Capodanno, New Years Day, is a national holiday throughout Italy. So, that will be the day after New Years Eve. Possibly hung-over? First thing you should eat when feeling slightly hung-over is stuffed pigs foot.  Traditionally eaten with lentils – said to represent money and to get your year off to a fine start – the Zampone is taken very seriously in the town of its origin, Modena – the annual ‘Super Zampone’ contest is a serious one.  If the lentils don’t make you feel lucky, then make sure you start off the New Year wearing red underwear, another guarantee of a good year ahead. Honest.

Epiphany, on January sixth, is another national holiday and another day of presents for the good children and lumps of coal for the not so good ones. La Befana is the woman who refused a roof to the Three Wise Men, and the night before Epiphany sees her abroad on her broomstick, searching all over for the new-born Gesu Bambino.

Lucca has a large antiques market (centered around Piazza San Giusto and Piazza Antelminelli) on the third Sunday (and preceding Saturday) of every month. There is also a craft fair, again in and around Piazza San Giusto, on the last Sunday (and preceding Saturday) of every month.

Arezzo has an enormous antiques market on the first Sunday (and preceding Saturday) of every month, centered around Piazza Grande and Piazza Vasari.

Florence has its antique market on the last Sunday of every month in Piazza dei Ciompi.

Late January is Carnival time! Rain time! Carnival is celebrated throughout Italy from the middle of January until ‘Martedi Grasso’, the day before Ash Wednesday. The most celebrated carnival is the one in Viareggio which is certainly the largest in Italy – it also claims to be the oldest, although Arezzo also has claims on that crown – and is probably the largest in Europe. Every Sunday the seafront at Viareggio is host to a huge parade of enormous floats – constructed from papier-mâché.  These carri are animated, complicated and often cruelly cynical of Italian politicians and celebrities. Most small towns and villages throughout Tuscany have some sort of carnival celebration, with costumes, confetti and traditional food and drink.

As you can see visiting Tuscany in January can be an exciting experience and you won’t run in to too many tourists!

Florence’s science museum, reopened in June 2010 after renovation and renamed Museo Galileo, within six months was awarded one of three prestigious “best mu- seum” prizes by ICOM Italia, the national committee for museums. The prize, for best management was awarded due to “the high-quality
scientific staff, experienced management personnel, its historic non-profit status, and the participation of many agencies and institutions which make it an effective model of museum organization and sustainable management”.
I decided to road test the museum, and after scoping out its website, realised it would be a great place to take my kids. They have a program called “Florence for Family” each weekend until the end of June which has a series of 90 minute guided visits specifically catering for “children over the age of six”. However we didn’t take the tour option, but just vis- ited the museum.
Museo Galileo is home to the only surviving instru- ments designed and built by Galileo himself. It is also the repository for the priceless scientific collections of the two dynasties that once ruled Florence: the Medici and the House of Lorraine. On display are more than 1,000 instruments and devices of major scientific importance and exceptional beauty.
While the focus of the entire exhibition is Galileo, the lay- out of the museum on two levels divides the collection by period, with The Medici collections on the first level. These bear witness to the
scientific culture of Galileo (and his contemporaries) and the tools he designed and made, including two of his telescopes. The second level houses the instruments and ex- perimental apparatuses acquired by the Lorraines in the 18th and 19th centuries, demonstrating the powerful stimulus provided by Gali- leo’s discoveries to the develop- ment of the physical and mathemat- ical sciences in the modern age.
The museum has a brilliant interactive website in English and Italian, which is well worth view-
ing before your visit, as it describes the gallery layout and the 18 themed rooms. Also highly recommended at the museum itself is the €5 audio-visual guide which explains every item in the collection as well as its inventor/builder. The guide automatically senses which room of the museum you are in, and when you enter the exhibit number, the information is displayed on the screen. Some of the more complicated models and experimental devices have a short video explanation as well. All of the information on the guide can also be seen on the website. Unless you are a serious science expert, most of the exhibits just look like funny gadgets that probably have some obscure function. This is why the audio-visual guide is indispensible – providing information on the period of the discovery / invention as well as its creator. Even with the guide, my two youngest children (aged 6 and 9), were quickly and soundly bored after just a couple of minutes. There were several exhibits that did interest my nine year old, but there wasn’t a great deal in if for him. However my two older children (aged 12 and 14) were absolutely enthralled and loved the visit. Many of the items, once explained on the guide,
brought relevance to material they had al- ready studied at school. While my visit was shorter that I would have liked ow- ing to the need to remove my disinter- ested and distracting younger children, I thought the museum was exceptional. It successfully demonstrates how astro- nomical, scientific and mathematical concepts evolved, and the power of
man’s imagination. What is notable, apart from the creativity and evolved thinking is the extraordinary craftsmanship of
the instruments, especially given their age. The museum is sleek, stylish, and thoughtfully laid out allowing excellent viewing of
each exhibit. Not to be missed is the room sized Ptolemaic armillary from 1588 (a model of the solar system showing planet Earth as the central orb), Galileo’s original telescopes as
well as one of Galileo’s fingers. The museum is a fitting tribute to the man who was clearly one of the world’s greatest original thinkers, who challenged the ac- cepted thinking of his time, took on the Catholic Church and was excommunicated and lived out his final years under house arrest.
Museo Galileo, Piazza dei Giudici 1, 50122 Florence, tel. +39 055 265 311; web: www.museogalileo.it Opening hours: Daily: 9.30-18.00, except Tuesdays 9.30-13.00. Entrance fees Full fee € 8,00; 7-18 years old, or over 65 years old € 5,00. 0-6 years old free access. Family ticket (2 adults + max 2 children under 18) € 20,00. Also Group Rates.

In the current world of funding cuts, and political squabbles seemingly affecting every theatre in Italy, Lucca’s included, it may be a good time for a moment of reflection. For almost 200 years, the Teatro del Giglio in Lucca has been at the centre of the city’s artistic, musical and cultural life – “a little jewel set in the ring of the city walls”.

The theatre owes its present form to the outbreak of creative energy which burst upon Lucca in the early 1800s, driven not least by two formidable women, first Elisa Baciocchi, Napoleon’s sister who ruled Lucca from 1805 till 1814, and later Maria Luisa di Borbone (that’s her statue in the middle of Piazza Napoleone.)

It was the latter who in1817 commissioned the architect Giovanni Lazzarini to restore and expand the existing Teatro Nazionale, and provide for it an elegant urban setting in keeping with Bourbon taste. The result is the theatre as we now know it, shown to advantage in its own handsome square, and with perspectives across the tree-lined Piazza Napoleone itself.

The origins of theatre in Lucca of course go back much further, to the 17th Century in fact, when performances were held in the Teatro dei Borghi, and the Sala del Podestà, which later became the Palazzo Pretorio, the building with the loggia on the corner of Piazza San Michele and via Vittorio Veneto. Later, of course, the grand palazzi of the lucchese nobility lent themselves to staging theatrical performances, and in the heyday of the silk trade as Lucca became a mecca for merchants from all over the known world, with the means to enjoy the finer things of life, it was not long before the city commissioned its first public theatre.

This was the Teatro San Girolamo, (attached to the present theatre and now once again happily in use) converted from a Jesuit convent in the 17th century. It was later joined by several privately-run theatres – the Pantera, the Castiglioncelli, and the Goldoni.

Lazzaroni’s task was to take the Teatro Nazionale, as the Teatro San Girolamo had become, and adapt it and its setting to suit the prevailing French taste in Lucca in the early 1800s for splendid open spaces showing buildings to their best advantage. In effect he extended the building to face into what is now Piazza del Giglio, leading into Piazza Napoleone. It is a tribute to his achievement that the theatre and its surroundings remain largely unchanged today.

A new theatre demanded a new name, and Maria Luisa, true to her Bourbon roots chose the giglio – the lily or fleur de lys, from the family coat of arms. And fittingly, it was a work by the composer of the moment Gioachino Rossini which opened the new theatre in 1819, when his “Aureliano in Palmira” was performed.

While the work is not often heard nowadays, Rossini, typically, later re-used much of it in “The Barber of Seville”. (And in fact if you want to track it down, there is a recording of it from 1995, featuring the orchestra of none other than the Teatro del Giglio.) Since that night in 1819, the theatre has, besides its drama and dance programmes, hosted all the great names of Italian opera, and some of its most famous conductors.

In the early days, Bellini, Rossini and Donizetti came in person to present new works, and the soprano Maria Malibran had a huge success, sending her audience delirious according to contemporary reports. In 1836 the star soprano at the Giglio in Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” was Giuseppina Strepponi, later to become the wife of Giuseppe Verdi. In the latter half of the 19th century, Verdi’s works became increasingly popular as patriotic fervour in Italy grew.

From the 1870s onwards in fact, the theatre – by now lit by gas rather than oil lamps – began its truly golden period when there was rarely a seat to be had at performances, particularly of lucchesi composers – Puccini of course, although none of his works had their premiere there, and Catalani, whose “La Wally” was conducted by the great Arturo Toscanini.

The tradition persisted into the 20th century, when despite long periods of closure during two World Wars, the theatre continued to host great conductors and singers, among them Carlo Tagliavini, Maria Caniglia, Mario Del Monaco, Giuseppe Di Stefano, and – as Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Bohème” in the early1960s – a certain young tenor Luciano Pavarotti.

Sadly, these golden days of ten or twelve operas each year are now gone, but the lucchesi can still dream of their theatre as La Scala in miniature, as Lucio D’Ambra described it, “…il Giglio, una piccola Scala…..”

8 – Breakfast!  Breakfast!  Breakfast!

Every morning one awakes to a beautiful breakfast spread of fruit, fresh pastries, cheeses, meats, cereals, eggs cooked to order, juice, coffee (for the strong there is a special espresso machine), and tea.    Believe me you will be ready to start your day with lots of energy after this breakfast.  You will get very spoiled!

9 – Dinner, Dinner, Dinner!

The villa guests have the option of having Chef Bartek, exclusive to this villa; prepare delicious dinners all of the time or some of the time.  I must admit we were going to have Bartek only part of the time, but after our first meal with him and then one out, we opted to have him cook the whole two weeks.  You cannot go wrong.  It is a luxury, after a long day of touring, to relax with cocktails and conversation until dinner is announced.

In the second half of the 16th century, the Pucci family commissioned the celebrated Tuscan mannerist architect and sculptor, Bartolommeo Ammanatti (1511-1592) to create their magnificent palace.  During the centuries, the Palazzo Pucci has been restored several times, but its central body still preserves the splendid architectural savoir faire of Ammanati: the original stoned pavement on the ground floor; the amazing and large central window; the family emblem with the cardinal’s hat and the large masks on the broken open tympanum of the windows located on the second floor. In the 20th century, the most celebrated descendant of that noble family has been Emilio Pucci, Marquis of Barsento.  Emilio Pucci was born in 1914 and died in 1992.  He was not only a famous Italian fashion designer but also a politician.

Emilio Pucci grew up in Palazzo Pucci. In 1947, his atelier was set up in Palazzo Pucci and in 1950 was shown in France as his first collection. 
Soon after, Pucci established showrooms in Florence, Capri, Milan, Rome, and New York. Subsequently, the Pucci mark was running all over the most important cities in the world imprinted on accessories, shoes, luggage, clothing, bathing suits, pajamas, lingerie, perfumes and a long etcetera, as one of the most stylish and valued representatives of the Italian fashion.

Palazzo Pucci (Via dei Pucci, 6) sits off Via Cavour linking it to Piazza San Marco. Ammanatti’s style shows the traces of Michelangelo’s art. 
Prior to this commission, Ammanatti had worked with the most influential architects of his times, Giacomo da Vignola and Giorgio Vasari, building the villa for Pope Julius III in Rome . Other works in Rome by Ammanatti were the Palazzo Ruspoli and a section of the Collegio Romano’s design. On returning to Florence he became Cosimo I’s architect. He designed and directed the construction of Ponte di Santa Trinità and some important fountains, among which is the celebrated Neptune  in Piazza della Signoria. Besides the Palazzo Pucci, he planned the facade of Palazzo Pitti, the Palazzo Guigni and the cloister of the Chiesa dello Santo Spirito. The 14th- and 15th-century Palazzo Pucci today has the rare distinction of being occupied by the same family since its construction. Its interior is an uninterrupted family biography written in the decorative arts.

Otis’ Reason 7

7 – Swim, Swim, Swim!

Now this is a real treat.  The villa has its own private pool.  It is located behind a wall of wonderful smelling rosemary near the bougainvillea-entwined pergola.  You are surrounded by tall cypress, lemon tress, and hills of olive trees.  This is a wonderful place to do laps or just dangle your tired feet (paws).  There are comfortable lounge chairs around the pool which makes it a great place to read, enjoy the Tuscan sun, or take a little nap.

The Stibbert Museum is located on the hill of Montughi in Florence, Italy. The museum contains over 36,000 artifacts, including a vast collection of armor from Eastern and Western civilizations. The museum was founded by Frederick Stibbert (1836 – 1906), who inherited a vast fortune from his grandfather and did not work for the rest of his life. Frederick Stibbert dedicated his life to collecting various objects, antiques, and artifacts and turned his villa into a museum. When the size of the collections outgrew the villa, Stibbert commissioned various additions created by the likes of architect Giuseppe Poggi, the painter Gaetano Bianchi, and the sculptor Passaglia, who contributed to the present day appearance of one of the most precious examples of l9th century museums. 
The vast park surrounding the villa is recognized as one of the most beautiful gardens in Florence.
Today, the museum comprises 10 rooms to exhibit the wide-ranging collections of Stibbert. The rooms are crowded with very sumptuous objects reflecting the taste of a collector. The museum includes a very lavish group of portraits belonging to different ages and most of the wall drawings are in leather. The furniture itself includes very valuable pieces dating back to the 15th century. There are important porcelains and majolica that were produced by the most important Italian and foreign manufacturers.
The museum, however, owes its reputation to its collection of arms and suits of armors that comprise an incredible number of varying and rare pieces ranging from the 15th to the 17th centuries. The vast majority of arms are European, although there are also Oriental, Persian, Indian and Islamic examples. A particularly suggestive view is offered by the parade of horses and riders fully equipped to represent the Italian, German and Islamic arms and suits of armors belonging to the 16th and 17th centuries. The museum also displays a very important group of Japanese arms, with dozens of suits of arms and hundreds of swords, which constitutes the largest collection of this kind outside of Japan.

Otis’ Reason 6

6 – Relax, Relax, Relax!

Relaxing is not a problem here.  There are large salons on every floor in which to gather.  One feels very comfortable putting their feet (paws) up and chatting about the day’s activities.  One might even curl up and read a book or play the piano.  We found the salons quite inviting after a long day.  Relaxing outside in the pergola below the hillside olive orchard is not all that bad either.  This will allow you to breath in the Tuscan countryside.

Otis’ Reason 5

5 – Equality, Equality, Equality!

You will feel the charm of living in a historical Tuscan Villa during your stay while enjoying modern amenities such as individually controlled air conditioning and heating in each of the 6 spacious bedrooms with large en suite bathroom. All 6 bedrooms with en suite baths are of equal size.  This is a real plus if you are renting with friends because everything is equal.  Having the bedrooms off the corners of the salons doesn’t hurt either.  When I howl at night no one can hear me. All rooms are beautifully appointed and extremely comfortable.