be difficult to reach, but once there, we can relax in Nature. Ships and ferries are taking many precautions so that travelers can arrive safely.

For young people, the return to school is a subject of debate. In her article “Graduating in the Time of COVID”, Sue Perry addresses the difficulties that students face. Though the young are less likely to contract COVID, Italian authorities are considering the risks of transmission to teachers and family members, especially grandparents, discussing the safety of the classroom.

One reason that Italians are cautious is the high death toll that struck this country (in particular the Lombardy region) earlier this year. Economic effects and the damage to tourism pale in comparison. It’s a time to look beyond, even into the spiritual realm, and to consider the choices we are making each day. On the other hand, I am reminded of the traditional equation of danger with opportunity. Our friends at Vannucci & Associati have written about the investment visa in Italy; maybe for some this is worth considering.

Whatever your situation, we hope that you emerge from this time stronger and happier than ever, close to your loved ones despite the geographical barriers.

–

Trattoria Da Nonna Clara

Via Santa Croce 7155100 Lucca

Tel. 0583 464307Mob. 348 3102719

[email protected]

osteria da nonna clara

Tuscany’s GRAPEVINE Magazine August 2020 4


ucca Classica Music Festival, in its sixth edition, is again offering splendid musical performances in and around Lucca, recognizing local talent and inviting outstanding musicians from other parts of L Europe. The Festival, which began on 11 July, will continue until 7

September 2020. The musical excellence and historically significant venues are good reasons to attend, while visiting some of Lucca’s most distinguished sites (see the map below). Here’s what’s coming up:

At the splendidly restored San Francesco Church, evenings at 9.15 p.m.,1 August, Marco Rizzi and Roberto Arosio performing Beethoven Sonatas3 August, Simonide and Monaldo Braconi, from Schubert to Shostakovich7 August, Gabriele Ragghianti and Simone Soldati (Bach, Schumann, Boccherini, Bottesini)12 August, pianist Mariangela Vacatello (Bach, Schumann, Balakirev)15 August, the Cremona Quartet performing Webern and Beethoven23 August, pianist Jin Ju performing Beethoven and Liszt27 August, Massimo Quarta and Stefano Redaelli (Beethoven and Paganini)30 August, Enrico Dinda and Pietro De Maria (Beethoven and Brahms)7 September, Berliner Philharmoniker by Beethoven

At the Botanical Garden at 6 p.m. (where we suggest you come early and visit the gardens established in 1820 by Maria Luisa di Borbone, Queen of Etruria),2 August, violinist Alberto Bologni performing Bach16 August, flautist Francesco Gatti performing Debussy and Jolivet30 August, harpist Anna Livia Walker performing Tournier, Chertok, Bach

Atop the Guinigi Tower at 8 p.m.,8 August, Quinto Aere (horns, trumpet, trombones)15 August, violinist Francesco Carmignani (Pachelbel, Ravel, Satie, and more)

For more information and to order tickets, consult Ticket holders to the Villa Reale concert will be admitted to the concerts at

San Francesco Church for the symbolic price of 1 euro!

Settimino (Op. 20)

At the Palazzo Pfanner, with its exquisite garden (at 4 and 5 p.m.),9 August, Quartetto Dulce in Corde performing Haydn’s String Quartet

At the Villa Guinigi Museum at 5 and 6 p.m.,25 August, violinist Alberto Bologni performing Bach

At the Palazzo Mansi Museum at 4 and 5.15 p.m.,1 September, cello duo Francesca Gaddi and Alessandro De Felice

At the Villa Reale (in Marlia, 9.3 km from Lucca, the home of Elisa Baciocchi Bonaparte) at 4.30 p.m.,2 August, Celloplay Quintet, From Vivaldi to Sollima (to book, call 0583 30108)

www.luccaclassica.it

Ph

oto

by A

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ea S

imi

1. San Francesco Church2. Villa Guinigi Museum3. Palazzo Mansi Museum4. Palazzo Pfanner5. Torre Guinigi6. Torre delle Ore (July)7. LuCCA Museum (July)8. Botanical Garden9. Villa Reale (Marlia)

Stars of Lucca Classica

1

3

2

6

9

8

7

5

4

Quartetto Cremona

Jin Ju

duo Braconi

Mariangela Vacatello

Enrico Dindo & Pietro De Maria

Remembering Ennio Morriconet's not often that a film director follows a previously written soundtrack rather than the more usual other way round. Yet this is exactly Iwhat Sergio Leone did in collaborating with his

ex-school mate Ennio Morricone when shooting some of the most memorable scenes in the genre he created: the spaghetti western. It is a situation of 'first the music and then the words', a theme so eloquently developed in Richard Strauss's opera Capriccio.

This is surely the genius of Morricone, his 'operatic' dimension where he created musical 'libretti' to some of the most distinctive films of our time such as The Good, the Bad and the Ugly and Once Upon a Time in the West. Morricone can truly be described as the Puccini of the cinema.

Born in Rome in 1926, the son of Mario, a trumpet player, and Libera, a textile worker, Ennio Morricone, who died this July aged ninety one, was a prodigiously eclectic musician. Not only was he a composer, he was a conductor, orchestrator, and trumpet player. His music ranges from the modern classical tradition he learnt from Petrassi, his teacher at the National Academy of Saint Cecilia (where he completed sounds his musical genius produced. It is also ironic that several of his four-year course in just six months!), to jazz, pop songs the maestro's film sound tracks were scored with limited resources (working with artistes like Paul Anka, Mina, the Pet Shop Boys, due to financial considerations. Yet it was precisely these Françoise Hardy, Roger Waters, Joan Baez, and Andrea limitations that inspired Morricone to produce some of his most Boccelli), esoteric improvisation ensembles, and much else. startling effects, like that haunting whistle motto theme to The Rarely can a person have possessed such a leonardesque breadth Good the Bad and the Ugly.in the art of sound. Yet it is the five hundred-plus film Many Italian films are coterminous with their sound tracks; soundtracks that will be regarded as Morricone's most enduring none more so than those of another exceptional figure, Nino Rota. contribution. Who can forget that heart rending melody without bringing La

Starting with music written for the theatre and radio, Ennio Strada into the mind's eye, for example. In his own unforgettably graduated to scoring for films, working not only with Sergio distinctive way Ennio Morricone has now joined that pantheon of Leone but with other directors like Elio Petri, Gillo Pontecorvo, the gods of film music. We are lucky that we shall still be able to Giuseppe Patroni Griffi, Pier Paolo Pasolini, Giuseppe Tornatore, enjoy the atmospheric and highly visual sounds this great maestro Don Siegel, Brian De Palma, Warren Beatty, and that master of created long after his last visit to Lucca's Summer Festival which the horror movie, Dario Argento – just to mention a few. will, after this difficult year, return with ever greater pzazz in

The film world's Puccini first appeared at Lucca's summer 2021.festival in 2008, returned in 2017 (where we were present), and – by Francis Pettittmade his final appearance in 2019. Morricone conducted in a You can follow Francis’ blog at sober manner somewhat at odds with the searingly emotional http://longoio3.wordpress.com


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Tribute Bands, Blues, Nostalgia, Pop Festivals


Here’s a few reasons to get out of town and

enjoy summer evenings the way Italians have

always done: with music, fresh-air dining,

open-air cinema, etc.

in Forte dei Marmi, Pisa/Livorno, Pistoia, ...

See page 24 for the Versiliana Festival, in its 41st edition at Lido di Pietrasanta....

All these events begin at 10 pm. www.eliopolisummer.itSee the article in Grapevine, August 2019, page 9.

Graduating in the Time of COVID


didn't need this stress and so 'threw in the he world with COVID has towel'. I would rather repeat a year than impacted us all. For me, as a put myself through it all. retiree spending time living in T But for those students like Francesco, Tuscany, the lockdown expe-exams had to be done.rience has been quite surreal. One day I

had freedom and future travel plans, and When Francesco finally surfaced, the next I was told to stay at home, to not albeit no smile, we thought it was over, venture out. One of the more difficult and he could put study out of his mind, things I have had to deal with is having to but no there was one more very continue my Italian lessons at home, to important step!complete the semester. It had been such a A few days later, we were invited to joy to cycle to the classroom two morn- participate in the celebratory drink after ings a week to learn and socialise, and his final exam; however, I needed to then I was told to take classes 'online'. check out exactly what the final exam

I have constantly thought about my process was.grand-daughters at home in Australia, The Laurea is equivalent to an who have also had to cope with online undergraduate degree obtained after a schooling. The difference for them of three-year programme of study. The course is that their brains are quite a bit laurel wreath that the students wear for younger than mine, and unlike me they the rest of the day immediately following can handle the complexities of the digital graduation is a symbol of triumph and age – but I was determined to give it a go. traces back to Greek mythology. The

I then became very interested in the tradition originated at the University of education process in Italy, give that all Padua.students now had to study online. The Italian final exam is somewhat Education in Italy is compulsory for chil- different to what we have experienced dren from age 6 to 16, and it is free to children of all nationalities with our daughter and son in Australia. Pre-COVID, the Italian who are Italian residents. Italy has both a private and public educa- student is surrounded by family and others in a large room complete tion system. It also has some of the oldest universities in the world. with a head table where the required number of school professors In particular, the University of Bologna, which was founded in sit. Seated before them are five or six students anxiously awaiting 1088, and is the oldest in the Western world. proceedings to begin. However, this was not happening to

We live in a building in the centre of Lucca where the other Francesco with the university adhering to COVID restrictions. Even sole residents are a local Italian family. They have two boys, both this final exam, more like a presentation, had to be done online, at different universities in Italy, who were fortunate to return home alone in his room so no one can help in any way. when lockdown occurred. Lessons for both continued, with the The event begins with a brief biography of the student's area of magic of online lectures and tutorials in the comfort of home. learning, then the student is given a series of questions, from which Francesco, the elder son, was in the midst of completing his third he selects one for his written exam. After writing this, he must year and pressure was on him to do well so that he could graduate present an oral summary of his essay before the professorial board, and then go on to complete his Masters. who can interrogate him further. Francesco wasn’t asked any

Being at home, in his room, day in and out, we saw very little questions, though. of Francesco in the first 100 days of lockdown. He didn't even go At this time, students know they will receive their degrees, but out into the small courtyard to soak up any of the spring sunshine, their ranking indicates the level. The board then confer and usually but just put his head out the window to say a quick hello as I was give the student a number between 80 and 100. This number is trying to learn and study for my Italian exams. He never even recorded on the student's records and is their most important score. seemed to venture out the front door to stretch his legs either. This whole 'process' must be such a mammoth challenge for any However he did enjoy a wide variety of music, so we were all student to achieve an exemplary score.subjected to his choices, and some day days we wondered if he On the day of his final exam, we waited anxiously to find out would ever find the softer volume button! We saw him smile how he had done. And when he was finally done, he appeared at his occasionally and acknowledged that like us all, he had good days door wearing a lovely suit, the hugest smile, and the most and bad as lockdown continued. important thing – his symbolic laurel wreath! In English, we

Before we all knew it, exams were nearing, and I assumed this would say 'He nailed it' – and he looked so proud with his parents period would be similar to those studying in Australia. We could also beaming by his side. It actually brought tears to my eyes when sense he was anxious, giving thought at the same time to all the his papa told us that he achieved the highest mark, 110!students in the same bubble because of COVID. We then all headed off to enjoy some well-deserved (well for

So the days and weeks with COVID stayed with us all, and him anyway) celebration drinks at the local bar with more family Francesco's music seemed to 'dim' (well, a little) in the other and friends, and I bet the prosecco tasted extra sweet for apartment. Lockdown was then over, but there was no sign of Francesco, knowing he had triumphed over this important part of Francesco. A concerned me was curious. Examination time drew his higher learning. near and his papa told me that his exams had to be all done online. And for Francesco, he won't be 'resting on his laurels', as they By this time I was also informed that this was how my Italian test say, because he is now off to do his Masters at the prestigious would be. And I thought, no way! University of Bologna next semester.

I knew that trying to concentrate in front of my mechanical monster would probably result in a meltdown at my age. I certainly – by Sue Perry

Francesco

Barga’s Porta Reale: Color Woodcut

Aat the age of 19, while still a student at the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States, Kraczyna developed a

technique that combined the traditional European method of wood engraving (producing a line) with the Japanese method of inking large areas of a wooden block with different colors to produce an image having a painterly effect.

An important feature of the woodcut technique is that an image can be created without the use of a printing press: the artist applies pressure to a sheet of paper that has been placed on a carved and inked wooden surface and rubs the paper with the back of a wooden spoon or a flat handmade pad. For many years after having completed his formal studies and before having access to a printing press, Kraczyna made numerous color woodcuts which enabled him to earn a modest living as an artist for himself, his wife and two small children.

When Kraczyna came to Barga in the summer of 1973, he made many color woodcut images of the picturesque town, culminating in the large iconic image of the Castello di Barga (1974) which has since been reproduced in thousands of copies as a poster and has been circulated worldwide to promote the image of Barga. In the years and decades that followed, Kraczyna has produced numerous other images of the town using mostly etching and mixed media techniques, but not woodcuts.

In spring 2020, when the Comune of Barga began work restoring the town's majestic Porta Reale, Kraczyna decided to acknowledge the event by producing a new color woodcut that depicts the medieval beauty and simplicity of the main entrance to the old town. This image will be on display together with earlier woodcuts from August 12 to 29, 2020.

The exhibition opening will be held in the Galleria Comunale (Via di Borgo 16)

on August 12 at 6 pm.


After more than 50 years, Swietlan N. Kraczyna has returned to his first love in printmaking technique.

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Postcards fromPorto Venere

n 2017, while visiting Lucca, we wanted to visit Cinque Terre. So we drove up to Monterosso (you can park in a lot right next to the beach and railroad station) and walked I back south along the trail. The view from the trail is

breathtaking but sometimes scary, as the trail narrows in spots. If you slip, it's a long tumbling way down to the ocean. In 2019, we decided to drive to La Spezia and go to Cinque Terre by boat. It was a great idea! The drive is fairly easy taking A12 (there are tolls). It takes around an hour (77 kilometers) and the road into La Spezia leads you right to the docks and ample paid parking. There are a number of boats leaving from La Spezia going to destinations in the Cinque Terre, and to our favorite, Porto Venere. You can also drive directly. Driving to Porto Venere takes around an hour and a half (90 kilometers).

Although not part of Cinque Terre, Porto Venere (also designated as a World Heritage Site) was the first stop on the boat, so we decided to get out there, walk around, and have lunch before continuing on. We were so glad we did, as the town is layered with history. You can admire the landscape enjoyed by Lord Byron, Shelley, and D.H. Lawrence. (One of Bryon's favorite spots is now called Byron's Grotto.) It is totally different than anything we saw in Cinque Terre. Traveling by boat you get to see its harbor surrounded by brightly colored buildings and totally understand why everyone wanted to control it. It was the perfect place for a military fortress. Sitting on top of the cliffs, it overlooks the Bay of Poets on one side and the Ligurian Sea on the other. Given the views you can certainly see why for centuries it was used as a military fortress.

Our first stop was the fortress, Castello Doria. The castle, datings back to the 1100's, has steep walls and huge archways made from local stone. The castle is an example of Genoese military architecture. There was major re-construction between the 15th and 17th centuries to better accommodate the military needs at the time. During Napoleon's rule of Italy, the castle was used as a prison. It has two parts, one where the lord of the castle and some of his subjects lived in the 1500s, and the other part clearly set up for defense (the angled bastions confirm that, if you had any doubts).

In addition to the fortress, Chiesa di San Pietro (Church of Saint Peter) and Santuario della Madonna Bianca (Church of San Lorenzo) are worth a look, particularly Church of Saint Peter, which has amazing views along with an albeit simple but beautiful interior.

11

Then, of course, there is the town. This is a beautiful medieval town protected by the fortified walls and an ancient gate, Porta del Borgo, which used to be locked in the evenings to prevent seafaring invaders from making an unscheduled visit. You can enter through the Porta del Borgo or you can descend into town from the Chiesa. Either way you enter, you will enjoy the medieval feel of the town as well as the bright colors and delicious food! The narrow, colorful houses were built to defend the town against frequent raids. The houses are tall and compact, with small windows and no balconies, so they were impossible to scale. Via Capellini, the oldest street in Porto Venere, is a wonderful example of a medieval street. It is filled with fruit shops, restaurants, bars, etc. with wonderful colors and delicious food!

In addition to the sights to see in town, there are also three small islands – Palmaria, Tino, and Tinetto. The island of Palmaria is part of the Porto Venere Nature Park. Although we didn't get to explore the island this time, we decided we will have to go back and spend several days, so we can do some more exploring in the area! There are frequent shuttles from Porto Venere to the island and a large accommodating beach for sunbathing. Additionally, for those interested in greater solitude, the island is crisscrossed with hiking trails. A boat circumnavigates the three islands, complete with a guide who will provide some commentary. You will also see red boats that look like submarines and have glass bottoms; these too take tourists on cruises around the islands.

While the Cinque Terre is rightfully considered a world treasure, in the summer the towns are literally packed with tourists. Porto Venere offers many of the same features as the villages of the Cinque Terre but is less crowded and has the added advantage that in ten minutes time you can go to Palmaria and sunbathe or hike. Highly recommended.

– by Sydney Smith and Don Griffin

Tuscany’s GRAPEVINE Magazine August 2020

Also visible at

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For more information: [email protected]

500M FROM LIDO DI CAMAIORE BEACH

Large home (240 sqm) with garden. 4 bed-rooms, 3 baths. Fully equipped kitchen. Wrap-around terrace at 1st floor. Garage. APE Cl. G. €580,000. (Ref. 1194)

Tuscany’s GRAPEVINE Magazine August 202012

Between Lucca and PisaEnchanting 18th century villa that sleeps 14 (8 bedrooms with A/C, 6 bathrooms). Already booked by seasonal renters for much of the summer. In its 2 hectares of beautiful gardens & forests you will find a gazebo, green-house, swimming pool, rare plants, even parrots! Conveniently located in a quiet village just a short bike ride from the sea. Buses pass the gates hourly. APE Cl. G. 3.5 million euros. (Ref. 1197)

Near the Lucca walls

Spacious, beautiful home in Sant'Anna

12 rooms (4-6 bedrooms, 3 baths), garden & patio on 4 sides. Built in the early 1900s. € 850,000. (Ref. 1144)

In the heart of Lucca, 2 elegant top-floor (70 steps up) apartments originally from the 1600s with many beautiful features such as tiled (Tessieri) or terracotta floors, 4m ceilings, some frescoed ceilings, skylights exposed beams, open fireplace, windows looking over Via Fillungo & towards Torre delle Ore. The apartments have been merged into one, but they can easily be restored to their original situation, with separate entrances. Each would then have 1-2 bedrooms, bath, living & large kitchen (approx. 110sqm x 2, 220sqm total). €410,000 each, must be purchased together. Ideal for friends or family wanting 2 adjacent apartments or rental apartment. (Ref. 1184)

Office space that can be changed into an apartment. Three rooms on the ground floor of an historic building in Lucca Centro Storico. €130,000. (Ref. 1241)

Lucca, outside Porta Elisa

Spacious first-floor apartment (120 sqm, 3 bedrooms, 2 baths) with terrace. Very convenient to the city center. €230,000. (Ref. 1242)

NEW LISTING

LUCCA CENTRO STORICO

Spacious first-floor apartment with 2 bed-rooms, 1 bath, terrace. A/C kitchen. 110 sqm. € 389,000. (Ref. 1247)

YOUR GARDEN

FOR LONG OR SHORT RENTLucca, outside Porta Elisa

2 bedroom first floor apartment, 90 sqm, with dining + living room, kitchen, wifi, terrace near the walls. (Ref. 1249)

PROPERTIES FOR SALE OR RENT by owner

Lovely Tuscan villa with stunning views in the hills 10 km from Lucca. Fully

furnished, 300sqm, 5 bedrooms, 4½ baths. Under-floor heating. Garden 8000sqm,

saltwater pool (6mx12m). [email protected] (Ref. 1256)

FOR RENT

NEW LISTING

IN THE HILLSPROPERTIES FOR SALE by ownerFor more information: [email protected]

Bagni di Lucca Villa

Spacious workshop for creative projects (former photographer's studio), with luminous indoor/outdoor spaces. Covered terrace for outdoor meals or projects. Adjacent to this a 110sqm first-floor apartment on the main street of town. Purchase one or both spaces. €330,000 total: €220,000 workshop, €110,000 apartment. (Ref. 1227)

COLOGNORA (UNESCO Village)

Beautifully restored home located in the middle of a friendly mountain village. Two bedrooms, one bathroom, large new kitchen, two living room areas, two fireplaces, and private garden. Chestnut beams and terra cotta floors. Only € 85,000. (Ref. 1232)

RIVERFRONT PROPERTY Ideal for fishermen & bathers, facing the Serchio River at the foot of the Brancoli hills. Early 1900s estate with traditional tile & parquet floors, fitted kitchen, marble stairs, wooden railings, etc. Can be a single home (5-6 bedrooms, 4 baths, 3 floors) or 2 apartments (total 408 sqm). The large garden with trees & olives is bounded by a mule track & old stone wall. Terrace near the kitchen, ideal for dining al fresco. The house is separated from the road by a secure gate. Parking for 4-5 cars inside the property & along the river. € 370,000 negotiable. (Ref. 1179)

Near Devil's Bridge (Borgo a Mozzano). Country estate. Large kitchen/dining room, pantry, 2 sitting rooms, fireplace, study/office, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths downstairs. 3 bed-rooms, 3 baths upstairs. Large swimming pool. English garden. 1.5 hectares for stroll-ing through meadows & forest. Wheelchair access & large parking area. Photovoltaic & solar systems. € 595,000. By owner. (Ref. 1147)

Near Pescaglia/Loppeglia

Charming country house facing west (towards the sea). 130 mq. Plus adjacent house requiring complete restoration, also 130 mq. Each house has 3-4 bedrooms, 2 baths, 2 fireplaces. €170,000 for both. (Estimate €75,000+ for restoration). (Ref. 1243)

Bagni di Lucca. lovely modern apartment, ground floor, with parking space, garden. 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, living/dining/kitchen, storage room. approx. 70sqm. €142,000. Tel. 320 0879190. (Ref. 1237)

Bagni di Lucca (Fornoli)

Conveniently located near the train station, 2 bedroom ground floor apartment with large kitchen, sit t ing/dining room, large bathroom, cantina & utility room. 120sqm. €120,000 negotiable. APE Cl. G. (Ref. 1219)


NEW LISTINGEnchanting country home

700m from hill village with shop, restaurants near Bagni di Lucca, on a bus line, 40 minutes from Lucca, ideal for families, remote work-ers, artists, B&B, 5 bedrooms, 3 baths, fast Wifi, great kitchen. Restored with maximum respect for local aesthetics. Swimming pool (10x5) with solar panels, beautiful gardens, 1 hectare, olive grove. Spectacular views over Apuan Alps. €785,000. (Ref. 1252)

Massarosa, near MassaciuccoliSpacious townhouse of c.240 sqm, on 3 floors: 1st - entrance hall, parlor, kitchen, garage. 2nd - 3 bedrooms + bath. 3rd - unfinished 3 rooms with beams, nice potential. Large garage + parking for 2 cars, which could also serve as private patio. No garden. €180,000. Energy category G. (Ref. 1255)

NEW LISTING

reader sent us this email: Thanks so much for putting the newly refurbished affresco in Via Arcivescovato on the cover (July 2020). I have always been enthralled by that beautiful image and am so happy the Curia, after years A of resistance, finally fixed it. The previous image was lovely but sadly

peeling away. We live a few meters away but have not yet seen it personally (since we are blocked overseas due to COVID).

At the time of the First World War, in 1917, with Italy in tumult and social uprisings occurring in many regions, a local artist (from Marlia), Pietro Biagetti, painted this large fresco, using the tempera technique, on the external wall of the Agorà in Via dell'Arcivescovato. It is 5 meters high and 3.5 meters wide. The fresco, which represents Cristo delle elemosine (alms), is of the crucified Christ with Saint John and Mary Magdalene on either side. There is an alms-box near Christ's feet, where people could make contributions, perhaps to the Agorà, former convent of the Padri Serviti.

For years passing by this fresco, I too felt sadness at its state of abandonment. Often there was a bicycle tied to the railings, or trash left alongside. It seemed destined to fade away. About five or six years ago a proposal was made by Giampaolo Sevieri to restore this artwork, but nothing seemed to change. A few years later the proposal was renewed, this time by Daniela Bartolini. She went directly to the Archbishop Italo Castellani, whose Church Curia (offices) are a short distance down the same street.

Soon, with the approval of Biagetti's niece Paola Cavallaro, the work was assigned to Agostini Restoratori, a company in Quarrata (near Pistoia). Rather than take the work to Quarrata, it was decided to move the delicate remains to the Agorà, behind the wall on which the artwork was located.

Finally, after years of inertia, with the fresco fading almost into disappearance, it has been restored. The clothes colored in ochre and terra-cotta and the earthy flesh of Christ render the fresco with an almost medieval quality. The Assessor for Urban Decorum, Gabriele Bove, and Municipal Council president Francesco Battistini approved the work, which was financed by the Cassa di Risparmio di Lucca and the Municipality of Lucca.

What an appropriate message of hope and caring, arriving as it did just before COVID closed us into our homes….

– by Norma Jean Bishop


phot

o by

Mic

hae

l B

oyd

before

after

Utopia and Dystopia

Grapevine is an official

media partner for this event.


n Italy archetypal symbols of the sacred are all around us. These images are often posted over doorways or at intersections, places that Isymbolize passages not only geographical but

also ritual, psychological, and spiritual. For Catholics each representation of the Madonna has its individual significance. Non-Catholics, if not cynical in spirit, tend to see them all as the Great Mother. Christ too is seen in varying ways, depending on one's situation or background.

The timeless mystery behind such images is sometimes brought down to earth by human behavior. The hint of life after death, of hope or piety, can seem like a cruel joke to some.

This Christ with a sculpted cloth draped over his face is located at a steep sharp bend in the road above Pescaglia, about 40 minutes north of Lucca. I thought I had found a unique representation of the Crucifixion here, but in fact was informed that the original carving, made some twenty years ago, had been brutally attacked, probably by a vandal or vandals, a few years ago. This news, the story behind the object, makes the image so much more poignant.

In the woods nearby, where trail-bikers like to challenge themselves, we came across a sculpture that seems to be the very opposite of spiritual, more like a scarecrow than a Christ. It has a bike helmet on its head, gears for eyes, a tire-tube knotted like a tie around its neck, another held in its right “hand”, with the bike-seat acting as a fig-leaf. It makes me laugh. I would love to talk with the “artists” who made it, to ask them what they had in mind.

Going to visit an old country house in these Apuan mountains, we stopped at this stone tabernaclefar right). The property owner told us that at one time there was a lovely antique Madonna at the altar, but she had been stolen. So in her place our friend put this plaster image of a friar, holding a broom in one hand and a crucifix in the other. The friar is being watched by a dog, a cat, and a mouse. Is he the guardian spirit of domestic life? And to one side of the altar, two delightful plaster children who seem like wind-blown stars are flanked by a small Virgin Mary.

The house has not yet been renovated. In its old kitchen my mind wanders back in time. I notice a small, graceful iron figure mounted on a wooden cross. This Christ, vaguely resembling a pewter

spoon, is situated in a dusty old nook that looks a bit like a tabernacle. His graceful arms reach out like a ballet dancer – are they lifting him up or is he falling down? Is he embracing the universe? And the other items on the shelves below, are they ritualistic? Or does their significance come from the mere proximity to a small, insignificant crucifix?

When we find the time to notice human elements set in nature, life becomes timeless. – by Norma Jean Bishop

(photos

Country Devotion

photo by Silvio Barsotti


orothy Carrington' s book The Granite Island, written in 1971 and re-D publ i shed in 1984,

though now sadly out of print, is a good place to start if you can. Other guidebooks take you from tip to toe of this island, which has been inhabited for ten thousand years. According to Carrington, there was still a belief in the spirit world, by people who are neither illiterate nor foolish, not even particularly imaginative, who think of ghosts and spirits as harbingers of death, who come to claim the souls of the living particularly around waterfalls. I felt a certain frisson myself as we heard how people had jumped to their deaths at these points.

The Corsicans have been conquered and their island passed from hand to hand many times and they retain some resentment as well as pride over their history. I saw a coffee mug that proudly declaimed, conquered but never submissive. Their icon, now printed all over beach towels, is the profile of a young man, bandanna tied round his head, marching into the future.

The Corsican language, full of the 'u' sound, is still spoken by many (though they understand Italian too). French is the dominant language and culture now. The dense forest mountain sides, called the maquis, were hideouts for the anti-Axis fighters who operated from their dense undergrowth, and of course the word 'banditry' comes to many minds. Boswell (Scottish writer, 1 7 4 0 - 1 7 9 5 ) dressed up as a bandit to have his likeness copied. T h e C o r s i c a n separatists in the 60s and 70s, les p l a s t i q u e u r s , blew up the houses of incomers, but now this is largely forgotten as the inhabitants rejoice in the fact that people come from the world over to play on their wonderful beaches, walk on the long distance paths (sentiers de pays) which criss-cross the mountains , and sample Corsican delicacies, and of course the wine!

CORRsica!Andrew Baldwin

still stands in her alcove, yes, but in front of her are ranged the salts and peppers and mustards of current life, while the hams eaten in winter when food is scarce hang from the ceiling. Fifine was touched to know about my own love for nepitella, a mountain herb which makes your pasta extra tasty. Our UK artist friend who lives in Corsica during the summer months had drawn a picture of Fifine and her now dead husband Francois (called FonFon) and this has pride of place on the wall. Fifine was open and hospitable, proud of her summer room and the even darker winter rooms behind it. Electricity of course saves the day now, but one wonders how all this appeared by candlelight....

The village where we ourselves stayed used to be a remote place on the eastern rim of the Castagniccia, overlooking the Eastern plain from its mountainside 'balcony'. Nowadays it's a mere 15 minutes by car to the beach. Changes, changes.... While there is a natural human tendency to say STOP! once we ourselves arrive, life moves us all on.

So go. experience CORRsica yourself, and see what you The mountains themselves are a vivid green, because there is make of it.so much rain, much more so than in the South of France, and little

rivers and waterfalls flow down from the heights to join the blue Consult Corsica Ferries for their COVID policies & regulations.seas that surround the 1000 kilometers of coastline. The island at

its widest is 183km by 83km, with a population of 330,00 (in – by Judith Edwards 2017). We went to one such beach, not crowded at all, and bathed

while watching others, mainly locals, disporting themselves on www.cansurviving.comthe calm and somewhat shallow sea.

And what of the island’s interior? Twenty or thirty years ago it was full of old people reluctant to leave their crumbling villages, their awkward stone houses, their diet of hams, honey, and chestnuts (much like the Garfagnana region in Tuscany, in an area here called Castagniccia). In the evenings cards were played by a smoking fire. But they have largely died out and 'civilisation' has arrived, with incomers, mainly French, converting these old houses into more habitable dwellings. But at Filitosa there is still evidence of civilisations that rose and fell thousands perhaps millions of years ago. As Carrington said, On the day I first saw the huge stone figures at Filitosa I entered Corsican life and became part of it. Until that day I had felt myself to be a tourist and a stranger, but on that day I underwent what amounted to an initiation. There are Roman remains at Alaria, and the Etruscans too were no mean creators of artefacts, still on show.

Certainly the high point of my own visit was a car ride up to one of these stone villages, where Fifine (short for Delphine) still lives with her son and his family. Her dark 'summer' room is such a wonderful mixture of old and new. The Virgin

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eing a shepherd or a shepherdeB

alabrese

ss is not easy; it's the kind of job that nowadays no one wants to

do because you work hard and do not earn much. According to Vitalina Fiori it requires true dedication. It does not matter if one month you earn nothing or almost nothing, you do it because you love the animals you breed.

Vitalina lives in Ponte Gaio, in the Bagni di Lucca area, right next to the entrance to the Riserva Naturale Orrido di Botri (a striking gorge where you can go on a guided trek). Vitalina and her husband Pellegrino Bastiani get up at six every morning, including festive days. They milk their goats in the traditional way, by hand, and then they graze them all day in the woods, so that they can feed on the undergrowth. They make ricotta and cheese with freshly milked milk, in the way their parents and grandparents used to do. This kind of lifestyle is rapidly disappearing, and so is the special breed of goats that the couple breeds, the capretto della Controneria. Apparently, this is the only autochthonous Tuscan goat and there are no more than 600 specimens left. Vitalina's herd counts about 100.

When I went there, the guided visit to the Orrido di Botri was suspended due to Covid19 emergency measures. Now they have reopened it and you can book the excursion at http://www.ufficioguide.it/progr Once there, I had a nice walk into the woods along a amma/botri.htm. However, also winding path close to a stream, and after that I could enjoy simply going to Ponte Gaio was the local products on the terrace of a nearby trattoria, worth the trip. Not only it gave overlooking the natural environment and breathing in fresh me the opportunity to meet clean air. The trattoria (photo left) is called Il nido Vitalina and buy her very special dell'aquila, the eagle's nest, because the Botri gorge is goat cheese, but also to take the characterised by walls reaching 200 metres height, on top extraordinary drive through lush of which the royal eagle nests. If you prefer, you can also vegetation necessary to arrive up picnic using one of the wooden tables available there, or there (Ponte Gaio is about 600 simply sit on the grass.metres above sea level). The place is reinvigorating. – by Chiara C

Stepping Back in Time Vitalina’s Cheese


General markets Books and prints Arts and craftsLucca, Piazza San Giusto last Sat/SundayLucca, Corte del Biancone DailyLucca, S. Francesco. fruits/vegetables Wed 4-7pmLucca, Portone dei Borghi Wednesdays 10am to 7pm

Lucca, near the fairground Wed & Sat a.m.Antiques Lucca, Corso Garibaldi 2nd weekend of the

B. Giannotti, Foro Boario Sat a.m. monthLucca 3rd Sat/Sunday S. Maria a Colle Thurs a.m. Marina di Pietrasanta Wednesday afternoonsAltopascio 2nd Sunday

Castelnuovo Garfagnana 1st weekend of the monthPonte a Moriano Tues a.m. Montecarlo 2nd SundayPieve Fosciana last SundayForte dei Marmi 1st Sat/Sunday S. Maria del Giudice Mon a.m.

Pietrasanta 1st Sunday Plants and flowersPietrasanta Thurs a.m.Lucca, Corso Garibaldi Friday morningsBarga 2nd Sunday

Marina di Pietrasanta Sat a.m. Pietrasanta 3rd SundayViareggio 4th Sat/SundayTonfano Sat a.m. Bientina 4th Sat/Sunday Markets in Florence (the biggest)Castelnuovo Garfagnana Thurs a.m. Pescia 4th Sunday Piazza San Lorenzo 7-2 daily, 7-5 Sat, closed SundaysPescia Sat a.m. Querceta Saturday mornings Parco delle Cascine Tuesdays 7am to 2pm

Markets

Cruciwordby Helen Askham


ACROSS DOWN1 Taglio di capelli, quasi 1 Bolle di sapone (7)

rasati (5)5 Beatitudine (5)2 Locale, a counter where 8 Torino (5)

drink is sold (3)9 Urgency (7)3 Il più lungo (7)10 Arlecchino (9)4 Sta’ zitto (4,2)12 That, this, it (3)5 Iniziare (5)

13 Due (7)6 Innocence (9)

14 Push, stimulus (6) 7 Box (7)17 Forma gaelica di Giovanni, 11 Radish (9)

John, Sean, Ivan, ecc. (3) 13 Dribblare (7)18 Splendente, geniale (9) 15 Football (7)20 Dance (7) 16 La vita è una ... (5,1)21 Now, by now (5) 18 Spiaggia (5)23 To stick, to be a supporter (7) 19 Due volte (5)24 Sputare (4) 22 Never (3)

Clues in English have Italian answers. Clues in Italian have English answers.

July solution

Beautiful Summer Play

A C C A A P E E S S EX S I P RI N H O P E E T T A R OS A O O W C E

R I S O L V E R EP T P N S A

I A C E E T A' U NE A P Y T DM O R S E C O D E

E P D E N S PG R O S S O E T E RG L M E AS P I T J A Y I D E M

A

NT

R N

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

8 9

10 11 12

13 14 15

16

17 18 19

20 21 22

23 24

The ABC of Beanss

o come up with a bean for every letter T would have been a

stiff lockdown challenge, too much of a stretch

even for the impossibly knowledgeable. But we can start, as we know, Tuscans are notorious for being bean-eaters. Beans are full of protein, much cheaper (and better for the planet) than meat, and have been a staple part of any Tuscan diet for millennia. Beans were one of the earliest food crops cultivated by our ancestors.

You'd like some facts? Beans are classified as 'legumes', alongside peas, peanuts, and lentils. They're rich in fibre and B vitamins, they reduce cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and yes cost has always been a factor for the thrifty Tuscan house-person. Beans have a good reputation: being 'full of beans' is denoted as being in a cheerful, energetic mood. Is there a corresponding phrase in Italian? Pieno di fagioli. Maybe…. Or more usually in gran forma or a person che sprizza energia da tutti i pori. Bright eyed, bushy tailed. Let's eat beans! Though of course many might remember that scene in the film Blazing Saddles where beans have a windy effect....

So its A for Aduki beans, not really a Tuscan speciality but they do have the advantage of starting off our list. These are small, shiny, red-brown beans with a little white thread down one side. They can be used in salads or mixed with other vegetables and also make a good stuffing ingredient. High in protein, vitamins and minerals, as we've already said, these nutty-tasting beans are popular as part of a macrobiotic diet, and feature large in Asian cooking.

B for our beloved Borlotti (see Grapevine article, August 2016) The borlotti bean is a common variety first bred in Colombia as the cargamanto, also known as the cranberry bean. Indeed, how beautiful it is, streaked with magenta and black, before the cooking takes its cranberry stripes away. I have spent many a happy hour sitting on our sunny terrace shelling borlotti beans.

C, let's mention the Cannellini bean. This small, white, kidney-shaped bean is good for using in salads and casseroles.

Ok, now let’s leap towards the end of the alphabet, to give pride of place to a Tuscan summer delight, the green bean (known in Italian as le Stringhe): not so humble, not so insignificant, no soaking needed, but a welcome if simple addition to our Tuscan table as the summer sun soars (we hope) and the nights are warm. So this is what you do:

Top 'em and tail 'em and boil 'em for five or six minutes, toss 'em with a bit of butter, a tub of soured cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, then bake 'em in a buttered dish and a medium oven, topped with breadcrumbs for about 15 minutes, till the crumbs are golden and the edges of the dish are bubbling nicely. Good with chicken indeed they are, but great on their own. Maybe we can still enjoy the good things of life at home before we try the 'new normal' pleasures of eating out?

– by Judith [email protected]

www.cansurviving.com

maybe

since

he buccellato and strawberry soup was handed down to Cut the buccellato into slices laid in a large bowl. (You can me by my mother Giuliana. I remember my childhood toast it if you prefer.) After washing the strawberries, cut them into and youth, unforgettable scents, genuine and simple small pieces, add a glass of red wine and 3 teaspoons of sugar, to T create a strawberry soup to put on the sliced buccellato. Put this in flavors of recipes and dishes of the past, never again

having that particular taste, certainly linked to family affection. the fridge for an hour. Serve fresh. Add a spoonful of whipped With the help of my dad Brunello (pictured below), I try to cream if desired, to complement the taste.

reproduce and make the taste resemble those of the past. Like this buccellato and strawberry soup, which is suitable for the summer, A good summer dessert !!!fresh and quick to prepare. A buccellato from Lucca is fine; if it is the real Taddeucci vareity (sold in Piazza San Michele) it’s perfect. – by Lucia Costa

For those who don’t know this typical sweetbread, the buccellato is a pastry containing sugar, raisins, anis seeds, and butter.

Summer DessertBuccellato Zuppato con Fragole

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300sqm, 5 bedrooms,

4½ baths. Under-floor

heating. Garden 8000sqm,

saltwater pool (6mx12m).

[email protected] (Ref. 1256)

august 2020 gg tuscany’s rraappeevviinnee

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