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A cold morning, along the walls of Lucca, December 2020

A cold morning, along the walls of Lucca, December 2020

Looking Back on 2020 in Italy

January 04, 2021 by Judy Giannnettino

What a difference a year makes.  This time last year I was enjoying a few days in Rome and preparing for a trip to Venice for Carnevale.  By the time I left Venice in early February, the remainder of Carnevale had been cancelled and (though we didn’t realize it at the time) for the rest of 2020 nearly every other cultural event and festival would suffer the same fate. The virus had arrived and life in Italy (and around the world) was fundamentally changed.  As 2020 ends and a new year begins, I find myself looking back and looking inward to the things that have been essential this year and those that simply ceased to matter, to the things I missed most, and the people who made life joyful even in the most challenging of times. 

Rome, January 2020

Rome, January 2020

My essential list begins with people and connections. Messages from friends in the US and beyond, Zoom apperitivos, daily check-ins with friends living here – all made a difference in coping with the isolation of that first lockdown and the months that followed.

My small “bubble” of friends, the ones I’ve been able to see in person when the rules allowed (and the ones I “accidentally” met at the trash bins or in the line for groceries during the height of restrictions) were essential to both spirit and sanity. Not to mention the ones who stopped by periodically to ring my bell and wave from across the street or to drop off a treat from their kitchen. They are my community and they are the best.  Other essentials during this time have been the things that filled time, and engaged my mind, during the lockdown: books, music, writing, cooking (yes, I even did the sourdough thing), puzzles, a pretty view from my window, and Face Time chats with my family. The occasional binge-watch of a good TV series was important too.

In the summer, and again in the fall, restrictions were “softer” and it became possible to visit different cities within one’s home region (Tuscany for me). The short trips I made provided a dose of freedom and a burst of joy. Little outings, mask and hand sanitizer at the ready, were wonderful. A week in south central Tuscany was a gift that will see me through the first months of 2021. Simply sitting an an outdoor cafe and sipping a coffee in a little piazza in a new town - heavenly!

The Capella della Madonna di Vitaleta, near Pienza, on a foggy morning.  October 2020.  This is one of the most photographed places in Tuscany.

The Capella della Madonna di Vitaleta, near Pienza, on a foggy morning. October 2020. This is one of the most photographed places in Tuscany.

A rare selfie - sipping a cappuccino in Pienza. Early November, 2020

A rare selfie - sipping a cappuccino in Pienza. Early November, 2020

Things that really didn’t matter much included all non-essential “stuff”.  Pretty much anything that didn’t play a role in physical or mental health, in personal connections, or in spiritual well-being was an unneeded extra. That was especially obvious this Christmas when the best gifts were simple but meaningful. A Christmas candle, chocolate, homemade foods, a bag of really good coffee, wine - perfect. No dust collectors there! Giving of one’s time, thoughtfulness, and hope are of much more value than things.  If that wasn’t clear to all of us before, it certainly is now. Also completely unimportant is dressing up (hooray for comfy clothes and slippers), coloring my hair (after months of salon closures the silver started to show, now, nearly a year later, the gray is full on and suits me just fine).  To this list add lipstick (not much need when wearing masks, though sometimes it feels good just to know you are wearing it underneath, sort of like wearing your best lacy underwear even if no one will see it). Mascara on the other hand remains a must.  It’s all about the eyes above the mask.

 Of all the things I miss, people, smiles, and hugs top the list.  I appreciate smiles that spread all the way up to the eyes because that is often all of someone’s face that can be seen.  I desperately miss hugs (and those Italian two cheek kisses) and I hate that I feel startled when someone grabs me unexpectedly in a big hug (but I admit that secretly I love that forbidden hug as long as the hugger is wearing a mask). 

Missing people is the hardest. I miss family and friends in New Mexico along with several friends who left Italy because of the pandemic. Still others friends are waiting in the US, Canada, or Australia to return to Lucca just as soon as possible.  Worst of all was the loss of my good friend Ola, who left this world unexpectedly and all too soon last summer. The fact that the last time I saw her, as she left Italy to return to Canada at the start of the pandemic, we couldn’t even hug, is especially painful. How I wish I had hugged her anyway!  

Street art, Lucca Fall 2020

Street art, Lucca Fall 2020

Other things I miss include the “normal” daily life in Italy. A coffee in a café, an apperitivo in a sunny piazza, a sagra in a small town, festivals and ceremonies, art shows and concerts. I miss my face-to-face language lessons at Lucca Italian School but am thankful for their on-line lessons. I find it sad that the Italian government has not helped support language schools as essential businesses and many of them struggle to survive.  I encourage everyone to sign up for an on-line Italian class and plan a study trip to Lucca just as soon as possible!

Just the ability to take a walk through Lucca is a treat.  I spotted this pretty window on a December stroll.

Just the ability to take a walk through Lucca is a treat. I spotted this pretty window on a December stroll.

I especially miss the opportunity to travel more.   I was fortunate to have had a couple of trips before lockdown and during periods of lighter restrictions. But other trips were cancelled and planning travel is uncertain. As the new year begins, one of the hardest things for me is having no upcoming trips on my calendar.  Not even a day trip. And there are so many places to see in Italy, it is part of the reason I moved here (below, Volterra, Siena, Rome). As for travel back to the US to see family, that is nearly impossible right now.  That’s a hard one! Hopefully, flights will resume and vaccines will make transatlantic travel possible soon.

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 Those are the personal things that I miss.  But in a larger sense, I am saddened by what has happened in Italy this year - the loss of life, the isolation of many persons (especially the elderly), the family disruption, and Italy’s economic losses.  Watching the crisis unfold here in Lucca has been heartbreaking.  It is marked by daily tolls of illness and death in the news, cycles of closures of schools, museums, and shops, and by empty streets. There are many shuttered businesses (especially restaurants), empty storefronts, and a tremendous anxiety in workers and families.  Italy will need our help to recover and one of my greatest hopes for 2021 is that travel will open up and tourists (and tourist dollars) will return to Italy.  Italy remains a special place – full of history, art, beauty, and its musical language. The people here are kind, resilient, and hopeful. I hope to see many of you here in 2021 (after 2 doses of the vaccine and with a supply of masks).  Buon Anno! Andra` Tutto Bene !

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January 04, 2021 /Judy Giannnettino
This simple door decoration was my favorite one this year

This simple door decoration was my favorite one this year

Christmas in Italy 2020

December 28, 2020 by Judy Giannnettino in Italian Christmas, Italy travel, Lucca, Tuscany

In the weeks leading up to Christmas, Lucca remained stubbornly in the Orange Zone of Covid restrictions. Shops were open, but restaurants and cafes stayed closed except for “to-go” food and drink. It also meant no trips to nearby cities to marvel at the decorations (how I miss seeing Florence at Christmas).

Via Sant’Andrea, Lucca looking very festive with the Torre Guinigi in the distance

Via Sant’Andrea, Lucca looking very festive with the Torre Guinigi in the distance

Mild weather and a few days of being in the yellow zone made it possible to enjoy a holiday coffee with a friend

Mild weather and a few days of being in the yellow zone made it possible to enjoy a holiday coffee with a friend

And then, a small Christmas gift. For 4 short days before Christmas, Dec 20 - 23, Tuscany became a yellow zone. Overnight cafes reopened and the piazzas and city streets once again seemed lively. This of course was a mixed blessing. It was a delight to sit in a cafe and sip a cappuccino with a friend, but the temptation to let down one’s guard also became a little more challenging.

With fears that holiday gatherings would lead to an increase in COVID spread, those 4 days came to an end on Christmas Eve as all of Italy was placed back into the red zone - maximum restrictions.

But that did not stop Lucca from displaying holiday spirit. The piazzas and main streets of the historic center are strung with lights, including those wonderful words from Dante pictured in last week’s post.

Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca. Christmas 2020

Piazza Anfiteatro, Lucca. Christmas 2020

Doorways are decorated on homes throughout town. Shop windows are full of holiday treats and Christmas trees have appeared in piazzas.

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The always charming Chiasso Barletti is once again the prettiest little alley in town. It’s also one of the best places to buy gifts with its artisan shops (think chocolate, ceramics, jewelry, hats) and Etta’s - the most wonderful English language bookstore.

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Even though our holiday get togethers are limited this year (if not discouraged all together) it is still possible to wander the streets, gaze into windows, stroll down red-carpeted alleys filled with little Christmas trees, pop into churches to see the presepe (nativity scenes), and to enjoy the decorated doorways.

San Michele Church, Lucca at Christmas

San Michele Church, Lucca at Christmas

And because the holiday season here lasts all the way to Epiphany on January 6th, the day when Old Befana arrives with gifts of socks and candy, there is still plenty of time to enjoy the festivities. Buon Feste!

December 28, 2020 /Judy Giannnettino
christmas Lucca, Christmas Italy
Italian Christmas, Italy travel, Lucca, Tuscany
Dante’s recognizable profile in lights high above a street in the historic center of Lucca, Italy

Dante’s recognizable profile in lights high above a street in the historic center of Lucca, Italy

Spending Christmas with Dante

December 21, 2020 by Judy Giannnettino in Italian culture, Italy, Living in Italy, Lucca, Italian Christmas

 I love Italy year-round, through rain and shine, ordinary days and extraordinary ones, warm springs and crisp autumns, rare snowy days, and yes, even in this year of pandemic. But Christmas time remains just about my favorite season.

The holidays are pure delight in Lucca - streets aglow with lights, small alleys filled with trees and lined with colorful shop windows, whole buildings wrapped in lights or bows, skating rinks, decorated doorways and windows, nativity scenes large and small, Babbo Natale (the Italian version of Santa Claus) and Old Befana (the best witch ever).  From the simplest touch to the most elaborate display, it’s all magic to me.

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This month, despite Italy’s very difficult year, Lucca is once again all dressed up for Christmas.  And, really, how can you not love a city where the piazzas are decorated for the holiday with poetry by Dante spelled out in lights?  Not visions of hellish infernos (though many might think that fitting this year), but rather words with eyes toward the stars and full of hope. In piazza San Frediano (pictured above) the message is: L’amor che move il sole e l’altre stelle (the love that moves the sun and other stars).

A short walk over to Piazza Cittadella, there is another quote from Dante: E quindi, usciamo a reveder le stelle. (and then, we go out to again see the stars).

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In Piazza San Francesco the words drift above the large Christmas tree - Se segui la tua stella, non poi faillire glorioso porto (loose translation - if you follow your star, you cannot fail to reach a glorious place).

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This year, Dante’s star filled words offer a perfect glimpse of hope and light. And isn’t that a perfect way to end this year?

I wish you all a happy and safe holiday season. Buone Feste !

 

 

December 21, 2020 /Judy Giannnettino
Dante, Christmas Lucca, Christmas Italy, Christmas
Italian culture, Italy, Living in Italy, Lucca, Italian Christmas
The Piazza delle Sorgenti in Bagno Vignoni.  The large pool is the Baths of St. Catherine.

The Piazza delle Sorgenti in Bagno Vignoni. The large pool is the Baths of St. Catherine.

Bagno Vignoni

December 14, 2020 by Judy Giannnettino in #medievalitaly, Hill Towns Italy, Italy travel, Val d'Orcia

Looking back over the past several posts, it is easy to understand why the entire Val d’Orcia is a UNESCO world heritage site. It would be impossible to pick just one town, one church, one monument with places like the Abbazia Sant’Antimo and Monticchiello in the running. To add one more reason why this valley is so special, add to the list the tiny hamlet of Bagno Vignoni.

In Italian bagno means bath, and here in Bagno Vignoni the baths are the hot spring fed pools for which this small hilltop village is famous. While there are certainly more modern spas located here today, the uniqueness of the town lies in its historic pools - sulfurous and hot, they’ve been used since Roman times. Pilgrims, popes, future saints, artists, and a host of important persons from centuries past have come to soak in the warm waters. Even before the medieval baths were built, the Etruscans came to the natural hot springs in this area.

Another view of the Baths of St. Catherine

Another view of the Baths of St. Catherine

At first glance, it would be easy to believe the village hasn’t changed for centuries. The main piazza in Bagno Vignoni is ancient and unlike any other I’ve seen in Italy. No central square with historic statue or fountain here. Instead, the central Piazza delle Sorgenti is a large, rectangular pool, fed by the hot springs just below. It dates back to the 1500’s and has changed little since that time. The pool is surrounded on 3 sides by a wall and, just beyond that, beautiful stone buildings. There are homes, shops, and a church standing just outside the wall of the baths.

An doorway in central Bagno Vignoni

An doorway in central Bagno Vignoni

On the fourth side of the large pool is the Loggia of Saint Catherine of Siena. Imagine her sitting there (well before she achieved sainthood) to admire the view of the pools. History says she did just that.

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The Loggia of Saint Catherine (on the right)

On closer inspection, there are definitely signs of a more modern life here. Shops and cafes surround the main pool and branch out into the pretty side streets. A bit further on are hotels advertising spa services.

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Not far from the central pool there is a series of small channels where the water flows to the cliffs that overlook the valley. Once upon a time these channels fed mills which were important to the economy of the town.

One of the abandoned buildings in the Parco dei Mulini

One of the abandoned buildings in the Parco dei Mulini

Today the Parco dei Mulini (Park of the Mills) is a place to dip your hands into the warm water and also to enjoy the expansive views. Looking down, the water runs over the cliff and way down below is a large pool for bathing.

A large pool lies at the foot of the cliffs of the Parco dei Mulini

A large pool lies at the foot of the cliffs of the Parco dei Mulini

Looking up, towards Castiglione d’ Orcia, is a huge ancient fortress, the Rocca a Tentennano (sometimes called the Rocca d’Orcia).

Rocca a Tentennano, a short drive from Bagno Vignoni

Rocca a Tentennano, a short drive from Bagno Vignoni

Bagno Vignoni is a marvel - and one more reason to spend some time exploring the Val d’Orcia.

December 14, 2020 /Judy Giannnettino
Bagno Vignoni, Spa Italy
#medievalitaly, Hill Towns Italy, Italy travel, Val d'Orcia
This medieval abbey sits among the olive trees not far from Montalcino

This medieval abbey sits among the olive trees not far from Montalcino

Abbazia Sant'Antimo

December 07, 2020 by Judy Giannnettino

The journey through the Val d”Orcia continues with a stop at the Abbazia (Abbey) of Sant’Antimo.

There are some places that seem so spiritual that entering them can bring you to tears and make it impossible to speak in anything above a whisper (if you can speak at all). One such place is the Abbazia (Abbey) of Sant’Antimo.

A  simple stone altar and ancient wooden crucifix in the central nave of the abbey church.

A simple stone altar and ancient wooden crucifix in the central nave of the abbey church.

The campanile (bell tower) houses 2 bells, one of which dates from the 1200’s

The campanile (bell tower) houses 2 bells, one of which dates from the 1200’s

 The abbey sits in the midst of olive groves, vineyards, and fields at the foot of the tiny hilltop village of Castelnuovo dell’Abato, not far from Montalcino. The setting is spectacular, especially during fall when the area is in full autumn color as it was during my visit. Driving in from the road to the village, the abbey seems to rise up, almost a surprise, in the middle of the olive trees - a great stone cathedral, with a tall square bell tower, flanked by a single cypress tree.

A church has existed in this spot for centuries – long before the current abbey was built.  The legend surrounding the establishment of the abbey’s original chapel is that the French emperor Charlemagne passed through the region only to have his troops become ill with a plague. The monks treated the men with an herbal tonic and they recovered. In thanks, Charlemagne established a chapel here, the Carolingian Chapel which was later incorporated into the larger abbey. Since that time the abbey has been enlarged (in the 1200’s) and undergone restoration (in the late 1800’s). Abandoned for many years, today a small group of monks live at the abbey where they chant prayers several times each day, teach classes, host spiritual retreats and (I kid you not) brew beer. Fortunately for us they also allow visitors who come to see the famous Romanesque architecture, to hear the Gregorian chants, to pray, to wander the grounds, and to shop in the historic herbal pharmacy.  

The stone was quarried locally and the abbey facade is plain - no fancy marble facade here.

The stone was quarried locally and the abbey facade is plain - no fancy marble facade here.

The exterior of the abbey is stone. The interior is simple, almost stark, with a few remaining fresco remnants.  There is a central nave, lined with arched columns, leading to a small stone altar. A carved wooden crucifix, from the 13th century, is beautiful in its simplicity especially when bathed in a single beam of light from a window high above.  A walk behind the crucifix, through the rounded apse, revealed more fresco remnants, the entry to a crypt, and a peek up into the bell tower.  The dim lighting, the simple interior, the chanting, all combined to create a sense of mystery, of spirituality, and a thread to a distant past.

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Outside of the church is a peaceful courtyard garden surrounded by stone buildings and beautiful views. The perfect place for contemplation.

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The garden also is home to the Farmacia Monastica (the abbey’s herbal pharmacy).  The scents draw you inside to find a variety of products – honey, teas, jams, natural cosmetics, along with the monk’s special brand of beer and their amaro (a bitter liquor). The amaro is made from the herb carlina, said to be the very herb used to treat Charlemagne’s army.  

The Abbazia Sant’Antimo is one of many fascinating places to be found in the Val d’Orcia. There is still more to see in this UNESCO World Heritage region, tune in next week to continue the tour!

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December 07, 2020 /Judy Giannnettino
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