Video Blog: Tuscan Festivals

There are many big medieval festivals scattered around Tuscany. All have roots back many hundreds of years, but most of the modern reincarnations date from earlier this century under the auspices of Mussolini. The most famous palio is the one that takes place in Siena (twice a year) where the central square is transformed into a racecourse for a furious horse race with jockeys riding bareback on a horse representing the various contradas (quarters) of the city. There is much rivalry and sometimes a bit of violence too!

Other enjoyable celebrations include a rather boisterous antique version of soccer in Florence. From what I can see, the ball is almost irrelevent and it is just an excuse for a big punch-up. Sansepolcro hosts a big crossbow shooting competition, with the local team pitted against visitors from Gubbio (which then returns the compliment). As I have already mentioned, Anghiari stages a gruelling road race up its steep hill, while Caprese Michelangelo contents itself with a more sedate chestnut festival in October.

For me the most entertaining festival is that of the Giostra del Saracino in Arezzo. This is a jousting competition held in the main square where riders with lances score points on a small target fixed to a spinning mannequin, complete with ball and chain! Again the various quarters of the city compete for the prize of the golden lance. Much skill is needed, and the horses are fantastic.

Video Blog: Making Olive Oil

Well, the olive harvest is in full swing here in Caprese. Our goat-farming, cheese-making friend Brent had already picked and pressed 771kg of olives a couple of weeks ago, and this week was our turn with a 202kg load from our friend Sue's little olive grove. 20 litres of fantastically fresh and totally organic extra-extra virgin olive oil was the fruit of our labours.

Weather Report

Just to say that the first falls of snow happened overnight. Not too much but enough to make driving rather hazardous. Just as well we helped our friend Sue get her olives harvested. Lots of locals frantically picking today as the sun is out. But still cold!

Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564)

Michelangelo was born into a small-scale Florentine banking family. In order to supplement income his father took up short-term government positions and it was during such an appointment, whilst a judicial administrator in Caprese, that circumstances saw the birth of one of history's greatest artists in such an unlikely place.

The family soon moved back to Florence where, as an apprentice, the young Michelangelo soon started showing his precocious talents. The rest, as they say, is history. Working for princes and popes, Michelangelo was a painter, engineer and architect, but most of all he was a sculptor. His most famous works include, of course, his statue of David (Florence), the dome of St.Peter's basilica (Rome) and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel (Vatican).

Although having left Caprese as a small child, I am certain that he would have made return visits. The local landscape around Caprese is represented in a number of his paintings, and most obvious of all is the inclusion of the unmistakable outline of La Verna behind the reclining figure of the newly created Adam, the centrepiece of his ceiling fresco in the Sistine Chapel, and one of the world's most famous images. Surely it shows that Michelangelo always kept a small piece of Caprese in his heart?

Although Caprese does not possess a Michelangelo original, it is still a wonderful experience to wander around the old castle precincts, soaking up the atmosphere and a quick jaunt through the little museum, before having lunch at one our favourite local restaurants, Il Cerro, where you can eat like a king. A wonderful selection of starters, homemade pastas (smothered in either locally sourced porcini mushrooms or truffles) and freshly roasted meats will ultimately defeat even the biggest appetite - and fantastic value too!

Video Blog: Goats!

It's lambing ('kidding'?) time up at Valle di Mezzo, a farm run by my friend Brent Zimmerman. I paid a visit on Sunday afternoon to look at the new arrivals. Doubly interesting of course as Caprese is derived from the Italian 'capra' meaning 'goat' and there is a goat on the village coat of arms.

Piero della Francesca (c.1415-1492)

Two frescoes of world-wide renown are just a stones throw from Caprese. Both are by the Fifteenth Century artist Piero della Francesca who was born in nearby Sansepolcro. Forgotten for centuries after his death, and only rediscovered in the early Twentieth Century, Piero is now regarded as one of the greatest artists of his time and a pioneer of perspective.

Although he studied in Florence and worked at the court of Federico da Montefeltro in Urbino for several years, Piero was a true Tuscan at heart and never really abandoned his roots, which is probably why he saved his best works for commissions in his hometown and the village where his mother was born.

The Madonna del Parto is now housed on its own in a converted 1930's primary school in the village of Monterchi, a little hill-top town nestling on the Tuscan/Umbrian border. It's original location was the chapel at the the cemetary where Piero's mother was buried, and has since been moved to Sansepolcro and Florence (for "safe keeping") before being brought back and now fiercely protected by the Monterchi comune. The pregnant Virgin Mary (a very rarely portrayed subject) is revealed to the viewer by two angels. Rather controversially, she looks rather uncomfortable with the unborn baby Jesus obviously causing her some discomfort. However she still possesses a holy serenity and looks out at you with confident surety. Generations of pregnant women have prayed to the image to bless their own safe births, and even now anyone mothers-to-be are allowed free access into the museum!

The Resurrection of Christ is perhaps one of the most haunting paintings I have ever seen. It remains in its original place on the wall of Sansepolcro's old town hall, now the town's main art gallery. Jesus is portrayed emerging from the tomb while his guards remain sleeping at his feet. Whilst triumpant in resurrection, Jesus is also full of pathos as he looks out at you with solemn intensity. The painting is full of mysterious secrets including a strange strange use of two vanishing points which makes viewing the picture quite disconcerting.

Also close by, the Church of San Francesco in Arezzo holds Piero's masterpiece, The Legend of the True Cross. The subject is a medieval legend of great complexity, but Piero made from its fanciful details some of the most solemn and serene images in Western art — even the two battle scenes have a feeling of grim deliberation rather than violent movement (almost as if watching the action in slow motion). This fresco cycle took over thirteen years to complete. Contrary to normal practice, Piero would often cover the plaster with wet cloths overnight, allowing him to continue work on the same sections for more than a day.

I will never tire of visting these paintings. Once seen, the mesmeric images, a combination of limpid beauty and passive power, will remain with you forever.

... and finally!

As if to celebrate the end of January, we awoke this morning to a couple of centimetres of snow. This was followed by the sun coming out, so it really looks magical here right now. Here are a couple of pics ...




Some trees ...

View from my house up to Alpe Faggetta.

View in the other direction towards Monte Fumaiolo.

Anghiari

About 6 miles down the mountain from Caprese lies the defensive hilltop town of Anghiari. Right on the border of Tuscany, and hence on the edge of Medici control, the town has always been of strategic importance and on 29 June 1440, a famous battle took place here between the Florentines and Milanese. Although a famous event, immortalised in a now lost Leonardo fresco (once in the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence), only 1 person was actually killed (in an accidental fall off his horse!). The event is marked today by a foot race up the hill from the battlefield to the main square of Anghiari - a great excuse for a festa and fancy dress! Today the sleepy town stands sentinel overlooking the flat plain of the Tiber valley with it's patchwork fields of sunflowers and tobacco plants.

Weather Report update

Well, it didn't snow heavily but a beautiful phenomenon here are the ice forests at the top of the mountains after a night of freezing fog. All the trees become encrusted with ice turning everything into a crystal wonderland. A wonderful place to witness this spectacle near Caprese is the hermitage of La Verna where St. Francis of Assisi took refuge and where he recieved his stigmata. The small monastery sits aloft a strangely shaped mountain (Michelangelo painted it in several of his works including the landscape behind Adam and God scene of the Sistine Chapel ceiling) which forms part of the Casentino National Park. Here are a couple of views taken this morning.

Weather report

Well, after a few days of sunshine and cold, I can now report that it is snowing. The weather report said rain but I guess we are high up. It's very light and not settling at the moment, but that could change. It is January, I suppose.