In Lucca Centre of Contemporany Art there is an exhibition that i would be a real shame to miss. The central theme is a bull.
Several versions of it in different poses: charging, still, defeated, playful and enraged. Never passive. Always challenging. You may have alreay noticed a large coloured bull lying down in Piazza Scalpellini, nera Piazza Anfiteatro, off via Fillungo. On its rear is written: “It isn’t true but i bielieve it”
The bull which took nine and half months to make appeared out of nowwhere on day, and is part of the exhibition. Christian Balzano comes from Livorno where he was born in 1969. he’s extremely versatile: he works in plaster, animal, skin, canvas, wood, acrylic, resin, copper, acid, plastic and gold leaf. He uses words, video and photography; he paints, model scratches and engraves. He also incorporates music smells into this fascinating show. It is part installation, part animation, part sculpture, largely paintings, but most excitingly it asks the audience to partecipate. And this audience can include everyone from adult to child.
As soon as we walk into the museum we get a sense of what we are to see in the rest of the show. On one wall there are over 50 small iconic pieces in brilliant reds, blacks and golds some framed of Buddhas, cherubs, Madonna, hearts, candelabras, bulls, the star of David, the hal moon and chinese dragons.
A collection of references which reappear throughout the exhibition. Over the reception area is there a sequence of witty photographs of people wearing bull’s heads. If you follow the exhibition upstairs you come to a large room with paintings.
After you can find two rooms, Black or Red, you must choose….you have to discover this for yourselves..
There is anothe room off the main one, with a series of exquisite wooden plates on the wall, with figures drawn in gold leaf. Upstairs there is anothe area, essentially divided by the colours the artist has chosen to frame his works: white, red, black and gold.
Going back to the bull lying in the little piazza near Via Fillungo. Is the bull defeated? Beckoning? Toying with us? Has it fallen^ Decide for yourself. Touch it. Climb over it. That’s what the artist wants!
The exhibition runt until 21 of february. Lu.C.C.A.
Via della Fratta 36 – 55100 LUCCA – Tel. +39 0583 571712 www.luccamuseum.com
What could be more Lucchese than Castagnaccio (chestnut tart)?
It is said to have been first created by a Pilade di Lucca. It’s a typical tuscan dessert. The key ingredient is chestnut flour “farina di castagne” or “farina dolce” traditionally made in the winter months. It is a most delicate flour with a sweet, rich flavour, made from dried, milled chestnuts.
It can now be found in specialists flour suppliers outside Italy, although readers living in Lucca willa have no diffuculty to finding excellent local produce from the Garfagnana.
Ingredients: ( serves 8 )
. 400 g chestnut flour (the best you can find, from Garfagnana)
. 6 tablespoonfuls extra virgin olive oil
. Approx 600/800 ml. water
. 1 cup of peeled pine seeds (pinoli)
. 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar
. 1 orange
. pinch of salt
. fresh rosemary leaves
. ricotta (cottage cheese of ewe’s milk)
Method:
Whisk the chestnut flour with the salt, sugar, grated orange rind and 3 tablespoonfuls of olive oil.
Warm up the water to more than lukewarm and add it little by little to the mixture to obtain a liquid creamy consistency. pour this cream into an oiled 30/32 cm diameter baking tin.
Sprinkle with the rosemary leaves and pine seeds and spread the ramaining olive oil over it.
Place in an oven heated to 220° C and cook 30/40 minutes.
The Castagnaccio should be crispy in the top and creamy inside. Serve hot with a generous portion of fresh ricotta.
This is a very ancient local recipe, not difficult to prepare but as is always the case with simple recipes the ingriedients must be top quality.
It’s a Carnival time!
The Carnival Foundation in Viareggio has spent millions to construct the Cittadella where creative men and women spend all their time constructing the second largest papier maché carnival in the world.
It is a modern miracle this carnival, and sure shakes the doldrums out of January through March for hundreds of thousands of fans who travel to the coast at Vaireggio yo enjoy these building size works of art every sunday and fat thuesday too.
All over Lucca, streets are brighter for the coloured “coriandolli” strewn everywhere and the children in their costumes. But here’s some great inside information. If you can be up and in the central piazza at the Cittadella every sunday morning you can watch the floats exit their hangers for free.
For the parade, spring for the euro 15,00 adult rate, kids under 11 are always free, and preteen to 13 are 10,00 euro because the carnival without the noise, music, lights and animated floats is just not to be missed.
Carnival at Viareggio is every sunday from january 31 (begins at 3.00 pm) through february 12 and february 16 pm for fat tuesday.
I suggest some of the most important hotels for your stay in Viareggio:
The farmhouse Agriturismo Valgiano is situated in a slope of Pizzorne mountains in a quite area among wide olivegroves and wineyards.
The agriturism has five apartments where the guests may relax themselves in the two swimming pools which lies a very beautiful position.
All apartments have facilities like TV, two double room, a sofa-bed, big living room, two bathroom with shower or bath, garden.
In Valgiano Agriturism is possible to buy olive oil and wine. Rent apartments in Lucca area, it’ll be an unforgettable holiday !
Its origins may be lost in the mists of time, but this summer pageant with a cast of thousands is still the most important annual event in Pisa.
Armies representing the Mezzogiorno (south of the River Arno) and Tramontana (north of the river) neighbourhoods of the city meet at the Ponte di Mezzo, where the opposing teams demonstrate their physical strength and prowess.
No longer do they bludgeon each other with maces and pointed shields (as they did in days of yore), but instead they take turns to push an immense cart weighing several tons, and they are judged by the force of their efforts. Before the “battle” there is a grand procession along the banks of the Arno with hundreds of participants wearing medieval costume, many of them in the Spanish style of the late 16th-century. Approximately 100,000 turn out for the event each year.
Hello, Everyone! My name is Otis. I am a perfectly smart and talented dog. Some people think I am a just sock-dog, but I am so much more.
In 2006, the year of my creation, I was adopted by the most wonderful family. I sat in a pile lof socks just waiting to be discovered.
I think someone saw some real potential in me. And then, wow, did I come to life. In my few short years I have had many adventures. I will be sharing some of those with you all soon.
Where do I begin? I think we should start just outside of Lucca, Italy, in the little town of Vorno.
Here stands the glorious Villa Boschiglia. Samuele, the cool Villa owner, is my special friend as he allowed me to stay at the Villa, even with the no dog rule.
But, again, I am not just a dog.
Sam is pictured here in front of his fireplace. My family and I had our first two week stay here in 2007. Believe me, we were all treated royally, especially me.
I had a glamorous bedroom that was color coded to me, I am sure.
Fresh flowers were brought in to my room and my bed made every day. We had a crazy chef named Bartek. He says he is a donkey, and I agree. But my whole family loved him.
His girlfriend, Maika, who helped at the Villa was much more normal. That is them with me. But he did feed us beautiful meals, and I got the head chair at the end of the table.
Here is a picture of the Villa, and that is me looking out my window. This is a picture I took of my family on the Villa steps! You can click on the icon to the left for a full description of the Villa.
In each blog I will try to tell you of a new day’s adventures and we had a lot.
TUTTI I LUNEDI’, MARTEDI’ E MERCOLEDI’ DEL MESE /EVERY MONDAY, TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH
SPECIAL CONCERTS
“PUCCINI AND MOZART”
(always with different performers and programmes)
TUTTI I VENERDI’ DEL MESE – EVERY FRIDAY OF THE MONTH
MOZART & PUCCINI
Arie e duetti da/arias and duets from LE NOZZE DI FIGARO, COSI’ FAN TUTTE, DON GIOVANNI, MADAMA BUTTERFLY, LA BOHEME, TOSCA
TUTTI I SABATO DEL MESE – EVERY SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
UNA NOTTE ALL’OPERA/A NIGHT AT THE OPERA
Arie e duetti dal repertorio lirico di Puccini, Verdi, Leoncavallo, Donietti, Mascagni ed altri/arias and duets from the Italian operatic repertoire
TUTTE LE DOMENICHE DEL MESE – EVERY SUNDAY OF THE MONTH
PUCCINI E LA CANZONE TRADIZIONALE NAPOLETANA – PUCCINI & THE NEAPOLITAN TRADITIONAL SONGS
Cathedral, Baptistry and Campanile
The Cathedral complex, called Basilica di Santa Maria del Fiore, includes Baptistry and Giotto’s Campanile, began in 1296 designed of Arnolfo di Cambio (Gothic style) and completed with the dome of Filippo Brunelleschi. Today the three buildings are part of UNESCO and are a major actraction tourists visiting Tuscany region.
The Uffizi
The palace is one the oldest and most famous art museums of the world. The Uffizi was begun by Giorgio Vasari in 1560 at the request of Cosimo I De medici. It was completed in 1581 with intervention of Giorgio Vasari, Alfonso Parigi and Bernardo Buontalenti.
The museum contains works of artists Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Botticelli, Raffaello, Rembrandt etc..
Boboli gardens and Pitti Palace
The Boboli Garden iso ne of the most elegant and largest italian gardens through several stages of resctructuring work and anlargement carried out at different time. The initial plan was drawn by Niccolò Tribolo, the work was completed by other architects including Vasari, Ammannati and Buontalenti. Palazzo Pitti, probably designed by Brunelleschi in 1457, is the most imposing palaces in Firenze. The only decorative elements, on its almost severe facade, are the two crowned heads of lions.
The palace houses now is the Palatine Gallery, the Museum of Silveware and Moderh Art Gallery is the second museum in the city and contains many works of artists like Raphael, Filippo Lippi, Tizian, Caravaggio, Rubens and others.
Are you ready? This February, like every year, Viareggio is ready to give you his best welcome thanks to one of the most popular carnival of the world! Viareggio Carnival.
Every year for 133 years, this has been a main draw for locals and tourists alike. It is a three week festival that is a gala [...]
It is close by the town and promoted in all the literature to go there. It is a cave, like many others. Open mostly during the peak tour season. It is called Cave of the Winds because of two entrances that allow the wind to come through and make howling wind noise. The caves ere [...]
Walking around Lucca Walls
The must see activity by definition in Lucca is a walk along the city walls. Built in Medieval Age and then upgraded in Renaissance, are one of the three examples of complete walking walls in the world (Carcassone and Avila the others, I think).
The Walls surround all the old town and, except [...]
A magic tuscany winery tour…why not?
On leaving Florence, following the Chianti road, we can find many medieval villages.
The first is Verrazzano with its beautiful old castle, the second is Greve in Chianti with its small centre famous for ancient wine cellars.
Continuing the tour, we find Radda in Chianti, famous for label called “Gallo Nero”. In [...]
Buccellato
Perhaps you have already tried buccellato the traditional lucchese fruit bread?
It’s poor man’s food, bread made with a few simple ingriedents, which have made it a symbol of good luck and therefore very suitable for a Celebration.
For example, it contains aniseed, thought to promote fertility in women, and raisins, still seen on the table as [...]
Here as follow the most important museums in Florence:
The Uffizi Gallery:
the gratiest museums in Italy and the world, the museum contains italian and foreign artist such as Cimabue, Michelangelo, Leonardo, Botticelli, Piero della Francesca, Masaccio, Giotto, Beato Angelico Rubens, Goya, Caravaggio..
Official Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it
The Accademy Gallery:
the museum is famous for Michelangelo sculptures including “David”.
Official Website: www.polomuseale.firenze.it
The [...]
For your charming accomodation in Tuscany… choose a beautiful Lucca country-side!
Rent a villa for your unforgettable stay in tuscan hills.
Facilities:
swimming pool
daily breakfast
air conditioning
central heating
computer & internet
stereo CD player with central rediffusion
satellite TV
alarm
www.villaalboschiglia.com
www.casalesodini.com
Thinking about my guests staying and the way they usually enjoy restaurants around my Villas, I have the pleasure to inform you that next summer you will find 2 new restaurants in Vorno… perfect for a fast and informal dinner after a full day tour arund Tuscany!
Ok, just to remind you:
Thinking about you and receiving requests every day about the possibility to rent a villa in Tuscany with special price, we decided to let you stop here!
!!! FIRST MINUTE – 20% DISCOUNT ON ANY AVAILABLE WEEKS!!! Discounted Villa for rent in Tuscany!!! Just for you…
We’re currently running a new special offering to all new [...]
Thank you for taking the time to visit my blog! Take a second to peek around and check out some of my previous posts. Of course, I would love to find out what you think as well, so make sure to comment. See you around!
