Tuscan gardens
A Day in Val D’Orcia
May 20, 2012 | 
Author 16.5.12
The walled town of Pienza is a two hour drive from Florence on the motorway but it takes us through some stunning Tuscan scenery and we know that the visit will be worth the journey
Previously known as Corsignano the walled city was the childhood home of Aeneas Silvius Piccolomini who became the first of two Pope Pius’s from his family Piccolomini ( which literally means little man!).
Not particularly religious – in fact the first “Humanist” Pope – Piccolomini had an adventurous youth, sired a couple of illegitimate children (one in Strasbourg and the first in Scotland!), and tried to avoid being elected Pope – but become Pope he must – it was written in the stars – or maybe in the half moons of the family crest- each representing a family member undertaking a crusade and Pope Pius II he became!!
Pope Pius II wanted to put his home town on the map so he renamed it Pienza – a diminutive of Pius – and totally reconstructed the centre to include his much enlarged Palace,
as well as the Church and the seat of the Council.
The Palazzo has loggias on every level to bring the country into the house, as well as to allow the visitor to enjoy the spectacular scenery across the Val D’Orcia.
The spectacular view across Val D’Orcia from the Palazzo Piccolomini is now protected by UNESCO as a world heritage site – ie area of beauty not to be violated by unauthorised building!
After lunch we went on to visit La Foce – about which I have written before – more tomorrow!
Posted in 
Not the best way to start a day trip to Lucca – luckily for us it got better!
18.5.12
Poor Filippo – possibly the worst birthday present ever!
Imagine setting off to fetch your clients and finding your precious Mercedes mini-van up on bricks like this? This is his work for heavens sake and some pranksters think it is funny to steal and sell not only the tyres but even his wheels – what a nightmare!
But professional to the nth degree Filippo Fattori , our driver for all our tours for the past 3 years found us another van and driver before he even phoned for the police – thank you Filippo we salute you and we wish unspeakable nasty things on the people who did this thing!
So over an hour after we were due to start another driver arrived in a huge van and meanwhile one of our number Kath, whom Filippo had intended to collect on his way in, was left without mobile and therefore uncontactable and unfindable on the roadside near Bagno I Ripoli – fortunately she was very understanding when we finally made contact – and claims to have made use of her time shopping!
Villa Reale in Marlia
We were obviously running late when we reached the Villa Reale in Marlia, but at least there was no sign of the threatened rain and lots of different styles of gardens across the property to see.
This trip to Lucca differs from the other days of this week’s garden tour, in that it is nothing to do with Anglo-American Expats in Tuscany, – however the Villa Marlia did get appropriated by a famous Expat – none other than Eliza – the youngest sister of Napoleon, whom he made Grand Duchess as part of his attempt to control Europe through his family.
In June 1805, the oligarchic Republic of Lucca, which had been occupied by France since late 1799, was made a principality and added to Élisa’s domain, and when chosing a home in Lucca she saw Villa Marlia as the biggest and best and simply “took it” from the then owners – the Orsetti family. The Orsetti had been responsible for developing the “Palazzina dell`Orologio” (the Clock tower) which became the stables, and for creating a classc baroque garden with lots of areas for “gioci di aqua” (water games) , nymphaeums and grottos full of rather fierce looking statues – especially when the sunlight strikes them!
Fierce statue in Grotto at Villa Reale
It is easy to see why Elisa would want this Villa – although now left a near ruin this must have been a sumptuous place to entertain from in it’s heyday – and the Bonaparte’s liked to party!
The beauty to me of this garden is the way one walks from “room to room” each with a different, usually unexpected, feature – and thus it became the model for many smaller gardens in the area.
the fountain at the end of the Spanish garden
Themes include a Spanish Garden, a carp pool to supply the home with fish to eat, more water games and a geyser fountain.
the carp pool
Above shows the golden carp pool with Leda at the end with her swan plus a bonus real swan to keep him company – and below is the geyzer fountain.
the Geyser fountain
From Marlia we went to the smaller villa – stuffed with statues – owned by the Torrigiani family.
The Villa Torrigiani
The Villa Torrigiani was closed when we arrived late but they very generously opened up for us when we explained the situation – and once we were in the guard dog managed to greet us with a great thump of his tale before he rolled on his back for a tummy rub – probably the least efficient guard dog in the world – but what a beautiful bear he is – look at the size of those paws!
Let sleeping dogs lie at Villa Torrigiani
This Villa has most of the features of Villa Reale at Marlia, but on a smaller scale.
The water games gardens above and the fish pond below.
The Villa also has it’s own Chapel and mausoleum in the grounds.
Lucca
The walled City of Lucca is one of the favourite venues for tourists in Tuscany, home of Puccini, a Roman amphitheatre, a tower with a tree flourishing from the top and the most extraordinary twirly barley sugar frontage of any Church I know!
St Michele Church frontage
We also ate well – although alone because we were still trying to catch up after our late start, they kept our reservation at Rusticanella2
Palazzo Pfanner
In the afternoon we saw Palazzo Pfanner – the small beer garden attached to a dramatic house – ideal for a stage set. The garden has been used in films including the recent adaptation by Jane Campion of Henry James‘ The Portrait of a Lady.
Palazzo Pfanner
The Garzoni Gardens in Collodi
For the end of the day the tourist village of Collodi – but not to see Pinocchio – to see another elaborate garden design in Villa Garzoni , complete with exotic birds and palm trees
Garzoni gardens
And here we finally got back to Anglo-American Expatriates, as here we have a place much enjoyed by John Singer Sargent as a place to paint, and so visitors to the current Americans in Florence exhibition in the Strozzi Palace might recognise this image of Daphne below!
Daphne in transition in painting by John Singer Sarge
Daphne in transition to a laurel bush
A day in gardens in and around Fiesole
14.5.12
Starting from Piazza del Carmine this morning we were a group of ladies celebrating the reappearance of the sunshine and looking forward to a day celebrating the Tuscan sun in some of the best loved gardens around Florence.
The Villa Medici
Villa de Medici - Fiesole
We began with the Villa Medici - first purpose build Humanist Villa designed by Michelangelo Mizzollotto on behalf of Cosimo di Medici - the big Daddy of Florence, who was making a lot money in Florins and foreign trade and salving his conscience as a usurer by investing a lot of money in religious art works.
Poor Cosimo had a lot of doubts about his trade and used to spend a long periods trying to work out the meaning of life in St Jerome’s retreat based in the hills of Fiesole. The retreat was used recently in the film of Michael Ondaatje’s book the English Patient.
St Jerome 's hut above the Villa Medici
The views below of the city of Florence are beyond belief spectacular so Cosimo decided to buy the plot of land below his retreat in order to spend more of his “free” time in the perfect villa with it’s camera con vista (room with a view) over the City he already, more or less, owned.
The Villa is featured in many renaissance paintings including The Annunciation by Biagio di Antonio, shown above.
The current garden layout was developed for Anglo-Irish Expatriate mother of Iris Origo – Sybil Cutting by English Architect and garden designer Cecil Pinsent
Villa Medici may 2012
Overall the layout is probably much as designed by Pinsent although according to Katie he would probably have strongly disapproved of the pots of red Azaleas disturbing his preferred palettes of subtle blues, creams and whites!
Le Balze
Our second stop was a short walk away from the Medici Villa to the integrated Villa and Garden project called Le Balze that Cecil Pinsent developed for American Philosopher Charles Strong (28 November 1862 – 23 January 1940) when he moved to Florence in 1906 with his daughter after his wife, Elizabeth Rockerfella died.
Also built into the hillside it is a miracle to find quite so much garden and house design developed in quite such a small strip of land!
View from Le Balze
And like all the Villa’s in Fiesole – it has a view to die for!
View from Le Balze
After Le Balze we went to the mock medieval rebuilt castle of Vincigliata for a wine and local produce tasting – and, of course, a visit to their gardens – but it was a little windy up there in the hills yesterday – fortunately our welcome from Emanuele Grezzi was as warm as ever.
Finally we visites Il Palmerino – the home of writer Violet Paget – whose nom de plume was the more masculine Vernon Lee. We had a fascinating visit round the three family homes and gardens of the family who inherited the house completed by a refreshing glass of home made wine!
The BM Bookshop on Borgo Ognissanti
12.05.12
I was actually surprised to find that this bookshop in BorgoOgnissanti was only established in 1963 – given the amount of English Speaking Expats in Florence – except perhaps for a little pause during WW2 – Florence has, to me, always seemed full of Expats, speaking rather loudly in English in an attempt to make themselves understood and evidently searching for instruction on history and gardens and art!
But this Bookshop is a place to gladden the heart of any English Speaking bookworm and new owner John Werich stocks far too many books that I want to do my Bank Balance any good!!! The interior does look very different from this photo now
The purpose of this post is to thank John for hosting our presentation by Katie Campbell on Saturday – all his new benches were full and some copies of Dr Katie Campbell book Paradise of Exiles – Anglo-American gardens of Florence were sold + other books and most importantly I think everyone had a good time!!
Tomorrow we start the Garden Tour in earnest with our trip to Sybil Cutting’s Villa Medici, Charles Strong’s Le Balze, the Castello di Vincigliata, and Vernon Lee’s Il Palmerino – a great mix of Anglo American eccentricity and beuatiful gardens to visit.
My heartfelt thanks again to John Werich for sponsoring this event – and for discounting the prices to our visitors!
So if you are ever searching for a good read – books old and new are available at
BM BOOKSHOP
Borgognissanti, 4/r
50123 Florence, Italy
Tel & fax: ++39 055 294575
(Mon-Sat 9.30am 7.30pm)
Info: bmbookshop@dada.it
Katie Campbell talk at BM Bookshop 12 May 2012
2.5.12
Preparing for Tuscan Garden Tour – 12-18 May 2012
View from La Foce
Katie tells me that when she does Garden Tours for other Travel Businesses she usually does fewer gardens and less activities – so I hope that we don’t rush any one with the very busy schedule that I have planned for these tours – essentially four gardens a day, with one of them also showing us the inside of a historic villa and providing us with a taste of their own wine - that seems to me a worthwhile use of a day?
John Werich, new owner of the BM Bookshop has offered to host our opening talk at 16.00 on Saturday 12th May – Katie is going to give a presentation linking the premiss of her book Paradise of Exiles – Anglo-American gardens of Florence to the gardens we have already visited and also to the excellent Americans in Florence exhibition currently on show at the Strozzi Palace.
We look forward to meeting both Florentines and “Exiles” in Paradise at the newly refurbished bookshop and hope to have some late joiners on the forthcoming tours.
La Foce
Outline of Tuscan Garden tours for 12-18th May 2012
Saturday 12 May - 16.00 - Katie will give a presentation, Q&A and refreshments at the newly and beautifully refurbished BM Bookshop on Borgo Ognissanti.
Monday 14 May
private tour to gardens in and around Fiesole
10.00 Sybil Cutting’s Villa Medici with garden redeveloped by English landscape gardener and architect Cecil Pinsent
11.00 Le Balze - home of American Philosopher Charles Strong
12.30 Vincigliata - visit to castle and gardens + wine and cheese tasting at this extraordinary medieval castle rebuilt by English peer - Sir John Temple Leader. NB This castle is not generally open to the public but used for weddings and conferences so we are very privileged as a small group to be allowed to visit.
Lions at Vincigliata
16.30 Il Palmerino - a glimpse of the home and garden of prolific author Vernon Lee - and maybe a cup of tea while Katie introduces this interesting character!
Cost per head - tour in private Mini-van with professional driver + private professional garden historian guide + entry fee to gardens
=€99
Castle + wine tour + wine and degustation lunch at Vincigliata = €30
Cost for day €129
Tuesday 15 May
09.30 Villa Schifanoia - in San Domenico – one of the many reputed sites of Boccaccio’s Decameron
11.00 La Pietra - a garden stuffed with statues at the home of the Actons
13.00 Lunch near Fiesole - la Casa del Prosciutto
14.00 - Villa Gamberaia - retreat of Romanian Princess Gyka and English Miss Blood
a bathing pool for Princess Gyka
16.30 Villa Maiano - for wine tasting and antipasti - this is another villa redeveloped by Sir John Temple Leader – now used for period films such as A Room with a View and Tea with Mussolini.
17.30 -if we are in time we hope to drop in for a quick visit to the Iris Gardens of Florence – only open in May with the beautiful view of the City under the setting sun.
Cost per head - tour in private Mini-van with professional driver + private professional garden historian guide + entry fee to gardens
=€99
Visit to Villa Maiano + wine tasting and antipasti €15
Cost for day €114
Wednesday 16 May
11.30 Palazzo Picolomini - in Pienza – home of the humanist Pope Pius 11
1.00 lunch in San Quirico d’Orcia – plus a visit to Horta Leonini another small public garden in the village
3.00 La Foce - home of author Iris Origo
Last year's group at La Foce
drive to Montipulicano - trying to follow the route taken by Iris and family when they had to move their school and hospital from La Foce during the Allied attack – we will stop for a glass of wine there before returning to Florence
Cost per head - tour in private Mini-van with professional driver + private professional garden historian guide + entry fee to gardens
=€109
lunch and wine at cost but we have a fixed price menu c€20
Thursday 17 May
a walking tour of gardens in Central Florence
10.00 Boboli Gardens- Grand Duke Cosimo 1 and Eleanor de Toledo’s garden behind the Pitti Palace provided entertainment for their growing family and inspiration for Marie de Medici in Paris
11.30 Bardini gardens - Stefano Bardini - another great collector who sold to the Anglo-American expats – before we visit the gardens we will also visit the other art Exhibition of paintings of Florentine gardens and other works from Grand Tourists and Macchiaioli done in late 19th – early 20th centuries.
12.30 Tuscan lunch in San Niccolo area
14.30 Giardino Corsini
16.00 possibly Giardini dei Torrigiani,
17.00 Optional taxi up to Bellosguardo for a glass of wine at sunset in the gardens of Torre di Bellosguardo - once home of the formidable Lady Paget
Cost professional guide + entrance to Boboli and Bardini gardens and exhibition of paintings at the Bardini €60
Friday 18 May
a day trip to Lucca
11.00 Villa Reale aka Villa Marlia - home of Napoleon’s sister when she was Duchess of Tuscany
12.30 Villa Torrigiani, family of the guy who broke Michaelangelo’s nose – at Camigliano
13.30 lunch in Lucca at Rusticanella 2 - as recommended by Todo
14.30 Palazzo Pfanner a setting for a the Jane Campion film A Portrait of a Lady
16.00 - Gardini Garzoni in Collodi
17.30 return to Florence - arrival about 18.45
Cost per head - tour in private Mini-van with professional driver + private professional garden historian guide + entry fee to gardens
=€109
lunch and wine at cost
NB The Cost fluctuates daily to cover costs for private travel in air-conditioned mini-van and do have garden historian, playwright and author Dr Katie Campbell as our private tour guide.
Yalladog UK – Gertrude Jekyll Garden Tour Tuesday 17 April
Our first UK garden tour certainly didn’t start too auspiciously when I woke to the sounds of a howling wind and torrential rain lashing our house in London!
My first thought “Oh to be in Florence where spring has already sprung!
Second thought ” should I cancel everything?”
Decision ” No! – rain will probably calm down when the sun comes up..!”
And fortunately for us it did and suitably booted and suited we set off in tribute to Gertrude Jekyll and the valiant gardeners who maintain her heritage come rain or shine!
Munstead Wood garden door
Our first stop was an unexpected bonus suggested by Katie as we were actually running early – and what an unexpected pleasure it was!
The Watts Mortuary Chapel
The Watts Chapel was designed by Mary Fraser-Tytler, to celebrate the life of her husband, Victorian painter and sculptor George Frederic Watts - who paid for the project and was still painting the interior up to 3 months before his death.
The Chapel interior reflects Watts links with the Arts and Crafts movement and the Pre-Raphaelites , plus the Watts’ own fascination with the Arthurian legend and Egyptology following their extended honeymoon in the country.
Interior Watts Chapel
The tombstones in the Churchyard also reflects an interest in the Gothic, and uses Celtic motifs , as well as swirls prefacing Art Deco – even through the raindrops they looked impressive – and especially so when the sunshine occasionally broke through.
Gravestone in Watts Cemetery
Celtic Cross in Watts Chapel cemetery
So moving onto our objective:- Gardens by Gertrude Jekyll -
Munstead Wood was Gertrude Jekyll’s own home – designed and built for her by her protegee Edward Lutyens – it is situated opposite her mothers home and originally Gertrude worked on the garden from a rather substantial “hut” that Lutyens built for her until her mother died and the artist turned gardener needed a full size home!
Munstead Wood - house
As an artist Gertrude Jekyll has not only painted in an impressionistic style but also made things in marquetry, wood carvings and tapestry – including a banner for the suffragettes on display in Godalming museum! – and then as her eyesight became to fail she adapted her love of colour into developing her designs for her gardens. Munstead Wood in particular was a colourful garden as she laid out area to cultivate plants to sell as well as to decorate.
The area below was designated for primulas – and these new borns are descended from her original “Munstead Bunch” – although they have reverted to poorer types over the years – they will make a wonderful display in the sunshine next month!
Primrose wood
The garden at Munstead wood is maintained by the indefatigable Andrew who now works the estate virtually single handed – no mean feat given that in her heyday Gertrude Jekyll had a team of 14 gardeners to support her!
Andrew with Katie
Gertrude Jeykll also liked her borders and walls to look as if they had been in place for a long time – so she choose mixed shape stone walls to give character and covered wood and brick with yoghurt to create cultures that aged their appearance and was happier with a higgledy-piggledy look.
Rock garden at Munstead Wood
We were very privileged to be allowed to wander around the grounds – chatting with Andrew whenever we met up with him but getting masses of information from Katie as we took every different, slightly bent, path from one area to another. Many thanks to Lord and Lady Clark for allowing us to visit out of season and we were happy to contribute to their charity box.
For lunch we took a picnic to Godalming library and ate in their garden which was also designed by Getrude Jeykll.
Picnic in Godalming library garden
Then we went inside to see her plans for the wonderful garden at Upton Grey Manor and also saw their exhibition about Jack Phillips, the Chief Wireless Operator on the Titanic, who was born near Godalming and whose memorial garden we went on to visit next.
Memorial garden to Jack Briggs
Truth to tell this garden was a little disappointing because , probably because of all the increased interest on this Titanic centenary year, it had been “tidied up” which included cutting back all the wisteria to the trunk so it didn’t look as pretty as we had expected.
Waverley-20120417-02499
Our next garden however exceeded my expectations in it’s beauty and upkeep and we enjoyed meeting owner and author Rosamund Wallinger, who despite being freezing and wet having been caught in one of those awful cold rain showers we are encountering this week , kindly showed us around and then allowed us freedom to wander around her beautifully renovated Gertrude Jekyll garden.
Her book is available through my Recommended Reading site – powered by Amazon – as are all the books written by our guide, garden historian Dr Katie Campbell.
When we entered the formal part of the garden of Upton Grey we were literally set upon by chickens when a group of bantams decided to check us out for chicken food – we failed to deliver but they followed us around for a while just the same!
Chickens at Upton Grey Manor House
We could only marvel at the amount of work that had to be completed to move this house and garden from the semi-ruinous photographs of the late 20th century back to the condition they were photographed in during 1907.
raised beds in formal gardens of Upton Grey
Wherever possible the original plan as laid out by Gertrude Jeykll – in terms of lines of paths, genus of plant and exact colour of flowers – have been strictly maintained- planted in drifts from cool blue colours through warm yellow into central strong reds.. Even within the wild garden the same species of plants are scrupulously maintained – with the exception of some un-Jekyll modern varieties of daffodil that have been allowed to creep in!
Discussing the plants
Lovely feature include trellis made of thick rope and lawn edges laid with tree branches – everything is as organic and melding into nature as it can possibly be!
Rope trellis
Many thanks to my friends shown below for participating in this venture- almost enhanced by the challenge of the English weather – I want to do more tours in the UK but believe me this week I shall be happy to get back to taking groups enjoying the warmth of the Tuscan Sun on their backs – in preference to a wax jacket !!
Iris Origo and her home at La Foce
13.4.12
Iris Origo (1902- 1988)
Iris Margaret Origo, daughter of Ango-Irish Sybil Cutting, was born in London on 15 August 1902 - Her American father William ‘Baynard’ Cutting, died within seven years of her birth – but he set his wife the task of ensuring that their only child was brought up “somewhere that she doesn’t belong”-preferring France or Italy to either England of America” - As a result Sybil Cutting brought her child to Italy to be brought up – specifically as a’stranger’ – in the Villa Medici in Fiesole, just outside Florence.
Iris was educated through a variety of governesses, friends and neighbours – including Bernhard Berenson, who lived not far away from their Villa di Medici in Fiesole at I Tatti.
In 1924 she married Antonio Origo, the illegitimate son of Marchese Clemente Origo – and became Marchesa of Val d’Orcia, and ultimately a DBE for her writing and care of evacuated children during the second world war.
Iris lived in Italy, but travelled widely and after her marriage devoted much of her life to the improvement of their Tuscan estate at La Foce, in Val d’Orcia, which she purchased with her husband in the 1920s and improved with money given to her by her American grandmother – who didn’t like to visit a home without ample supplies of running water!
One of my favourite books of all time is her autobiographical account of her life , as a anglo- american , living in Italy during the war.
Writing at night and burying her work in the garden so the Nazis never found it Iris Origo wrote a fresh account of her life as it had to be lived behind the enemy lines during the war years! Her home was besieged by Germans looking for food and mattresses, partisans living in their forests who needed food and medical care, sickly Jews trying to escape from Italy through the countryside, and more and more children needing safe accommodation after their homes had been bombed by the approaching “Allies”.
Finally, La Foce became the “Front line” – and they had to move out – on foot – with 23 children – some babes in arms being carried by other children – being strafed by Allied planes as they made their way to Montepulciano. Their arrival at Montepuliciano, where the residents ignored the Nazi curfew and poured down the hill from the walled town to help them to safety is one of the most moving stories I have ever read – I cannot recommend War in Val D’Orcia highly enough for anyone who is interested in what life might have been like in Italy during the confusion of the war years after the Italians had changed sides!
Also an interesting read is the biography of Iris Origo by Caroline Moorhead
I have attached a link to my blog about our visit to La Foce in May 2011 and I am delighted that we have a booking for another group to visit on Wednesday 16 May this year as part of our Tuscan Garden Tour 2012 with garden historian Dr Katie Campbell.
Please contact me asap if you are interested in joining us as we may need to organise a second mini-bus and May is a busy period for our drivers!
contact details
penny.howard1@ntlworld.com or 00447979464640 -
or if you are in Italy (0039)734331681
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