In May we will have an exclusive opportunity to meet musician Anthony Sidney in the refectory of St Marks Church in Florence – He will introduce us to his passion for the unseen bells of Florence and his earlier DVD on the subject of the unique sounds of each of the Florentine Bells.

This is a chance to contribute to the development of the next project and it is certain that you will see something of Florence that is rarely seen by the average tourist.

And .. to make the visit even more interesting we will also taste wine and olive oil and eat pure chocolate goodies – all local produce !

Date and entrance fee – which will include a contribution to the production of the next DVD – to be agreed – but we hope to hold the event in May – watch this space!!

Future plans and forthcoming pleasures

5th April – just before Easter we have a small group on a country jaunt in Tuscany and space for another 4 people in our mini van.

Our plan is to start from central Florence and go to the beautiful Italian garden of the Villa Gamberaia 

Villa Gamberaia - May 2011

Gamberaia  is a 14th-century villa near Settignano, outside Florence, whose terraced garden was developed by the reclusive Romanian Princess Ghika after she purchased it in 1896.  It was much loved by all the Anglo-American Exiles in and around Florence at the time and simply described by Iris Origo as the most beautiful, and the most romantic garden of them all – and they were all in competition for this type of accolade!

The view from Villa Gamberaia

Although much of the garden was destroyed during the Second World War  - it has now been lovingly recreated – complete with it’s parterre planted with roses and cabbages, it’s  immaculately clipped and tailored hedges – and it’s many ponds.

Immaculately clipped hedges - even in March !

One of the most famous features of the garden is a water parterre which I can’t find a good photograph of  - so another good excuse to go back.

Entry to the garden is by pre-appointment only and costs €10 – our visit is  scheduled for 10.30.

Dr Katie Campbell at Gamberaia - May 2011

The photo above shows garden historian Dr Katie Campbell who led our group visit in May 2011. We are going back to Gamberaia with her for the third time on Tuesday 15th May.

From Gamberaia we are heading out into Chiantishire to sample the delights of the antique butcher - Antica Macelleria Falorni- in Greve - largely to enable Kath to stock up for a week or so on some of her favourite foods – but I guess we will all succumb!

We will have lunch at the well known Azienda of  Montigliari where the food is always great and if the weather is nice there are glorious views from the outdoors restaurant across the many vineyards of Chianti.

lunch at Montigliari Vineyard

At Montigliari they not only make wine but also the sweet dessert wine Vin Santo and a very fine balsamic vinegar - only they are not allowed to call it that as they are not in Modena!  So below we see the production of  balsamic vinegar, by any other name – yet still tasting as sweet – and just delicious on ice cream and strawberries!

Balsamic vinegar by any other name

And finally we are going to do more wine tasting at Cennatoio Inter Vineas. where I have never been before but I am assured the wines are spectacular!

If you are interested in joining our small group on this day out please email me at penny.howard1@ntlworld.com

Cheers , Cin Cin or Salute – or what you will!

Menu del Giorno 

• Fresh Tagliatelle with Ragu of  Tuscan sausage and fennel seeds
• Artichoke flan
• Etruscan chicken with red onions, raisins and pine nuts
• Chocolate cake
• Chianti
• a very much needed – double expresso!

Lisa in the cooking lesson area of Da Pinocchio

This week it is freezing cold in Florence – the seagulls are slithering in a perplexed sort of way across the  ice that has formed over the Arno – and the people are walking about in puffer jackets with their arms folded and trying not to look like Michelin men!

Seagulls on the Arno

Nonetheless the sun is shining brightly and so we are all still sporting our sunglasses!

Frozen fountain in Santa Spirito

So after a short shopping trip to the central market in Florence for our meat my little group hid ourselves away in the cellar of the restaurant of Da Pinocchio and cooked up some of our own heat with Lisa Banchieri.

Lisa demonstrates the first stage of pasta making

Our menu as above was a miracle of planning by Lisa, involving as it did so much complex timing but we started cooking at 10 and were ready to sit down and eat promptly by 13.00 – and the eating ,drinking and enjoying the fruits of our labours part continued comfortably until after 14.30!!

Taking notes and hoping it tastes as good as it smells!

Adding a glass of wine to your pasta makes it extra stretchy

Above our team took their lessons very seriously this morning – but we all agreed that adding a glass of wine to the pasta mix to make it more “stretchy” was inspirational!

Next lessons are planned for March 7th and April 11th – we will make classic Tuscan seasonal recipes as usual with something special for Easter in April – perhaps a dove shaped bread known as a Colomba?

All lessons are held in central Florence and start at 09.30 with an optional trip to the Central Market .

Aprons, pens and recipe notes are provided to use and to keep.

After the lesson we eat the food…………..so don’t plan a large supper!!

Total cost for the lesson, meal, wine and extras – €69 

If you are interested in joining us please contact me through leaving a comment below, or by email on penny.howard1@ntlworld.com

 A presto! 

Everyone knows and visits the Uffizi and Accademia in Florence – and there is so much to see they are always worth revisiting – but when you get the chance to spend more time in the city it is well worth venturing off the beaten track. This is especially true if you have any interest in the Anglo-American expats who settled in Florence after the unification of Italy – and some of the things of value that they brought or restored to the city – or in the Italian Bardini’s case – renovated and sold on to the appreciative Americans.

Stefano Bardini (1854-1922), originally came to Florence to paint at the Florence Academy  - but like many artists faced with the genius of Renaissance Florence he gave up his own painting – except for restoration work – and in 1870 started to collect works that had been dismissed as passée in the frenzy of destruction and renewal that possessed Florence when it briefly became the capital of Italy.

Ultimately he became one of the most authoritative Italian antiquarians in Italy – collecting for his own pleasure and displaying them in what became the Palazzo Bardini, situated between Via San Niccolò and Via dei Renai.  The Palazzo itself was an example of destruct and renew when he built it in 1880, sympathetically developing it from a collection of other buildings, including a 13th Century church, and unifying them with a new façade.

For his internal restoration Bardini used a variety of old treasures he found in and around Florence and like the other antiquarians collecting in Florence at the time Sir John Temple Leader , Arthur Acton, Herbert Horne and Frederick Stibbert, he decorated his own home with these wonderful artefacts.

When Bardini died he left his collection to the City of Florence and for some time the museum has been closed for restoration.  Somewhat amusingly one of the things that has been restored is the colour of the walls – Bardini had chosen a bright blue, which the Florentine’s considered rather poor taste and repainted in beige – however when the work was completed they realised that the stone and terracotta didn’t stand out as well as it had against the blue – so they have put the original colour back…….and with my poor English taste I think it looks rather lovely!

The Blue Wall - as Baldini intended it !

One of the most beautiful things in the collection is this painted terracotta depiction of the Virgin – post Annunciation – dressed as a fashionable early 15th Century Sienese teenager – obviously taking the news very seriously.

Annunication - virgin dressed as a Florentine maiden

Below – from the same Sienese school at around the same period there is another painted terracotta Madonna – this time dressed in Mary’s traditional Royal Blue.

More traditional Mary image - in painted terracotta

And whilst we are admiring beautiful women – this bust of another contemplative lady with golden hair is one of the most striking I have ever seen.

Lovely lady with golden hair

Bardini is also known in Florence for his garden adjacent to the Boboli gardens – with it’s famous flight of baroque steps this Bardini legacy has also been restored and reopened last year and was one of the places we visited during our garden tour in May 2011.

Another visit to Vincigliata – Sir John Temple Leader’s mock medieval castle! - but although today it was so bitterly cold our welcome was as warm as ever!

As shown in the photo above these days this splendid castle is usually opened for weddings and courses where in the summer I am sure it is a fantastic venue for such events.

We were fortunate – because it is winter they took our booking for a small group on a private visit including wine tasting – and it went down very well!

The castle itself is stuffed with statues and various eclectic items added to the castle when it was rebuilt over 18 years in the 1850-60′s – as this included the period when Florence was reinventing itself as the Capital of the newly combined country of Italy - Sir John Temple Leader got lucky in his search for quirky historic items partly because – as one of my group commented- there was a lot of treasure to be found in the skips in those days!

Some of these items are original gargoyles and statues that were replaced in the “new” Florence – and as such – although well weather worn – they are probably more valuable than those that they were replaced with!

Another feature within the castle is the contract of sale – literally made in stone – and sadly not very photogenic but if you look closely you can see the Temple Leader coat of arms – now displayed on the wall in one of their rooms.

Contract of sale of Vincigliata to Sir John Temple Leader

Above – the Contract of sale of Vincigliata to Sir John Temple Leader

We also visited the mock medieval tower of the castle that Temple Leader lovingly reconstructed to make his castle look the part.  It was from the original tower that young bride to be, Bianca , waited for her lover to ride down from a nearly castle and take her to wife. Unfortunately her family were like the Montagues of Verona – and not keen that their daughter should consort with a rival family – so this poor “Juliet” had full view of her “Romeo” being cut down off his steed and slashed to pieces by her own brother – overcome with grief and despair the young girl threw herself off the tower – and now legend has it that her grieving ghost still walks the castle – and is a good omen if you see her as she offers her protection to other impossible love matches.

Exit from tower to viewing platform

The Tower exit alone was a challenge for our group – not a exactly as model of health and safety design – but the view over Florence and across Tuscany – especially when it is warmer – is worth the effort – and quite a thought that escaping Allied prisoners of war had to make their way through these forests to – hopefully – meet up with the partisans and get guided to the Swiss border.

Views from Vincigliata tower

So onto the wine tasting , which to be honest was a relief after the cold of the castle tower , the castle is now owned by the family of  Bibi Graetz - who have entered into the wine making market in the past twelve years – and have created some wonderful wines – one of which,  Testamatta ( head spin!) was given a 98% approval rating by the Wine Spectator for their 2006 wine – not bad for beginners!!

Happily my group enjoyed the wines very much – we had some excellent canapes with the tasting and some supplies were purchased for future enjoyment.

I am already looking forward to my next visit in April!

Sir John Temple Leader was an enigma -

An English peer , an University friend of Gladstone and a fairly mainstream English eccentric – after having made a fortune in the East India Company Temple-Leader embarked on a promising career as a Whig ( Pre-Liberal) politician, but in the early 1840′s he suddenly quit politics without explanation and left England forever and, after several years of global research, settled on Florence as his ideal homeland.

He set about spending his money with some gusto,  buying not one, but two huge homes in the Florentine hills – the first being Villa Maiano, a typical sixteenth century villa, which is now no longer a family home but used quite regularly for filming, including the famous James Ivory production of  A Room with  A View and as  Cher’s luxury home in Franco Zeffferelli’s  Tea with Mussolini 

In 1855 Sir John acquired a crumbling ruin – the remains of Castello di Vincigliata, and at the height of the Romantic era set about transforming it into medieval castle, complete with crenellated tower, into setting fitting for a novel by Mrs Ann Radcliffe! 

Ironically this castle,  originally owned by the Usimbardi – who were friends of Dante and who introduced paned glass to Florence , was reduced to ruins during a raid on behalf of the Pisans led by non other than English fourteenth century mercenary leader and knight Sir John Hawkwood.

Hawkwood, who changed sides from Pisa to Florence at the sight of a larger purse,  is nontheless famously depicted as a saviour of Florence by Paulo Ucello on the walls of the Duomo in Florence.

Temple Leader himself became so fascinated by the similarities between himself and Hawkwood that he wrote a book about him – still available in second hand bookstores in original and, below, in translation.

Not much later the castle had a second unfortunate connection with England  - in 1345  there was a  general crash of Florentine banks  due to bad debts by King Edward III of England for his Cressy and Poitiers campaigns.  Neither the sum borrowed, or the interest thereon was  ever repaid,  as Florentine people rarely fail to remind any Brit who dares to grumble  about high prices!!

As a result of the crisis the castle owners became bancarotta (bankrupt) and it was purchased by Niccolo, son of Ugo degli Albizi, a scion of  the wealthy merchant and banking family famous for trying to get Cosimo il Vecchio out of Florence. So it next housed a branch of the Albizi family, probably for politial reasons now using the name of  Alessandri, for nearly three hundred years – but with the decline of this family fortune it once again sank into decay.

Castello Vincigliata and its environs pictured by Joseph Pennell, c. 1904

Whatever problems Sir John Temple Leader might have had in the UK that caused his precipitate departure, they seem not to have worried the reigning British Monarch, and during one of Queen Victoria’s trips to Florence she came to visit and is shown in the magazine cover below sketching Il Giardino delle Colonne, which was one of the garden features Temple Leader added to the castle.  

Anglo-American writer Henry James wrote of the castle: ‘This elaborate piece of imitation has no superficial use; but, even if it were less complete, less successful, less brilliant, I should feel a reflective kindness for it.  So handsome a piece of work is its own justification; it belongs to the heroics of culture.’

Money and beauty- Bankers, Botticelli and the Bonfire of the Vanities

17 September 2011-22 January 2012

Palazzo Strozzi Florence 

Hailed as one of the most exciting exhibitions in Florence last year – and as much a “must see” for 2011 as their Bronzino exhibition was in 2010 the Money and Beauty exhibition at the Strozzi Palace closed it’s doors for the last time yesterday.

With much of it’s theme taken from the book Medici Money by Tim Parks - this exhibition offers an explanation as to why there is so much artwork in Florence – and even why this centre of finance  became known as the cradle of the Renaissance.

Author Tim Parks and art historian Ludovica Sebregondi, author of Iconography of Girolamo Savonarola, 1495-1998, were responsible for notes and comments on the wide selection of art works and artefacts on display in the palace.

Not only does the exhibition deal with the sin of usury and the possibility of redemption through payment for good works -it also touches on money as the root of all evil and money as the destroyer of passion – as shown in the image below where the money lender is too involved in counting his money to notice his pretty wife – and she too has become fascinated by the counting game as the candle of time gutters down behind them!

This was a rich exhibition – in every sense – for example the first room alone covered:-

• the importance of gold coinage – why florins flourished – and therefore why Florence flowered as a financial centre, how the accounts were maintained, what the currency looked like – a real gold florin in a lighted show box!
• what the coinage was worth, why there were two levels of currency – one for the rich and another for the poor popolo minuti - who had an average life expectancy of only 30 years, – remember in contrast Michelangelo, nursed on the rich milk of a marble cutters wife in Settignano outside the city lived for 89 years!
• what could be bought with this currency – including good food and health care, which increased the life expectancy of the rich, although was unable to help the Medici – whose rich diet of red meat and few vegetables probably contributed to their early deaths from gout?
• why the rich felt it necessary to do some sort of penance for being wealthy – such as going on a pilgrimage with reduced rations – or invest their gold in some artwork – literally putting gold leaf around the virgin’s head.
• the rise of the Merchant of Prato - Francesco di Marco Datini and the warning from his assistant that he would lose his good reputation when he became a “money changer” – and heaven forfend – commit the sin of usury.

Abandon hope all ye who enter here

And thus it was the Florentines returned to fashion – and making money – and now dear reader we have the Gucci museum in the Piazza del Signoria!

Brian Duffy – (1933-2010) The Photographic Genius - until March 25, 2012

National Alinari Museum, Piazza Santa Maria Novella 14a,  Florence

Brian Duffy – one of the three famous “cockney” photographers of the 60′s – 70′s  - the others being David Bailey and Terence Donovan was in fact of Irish extract and born in North London! However it suited the media to label them together, and seemingly suited them to have an identity as a trio of plumpish heterosexual misfits, working in the fashion world as it was then, of tall camp posh photographers in suits and hats!

This exhibition was initially staged in London by Duffy’s son Chris who dragged his terminally ill father out of 30 years of retirement to take some special photos of his favourite friends and models of the 60′s. These included the ever genial Lord David Puttnam and our London neighbour Joanna Lumley - was featured with her grown up “Goblin” – which was how Duffy referred to him as a child!

It was a project which he seems to have enjoyed, to judge from the excellent BBC4 documentary, The Man Who Shot the Sixties, which is included in it’s entirety in the Exhibition. In this he takes the cameras back to the garden of his home office where he held his own ritual Bonfire of the Vanities and tried to burn all his work before putting down his camera – as he thought – forever.

So apart from this connection with Savonarola – why has this exhibition come to Florence – you may ask? Well of course as a fashion photographer for all the beautiful people in all the beautiful magazines of course he is going to do a shoot in the most beautiful city!

These classic photos use some of Duffy’s trademark concepts – such as moving people captured in unusual poses – totally changing the way people viewed fashion photography and their relationship with the models portrayed in these images – who soon – like Jean Shrimpton below – became stars in their own right.

One of the great things about this exhibition is the number of pictures in glorious black and white – who needs glorious technicolour – and the lack of retouching – real people with chapped lips and little folds of skin out of place – even in Pirelli Calendars!

So finally here is my patient gallery companion Leslie again – as we considered pausing for an aperitivo outside the gallery – Thanks again for your company and for recommending this exhibition as a “must see” whilst I am over here!

Leslie with Duffy and saxophonist who moved off at the wrong time!

Tomorrow is the last day of the Money and Beauty exhibition at the Strozzi Palace – another must see that I “must see” again one last time!

My thanks to my dear friend Beatriz for suggesting plate painting as a interesting activity for Beyond the Yalla Dog and for introducing me to Vincenzo at Office Lab or Ufficino Ceramica – not only have we held group activities in their studio but last night I attended a really informative lecture on Dutch painter Piet Mondrian- which stretched my Italian a bit I must confess but vale la pena (worth the effort!)

From a selection of three images that we had templates for I chose to paint one of his earlier Cubist paintings, called Grey Tree, on my plate – I doubt whether the final result will look much like this – in fact my neighbour commented that my tree looked tortured – but what a good time I had torturing it!

One of the most interesting parts of the lecture was a video film, which visually tracked the development of Mondrian’s work from naturalism , through pointillism, fauvism and cubism

to his most well known works of Neo-Plasticism - so clever and beautifully done – view on youtube link 

After our buffet supper – slow cooking on a hob whilst we enjoyed the lecture – it was our turn to paint like Mondrian.

The plates below are already bright and colourful and they haven’t been fired yet – I cant wait to see the shiny finished articles – maybe I will give mine to my Aunt – or maybe just add it to the others on my dresser!

Mondrian Plates

I  can hardly believe that a whole year has passed since Lisa Banchieri and I held our first cookery class together in Paulo’s restaurant , now called Da Pinocchio, in Piazza Mercato Centrale, 46/r – A lot of very good meals have been eaten since then!

As last year we have agreed to do at least one class a month – and in addition – a week long lesson in July for people who really want to get down to some serious Tuscan cooking.

In February, whilst Lisa prepares the room I will start our session with a trip to the central market to give students a chance to see the fresh produce laid out so beautifully and make a few last purchases!

Tuscan cookery is all about freshness, and each month’s menu has been devised to suit the produce of that season- however if there is a recipe that you are yearning to discover please do let us know – Lisa has a reputation for slipping in new secrets as we go along – and chances are we can include it on the day!

Lisa with pasta stretched and ready to make ravioli

The cost for the classes – which includes sitting down afterwards and eating the 4 course meal we have prepared, plus printed copies of all the recipes and your commemorative apron – is €69

The dates we have provisionally fixed for future classes this year are as follows:-

Wednesday 7th March 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

Wednesday 11th April 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

Wednesday 23rd May 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

Thursday 14th June 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

Monday 2nd July 10- 14.30, Tues 3rd 5-21. 30 Wed 4th 10-14.30, Thurs 5th 10-14.30 Friday 6th July – final supper – non cooking partners welcome! Classes held in Via di Serragli

Thursday 14th July 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

August – 3 days of classes in London - dates to be agreed later

A toast to Lisa - Cheers

Thursday 23rd August - provisional

Wednesday 19th September – 10-14.30 -Da Pinocchio

Thursday 25th October – 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

Thursday 15th November – 10-14.30 – Da Pinocchio

Saturday 1st & Sunday 2nd December – London – 11- 18.00

Now what on earth can I make with this?

If you are coming to Florence outside of these dates and would like a cookery lesson do please get in touch as it might be possible to arrange separately.

Also please note if you are with a group who all want to have a cookery class together we can set something up – or if you in a villa in the countryside we can even come out to you!

Making pasta

In summary – these are the dates which I will be promoting now but I am sure there will be plenty of others!

We look forward to your participation in these classes and all sharing the meal – washed down with a nice chianti – when all the hard work is over!

Eating our efforts! Yum Yum