from April 2005
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Insider's Tuscany
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2. Hear voices of the spirit
"The harmony of this place brings inner peace," says Brother Emanuele, who sings Gregorian chants with his fellow monks at the secluded Romanesque abbey of Sant' Antimo. "The wind, the birds, our church, these ancient melodies—everything reminds us of the Divine." Also visit San Galgano near Monticiano, an abandoned Gothic abbey paved with grass and roofed by open sky.
3. Experience Tuscany's tastiest stage
When Italy's top comic actress marries a decades-long star of the Tuscan table, the results are both dramatic and delicious: The new Teatro del Sale is Tuscany's first dinner theater—and a regionwide phenomenon. "Maria Cassi and Fabio Picchi have turned a 14th-century convent into a unique space that brings out terrific performances from the artists," says music producer Ernesto de Pascale. Spring for the $7 annual membership, and the Teatro becomes your Florentine home away from home all day long, from early breakfast to late dinner—and the 9:30 p.m. spettacolo that follows.
4. Buy a piece of history"We Tuscans have a deep affinity for old things—observing, touching, buying them," says Simone Romano, fourth-generation member of a prominent antiquarian dynasty. "The antiques fair in Arezzo [the first Sunday each month and the preceding Saturday] offers Italy's best selection of jewelry, furniture, carpets, art, and much else. Come early—the best deals are to be had Saturday morning—and make sure to bargain hard."
5. See the perfect square
Siena's Piazza del Campo is a broad oyster shell of herringbone brick, which has hosted the Palio horse race since the 1650s. "I always imagine the Campo with the colorful banners, singing crowds, the tension of the race," says Luigi Bruschelli, winningest jockey in Palio history. "But the Campo is much more: It's where the Sienese come year-round to stroll, chat, and relax." Cafés on the square are pricey; the Bar e Gelateria Manganelli at number 53/54 is a welcome exception.
6. Savor a grand café
The Caffè Poliziano is the pulse of gorgeous hilltop Montepulciano. "It's a very special place for the local people," says former mayor Giuliano Olivieri, "a place to sit and chat, read a book, and dream. We call it the 'Caffè Grande,' and often speak of it as we would of a lover." And no wonder. The art nouveau interior with its handmade wallpaper, elegant fabrics, and dark woodwork are voluptuous indeed; the landscape visible from the windows and terraces is downright ravishing. The countryside seems to come straight out of a Renaissance masterpiece.
7. Catch the modern art wave
"We're now witnessing a creative explosion," says Mariella Poli of diminutive Pietrasanta, a thriving artists' community. "When my partner and I opened Galleria La Subbia 12 years ago, ours was the only gallery in town. Now there are a dozen, along with several artists' studios. In fact, the entire town has become one huge gallery—the public spaces filled with sculptures by the dozens of international artists—including Botero and Mitoraj—who live here."
8. Sample a Tuscan red or two"The wine estates here aren't really set up for cellar tours à la Napa Valley," says Burton Anderson, a 30-year Tuscan resident and arguably the world's foremost authority on Italian wines. "Tuscans do their tasting at enoteche [wine bars]. My favorites include Enoteca Boccadama in Florence, with an excellent wine list and unusually good values, and the Enoteca Italiana in the Medici Fortress of Siena. Also highly recommended: guided enological tours through the streets of Montepulciano."
9. Unearth a Renaissance gem
"While the tourist hordes flock to Michelangelo's 'David' and the Uffizi," says medieval historian Gloria Papaccio, "we Florentines come to the peaceful chapel of the Palazzo Medici in Florence [Via Cavour 3; +39 055 276 0340] to revel in the ideal vision of the Renaissance." She means Benozzo Gozzoli's "Journey of the Magi," which depicts beautifully dressed nobles riding through a gorgeous Quattrocento (15th century) landscape of turreted villas and cypress-ridged hills—a landscape that is still visible today.
10. Visit a villa
"Ever since the Romans, the soul of the Italian good life has been the villa," explains owner Giovanna Tronci (Villa San Martino), "and some of the finest are in the hills above Lucca, where I live. My favorites include Villa Mansi in Segromigno and Villa Torrigiani in Camigliano—both with loggias and dramatic statuary—and the regal Villa Reale in Marlia." Or overnight in a Lucchese villa. Also spectacular is the former Medici residence of Cafaggiolo—outside Florence—which appears in the Benozzo Gozzoli fresco mentioned in number nine.
11. Find your own desert isle"I have a sentimental attachment to Capraia, because a woman I loved once lived there," says Sauro Taccini, a former sea captain who has sailed for decades through the Tuscan Archipelago. "But all seven islands here are beautiful. Visit Giannutri for the Roman villa and pure waters; unspoiled Pianosa, which has been closed to the public until recently; or the more upscale Giglio" [+39 056 591 8809].
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