I Fochi di San Giovanni

June 24 "The Fochi of St. John"

The Feast of St John the Baptist, coincides this year with two other important events in the same day: the historical football game, "Calcio in Costume" and the Europe championship soccer game : Italy against the UK.

The choice of St. John as the patron saint of Florence occurred during the Lombard domination (from VI-VII century), after the complete conversion of the city to Christianity. It is in this period that the Baptistery was built, legend indicating above the ruins of a pagan temple dedicated to Mars. Since then it became the religious center of the city.

Usually after sunset the battlements of Palazzo Vecchio are lit by candles and around 10 pm the "Fochi" are shot from the Piazzale Michelangelo. All the private terraces on building rooftops are animated by friends and family parties, enjoying the fireworks show with a cool drink “al fresco”… Those who do not have such luck go on the Lungarno, or on the bridge of Santa Trinità to enjoy the show from a different perspective, but equally fascinating... from below, where the fires seem to fall directly down on you.

When the show is over, the inevitable Florentine comments and questions begin: How were the fireworks this year? Last year the firework show was better than this year!... From the firework show we can tell that there is the crisis .. The municipality has not spent that much for San Giovanni

Boboli Gardens in Florence

Boboli Gardens are considered the consummate of a formal Italian Garden. An Italian Garden (in contrast to an English Garden) is man’s idea of controlling nature. It is very organized, green rather than floral, and ties together art and nature. Statuary is everywhere. Trees and shrubs are shaped in precise designs. Despite extensive tampering during the centuries and changes due to the natural life-cycle of plants and trees Boboli still maintains a clearly recognisable form. It still has the architectural and decorative setting which was conceived in the 16^th century by architect Niccolò Pericoli, known as “il Tribolo” for the Medici family. Boboli as such is a historic garden. There is a fee to enter, opening and closing times and picnics are not encouraged. It is a magical place though, and quite large, so if you visit in the spring or in the fall remember to bring a hat, a bottle of water, and get ready to be transported into the magnificent courtly life of the past.

 

The Ragnaie and the Fountain of the Mostaccini

This is a section of the gardens which was extended from the original nucleus in the 17^th century under Cosimo II’s rule by Giulio Parigi. The garden’s axis became the wide Cypress Lane that leads to the striking Island Pond made in the first part of the century. South of the lane three large labyrinths were planted (unfortunately destroyed in 1834). On either side of the cypress lane there is a walkway covered by holm-oak branches. This gives great shade from the summer sun. Here was the ragnaia, a place designed for bird hunting with nets. At the end of this walkway you come to a low wall with monstrous masks decorated where once there was a long cascading chain of water.
These monsters with their strange, distorted faces (very Mannerist) are called Mostaccini, perhaps in reference to their strange moustaches. Imagine water slowly running down this fountain and there you have it- a drinking trough to lure birds in- who would later be hunted by our Medici Dukes and their guests.

Island Pond     

The end of the Cypress Lane brings you to the Island Pond (Vasca dell’Isola). The pond itself is made up of a large oval basin with a small island in the center. Surrounding the area is holm oak with various sculptures from the 17^th century depicting peasants or hunters, according to the aesthetic sense of the time and the bucolic nature of the garden. 

Access to the pond is through two gates upheld by marble Capricorns (symbolising Cosimo I de’ Medici). 

In the middle is a statue of the God Ocean. Surrounding Ocean are potted citrus trees which were so special to the Medicis. This family was the first to collect citrus fruit in potted vases, as they do not normally grow in Tuscany (the winters are too cold). So the plants were considered extravagant and exotic. The citrus plants were moved inside in the colder months, into special buildings built for this purpose called a “limonaia”.

Look for other posts this summer about more sections of the grandiose Boboli gardens and other special gardens in Florence. 

- Photos and Post by Elizabeth

Altopascio to San Miniato

Ponte a Cappiano

The Tuscan stretch of the Francigena route from Altopascio to San Miniato gets more interesting when thinking of those sweet features and details which we all know from Tuscan landscape paintings: open horizons, rolling and nostalgic hills. These are the same hills painted by Leonardo, whose hometown, Vinci, is not too far away. If you visit these places, you can understand the sense of  his "sfumato leonardiano" in art. This is a painting technique which Leonardano invented, using layers of translucent colors to create outlines instead of strong paint lines.

The area is interesting and full of history. In Galleno, you can still see a splendid long stretch of a medieval paved road. The Ponte a Cappiano is a bridge transformed by Cosimo I de 'Medici in the 16^th century into one of the largest administrative centers for his Ducal territory. It is now a hostel to host modern day pilgrims. 

Fucecchio' marshland

 

Il Padule di Fucecchio is a reclaimed plain that is one of the largest wetlands in Italy with about  1800 acres. There are more than 190 species of birds which can be found here in different times of the year , including herons, little egret, and the rare glossy ibis . Finally, Fucecchio and San Miniato made the fortune of Florence with their links to the production of leather. The area is also famous for the fiendishly expensive white truffle.

The recent history of the area, is instead linked sadly in a Nazi massacre of  1944, where 175 civilians were killed. San Miniato was the family home of Napoleone Bonaparte. The film directors Fratelli Taviani are also from here, who have shot many famous movies on World War II in various locations in Tuscany.


 - Posted by Angelica

Lemons Lemons & Limoncello

Someone contacted us recently and said, “I want to go to Tuscany and see lemons.” Well I hate to disappoint them, but where they really want to go is not in Tuscany. In Tuscany one can see citrus fruit in large terracotta vases in the monumental Medici gardens because they had a special collection of these prized fruits. Often old villas have a ‘limonaia’, which is a separate building used to store this precious fruit in the winter months. But to see lemons, lemons and more lemons one must travel to the Amalfi coast, that charmed coastal land south of Naples in Southern Italy. When I took my mom there many years ago she said, “I have never seen so many lemons in my life!”. She lives in Florida too, so she is used to seeing citrus fruit groves!

Views from Praiano, on the Amalfi Coast

The real name of this prized fruit is Amalfi sfusato. It is a one of a kind variety, gathered in large wood baskets from February to October. According to legend, this precious fruit was brought to the Amalfi coast by crusaders returning from Palestine. It takes root on the terraced gardens in the area and is just a marvel to see. Since 1999 they have a IGP status (protected geographical origin).

So this summer when the heat gets stifling, in addition to freshly made lemonade you can drink chilled limoncello, the famous afterdinner drink from this area.

Making Limoncello is much easier than you may think!

1 liter of alcohol

1 liter of water

500 grams of sugar

The rind of 6-7 fragrant organic lemons (best if they are from Amalfi, but I have used others and it comes out buono just the same).

Wash lemons thoroughly and  peel, leaving as little white as possible attached.

Soak the rinds in alcohol for about 10 days in a dark room.

Then dissolve 500 grams of sugar in 1 liter of boiled water.

Leave to cool and add alcohol, filtering the rinds.

Filter the liquid again and store in bottles. 

- Post and Photos by Elizabeth