What's Up Tuscany English

One of the things that puzzles the most my foreign friends is how, sometimes, people in Tuscany are completely unaware of stuff that just lies a few miles from where they live. This can be explained with two simple facts: nothing in Tuscany ever changes and, sometimes, places that look quite close on a map are actually much harder to reach than they look. More than 25 years ago, for example, I landed somehow in a thoroughly unremarkable village around 20 km from my hometown. It was just another hamlet where a few hundred people lived and completely uninteresting, just another place left behind by the tides of time. Recently a friend of mine told me that this place in the middle of nowhere has been completely transformed in a few years and is now a veritable internet sensation. This left me quite startled, as things like this are exceedingly rare around here, enough to let me research a bit what happened there. The story I found was so interesting that I had to drop the episode I had planned for this week and venture into this veritable rabbit hole. The transformation happened in just a few years, thanks to the money obtained by a controversial landfill and was part of the work of some well-known modern artists that have used the village as the canvas for their artistic vision. That's why this week What's Up Tuscany will bring you to Ghizzano, the small but incredibly colourful village that is the favourite of Instagram aficionados in Tuscany.
If you listen to the whole episode, you will learn about the ancient history of this hamlet, how it was forgotten by time until the money obtained by the Peccioli municipality from a very controversial landfill allowed the mayor to entice some foreign artists to the village and transform it into an open air museum. The most famous work, that of British artist David Tremlett, has turned a normal road into a festival of colours, a project that should represent the contrast between the natural and urban dimensions of this land. There are several other high-concept sculptures that dot this tiny village: while I'm no fan of modern art, this has firmly put Ghizzano on the map, with tourists and art aficionados that come to visit this open air museum. The Venerosi family, which still owns most of the land in Ghizzano, has turned an ancient orchard into an innovative garden where art and nature go hand in hand, a place where they organise art exhibitions, musical happenings or other art events. They applied the same logic to their estate, which is now a modern farm where they produce wine and olive oil with innovative techniques. While the villa they rent looks a bit too expensive for regular tourists, their approach to wine is quite up to date, with a newsletter to popularise their idea of winemaking and a wine club where they try to create a community of wine lovers from all over the world.
In the last chapter I will also tell you about the fascinating walks you can do in this little-known part of Tuscany and the festivals dedicated to olive oil that are organised in this little village both in February and May. While you don't have a plethora of choices when it comes to eating, the only restaurant in town is quite interesting. It has a stunning view and offers dishes that are produced exclusively with what is grown locally, staying faithful to traditional Tuscan cooking. If you're lucky you can also take part in the many art events that the owners organise, turning a meal into a unique experience. A few miles away there is a veritable local institution, a restaurant that is the favourite of locals when they want to eat great traditional dishes in huge portions without breaking the bank. It is definitely not the most modern or fancy restaurant but offers a lot of bang for your buck. This is also valid for Ghizzano and Valdera in general: you won't find it on the front page of any glossy magazine but, if you give it a chance, it will steal your heart.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany
LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.tenutadighizzano.com/it/
https://www.daicollifiorentini.it/visitare-la-toscana-ghizzano-legoli-peccioli-larte-non-e-mai-troppo
https://www.intoscana.it/it/articolo/il-borgo-colorato-alle-porte-di-peccioli-dove-larte-contemporanea-e-di-casa/
https://www.ricordinvaligia.it/2022/01/25/visita-a-ghizzano-di-peccioli/
https://www.terredipisa.it/attrazione/ghizzano-peccioli/
https://www.artribune.com/arti-visive/arte-contemporanea/2019/06/peccioli-piccola-capitale-italiana-dellarte-contemporanea-opere-di-tuttofuoco-kwade-e-tremlett/
https://www.terredipisa.it/events/giardino-sonoro-di-ghizzano-peccioli/
https://www.terredipisa.it/events/sagra-dellolio-novo-peccioli/
https://it.wikiloc.com/percorsi-escursionismo/trekking-anello-di-ghizzano-peccioli-pi-88582504
https://www.tripadvisor.it/Restaurant_Review-g1934166-d26656269-Reviews-The_View...

In the year we have spent telling you the stories of this land, we've often said that Tuscany is more of a state of mind rather than a fixed geographic entity. Even us Tuscans have endless debates where we never agree even on the borders of this land. Is Carrara Tuscany or Liguria? Does Maremma really belong? We hardly ever talk about the elephant in the room, the one that stares us in the face every time we look to the West. The largest of the islands that faces Tuscany had been linked to the mainland since forever and is the only other place where our dialect is spoken currently. The fact that Corsica is now part of France is the result of a bizarre turn of events and a revolution to overthrow Genoan rule that had Corsican patriots trade one dilapidated foreign ruler for a much richer and ruthless one. Everything in Corsica reminds of the centuries where the flag of the Republic of Pisa waved there: from the architecture to folk songs, proverbs and poems. That's why when last year they celebrated 200 years from the death of the most famous of the sons of Corsica, Tuscany joined in big time. Napoleone Buonaparte, in fact, was always proud of his Tuscan roots, his family always spoke Italian and were front and centre in the struggle to obtain independence for their land. The fact that the boy that hated the French and loathed his father when he turned his back on the cause became the most famous and celebrated military commander of that foreign land is truly remarkable, as the story of how those Tuscan roots were the foundation on which the boy from Ajaccio built his incredible career. This week we will tell you the tale of the emperor that changed the face of Europe forever and how, in his own words, he always considered himself as Tuscan as they come. Despite all the efforts of our cousins on the other side of the Alps, Napoleon is ours. Live with it. Let us know what you think of this story and this podcast by dropping us a note at our social media accounts. All feedback is greatly appreciated.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany
LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
http://www.giovanniarmillotta.it/pisa/pisa94_corsica.html
https://www.corsicaoggi.com/sito/avivavoce/corsi-rifugiati-a-calci-e-in-toscana-dopo-la-sconfitta-contro-la-francia/
https://toscana.uno/le-origini-toscane-di-napoleone-buonaparte/
https://www.stamptoscana.it/napoleone-e-la-toscana-quei-lucchesi-sciabigotti/
http://www.italiadiscovery.it/storia/la-famiglia-di-napoleone-bonaparte.html
https://www.piananotizie.it/quando-napoleone-giocava-alla-guerra-a-sesto/
https://www.historypage.it/le-origini-della-famiglia-bonaparte/
https://blog.libero.it/Buonaparte/2687969.html
http://www.ildialogodimonza.it/quando-i-grandi-erano-piccoli-napoleone-bonaparte/
https://ricerca.gelocal.it/iltirreno/archivio/iltirreno/2003/06/21/LT1PO_LT102.html
BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Talk To Me (Instrumental)
Artist: Pipe Choir
Source: www.pipechoir.com
Links: https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/pipechoir-talk-to-me-instrumentalwav
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
#Pipechoir #Talk To Me #CreativeCommonsRock

The economic crisis, a constantly shifting marketplace and the change of consumers' habits are forcing many Tuscan winemakers to innovate their production techniques in order to expand their market share. Responses vary wildly: there are those that seek a return to a more natural approach to grow grapes next to those that come up with cutting edge techniques such as aging their wine 40 meters under the sea, where temperature is constant year round. There are also much more extravagant attempts, such as that of a new winery in Verona that decided to offer their wines not in bottles but in monodose aluminium cans with very bright colours, QR codes and cartoons that seem taken straight from DC or Marvel comics. What would be the best way to guarantee the survival of a century old tradition such as Tuscan winemaking? Let us know what you think by joining the conversation on our social media channels:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it
LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://larno.ilgiornale.it/2021/02/23/aiutiamo-le-viti-ad-autogestirsi-riducendo-lintervento-delluomo-intervista-allenologo-jacopo-vagaggini/
https://larno.ilgiornale.it/2019/06/17/export-il-vino-toscano-supera-quello-veneto-e-piemontese/
https://larno.ilgiornale.it/2020/06/08/lazienda-la-croce-dei-fratelli-zari-arte-del-vino-da-generazioni/
https://larno.ilgiornale.it/2020/07/01/il-buon-vino-toscano-arriva-sullape/
https://iltirreno.gelocal.it/grosseto/cronaca/2021/02/26/news/diecimila-bottiglie-sotto-i-mari-all-argentario-una-cantina-da-record-1.39956864
https://st.ilsole24ore.com/art/food/2016-12-27/dalla-liguria-mare-nord-cosi-ivini-invecchiano-sotto-mare-133227.shtml?uuid=ADaM09KC
https://www.ligurianautica.com/viaggi/vino-sottacqua-a-sestri-levante-ormai-e-una-consuetudine/14893/
https://www.finedininglovers.it/articolo/fondo-al-mar-4-cantine-sommerse-intorno-al-mondo
https://winecouture.it/2021/03/22/zai-e-la-nuova-sfida-ecosostenibile-del-vino-in-lattina/
https://it.businessinsider.com/tiene-lexport-dei-vini-italiano-nel-2020-malgrado-il-covid-scalza-la-spagna-dal-trono/
https://www.lanazione.it/arezzo/cronaca/anche-il-vino-nella-bufera-ma-ci-aiuta-l-e-commerce-1.6183242/amp
https://larno.ilgiornale.it/2021/02/23/aiutiamo-le-viti-ad-autogestirsi-riducendo-lintervento-delluomo-intervista-allenologo-jacopo-vagaggini/
BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Pick You Up
Author: Wayne John Bradley
License: Creative Commons Attribution
Links: https://soundcloud.com/ayneohnradley/pick-you-up-slow-poprock-style-instrumental-creative-commons

After spending the last few episodes going through the least known pages of the history of our region, we go back to one of the original missions of this podcast: tell the tales and legends that made this land so special and unique. Rather than a weird collection of random stories, we will bring you to the wonderful town of Lucca, a Medieval gem that is quite misunderstood. How is it so? Most people, Tuscans included, are so astounded by its charm to miss the fact that the beautiful small streets and the magnificent palaces hide a pretty dark side. Lucca, despite being known as a very religious town, is a place where angels and demons walk hand in hand, constantly fighting for the souls of its inhabitants. Come with us on a journey on the many legends that surround some of the most popular landmarks of the town, from the Renaissance walls, the only ones that survive intact to this day, to the quirky cathedral, with its weird, asymmetrical facade. We will delve into the myths that surround the Volto Santo, the most ancient wooden sculpture survived in Europe, centre of a devotion that brought thousands of pilgrims from all over Europe to the Tuscan town on their way to Rome. We'll also talk about the miracles linked to the crucifix that, according to tradition, represents the real face of Jesus Christ and why in front of it there is an executioner's axe. We'll try to explain the mystery behind the small labyrinth on one of the pillars of the church and its mystical link with the notorious monastic fighting order of the Templar Knights. Our journey will then lead us to the nearby church of San Frediano, whose south door became known as the "door of the angel" after a very saintly housemaid act of charity went very wrong. Follow us as we go through the legend of the "Devil's Stone", the ledge of a window on the facade of a 15th century palace that no human hand is apparently able to fix. Lucca, as many other things in Tuscany, has so much more to offer than the postcard image everyone is so in love with. You just need to look a bit deeper to realise that under the skin there is so much more. Let us know what you think of this kind of episode or if you'd rather have us talk more about history, art, culture, food or any other aspect of Tuscany. If you have a question, don't hesitate: send us a message on social media or an email at [email protected] - all feedback is greatly appreciated. After all, we're here to serve you:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany
LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.bartolomeodimonaco.it/online/leggende-le-mura-di-lucca/
https://www.mamaisonservices.com/it/vivere-la-toscana/leggende-e-curiosita-su-lucca/
https://www.lanazione.it/lucca/cosa%20fare/10-leggende-1.2678716
http://www.enciclopediadelledonne.it/biografie/santa-zita/
https://www.paranormalitalianblog.it/la-leggenda-della-porta-dell-angelo-a-lucca/
https://lucca.online/1539-il-mistero-del-labirinto-di-lucca-tra-fascino-e-leggenda/
https://www.loschermo.it/lenigma-del-labirinto-della-cattedrale-di-san-martino/
https://www.luoghimisteriosi.it/toscana_luccaduomo.html
https://arttrip.it/tutti-i-misteri-della-cattedrale-di-lucca/
http://www.duepassinelmistero.com/Le%20chiese%20di%20Lucca.htm
http://www.viadelvoltosanto.it/index.php/La_leggenda
https://www.leonardouno.net/lucca-e-dintorni/storie-racconti-leggende/138-la-leggenda-del-volto-santo-di-lucca-e-la-qluminaraq
https://www.avvenire.it/chiesa/pagine/volto-santo-lucca-datazione<...

People around the world go absolutely bananas for Christmas, coming up with all sorts of traditional celebrations for the holiday. The relationship between us Tuscans and Christmas is a bit contentious, so to speak. It's not that we hate the holiday, it's just that it's too cold to properly celebrate. Now, Easter, that's our thing. Despite this, there are several places around the region that have come up with quirky and fascinating ways to celebrate the birth of Christ. This week we've listed five of these ancient traditions that have managed to survive to this day. Most of them involve fire and most probably born in pagan times as a way to celebrate winter solstice. We go from the massive bonfires in the town at the foot of an ancient volcano to the even more massive torches on the hills surrounding a Garfagnana hamlet. Did you know that until not many years ago, Tuscan children thought that their presents were brought not by Santa but by the magical tree stump that burned for days in their fireplace? There are also fun ways to celebrate the festivity, as the panforte cake throwing contest organized from Boxing Day in Pienza. Listen to these five eminently quirky ways to celebrate Christmas, Tuscan style. Next Friday we'll go one step further and tell you the dishes and specialty you have to have on your table to have a proper Tuscan Christmas - stick around, you'll love them! What do you think about these traditions? Do you have a favourite from your neck of the woods? Let us know what you think by joining the conversation on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larno.it
Twitter: @arno_it / @WhatsupTuscany
LINKS TO SOURCES (ITALIAN ONLY)
https://www.firenzetoday.it/social/ceppo-natale-firenze-storia.html
https://www.aneddoticamagazine.com/it/le-leggende-di-natale-in-toscana/
https://www.visittuscany.com/it/idee/5-tradizioni-di-natale-in-toscana/
https://www.ursamajorbubble.com/2020/12/01/natale-in-garfagnana-tradizioni-e-curiosita/
https://www.sienanews.it/toscana/siena/natale-in-toscana-e-il-rito-magico-del-ceppo/
https://www.snapitaly.it/abbadia-san-salvatore-tutta-la-tradizione-della-citta-delle-fiaccole/
https://sentieridicioccolata.it/fiaccolata-di-natale-di-monteriggioni-lungo-la-via-francigena/
https://garfagnanadream.it/storia/le-leggende-di-natale-della-garfagnana/
https://www.lagazzettadelserchio.it/garfagnana/2019/12/a-gorfigliano-la-magia-dei-natalecci-il-cielo-illuminato-a-giorno/
http://www.pienza.org/gioco_panforte_it.html
BACKGROUND MUSIC
Title: Coffee And Time
Artist: Pipe Choir
License: Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Links: https://soundcloud.com/pipe-choir-2/p-c-iii-coffee-and-time-creative-commons-instrumental
http://www.pipechoir.com/