Free… just email Rose at rose@artviva.com to RSVP

If you are looking for something for visitors to do in the evening in Florence why not try a unique ongoing festival where there are nightly events celebrating Italian culture, ‘made in Italy past and present’ and ‘slow food’.
The festival provides an exclusive and unique opportunity to meet Italian princes and counts, aristocrats, brilliant literati, gifted artists, famous authors, artisans and wine makers in the stunning surrounds of a historic palazzo in the heart of Florence.

The festival has very distinguished patrons; Prince Duccio Corsini, Count Niccolò Capponi and Count Sebastiano Capponi.

On Monday the 3rd of May at 6.00pm the Slow Food movement will be presenting Italy’s best pasta maker, along with fine wines, and Italian culture in general. This will be followed by a special Slow Food dinner conducted by the Slow Food movement at the restaurant Borgo San Jacopo (cost around 45 pp all proceeds direct to Slow Food) in Florence. Artist Leo Mancini-Hresko will be presenting his artworks with Artviva providing a free glass of wine at 5.30.
On Tuesday the 4th of May Prince Duccio Corsini will be presenting “Italy Explained” and then a conducting a wine tasting with his fine Tuscan wines. Author Lisa Clifford will be signing books at 5.30pm and talking about her experiences as a writer in Italy and solving a Tuscan murder.

May 5 Sculptor Robert Bodem at 5.30pm will be talking about his work in Florence followed by Count Sebastiano Capponi presenting “Italy Explained” and then conducting a wine tasting along with a “how to taste wine”.

May 6 Artist Leo Mancini –Hresko at 5.30pm will be presenting his artworks and talking about being an artist in Florence and Tuscany followed by Count Niccolo Capponi (Phd) conducting an introduction to fascinating aspects of Italian culture with “Italy Explained” He will then conduct a wine tasting and a learn how to taste wine workshop with his estates’ fine Tuscan wines.

May 7 Author Lisa Clifford at 5.30pm will do a book signing and talking about her life as a writer in Florence and how she solved a murder mystery during her research of her latest book. Count Niccolo Capponi will introduce Italian culture and then conduct a wine tasting and a ‘learn how to taste wine’.

See the web site www.italy.artviva.com for a video and more information on upcoming events

La Caprera – one of the few apartments – but it really is so beautiful, and looks out over Siena.

Nicco – this is just stunning. The view over towards the Cinque Terre and down over Fiascherino and Tellaro is fantastic – seen over the brim of an infinity pool it’s even better!

Le Tanelle – The archetypal perfect tuscan villa, high on a hill, away from the crowds and perfectly restored.

Casa Silvia – I love this one – simple, with fantastic views, affordable and within walking distance of a charming little town.. perfect.

In Siena 26 March – 10 July “From Jacopo della Quercia to Donatello. The Arts in Siena in the Early Renaissance.” While the main venue is at the Santa Maria della Scala museum complex, the show will take visitors on a special discovery tour of a Siena that, on a parallel path with Florence, experienced an extraordinary period in art which witnessed the transition from Gothic to the Renaissance.

In Rome 20 February – 16 June “Caravaggio” at the Scuderie del Quirinale. Celebrating the 400th anniversary of his death, the exhibition The exhibition at the Scuderie del Quirinalea offers a radically innovative and up-to-date approach to penetrate the very essence of the “terribly natural” painter, his revolutionary and astonishing naturalistic criterion, and his stubborn if questioning deference to the depiction of reality which no pattern or school could contain, which was solitary in its poetic greatness.

And even in Casole d’Elsa, one of our favourite hill villages, 17 March – 3 October, “Marco Romano and the Sienese Artistic Context in the 13th and 14th centuries” set in the Museo della Collegiata. This small exhibition of sculpture and paintings will give you a sense of the artistic ferment that existed even outside the walls of wealthy Tuscan cities.

The villa and farmhouse specialist has noticed an increase in bookings from groups of family and friends. The most sought-after accommodation is clusters of individual cottages and apartments on one site, enabling everyone to have fun together but providing more privacy and independence for individual families than sharing one large house.

Taking over a whole estate of smaller houses generally works out much cheaper than renting one huge villa – and to make it even more attractive the company is offering a 5% reduction on all such bookings in 2010.

A total of 15 people can stay in three recently-restored old houses on a renowned 450-acre Chianti wine estate close to Siena. Set on a hillside amid some of Tuscany’s loveliest countryside, the bright and spacious houses sleep four, five and six and are arranged around an old courtyard enjoying wonderful views and shared use of a large swimming pool. The vineyard is in the tiny village of Lornano where there is an excellent restaurant and a 9th-century church. Guests can also visit the ancient winery to sample and buy the Chianti Classico, regarded as one of the finest in Tuscany. Where all three houses are booked together, weekly rental is from £1,995 until May 7, rising to £4,564 from June 26-August 27.

Another option for groups is a collection of gorgeous old farm cottages and farmhouse apartments just outside the picturesque medieval hill village of Casole d’Elsa, half an hour from Siena. Together sleeping 16 people, they comprise a cute little stone cottage, a wonderful old barn conversion, the ground floor of the farmhouse with a beautiful brick-vaulted ceiling, and the first floor with a furnished outdoor loggia. There is a large swimming pool, duck pond, fitness equipment under a shady pergola and children’s swings – all within a gentle framework of vineyards and olive groves and with views across to the towers of San Gimignano. When all four properties are booked together they cost from £2,633 per week, rising to £3,804. Prices are for accommodation only.

from “The 100 best holidays for 2010“!

See the Lookout Tower here

A big thank you to Mixd and please let us know what you think of our new site!

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