Tuscany's Parks and Nature Reserves

Are you ready to discover new places that you won�t find inside your travel guide? Are you prepared to leave behind Tuscany�s artistic cities, its wine and its villages in an instant?

There exists another Tuscany, one that is authentic and beautiful, where trips are enjoyed and photographed. These are Tuscany�s parks and nature reserves � oases in the middle of nature where you�ll find rare plants and various species of animals. These parks, many of which have access and facilities for disabled people, are definitely some of the places which nature lovers should not miss.

Shown below is a map of the various parks and nature reserves in Tuscany. If you click on one of the butterflies, you�ll be given more information about that park:

View La Natura selvaggia in Toscana in a larger map

As always, I hope that this has been useful for you.

Kind regards,

George

Follow Us on Facebook!

Hey there, friends, we�ve just finished publishing on our Facebook page a collection of the best photos of Tuscany which our fans have shared on our Facebook page.

Below you can see one of the photos�

If you want to see more photos and learn more about Tuscany, follow our Facebook page by clicking the �Like� button in the following link: Tuscany Blog

Kind regards,

George

Contemporary Artists from Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to talk to you about a metal sculptor who lives in Montepulciano and who, for a few years already, has been creating some beautiful sculptures which I think are worth talking about in my blog about Tuscany.

Giulio Pellegrini, as the artist is called, has raised the art of sculpting to a new level, creating beautiful works of art derived from Italian comics and, by playing with light and shadows, he makes these sculptures come alive.

In order to describe what he does, I�ll translate a section of his site for you:

�Chinediferro (the name of his store) began in Montepulciano, a town that has had a central role in the project and which has been the ideal setting for this tryst between metal and ink. The project began in the Palazzo Rizzi during a comic book exhibition showing the works of the comic book artist Danijel Zezelj. During a performance, which merged live music performed by a group of avant-jazz musicians, known as the Jessica Lurie Ensemble, and live painting done by Danijel, I thought about pulling a character out from the pages of his comics and bringing it to life. I�m a blacksmith by trade, and so there was nothing more natural than to use iron, a noble and everyday material, just like how pen and paper are for the comic book artist who created these drawings. The result was a silhouette of human dimensions which cast a giant shadow on the wall�

�to be a blacksmith in Montepulciano does not only mean that you are an artisan, but also that you are in one of the most beautiful places in Tuscany where, for a variety of circumstances, art, music, and comics intersect. This means that I�ve had the pleasure of meeting some of the greatest artists of Italian comic books, such as Andrea Pazienza, and even Danijel Zezelj�

�All of this allows me to change my profession without actually leaving it, and thus giving it a new lease on life, where iron and ink are mixed to create new works of art� �

Well, friends, that�s the end of my post on this unique artist known as Giulio, and whom, if you ever go to Montepulciano, you could meet personally by visiting his shop or perhaps even finding him enjoying a glass of wine late at night with his friend, Oste, at the Acquacheta di Montepulciano, a lively restaurant known for its delicious steaks.

I hope that you found this interesting!

Kind regards,

George

Sausages of Tuscany

Dear Friends,

During a trip to Tuscany, you cannot forget to try our food- especially our ham and sausage, considered to be some of the best in the world.

The king of all sausages in Tuscany is, without a doubt, ham. There are many different cuts of Tuscan ham of all prices; in my opinion, all are good, including those of a lower price. If you would like to try one of the fancier cuts, my recommendation is the famous "Prosciutto di Cinta Senese".

                                                                                                            

This type of ham, comparable by price and flavor to the ham of the acorn-fed Spanish pigs, is considered the best ham in all of Italy. It comes from a special type of pig (that of the picture) that follows a special diet.

The second type of sausage I recommend you try is "Finocchiona". This type of sausage is cured with fennel and black pepper and comes from the loin.

Another delicious sausage is the Salcicce(butifarras). Salcicce can be cut from pig, boar, or deer; however, I prefer Salcicce from pig and cured with salt and pepper. 

One last type of sausage I recommend is called "Soppressata". These sausages are made from the poor parts of the pig and are quite a bit cheaper, but they are also deicious and you can make a great dinner out of these and different types of cheese.

I will talk about the different types of cheese in my next article.

I hope all of this is of help to you on your visit to Tuscany! 

Kind regards,

George

Books about Tuscany

Dear Friends,

Today, I would like to tell you all about some of the most famous books about Tuscany, which I�m sure that after reading them, you�ll have a more pleasant view of our region and which would also be of great help to you in preparing your trip.

The first book which I would like to recommend is Frances Mayes� Under the Tuscan Sun.

This book tells the story of an American writer who, after a divorce, suffers from a creative block. Immersed in a profound existential crisis, she decides to visit a friend who lives in Tuscany. Once there, the writer falls in love with a house called �Villa Bramasole� (which literally means �the house which longs for the sun�) and she decides to buy it. However, the villa needs a lot of renovation in order for her to be able to live inside it, but then again, what better place to start a new life than in the region which gave birth to the Renaissance? And thus, the writer begins a new life�

I won�t spoil the rest for you. This novel is a best-seller throughout the world and is a light and easy read.

The second book which I�d like to recommend is A Thousand Days in Tuscany by Marlena de Blasi.

This book is a brief tale about the beauty and greatness of Tuscany. There is even a section with regional recipes. This book is perfect for food-lovers.

Another book, which came out not too long ago, is A Vineyard in Tuscany by Ferenc M�t�.

This book tells the story of an American couple who decide to move to Tuscany, buy a vineyard, and produce their own wine. The narrative shows us the beautiful land of Tuscany, the kindness of the locals and the beauty of a life in contact with nature.

If you like this book and would like to read more about Tuscany, you could also buy his second book called The Wisdom of Tuscany.

Well, friends, happy reading!

Kind regards, from Tuscany under the snow,

George