Arezzo, Italy's Christmas City

Beginning in late November, and continuing through the beginning of January, the Tuscan city of Arezzo becomes the Citta del Natale, the Christmas City. 

During those weeks, Arezzo is home to Italy’s largest Tyrolean style Christmas market. The market showcases the best of Austrian and German holiday crafts and foods, with a unique Italian accent.  

 A visit to the market begins with a stroll up Corso Italia where shops are decorated and exquisite glass ornaments, tree toppers, and holiday tableware are on display. 

Santa Maria della Pieve, Arezzo, at Christmas

Also on Corso Italia is the Church of Santa Maria della Pieve.  It is well worth a stop inside the 6th century church.

Not only is the historic church beautiful, at this time of year the crypt houses a beautiful life size Nativity.

Continuing into the historic center of Arezzo, the small side streets are full of Christmas decorations.

Piazza Grande, the large central piazza at the heart of the city, is where the market begins.

The piazza is ringed by Medieval and Renaissance buildings and the beautiful Vasari Loggia. Together they provide a very Italian background for the market. 

 Small wooden huts fill the piazza.  Each one displays holiday crafts or ornaments. There are lots of little Christmas trolls, wooden nutcrackers and bells, along with colorful hats and gloves.

 The piazza also holds many baitine del gusto (tasting huts).  Huge stacks of sweet or salty pretzels, spit roasted pork, goulash, stuffed potatoes, and Italian panini are for sale. 

Other booths focus on sweets - chocolate, pastry, apple strudel. It’s impossible to go hungry at the Mercato! There are plenty of huts selling beer and hot mulled wine too. 

There is no shortage of cafes in the loggia at the upper edge of the piazza. A stop for a cioccolato caldo con panna montata (hot chocolate with whipped cream) provides a chance to warm up and just the boost needed to keep going until nightfall.

Nighttime brings a whole new dimension to the Piazza Grande.  When dark falls, projected lights splash patterns on the ancient building facades, each with a different pattern. Above the loggia, ornate snowflakes on a blue background cascade down the walls.  The intricate patterns transform the piazza and are stunning.

 Leaving Piazza Grande, the next stop is the Prato, the large park up above town near the Duomo.  More wooden huts with crafts, ornaments, and food fill the market in the park. A display of large fallen stars leads the way to the Prato.   

The Prato also comes alive after dark when the Bosco delle Meraviglie (Forest of Wonders) sparkles with trees wrapped in lights. The Ruota Panoramica, a large ferris wheel, turns high above the booths and the kids flock to the giostra (carousel).  Il Prato is full of Christmas magic.

 With just an afternoon and evening in Arezzo, the markets in Piazza Grande and the Prato filled my time.  A full day, or better yet an overnight, would have brought my group of friends to the Father Christmas House (lots of kids lined up there) and a Lego house made of 2 million Lego bricks.  Next time!

A trip to Arezzo for the Christmas market made for a wonderful start to the holiday season. A big thanks to Giovanni and Loreal at The Tuscan Wanderer for whisking us away to Arezzo for a wonderful day.

Wandering in Florence

It is easy to be overwhelmed by the city of Florence. The art. The architecture. The history. The crowds !

Even though I live most of the year a short hour and twenty minute train ride away, I’ve only spent short periods of time in Florence since moving to Italy. Most visits have been day trips or at best one night stays for a specific purpose - a birthday lunch for a friend, the dramatic Florentine Easter celebration, the annual Christmas market. I once spent a day in the city shoe shopping, which felt (and still does) rather decadent.

It had been a long time since I visited for a longer stay or did the things Florence is famous for - museums, churches, markets, exhibits.

But that changed this past week with a 5 day stay that gave me lots of time to catch up with Florence.

November is a great time to visit Florence. There are still crowds, but they are much smaller than in high season. The cool, but not cold, weather is perfect, even with on and off rain. It was fortunate that the heavy rains that caused so many problems in Tuscany last week happened mostly later in the evenings and overnight in Florence and that there was no flooding. Watching the umbrellas go up and down filled the streets with changing colors.

I arrived with a list of things I wanted to see and do, many of them favorites from long ago trips or classic Florentine sights. And yet, with the luxury of a longer stay, what I found myself doing first was just wandering.

I wandered through main piazzas and down tiny side streets. Past small markets and interesting shops. I even came across a brass band who filled a piazza with sound. I found a small sandwich stand that I first discovered 20+ years ago on a food tour and had been unable to find since. I got turned around and a little bit lost and found surprises around every corner. Perhaps best of all is just to people watch and observe Florentine daily life with camera in hand.

I crossed the Ponte Santa Trinità for views of the Ponte Vecchio. The dark and cloudy skies changed the character of the Arno, creating shadows and reflections in the water.

I spent some time looking up. There are lots of interesting things to be seen far above eye level.

Wandering through Florence presents so many small details to discover - pretty doors, carved stone decorations, street side shrines, and the outsides of famous churches. Wandering provides the luxury to sip a coffee in a pretty cafe with a view to a piazza and just daydream.

I did make time to visit some more well known places - including 2 museums, some churches, a market, the Piazza del Duomo, and a fabulous art nouveau exhibit. All were wonderful. I’ll write more about them in the next weeks.

But simply wandering the city, without a specific goal, was one of the best parts of my visit and those are the rather random photos i’m sharing this week.

Varenna and Villa Monastero

A busy August day in Varenna

There is a lot to love about the town of Varenna on Lake Como’s eastern shore.  Smaller and less glamorous than nearby Bellagio, Varenna still has echoes of the simple fishing village it once was.  Quieter than some of the mid-lake towns, it is less crowded, has spectacular scenery and offers lots of opportunities to explore history, art, and nature. 

 Don’t get me wrong, there are still tourists here (especially in July and August) and the stretch of town along the small harbor can get busy.  But the crowds disappear just a few steps away from the harbor and after the last ferry leaves!

 I think of Varenna as having 3 parts.  To the north end of town, well above the lakefront, is the train station.  The ability to arrive by train is one of Varenna’s advantages, especially for those staying in town.  Most visitors arrive via ferry from one of the other lake towns and the ferry dock is also at the north end of town. I enjoyed my ferry ride from my base in Argegno across the lake to Varenna, there is just something special about those boat trips!

The Passegiata degli Innamorati, Varenna

 From the ferry dock, to the south, is the second part of town, the fishing village.  The two areas are connected by one of Lake Como’s best walks - the Passegiata degli Innamorati (the Lover’s Walk).  This passarella (walkway) is dramatic – a long pathway balanced right above the shore.  You will know it by its red railings and the big red heart at a viewpoint along the way.   Along the passarella are windswept trees, greenery, stone walls, flowers, villas, and big views.  You may even be serenaded by an accordion player as you pass by.

At the end of the walkway lies a tiny harbor full of small fishing boats and then the lakeside village.  This is the southwestern part of Varenna.  The village has nice shops, artisans, restaurants, cafes and some wonderful views over the lake.  It also has some of those typical Lake Como alleys, called contrade, with steep steps leading up to Varenna’s third part – the “upper village” and the town’s main piazza.

Rather than going straight up to the main piazza, I prefer to take a more circuitous walk.   By continuing south along the Riva Garibaldi and east along Contrade del Prestino you pass by the luxurious hotel Du Lac.  Once a villa, now turned into an elegant hotel, it has fantastic views from its terrace restaurant and bar.  Just past the hotel are more contrade leading up towards Piazza San Giorgio, the main square in Varenna, and the Villa Monastero. 

A good lunch spot along the way is the Bar Giardini, part of the Hotel Royal Victoria, reached by heading up Contrada della Fontana. Dining under the loggia, wisteria overhead, sipping a glass of wine (this is vacation after all) while gazing at the lake and the mountains beyond made for a quiet, peaceful, and elegant break in the middle of my day in Varenna.  Lunch here was a splurge but worth it!

Piazza San Georgio

In the upper village sits Varenna’s main square, the pretty and shady Piazza San Giorgio. Across from the piazza is the 14th century Chiesa di San Georgio with its tall bell tower.

 Continuing east (away from the waterfront) up Via IV Novembre is the Tourist Information Office, a good place to stop for a city map.  Further along was the main goal for my one day visit to Varenna - the Villa Monastero.  Visiting gardens, especially in Italy, is one of my favorite things to do.  I came across this one almost 30 years ago on my first trip to Italy. I was looking forward to a return visit.

Villa Monastero, Varenna

The villa, which began as a Cistercian Monastery in the 12th century, later became a private home.  The last owners donated it and today it is a public museum and botanical garden.  

The garden, which has evolved over more than a century, meanders for about a mile along the lake.  The plants, many quite unusual, have come from all over the world.  There are evergreen trees, giant cacti, palms, citrus trees, vines and flowers.  The combination of colors, sizes, forms and textures creates a truly special garden.

 The garden is more than just plants. It’s an architectural and artistic wonder as well.  The setting includes terraces, fountains, sculptures, ornately carved balustrades, ironwork, and breathtaking views. 

 I spent so much time in the garden that there wasn’t time to explore the villa museum.  That will call me back to Varenna on a future trip.

website: villamonastero.eu

A Walk Through Peccioli

Tuscany is dotted with hill towns, including several that are close enough to visit as a day trip from my home base in Lucca.  Barga and Montecatini Alto are easily reachable by train or bus.  Others, including Montecarlo, Collodi, Volterra, and San Gimignano, are an easy car ride away.  I’ve been lucky to spend time in each over the years I’ve been in Lucca but there are still so many hill towns left for me to explore!

 On a recent outing, arranged by The Tuscan Wanderer, we drove through the Valdera, the Valley of the Era River, as we returned to Lucca after a visit to a winery in the town of Terricciola.  This is not a region that I’ve visited before, and it requires a car, so I was pleased to join this group adventure.

Peccioli, viewed from the modern terrace suspended over the edge of town.

The Era River runs between Volterra and Pontedera in the Province of Pisa.  At Pontedera the Era joins the river Arno as it flows towards the sea.  High above the river valley lies the small hilltop village of Peccioli, easily spotted from a distance by the tall bell tower of its church.  How fortunate that this little hill town was one of our destinations! 

Peccioli’s most recognizable landmark, the campanile of the church of San Verano, can be seen from a distance down in the valley.

 Peccioli, like so many of Tuscany’s hill towns, has a Medieval layout and a long history of territorial wars as Pisa and Florence battled for control of the town.  Built in the 11th century around a now ruined castle, Peccioli has an historic center with a central piazza, an ancient church, and a series of narrow streets and small alleys. 

 Like most hill towns, there are great views. In Peccioli the vistas are down to the valley from one side of town and out onto Tuscan hillsides and farmland from the other side.  But much as Peccioli has in common with other Tuscan hill towns, it also has its own unique character.

What gives Peccioli its special flavor is the series of contemporary art installations found throughout town. 

Artists from around the world have created works of art and architecture specifically designed for display in Peccioli.  The contrast between the ancient and the modern is intriguing and lots of fun.

Throughout town are old doors, ancient brick structures, and houses fronted by pretty flowerpots mixed in with the more contemporary art pieces.

 Along an old brick wall are hundreds of photos of eyes, an installation called the Squardo di Peccioli.  The artist, Vittorio Corsini, photographed the eyes of Peccioli’s residents for his work.

A sky bridge connects the historic center with an elevator down to the newer parts of town below in the valley.  Titled Endless Sunset, the work by Patrick Tuttofuoco spirals around the walkway with a ribbon of color.  It turns what might be an ordinary bridge into a work of art.

 A large terrace designed by architect Mario Cuninella juts out from the edge of town, giving long views to the farmland and hills surrounding the town – a classic Tuscan view.

Our time in Piccioli was brief, a short detour on the drive between Terricciola and Lucca.  There are many more art installations to explore, museums to visit, and an historic center with shops and cafes in which to linger.  I am looking forward to a return visit.

Exploring Argegno's Back Streets

Argegno’s waterfront. The green building is where the ferries dock.

Don’t you find that “firsts” leave lasting impressions?  First day of school, first love, first taste of olive oil fresh from the press, first home, first big purchase with your own money, first Christmas with a new baby, first bottle of really good wine.  All of these firsts are important milestones in life and treasured memories. 

One of my memorable firsts is the first time I traveled to Italy.  I arrived in 1996 to one of the most beautiful places on earth – Lake Como in northern Italy.   I had no idea that when I first went to the small lake-side town of Argegno that I was embarking on a life-long love affair with a town, a lake, a country, and a way of life. 

I don’t know whether it was the stunning views, the sound of water lapping at the shoreline, the feeling of the wind as I traveled by boat across the lake, the friendly people, or dinners with fish fresh from the lake. Somehow they added up to magic.   Since that first trip I have visited Argegno a number of times and found a little something new to enjoy each time I visit. 

In Argegno, most of the action takes place right along the lakefront.  That’s where the main piazza sits, ringed with cafes, bars, and restaurants. It’s also where to find the morning hotspot - the really good Pasticceria and Caffè (officially called Pasticceria Grandi).  Its old wooden display cabinets, pretty bar, and wonderful aromas, along with a view of the lake, make it the perfect place to begin a day in Argegno. Even the neighborhood cat stops by!

Santissima Trinit Church, Argegno

The lakefront is also where the ferries stop to pick up passengers, carrying them to some of the better known towns along the lake. The wonderful hotel Villa Belvedere sits right at the edge of the lake in Argegno.  So does the local church of Santissima Trinità (The Holy Trinity).  Even the Monday market is set up next to the small harbor that fronts the lake.  All of these things are definitely worth exploring.

 But it would be a shame to stick only to the lakefront because Argegno’s back streets are fascinating. The mostly pedestrian lanes lead to mysterious dark passageways and alleys meandering up into the hills above town.

A wander towards the river Telo, which runs from up in the surrounding hills right into the lake, leads to an ancient stone bridge. Often there is just a trickle of water in this part of the Telo, but after a good rain the river swells and water flows quickly under the bridge. Standing on the bridge gives views of the houses further up along the river as well as views down to where the river meets the lake.

Argegno’s small lanes are filled with worn old doors, pretty flower boxes, and homes built where old mills once stood. 

There is so much to appreciate in the streets where few visitors wander.  Those back streets and steep alleys also provide some spectacular views high over the lake and a quiet escape from the lively Piazza Roma on the lakefront. 

Most visitors spend just a few days at Lake Como, exploring the famous towns of Bellagio, Tremezzo, and Varenna. But a longer stay provides a chance to explore the hidden spots in the smaller villages such as Argegno. Argegno was my first Italian experience, an introduction to a very different life. It still enchants and inspires me.