I had heard enough of these stories about Americans buying Tuscan villas.
I too would like a villa outside Florence--
I too want to live near the Ponte Vecchio--
And the Duomo, and
To
dine with friends in Florence
On May 1, we three lovers of Italy found Florence totally full, but somehow we found miniscule rooms near the Duomo, with terrace views ! A friend of Sally's invited us to Sunday dinner, where we had visions of living in a suburban villa on a typical Tuscan hillside. I painted a few views of Florence from our terrace and again in the Bargello.
And play in the streets of Florence
And sketch at the Bargello
Just my own little villa in Tuscany---
That Easter 1975 in the Piazza del Duomo, I witnessed the Scoppio del Carro. First came flags and dignitaries , then came
My love affair with Florence began on a 1975 sabbatical in Italy.
I fell in love with this magical city on the Arno, at sunset.
Four white oxen drawing a huge cart laced with fireworks up to the door. A bird flew out at noon, and--hit the cart just right, and
The cart exploded! A good year was assured for the farmers of 1975.
Or perhaps I could settle in Siena, among artists and musicians?
After a few days
in Florence, we set forth in our rented car heading south to Siena, stopping
by Villa Sciffinoia, where Mary studied painting. In Siena we stayed at
a convent near San Dominico and Santa Caterina, with wonderful views of
the duomo and the hillsides.
Siena was just beginning to rehearse the pageantry for the Palio in July
and many windows displayed the flags of the quarter's mascot--ours was
oke, the goose.
From my balcony I saw the Siena cathedral sailing like a great white ship above the waves of small buildings and painted it.
Catherine
of Siena,
patron saint of Italy
San Domenico rises on the hill behind the convent with its arched balconies where we stayed.
Preparing for the Palio
The oke, the goose
Did medieval paintings like this inspire the Sienese love of contests and heraldry?
Geese on the flags--
Geese on the doorways
This jeweler sold me a golden goose.
From my balcony I painted this hillside--
I painted the Campo--
sitting at an outside bar
San Gimignano
Lucca
We visited Cortona
and San Gimignano before heading north up through Lucca to Vernazza.
Lucca has a crucifix with a miraculous image of the Holy Face (Volto Santo),
as we discovered when we went into the cathedral.
Vernazza is a colorful fishing village that has too many tourists and
not enough rooms. The coast is beautiful.
Vernazza--the Square late in the afternoon.
Lucca--San Michele
Vernazza calls out to be painted
Vernazza harbor and Quinqueterre--see me painting on the jetty?
