Ciao! I wanted to let you all know about my other blog, which I'm calling a sister blog to this one, called La Vita Toscana.
I do love blogging about my adventures in and around Italy, but I wanted to have another venue to be able to help people to learn how to adopt some facets of the Tuscan lifestyle into their own. Not everyone can live in Tuscany, but I believe everyone can learn something from the Tuscans and use that knowledge to enrich their lives!
So, La Vita Toscana was born. If you would like to learn more about the Tuscan way of life...recipes, traditions, etc., then please take a look at http://tuscanlife.blogspot.com/. You can sign up for email updates, follow the blog through Google+ or Blogger, share posts with friends via email, Facebook, or Twitter, and much more.
(In other news, I'm attempting to update the toflorencewithlove.com with new features, but I've hit a snag and the whole site is currently down. Simone and I are working on trying to get it back up and running (and improved!), so hopefully it will be back up again soon. I'll post about that when we get it working again!)
I hope everyone has had an enjoyable holiday season and that 2014 will bring lots of luck, love and good fortune to you all! Auguri!
January 6th marks the 12th day of Christmas, otherwise known as Epiphany. In Florence, this holiday (yes, it is a national holiday in Italy!) is celebrated with an amazingly HUGE historical parade called La Cavalcata dei Magi, the Cavalcade of the Magi, which recalls the arrival of the Magi (or the 3 Wise Men) visiting the infant Jesus. This grand parade was resurrected in 1997 during the 700th anniversary of the laying of the foundation of the Duomo. The parade first appeared in the early 1400's (the earliest written evidence of this was in 1417) and ran every 3 years (every 5 years after 1447). Today, it runs every year, so you can plan to see the parade if you happen to be in town this time of the year.
The parade route begins at Palazzo Pitti, continues up Via Guicciardini, crosses the Arno River via the Ponte Vecchio, then winds around a bit before finally ending in Piazza del Duomo. There is a live nativity at a little stable next to the front of the church (which contains a large presepe - nativity scene - of terra cotta figures throughout the Christmas season), and this is where the "magi" end their procession through town and finally present the baby Jesus with their gifts. Live animals are present, usually fenced in next to the stable.
An adorable lamb being shown before the parade arrives at the Duomo
Miniature horse being shown to the crowd awaiting the parade's arrival
In front of the Duomo, on the steps, is where the dignitaries sit. Both church and government officials view the parade together from this vantage point. Some speak to those gathered prior to and after the parade. A children's choir sings from the steps before the parade arrives.
A children's choir performs for the crowd
Over 500 people from Florence and across Tuscany participate in the parade, all of which are in historical costume. Musicians, sbandieratori (flag bearers), and representatives from towns across the province of Florence take part in the procession.
2 of the 3 Magi
Another participant in the parade is Befana! Befana is the traditional Epiphany figure in Italy. She is depicted as an old woman with a broom, much like a witch. Tradition is that she flies around on her broomstick and visits children at night, leaving good little boys and girls candy, sweets and small toys. Bad children are given coal. The story goes that Befana was an old woman who was approached by the Magi when they were on their way to find the Christ child. She provided them with directions and shelter for the night, but did not accompany them on their journey due to having "too much housework" to do. Of course, later, she regretted her decision and changed her mind, so she went off on her own to try to find the Magi and the baby Jesus, but could not find them. So, to this day she wanders around searching still.
Befana arrives!
After everyone arrives at the Piazza, singing and cheering on of city pride commences and then finally balloons are released into the air, concluding the festivities.
Witnessing the Cavalcata is a lot of fun. It can get a bit chilly standing on the stones, so if you go, I suggest wearing warm socks under your shoes! My toes were like ice last year when we went!
For the past 4 or 5 days, I have been in a fog. Of course, I'm not the only one in a fog around here, because the entire area has been under a thick blanket of fog!
Fog tends to happen quite a bit in the wintertime here. I remember last winter that we had several days of dense fog and the trend continues. Usually, it's not too bad and will clear up around midday, but sometimes it will last from dawn until dusk without a reprieve! That's the way it's been lately around here. The other day, even the airport was closed due to the extreme fog!
Fog on Saturday, 7 December, 2013...
...compared to a clear, sunny day on Thursday, 5 December, 2013
I was able to get out on Saturday for a little while despite the fog. I took a walk out to the cemetery in Signa, which is about a 15 minute or so walk from where I'm staying.
Memorial to those who fell during WWI
The cemetery was extra eerie with all the fog. I always notice how quiet cemeteries are, but with this heavy fog, it seemed extra silent. At one point a flock of birds flew overhead and I could hear - quiet loudly - the sound of their flapping wings.
I did get some neat pictures out of the visit, though!
Walkway along the top of the cemetery wall
Stained glass window at the back of a family crypt
I realize that it's September now, but it still feels like summer to me! Temperatures in Italy are still quite hot (today it hit up to 93 degrees in Signa), so I thought that it would be a good time to do a summertime wrap-up post.
MUSICA (Music)
As usual, summertime provided us with some great music to use as a seasonal soundtrack. Here are some of the ones that I gravitated towards:
JOVANOTTI - Ti Porto Via Con Me
I absolutely love this song. Every time I hear it, it reminds me of all the little trips that Simone and I took this summer. "Ti porto via con me", translates into "I'll take you away with me". We heard it a lot this summer and it continues to put a smile on my face every time I hear it. Jovanotti tends to have that effect on me though!
JOVANOTTI - Estate
Yep, another one from Jovanotti. I can't help it! His songs are usually so cheerful, and "Estate" doesn't disappoint! "Estate" is Italian for "Summer", and you can definitely get the "summer" feel from this song.
MAX GAZZE' - Sotto Casa
I can never not like a Max Gazze' song. I think it's impossible. He was the first Italian artist that I really started to follow more than 3 years ago. His "Sotto Casa" is such a catchy, up-beat tune. It was a no-brainer to include this in my personal summertime soundtrack!
CHIARA (Feat. FIORELLA MANNOIA) - Passi
Two of my favorite female artists in one song. "Passi" was one of my 'chill out' songs of the summer. (Note, this isn't an official video, but one I found on YouTube.)
CIBO (Food)
Summertime is when we enjoy fresh, in-season vegetables as much as possible, and foods that are not so "heavy".
PANZANELLA
Nothing says summer to me more than a nice, cool salad. In Italy, that means panzanella. Tuscan bread, fresh tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, parsley, white wine vinegar, and olive oil combine to make an amazingly refreshing lunch!
GRILLED FOOD
Hot summers mean grilling meat in most parts of the world. Italy is no exception! Steak, fish, chicken, vegetables and pork all make an appearance on local grills. We grilled some lovely pork chops earlier this summer, rubbed with fresh sage and rosemary, and accompanied with fresh asparagus cooked in a wonderful olive oil and some cooked apples. Our neighbors asked what it was we were cooking because it all smelled so delicious!
SAGRE (Food Festivals)
Summertime sagre are everywhere in Italy. Not a weekend goes by without at least two or three being held somewhere within an hour's drive. We visited a few this summer: chinghiale (wild boar), porcini (mushrooms), and ranocchi (frog legs).
Fried ranocchi! Delicious!
FRUTTI DI MARE (Seafood)
Summer means lighter foods, which in my book means fish and seafood. We at a LOT of mussels this summer. We would buy them at the supermarket which had them for less than 4 euro per kilogram. We'd get a kilogram and split them between two meals. They were super delicious and a great bargain! We got several different fish over the course of the summer as well, frying some and poaching others.
GELATO
It's not summer (or fall, or winter, or spring) without gelato! We enjoy eating gelato year-round (obviously), but in the summer, it's extra fabulous. Whether visiting a gelateria or buying a tub at the supermarket and eating it at home, it's a summertime staple.
caffè, fior di latte e nocciola gelato coffee, sweet cream and hazelnut ice cream
VIAGGI (Travels)
It wouldn't be summer without taking a few day-trips! We hit the road several times this summer. Here are a few of the places we visited:
LA SPIAGGIA (The Beach)
The summer started out rather cool, but by mid to late June, it was getting rather warm, so we hit the beach. The Mediterranean is absolutely gorgeous. I'm not a real beach-lover, but even I really enjoyed digging my feet in the sand or wading out a little and letting the waves lap up against my legs. The beaches we have gone to have all been extremely clean...and free! Crowded, but not too bad. If we lived closer, I'm sure we would have gone more often!
SIENA
We visited Siena twice this summer. We both really love that town and enjoy spending time wandering around it's ancient streets. The folks there are friendly and there is a real sense of community there. The hilly streets can be a bit of a challenge on super-hot summer days though!
ROMA
This was the first time that either of us had ever been to Rome! It was a short, whirlwind trip, but we saw a lot of really great things. Unfortunately, not nearly as much as we had hoped to see. Guess that means we'll need to go down again and see the things we missed! Next time, I think we will try to go when it isn't the busy summer tourist season. There were a LOT of tourists there!
LE MONTAGNE (The Mountains)
Another good way to beat the heat is to take a drive up to the mountains! We visited Abetone once and climbed up to the top of the mountain, which rewarded us with spectacular views. We visited lower mountains near Pistoia on several occasions. The temperatures are cool and refreshing...and the views are amazing.
The mountains of Pistoia
FESTE (Festivals)
Italy knows how to put on a great festival! There always seem to be some sort of festival going on every weekend & I've not been disappointed yet!
FESTA MEDIOEVALE MALMANTILE (Medieval Festival in Malmantile)
A medieval festival in an actual fortified medieval village. It doesn't get much better than this! Craftsmen demonstrating their skills, vendors displaying their wares, medieval goodies and treats...and did I mention that people still actually LIVE in this castle-like village?
Candle making demonstration at Malmantile
LA FESTA DI SAN GIOVANNI (The Feast of St. John the Baptist)
St. John the Baptist is a pretty big deal in Florence, since he is the city's patron saint. So what else do they do but throw a huge bash on his birthday! The day starts with mass, continues with the final of the Calcio Storico (except for this year...it was postponed due to a thunderstorm that passed through the area in the afternoon), and ends with a spectacular fireworks display over the Arno.
FESTA DEL PANE DI PRATO (Festival of the Bread of Prato)
Prato's Piazza del Duomo transformed into a carb-lover's dream this past June with it's Bread Festival! They put up some ovens and baked fresh schiacciata (and handed out pieces for free). There were several booths from bakeries and flour mills present, selling and displaying their wares. I tried so many baked goodies, I ended up skipping lunch!
These are just a handful of things that we did this summer. Of course, we did more than just the above. We spent a lot of time walking in Cascine or around other parks and areas around the neighborhood. We enjoyed the good weather and tried to avoid the bad weather (one day when it was raining buckets in the Florence area, we headed down to Empoli and Vinci just because it wasn't raining there!). We worked a lot and we played a lot. That's what I love about Italy! There is always something exciting going on!
For our second trip to Siena, we decided to take a tour the Duomo, so Simone bought us an all-inclusive ticket that got us into the duomo, the baptistery, the crypt, the museum, and allowed us to climb up to the terrace of the Facciatone (the unfinished facade to the "New Duomo", a huge project that was abandoned after plague hit the city).
Siena's duomo is gorgeous, and that's putting it mildly. They started building it way back in 1196, it was consecrated in 1215, and the front facade was finished sometime between 1360 and 1370, although some additions were made over the ages. The intricately carved marble and brilliant mosaics are absolutely stunning. Both the exterior and interior boast the beautiful white and black/green marble in horizontal stripes.
A close-up view of the center mosaic
Upon entering the duomo, I was struck by the fact that I really didn't know where to look first! The soaring gothic interior, rising up to the gorgeous dome? The incredible mosaic floors? The countless works of art? It was actually a bit overwhelming!
The inlaid marble mosaic floor is incredible. When we were there, much of it was covered with rugs (probably to keep it safe from the millions of visitors walking around), but right now, between 18 August until 27 October, if you are in Siena, you can see the entire mosaic floor without any of the carpeting. They uncover the floor each year around this time for a few weeks, so if you're thinking of taking a trip out there someday, keep that in mind! These magnificent mosaics were laid beginning in 1372, a section (or panel) and a time. The last panel was added in 1547. There are 56 total panels on the floor, covering pretty much the entire floor of the duomo.
The striped walls and pillars reaching up toward the gorgeous ceiling are spectacular. The vaulted ceiling is blue with gold stars, emulating the heavens. The large golden decorated dome takes its place in the center of the church, making it impossible to miss.
There is beauty absolutely everywhere you turn in this cathedral. There are works by Michelangelo, Bernini, and Donatello, among others.
The main altar
Looking toward the front entrance from in front
of the main altar
The pulpit
Part of the library room
After we toured the duomo, we headed over to the museum (no photos were permitted) and then climbed up to the Duomo Nuovo to view a gorgeous panorama of Siena and the countryside surrounding it. The Duomo Nuovo (translated "new duomo"), was supposed to be a huge addition onto the cathedral. Building started in 1339, but was halted in 1357 due to the devastating Black Plague. What remains today is Facciatone (facade) and what was to be part of the nave, which is now where the museum is located, and a wall opposite which was used to build the Palazzo Reale.
The views are stunning to say the least.
Looking down on the Piazza Jacopo della Quercia and the Duomo
Looking down toward the Piazza del Campo and the Torre di Mangia
Looking out over the countryside of Siena
The baptistry was next on our agenda. Siena's baptistry was built between 1316 and 1325 by Camiano di Crescentino. It's a rectangular building, located right next to the duomo. Funny thing about the history of the baptistry, it was built in this location because back in 1317, it was decided to lengthen the choir of the cathedral. The cathedral, however, was already built near the edge of a hill, so they needed to build something that would support the expanded choir from below. So, they decided to build a new baptistry in order to do so.
The baptismal font is absolutely exquisite. It's made of marble, bronze and enamel and was created by several famous sculptors: Donatello, Ghiberti, Giovanni di Turino, Neroccio, and Jacopo della Quercia.
The ciborium in the center of the font
The hexagonal basin of the font with its bronze panels
The ceilings are covered with beautiful, brightly-colored frescoes depicting Apostles, Articles of the Creed, and various biblical stories. These were painted by Agostino di Marsiglio, Vecchietta (who also sculpted the ciborium that is placed on the high alter in the Duomo), Michele di Matteo Lambertini, Benvenuto di Giovanni, and Pietro degli Orioli.
On the wall to the left, there is a gorgeous i Brescianini painting titled "Battesimo di Cristo".
Above the side alter on the left, there is this statue of Christ that I got a kick out of. To me, it appeared that he was there, just hanging out.
The main altar, located directly behind the baptismal font, is made of beautiful marble. Above it is a fabulous painting by Alessandro Franchi, titled "il Battesimo di Gesu" (The Baptism of Jesus).
After we left the baptistry, we stopped by the Oratories of San Bernadino. We weren't allowed to take pictures there, or at the crypt where you can see the ancient frescoes that were a part of the original church that was on that site.
Touring all of these sites took a few hours to complete. I believe they say that the fastest you can possibly get through all of the sites that are on the Opa Si Pass (the multipass that we bought - only 12 euro!) would be around 2 hours. We took our time though, and it took us quite a bit more time than that, but then we also stopped for a cold drink at one point, and took our time walking from site to site.
If you visit Siena, this is a must-see. There is so much to see - I could fill a book with the photos that I took (the ones I posted here are a tiny fraction of what I have)! Really, though, photos are nice, but to see it with your own eyes is much, much better.
