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Tuscany Unlimited
LIVE, WORK AND PLAY THE TUSCAN WAY
SEPTEMBER 2009 €4.75 TUSCANYUNLIMITED.COM
ISSUE 3
TUSCANY’S NEWEST LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE
LAST WAVE OF SUMMER MURABILIA GARDEN SHOW TopTips from Gardening Experts PUCCINI IN LUCCA Meet the Music Makers
plus
Much, much more
GIANLUCA PARDINI Master Of Cookery TUSCANY OFF-ROAD Be a Rally Driver for the Day DESIGNER DISCOUNTS Guide toTuscany’s Fashion Outlet Centres
MICRO TUSCANY: MONTECARLO
HOMES & GARDENS | FOOD & DRINK | LOCAL EVENTS | FASHION | HEALTH & BEAUTY | CULTURE | RECIPES | INTERIORS
Contents
september | tuscany unlimited
CONTENTS Places 8 What’s On
28 Books and Music
12 Piazza Santo Spirito, Florence – Where Character Abounds on a Human Scale 18 Micro Tuscany – Tuscany’s Own Montecarlo: Home of DOC Wine
People
10 Puccini Music Makers – The Talent Behind the World’s Only Permanent Opera Festival 24 Living Legends – The Bertolini Family Protect a Textile Heritage
Arts & Culture 6 News Bites
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96 Travel Guide 98 Learning Curve – A Day in the Life of A Tuscan University Student
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Food & Drink
30 Zia’s Kitchen – Soul Food 32 Master of Cooking – Gianluca Pardini’s Recipe of the Month
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contents | heather campbell 34 Mushroom Madness – Porcini Passions 38 Glass by Glass – Two Worlds of Wine Combine 42 Take Home Chef – Cantuccini Biscuits
Life &Style
44 Fashion Bargains – Guide to the Best Tuscan Designer Outlets 47 Shades of Autumn – What’s New this Season
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Health & Beauty 48 Spa of the Month – Teresita, Viareggio 50 Scent of Excellence – Perfumeria Ristori
61 Murabilia SPECIAL - Twelve Pages of Gardening Advice and Features to Celebrate the 2009 Garden Show in Lucca
Activities 74 Fun, Sweat and Thrills – Urban Trekking
78 Shooting Tuscany – Photography Course
52 Dr’s Notes – Mosquito Bites
Homes & Gardens
54 Grand Designs – Villa Orlando, Torre del Lago 58 Casa Mia – Guide to Finding Antique Bed Linen
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80 Tuscan Road Trip – Val di Cornia 85 Dolphin Delight – Dolphin and Whale Watching off the Tuscan Coast 86 Driven to Distraction – Motor Breaks in the Tuscan Mountains
Property 92 Property Guide
94 House Hunter – New Friends, New
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architecture | piazzas
Piazza di Santo Spirito In her final instalment, Lisa McGarry leads us into the heart of daily Florentine life, with a visit to Piazza di Santo Spirito. Photographs and map by Lisa McGarry
Where character abounds on a human scale he road leading south from Ponte Vecchio takes you into the part of Florence known as the Oltrarno or, as the locals say (consolidating di là d’arno into a single breath), Diladdarno beyond the Arno. This neighbourhood has a dual personality: that of an intimate quarter of artigiani who have been running their artisan workshops here for the last eight centuries, as well as the neighbourhood of countless wealthy families who built gracious palazzi in the 15th Century. The picturesque Piazza Santo Spirito lies at the
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heart of the Oltrarno, and offers an ideal spot to escape long museum lines and streets thronged with visitors, sip a cappuccino on the terrace of a café, and imagine what mamma will be preparing for lunch as you browse the morning market. I still remember the first time I found myself in Piazza Santo Spirito, tracking down an archive of drawings from a community art project. I recall feeling mildly exasperated to find that the church was closed by the time I finally made it to this side of the river, though sitting in the piazza waiting for the four o’clock bells to signal the
THE COMBINATION OF PIAZZA SANTO SPIRITO’S SHADE-GIVING TREES, SPLASHING FOUNTAIN AND SUNNY CHURCH STEPS SEEMS TO EFFORTLESSLY PUT PEOPLE AT EASE
reopening of the church was nothing but pleasurable. I relaxed on one of the long stone benches that sit under the canopy of trees, observing the happenings in the square for a while.
Every day piazza While the church’s curvy façade initially struck me as unusual - ‘cartoonish’ I wrote in my journal - by my third trip to Florence, I had become quite fond of the whimsical symbol of the quartiere. It wasn’t long before I felt most at home in this square, so we began renting apartments nearby on subsequent visits. While the front door of our present apartment opens onto Piazza Pitti, Santo Spirito is still very much our neighbourhood piazza, and the place where we tend to many of our daily needs. We come here to buy produce and school supplies, socks and pillowcases, cappuccino and gelato; we pass through on the walk to school and to the bakery. It’s part of every day. The combination of Piazza Santo Spirito’s shade-giving trees, splashing fountain and sunny church steps seems to effortlessly put people at ease; in this most sociable of outdoor rooms there is always someone writing, reading, drawing or chatting. Children gather here after school, clambering precariously around the ledge of the tuscanyunlimited.com | September 2009 13
micro tuscany | montecarlo
Tuscany’s ow Montecarlo One is a glitzy playground for the rich and famous, the other is a Medieval Tuscan hill wines. Both share the name Montecarlo, but only one retains its original character
The hill town enjoys panoramic views. Photo kindly supplied by Montecarlo Comune
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THIS MEDIEVAL HILL TOWN WITH ITS FORTRESS AND TOWN WALLS IS MOULDED INTO THE CHAIN OF LUCCA HILLS… REACHED BY SERPENTINE ROADS THAT REWARD YOU WITH ENCHANTING PANORAMIC VIEWS FROM THE SUMMIT
town, rich in history and famous the world over for its DOC and charming appeal…
t’s hard to imagine now, but once upon a time, before the picturesque cobbled streets and the orderly vineyards that surround the walled town of Montecarlo existed; this strategic military viewpoint was witness to scenes of chaos and bloodshed as the armies of Lucca, Pisa and Florence fought for dominance on the plains below. But now, this lovely little corner of Tuscany is a far more peaceful destination, conveniently located close to Lucca, Pisa and Florence. This Medieval hill town with its fortress and town walls is moulded into the chain of Lucca hills (colline Lucchesi), reached by serpentine roads that reward you with enchanting panoramic views from the summit, looking across the Pescia valley over to Montecatini and the mountains down to Lucca. As well as being an ancient hill fortification surrounded by vineyards and olive groves, Montecarlo is renowned for its restaurants where the typical dishes of traditional Lucchese cuisine can be sampled, accompanied by the fine oils and excellent DOC and TGT white and red wines from its own land.
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Origins During the 14th Century, the ridge of Montecarlo, from San Martino in Colle, Montechiari, the Cerruglio hill and on to the village of Vivinaia was dotted with isolated watchtowers guarding the line of defence facing the eastern plain of the Pescia valley, which had an important
The tranquil piazza in the heart of Montecarlo
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living legends | textiles
Weaving a multi-million Euro success From its humble 12th Century origins, visionary 50s businesswoman Anna Pedri turned the basic chestnut-built handloom of Garfagnana into a very special tool of high fashion design. Heather Campbell meets her grandson Alessandro Bertolini to discover why, 60 years on, names such as Gucci, Hermes and Chanel still choose her company, Artes, to produce their most exquisite ranges of scarves and accessories.
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verything about Artes textile company is surprising and contradictory: the building’s 21st Century architecture juxtaposed to the surroundings of its location on the edges of the Medieval town of Castelnuovo; its rural location in the heart of the mountainous Garfagnana
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region, over 150km away from the main hub of the textile industry; and the fact that it has managed a 30% growth this year in spite of the global economic crises. But then, this is a familyrun company that has always managed to buck the trend… “Everything started with my grandmother, Anna Pedri,’ says Alessandro. “Over sixty years ago she had the idea of creating a united workshop of weavers from the Garfagnana region.” From raw materials they could find close by, such as hemp and poor quality wool from the local mountain sheep these rural weavers used their home made chestnut looms (that dated back to 12th Century designs), to produce fabrics for everyday use, such as towels, blankets, rugs. “My grandmother had the idea of bringing together these women and utilising their homelearnt skills to make something different, something for the fashion market,” he says. “In a
few years she had up to 80 weavers and had turned her idea into one of the biggest employers in the area, and she succeeded in working with many famous designers at the time Roberto Di Camerino, Somma, Valentino, many big names. “It was very strange for this to happen in Garfagnana. Lucca was very famous for producing silks for the nobles and wealthy families during the Medieval age, but the textile industry there is now dead. Instead we, with our peasant-based artisan handlooms, are now the only company that is keeping this textile heritage alive. “My grandmother understood the great versatility of the handloom and its potential to produce individual and unique fabrics for the high fashion market. On a handloom you can weave fur; you can weave leather; you can weave metal; you can weave many different materials to produce high fashion products; fabrics that would be impossible to produce
MY GRANDMOTHER HAD THE IDEA OF BRINGING TOGETHER THESE WOMEN AND UTILISING THEIR HOMELEARNT SKILLS TO MAKE SOMETHING DIFFERENT, SOMETHING FOR THE FASHION MARKET
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food and drink | glass by glass
The Podere Fortuna crest
A beautiful rainbow painting the sky from Burgundy to the valley of Barberino del Mugello, at both ends precious pots of gold. Pinot Noir! Barbara Jakusconek, sommelier, introduces us to the innovative Podere Fortuna winery
Two worlds of wine combine odere Fortuna, located in Barberino del Mugello, is a young winery owned by architect and businessman Alessandro Brogi. Podere Fortuna was one of 12 proprieties that originally belonged to
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the Castello di Cafaggiolo estate, which was once owned by the Medici family. This was one of their oldest estates and was bought by Averardo de’ Medici, father of Giovanni de Bicci de’ Medici who is considered to be the founder of the de’ Medici dynasty - he was the first of the family to make his fortune.
going concern. But after discovering the property’s long history of wine production he felt obliged and inspired to reinstate this proud tradition. In his youth his family had made wine for family consumption. Being brought up in a winemaking environment had been a dream of his to take the family’s winemaking tradition a step further. However, he hasn’t gone down the traditional Italian route of winemaking. Instead, his inspiration has been Burgundy.
The Winery
A view of the former home of Lorenzo the Magnificent from the vineyards of Podere Fortuna
From the Podere Fortuna you can enjoy a beautiful view of the imposing castle where the family de’ Medici lived for a long period. Hidden within the walls of the castle is a long history; intriguing stories of love affairs and even the scene of a murderous crime of passion… Piero de’ Medici, the youngest son of the Granduca Cosimo I, was considered a violent person, self-indulgent, bossy to name just a few of his negative qualities. In 1576 he married Dianora di Toledo, a cousin from his mother, Elenora di Toledo’s, side. He was a womaniser and had many lovers. Long-suffering wife, Dianora, eventually got fed up with his philandering and took herself a lover of her own, Bernardo Antinori. Unfortunately, destiny wasn’t on their side as a love letter between the two fell into the hands of Piero. The consequences were tragic. Bernado was sent to Elba where he was executed and Dianora was strangled in the Castle of Cafaggiolo by the hands of her husband – probably one of the worst ever case of marital double standards. However, the castle shook off this dark episode in its history and became a popular haunt for artists, nobles and philosophers. The majestic parkland was also a favourite hunting spot for the family where they would gather with friends during the hunting season.
Today, farm manager Simone Menichetti with consultant agronomist and enologist, Andrea Paoletti, takes care of the vineyards and all the subsequent phases leading up to the bottling. The team members aim for high standards, which they have achieved with resounding success. The winery is young but has shown courage in constantly evolving and developing new techniques and ideas. An in-depth study of the land and the local climate played a crucial part in deciding which varieties of grapes should be planted. Walking through the vineyards you will note the weather monitoring equipment, which relays the weather conditions such as humidity, wind, rainfall and temperature, directly to a central computer. No expense has been spared on the equipment necessary for achieving their aim. Their first choice was the Merlot variety of which they decided to plant a thousand, as a test. With the aid of the weather monitoring equipment, they discovered that Barberino del Mugello and more specifically San Piero a Sieve, has short summers with high temperatures during the day, low temperatures during the night and misty mornings. These weather conditions turned out to be unsuitable for growing Merlot, as they have difficulty in reaching full maturity. They therefore decided to plant Pinot Nero. A very difficult grape to grow (not exactly the term used by my host – but this is a family magazine!), that needs the right climatic conditions and soil for it to thrive. When the Merlot experiment came to an abrupt end they decided to graft specially selected Chardonnay vines onto the existing Merlot trunk.
Modern Day
French Connection
While searching through the property’s papers, Alessandro Brogi found documentation referring to vine growing and winemaking on site dating back to 1465 During that particular period Lorenzo the Magnificent was in residence at the castle and would have served wine from Podere Fortuna to his guests. When Alessandro first bought the estate he intended on making it his family home and had no plans of making the vineyards a
On a golf cart, I was taken into the vineyards, which are separated by a dirt track; on the left-hand side the vineyards that produce Coldaia, on the right-hand side the vineyards that produce Fortuni. Both planted with Pinot Nero in different types of soils, producing wines with noticeable differences. Wandering through the vineyards and grabbing a handful of earth you can see and feel the difference between the soils. Not only between the fields, but also in the same field, there are different tuscanyunlimited.com | September 2009 39
life & style | shopping At times like these we’re all conscious of what we spend, which is why Tuscany’s designer outlet centres are a blessing for shopaholics who want high fashion at a fraction of the cost. Let Bernie Nolan and Cristina Biagini take you on a tour around the best the region has to offer… Shopping addicts Bernie Nolan and Cristina Biagini take us on a tour ofTuscany’s designer fashion outlet centres
TOP SHOPS: DESIGNER DISCOUNTS Tuscany is a shopping Mecca for all serial shoppers. As well as the fantastic range of shops to be found in Florence, Siena, Lucca and Arezzo and
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the well-stocked local markets there are a number of fashion outlets to suit every budget. If you can, plan your retail trip when the sales are on. The
winter sales here begin in mid-January while the summer sales start mid-July. The outlet prices are reduced even further so you’ll end up coming away
ANIMAL APPEAL- leopard print lingerie from D & G’s discount store
as €300 which is very good indeed for a Prada original! Fashion conscious men will also enjoy the Space experience as there is a great range of Prada clothing here for them too. However, do note that the sizes available are quite limited. There’s a really nice coffee shop on the grounds so you can go and have a cappuccino while you decide whether you should invest in that second Prada bag...
Barberino Designer Outlet, Barberino del Mugello, Florence
with many more designer pieces for your shopping budget. The outlets stock items from the previous season or excess production but don’t let that put you off. Remember ladies, the right fashion purchase never goes out of season, good style is timeless! So here’s a run-down of our favourite outlets for your Shopping Safari.
Space outlet – Lo Spaccio, Arezzo If you suffer from Prada bag and shoe addiction this is the place you should head to first. The Space outlet stocks, as well as the Prada label, a limited
selection of Miu Miu, Helmut Lang and Jill Sander pieces. It appears much bigger from the outside than it actually is, so you maybe a bit disappointed once you’ve made your way inside. However, there’s a fabulous selection of bags and shoes to be found here with Prada sandals going for as little as €95 and bags are around the €300- 400 mark. They also have a great selection of Prada sunglasses but you may not be lucky enough to find that Prada dress or jacket you’ve been yearning for – the dress selection isn’t particularly wide but if you’re lucky enough to find that little black party dress you could snap it up for as little
If you have your family shopping with you Barberino is the place to head for. The shops are located alongside a river which lends the outlet a leisurely atmosphere. Barberino outlet is about a 30 minute drive from Florence and hosts a wide range of labels that are guaranteed to please everyone, from teenagers looking for the latest jeans and trainers right up to the serious fashionista. The names to be found here range from higher end labels such as Class Cavalli, Missoni and Ferre to casual clothing labels such as Fornarina, Guru and Rifle. There are also a number of childrens’ clothing stores and there’s a great choice of accessory labels with names such as The Bridge, Piquadro, Prada (better choice at Space!), and Pollini to name but a few. We would suggest you plan your arrival here after lunch and stay until you’re all shopped out late in the evening as it doesn’t close until 8pm weekdays and 9pm at the weekend. To give you an idea of the bargains you can snap up at Barberino here’s what we bought on our last visit there at the start of August: a Pollini creamcoloured classic leather satchel bag originally priced at €430 and bought for €148, and a timeless long floaty tuscanyunlimited.com | September 2009 45
homes & gardens | grand designs
VILLA ONTHE LAKE Sarah Carter of Poppies Luxury Travel Consultants, takes us on a guided tour around some of Tuscany’s finest villas and estates. This month: Villa Orlando. Photos: Federico Neri
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itting on the banks of Torre del Lago and close to the beaches of the Versilian coastline, Villa Orlando commands an amazing view across the tranquil lake and the surrounding
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marshlands wildlife reserve. The neoGothic style villa was originally built as a hunting lodge in 1869 with pointed arches and slate roof. From the tower in the southwest corner of the property you get spectacular views
View ofTorre del Lago from the villa
Villa Orlando, on the banks of Torre del Lago
THE OLD PIANO THAT PUCCINI USED TO PLAY WHEN COMING TO VISIT IS STILL PRESERVED IN THE SOUTH LIVING ROOM TOGETHER WITH SEVERAL MEMENTOS AND AUTOGRAPHS OF HIM
over the lake and the nearby hills for miles around. Pisa’s leaning tower, Volterra, the Apuane Alps and the Apennines are visible on a clear day. Salvatore Orlando bought the villa in 1896 for his family and to entertain his many friends. Straightaway he carried out a series of improvements to the garden planted a large pinewood and laid down the main driveway, which is now matured to be an impressive tree-lined entrance. He also built the crenellated stonewall and a moat to surround the property and an imposing a porter’s lodge. A bridge over the moat led to the villa through a cross vaulted hall. During the last few days of WWII the villa suffered minor damage at the hands of retreating Nazis who had commandeered the property as officer accommodation. Luckily a bomb that had been left in the tower failed to detonate but the gate lodge wasn’t so lucky and was almost completely destroyed. The boathouse was designed with a tower to match the main house. During the villa’s heyday it housed a paddleboat to steam across the lake, a genuine gondola and a small fleet of barchini, the small flat-bottom boats used to take the shooting parties to their hides in the marsh. On the large belvedere roof-deck over the boathouse the guests returning from shooting were served refreshments. This is now the very romantic setting for wedding ceremonies. Inside the villa, Salvatore created the ‘new’ dining room complete with hand carved wood panelling; the ceiling was decorated with frescoes reproducing four battleships from the Orlando shipyard. He also widened the main entrance hall and the stairwell. In the east drawing room a fresco with a flight of wild ducks was completed as a tribute to the surrounding environment. He also assembled a beautiful collection of furniture, paintings, prints and objects, mostly on hunting subjects, which is still untouched today. Every year during the hunting season, Salvatore invited friends and acquaintances for shooting parties in the marshland or in the woods. There was plenty of small and big game: pheasants, hares, deer and bores. Afterwards in the large kitchen the game was prepared and cooked by a small army of cooks and served to
The stunning connection between lake and villa
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homes & gardens | murabilia SPECIAL
A Garden i
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live in someone else’s fulfilled dream. The things you want the most in life you rarely get; when you don’t want something, when it’s never even occurred to you to want it, then it falls right in your lap. That’s the way it is with houses. Sometimes. I grew up longing for a white clapboard New England colonial with shifting plank floors, wainscotting, and a row of crown glass windowpanes over the door. If I never wanted a 16th Century, rose-coloured Italian hunting lodge in the hills of Lucca, it’s only because I’d never known they existed - we don’t have such things in North Tewksbury, Massachusetts where I grew up. I’d never imagined that I would one day make my home in the lush countryside of Tuscany, and that this home of mine would include sixty acres of land, half of it pinewood, half farmed, and that this home would be three houses, in fact, nestled together in a cluster like a little village onto itself. But the most unlikely thing I’ve ever come to possess in my life of longing for that which never came my way is the garden I keep. I have a garden? Now I never ever wanted that!
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Instant Attraction
When Paul Gervais and partner Gil Cohen bought their Tuscan home it was exactly what they never wanted, but everything they dreamed of… By Paul Gervais
n Lucca
It was 1981 when my companion, Gil Cohen, and I first laid eyes on Villa Massei, Count Sinebaldi’s Renaissance country house, ten minutes away from the ancient walled city of Lucca. The property was then in British hands, but its recently widowed owner had decided to sell. What new and sudden fantasies the whole prospect of buying such a place evoked! I saw myself living off the fruits of the land: the berries, the apples, the peaches, the cherries, the persimmons, the figs, the grapes - I could go on. I saw myself wandering the grandiose halls and rooms of this house like Byron in his Pisan palace, my head full of metaphor, my library growing, my manuscripts turning inevitably into published books, my tomatoes into conserve. Gil and I bought the place in the cool, reckless blink of an eye, few questions asked. Soon, it was too late for mature second thoughts and a sensible change of mind. The journey had begun, and the train had no scheduled stops until our life here was in place. Enter the present. Here’s my library, here are my books, here are the tomato preserves, red and luscious and vacuum-packed in clear glass jars. It has always seemed to me that this house and its garden are one. Lucca has hundreds of villas, far more tuscanyunlimited.com | September 2009 63
activities | urban trekking
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rban Treks are walking routes that have been mapped out by the local town council and are aimed at getting you off the main tourist trail. These walks lead you to the quiet and lesser-known piazzas, monuments, parks and gardens that are to be found in virtually all towns and cities of Tuscany. Areas that are rich in culture, true to the Italian identity and the local everyday lifestyle. So many times we travel to foreign countries and have little time to appreciate the key feature of the area… the locals. For me, this kind of interaction makes my holiday. Urban Trekking allows visitors to experience this; to share the cities and towns with its residents. It is amazing how quickly you can find the quiet, intimate spots. Florence, San Gimignano and Siena, as we know are busy places, but as you will see, it is easy to discover your own park and space where it is just you, nature and some quiet… pure Tuscan scenes.
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Siena
URBAN ORERS The best discoveries are always found off the beaten track. So if you delight in unearthing a hidden away artistic treasure or accidentally coming across a view that takes your breath away, Urban Trekking could be for you, writes Rupert Yates-Bell.
Siena has been at the forefront of developing schemes and programmes to allow visitors to enjoy the natural surroundings of the province. It’s at the top of the list for ingenuity for ideas such as Urban Trekking, and is also the main city for the National Day of Urban Trekking (31st October). There is a way to see virtually every corner in Siena with these walking routes, found in all the tourist offices in Siena. Trekking for Young Explorers Full Day: 12km This route that takes adults and children alike on an adventure of the City of Siena, to museums and galleries and park - aimed more at children. A route that can be spread out over the course of a day, as routes are designed to include stop-offs at main sights and places to eat. The Urban Trek leaflets, provide all the information you need and include well-designed maps, tips on what to bring and carry, what you can buy on route. Other routes: Alleys and Gardens in the Shadow of the Tower Half day: 6km walk This route leads you through the gardens and charming narrow alleys of Siena, where you can trace the history of the city and its people by visiting its palaces, fountains, towers, arches, and craftsmen’s workshops.
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activities | road trip From the gloomy depths of the Etruscan tombs and the tunnels of the mines to the bright skies filled with Medieval watchtowers; the Val di Cornia is an itinerary out of time, in a place that makes you daydream, writes your guide to Tuscany, Olivia Vannini.
In the footsteps of the Etruscans:
THE VAL DI CORNIA Etruscan Narcropolis, Populonia
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he Val di Cornia (Cornia Valley) lies in the southernmost tip of the Province of Livorno. The Gerfalco mountains edge the valley on the east while the Tyrrhenian sea is the natural border on the west. The boundaries on the north and south are the town of San Vincenzo and the Province of Grosseto. The Island of Elba lies directly opposite. It’s from the biggest town of the area, Piombino, that you get the ferry to Elba. Val di Cornia is an area so rich with natural and historical
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locations of great interest that it boasts two archaeological parks: Baratti and Populonia Archaeological Park and The Archaeological Mines Park of San Silvestro; four natural parks: Sterpaia, Rimigliano, Montioni and Poggio Neri and a museum of national interest - The archaeological museum of Piombino. All of these protected lands hand down a thousand-year story that begins with the Etruscans and proceeds down through the centuries: the story of the extraction and processing of minerals.
The trails of the past are blended with superb natural scenery of sea and macchia mediterranea (the Mediterranean scrub plant). For two millennia man has moulded this environment digging in the surrounding hills rich with iron, lead, copper, silver; developing important manufacturing systems and cultivating the fertile fields. This ancient land is beautiful and wild, it’s authentic and recalls a glorious past especially in the magnificent Baratti Gulf, the real jewel of the entire Val di Cornia where time seems to have stopped. Even if the flow of tourists has increased in recent years, this area still represents an alternative route far from the main tourist attractions of Tuscany. During the summer season this is one of the favourite holiday destinations for Italians, Germans and the Dutch.
SAN SILVESTRO-CAMPIGLIA MARITTIMA-SUVERETO-BARATTIPOPULONIA Start: San Vincenzo
Today San Vincenzo is a well-equipped seaside resort and has a beautiful beach bordered by shady and luxuriant pinewoods. In the years 2006, 2007 and 2008 the town has been awarded the ‘blue flag’ by the FEE (Foundation for Environmental Education) for the quality of services and neatness of its sandy beaches. On the main street there are many shops that will satisfy even the most addicted shopaholic! During the summer season, hundreds of people stroll along this street after dinner, showing off their suntan - as in typical Italian tradition.
The Archaeological Mines Park of San Silvestro On the SP39 (basically the main road that leads to Piombino) take the SP20 towards Campiglia Marittima following the brown signs to ‘Parco di San Silvestro’ whose entrance you will find after about 5km on your left. The park occupies an area of 450 hectares on the hills between San Vincenzo and Campiglia from which various minerals have been extracted since the 7th Century BC. Cars must
Populonia archaelogical park
The itinerary may starts from the coastal town of San Vincenzo for those coming from the north and south. Driving on the Motorway A12 from the north (GenovaLivorno-Rosignano) take the exit at Rosignano Marittimo and follow to Rome on the SS1/E80 (the New Aurelia). Take the exit San Vincenzo South and proceed on the SP39 towards Piombino. For those coming from the south, drive on the same SS1/E80 and take the exit San Vincenzo Nord and proceed on the SP39 direction into the town centre.
be left outside, in the two big free car parks. The park was inaugurated in 1996 to recognise an extraordinary open-air historical archive made up of several itineraries. The visit can last from a minimum of a couple of hours up to the whole day, depending on your level of interest. In the last case, don’t forget to book a nice local agriturismo before going down into the mines! Anyway, the two main excursions to do here are: the visit to the medieval ‘Rocca’of San Silvestro (the fortress, the central feature of tuscanyunlimited.com | September 2009 81