THE CASENTINO.  One of Tuscany's best kept secrets. In fact, one of Italy's best kept secrets.
Valleys and forests and castles and mills and centuries and mysteries. Here's your chance to spend a week in this magical area of Eastern Tuscany in the company of interesting people, with great food & wine & company, whilst taking a giant step forward in your writing.
See Lisa Clifford's article below. This year's course is full. Don't miss out for 2014.

For years I have wanted to run a personalised, tailor made programme for emerging and established writers. I envisioned a one week retreat where people would have time to learn, time to write and time to see a little of Casentino, the area in which I set my last two books, The Promise and Death in the Mountains. Nicknamed The Hidden Tuscany, Casentino is the perfect area of Tuscany to visit for inspiration. Stunning views, fantastic food and warm people.

This year The Art of Writing filled within one month. So I’ve arranged two retreats for next year, with eleven apartments available in an agriturismo (family run pensione-farm that by law must provide 50% of local food produce) for 2014. Next year’s Art of Writing will run the second week of June, 14^th-20^th and September 8^th-14^th.

I will bring to Italy a wonderful Creative Writing teacher from England, as well as several other writers, from all genres and all with at least two books published, to teach. I will teach too. The mornings are for learning, the afternoons are for writing, tours and further discussions about books and writing. Every evening at aperitivo time there is a guest speaker or a live Skype with agents and publishers, followed by dinner.

The retreats are for beginners, emerging and established writers. Our Art of Writing teachers and guest speakers have diverse expertise, from romance to history to biographies to creative non-fiction and come from Scotland, England and Australia.

Piazza Signoria & the entance to via dei Cerchi.



Below is the current newsletter from the wonderful British Institute of Florence. Housed in one of Harold Acton's homes, the British Institute is a fundamental part of the Florentine cultural scene and one of my favourite places in Florence.

Newsletter   Please find below details of May's events at the British Institute of Florence. Thank you to everyone who has made donations towards recent Cultural Programme events. We really appreciate your generosity. The Institute is a UK registered charity and does not receive any state support, so your ongoing support is vital. If you would like to support upcoming events, we would be delighted to hear from you. CULTURAL PROGRAMME Tracing Our Roots: the Making of ‘Springtime of the Renaissance’ Wednesday 8 May at 18.00 Lecture about the new exhibition by the director of the Fondazione Palazzo Strozzi, James Bradburne. read more » TALKING PICTURES The Man Who Knew Too Much Wednesday 8 May at 20.00 Herrmann collaborates with Hitchcock with his score for the remake of this 1934 thriller. read more » BRITISH INSTITUTE EVENTS Festival d’Europa Monday 6 May to Saturday 11 May Discover what’s on at the British Institute for the Festival d’Europa 2013 read more » CULTURAL PROGRAMME Dino Borgioli: a Florentine Tenor in London. Wednesday 15 May at 18.00 The architect and musicologist Filippo Bozzi speaks about Florentine tenor Dino Borgioli (1891-1960). read more » TALKING PICTURES Vertigo Wednesday 15 May at 20.00 ‘Vertigo is Alfred Hitchcock’s most uncompromising film, and Bernard Herrmann’s fullest realization of his favourite dramatic themes'. read more » BRITISH INSTITUTE EVENTS Reading Exchange Thursday 16 May at 16.00 A decade of the Reading Exchange. This meeting celebrates ten years of meetings read more » CULTURAL PROGRAMME The Jews of Renaissance Italy Wednesday 22 May at 18.00 An overview by Dr Andrew Berns of the role of the Jews in Renaissance Italy. read more » TALKING PICTURES North by Northwest Wednesday 22 May at 20.00 In Hitchcock’s brilliant blend of humour and suspense, Herrmann provided yet another near-perfect musical accompaniment. read more » BRITISH INSTITUTE EVENTS Conference: Stibbert e Horne, Due Musei per Firenze Thursday 23 May at 9.30 Event in Italian: Una giornata di studio su due collezionisti che hanno lasciato le loro raccolte e le loro residenze elettive alla città di Firenze: Frederick Stibbert (1838-1906) e Herbert Percy Horne (1864-1916).read more » CULTURAL PROGRAMME Art in Shakespeare: Giulio Romano and Giovan Paolo Lomazzo Wednesday 29 May at 18.00 Professor Rita Severi explores art in Shakespeare. read more » TALKING PICTURES Psycho Wednesday 29 May at 20.00 Hitchcock and Herrmann’s collaborative 1960 masterpiece. read more » BRITISH INSTITUTE EVENTS Afternoon Tea Every Thursday from 16.30 to 18.00 You are invited to our afternoon tea in the library. read more » HISTORY OF ART COURSE The Sculptor's Trade June 9 - June 14 2013 Following on the success of our studio-based courses on Renaissance techniques of drawing and painting we are now offering a unique 6-day course which fully explores the art historical and practical aspects of Renaissance sculpture. read more » BRITISH INSTITUTE EVENTS Shakespeare in Italy May 13 - May 17 2013 You are invited to spend a week with Shakespeare in Florence, exploring his work, his engagement with Italy and the Renaissance contexts of his work. Organised by Dr Victoria Bladen. read more » The British Institute of Florence www.britishinstitute.it Follow us on    The Harold Acton Library Lungarno Guicciardini 9, 50125 Firenze Tel:  +39.055.26778270  Email: library@britishinstitute.it Language Centre Piazza Strozzi 2, 50123 Firenze Tel:  +39.055.267781  Email: info@britishinstitute.it

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Florence Christmas

Christmas events in Florence and Tuscany 2012
The days are getting shorter, the weather chillier, Christmas lights are starting to appear in the streets and Florence and Tuscany are hosting many events to celebrate the festive season. The festivities really get going on December 8, a national holiday to celebrate the Immaculate Conception.

Christmas fairs, markets and festivals
German Market: Warm up with an apple strudel and a steaming mug of mulled wine, and buy some handmade gifts from all over Europe. November 28-December 16, piazza Santa Croce, Florence, www.vetrina-toscana.it. AILO: The annual Christmas Bazaar held by the American International League of Florence, supporting charities across the city. December 8, 10am-5pm, Le Pagliere, viale Machiavelli 24, Florence, www.ailoflorence.org. FILE: Gourmet products and gift ideas, with proceeds going toward FILE's palliative care support. December 8, 10am-7pm, Palazzo Corsini, lungarno Corsini 8, Florence, www.leniterapia.it. Christmas at the Palazzo: A trade show of Christmas gifts in Empoli with free admission. December 14 - 16, Palazzo delle Esposizioni, Empoli, Tel. 057/122466 or 339/2908430. Festival of Fusigno: Welcome in Christmas Day by eating sausages and drinking local wine round a huge bonfire in the centre of Londa. Evening of December 24, www.comune.londa.fi.it

For Kids
 Palazzo Strozzi: An afternoon for the family in the courtyard (free) and buildings (ticketed) of Palazzo Strozzi, piazza Strozzi, Florence, December 8, 3-6pm, www.palazzostrozzi.org. Santa by boat: On December 22 and 24 Father Christmas will arrive in Florence by boat (on the Arno, between Ponte Vecchio and Ponte alla Grazie) to give Christmas greetings to the Florentines, www.comune.fi.it. Santa's Village: Children will meet faries, elves and even Father Christmas himself in the centre of Camaiore, December 8 - January 6, www.comune.camaiore.lu.it. Winter Park: Ice skating on a large rink (800 square metres) next to the Obihall with a real snow track for skiing and snowboarding. There will also be a bar, restaurant, exhibition stands and entertainment for children. December 1 - January 27, Obihall, Lungarno Aldo Moro, Florence, www.firenzewinterpark.it. Fiabesque: The whole town of Peccioli transforms into a magical world of fairy tales with street games, performers, dance and workshops and, on January 5, Cartoon Night, dedicated to animated cartoons. Centre of Peccioli, December 26, 29, 30 and January 5-6, www.fiabesque.org.

Christmas concerts
Orchestra della Toscana: Together with the choir of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, a Christmas concert with music by Weber and Mendelssohn at Teatro Verdi in Florence on December 23 (5pm, via Ghibellina 101), and in Pisa, Piombino, Livorno, Figline Valdarno and Poggibonsi on December 18, 19, 20, 21 and 22 respectively. See www.orchestradellatoscana.it. Xmas in Jazz: Including Gershwin's An American in Paris and Eric Whitacre's October among others. December 23, 9pm, Teatro della Pergola, via della Pergola 18, Florence, www.filarmonicarossini.it. Gospel choir: The forty-strong choir ‘The Pilgrims' will fuse voice and music with spiritual and gospel pieces. Proceeds will be donated to the Oncology Operative Unit of Pescia. Teatro Pacini, Pescia (PT), December 22, 9pm, Tel. 339/7787677, info@associazionelucignolo.it.

Nativity Scenes
Christmas in the World: A collection of over a thousand nativity scenes from all over the world, displayed in San Giovanni Valdarno's Basilica di Maria Santissima delle Grazie (piazza Masaccio). December 8-January 6, 2013, www.natalenelmondo.it. Other towns known for their nativity scenes displayed in their historic centres are Palazzuolo sul Senio, Cerreto Guidi, San Godenzo, Calenzano and Cigoli (most of them remain at least until January 6).

Nativity re-enactments
Several towns put on re-enactments of the Christmas story, involving hundreds of residents and animals, and large parts of the historic centres, and bringing to life the angels, shepherds, oxen, Wise Men and, of course, the magical manger scene. Towns hosting these so-called ‘living nativity scenes' include Casole d'Elsa (December 26, 29 and 30, www.casole.it), Rosignano Maritime (December 24, www.comune.rosignano.livorno.it), Lari (December 26, www.prolocolari.it), Barga (December 23, www.comune.barga.lu.it), Ceretto Guidi (December 23, www.comune.cerreto-guidi.fi.it) and Castiglion Fiorentino (December 23, www.prolococastiglionfiorentino.it).

This article is from the marvelous English paper The Florentine. 
By Rose Mackworth-Young (issue no. 173/2012 / November 22, 2012)

A House in Umbria For all those who just can't bear to leave. Why not include a trip to Umbria in your itinerary. Quieter than Tuscany & utterly charming, Umbria is a jewel which can be explored from the elegant comfort of Casa Verri in the Umbrian town of Citta` della Pieve near the Tuscan border.

More places to say 'I do' People often ask me about getting married or renewing their vows in Florence, so here is an article on the subject from the wonderful English-language newspaper, The Florentine, on the subject. It you love all things Florentine you can subscribe to receive The Florentine online. Starting in June, it will be possible to tie the knot among the flowers and statues of Florence's Rose Garden, in the majestic Salone dei Cinquecento or Sala di Lorenzo in Palazzo Vecchio, or surrounded by art old and new in Villa Bardini. With the City of Florence introducing these new venues for civil wedding ceremonies, prospective spouses interested in saying their vows in these locations will, however, have to pay a higher fee than marriage ceremonies held until now in the Sala Rossa in Palazzo Vecchio and in Villa Vogel. City officials say they added these new locations not only to meet the numerous requests from both local and foreign prospective spouses, but also to enhance and further promote the city's historic landmarks. The fees differ depending on the city of residence of the couple. If at least one of the two prospective spouses resides in Florence, there is still no charge for a civil ceremony in Palazzo Vecchio's Sala Rossa during normal office hours. There is a fee of 250 euro if one of the engaged is a resident of the province of Florence. The charge is 750 euro if neither bride nor groom reside in the municipality or the province of Florence. (The fees become 500, 750 or 1,500 euro for ceremonies outside normal office hours.) Civil ceremonies during normal office hours in the Sala di Lorenzo, Villa Vogel and the Villa Bardini will cost 500 euro if at least one person is a resident in the city; 750 euro if at least one person is a resident in the province of Florence; and 1,250 euro for non-residents. (The fees become 1,000, 1,250 and 2,000 euro for ceremonies outside normal office hours.) To get married in the Rose Garden during normal office hours, brides and grooms will have to pay 1,500 euro if one is a resident in Florence; 1,750 if one is a resident in the Florence province; and 2,250 euro for non-residents. (The fee becomes 2,000, 2,250 and 3,000 euro for ceremonies outside normal office hours.) At 5,000 euro, the most expensive place to get married in Florence, is the Salone dei Cinquecento. Also, the fee will remain unchanged regardless of residence status or the time at which the civil ceremony is held. Civil marriage ceremonies will be scheduled Tuesday through Sunday. The weddings will take place on Tuesday mornings at Villa Vogel (once a month, except in July and August) and the Rose Garden (twice a month from May to September, except in August); on Wednesday and Thursday mornings in the Sala Rossa; Wednesday afternoons at Villa Bardini (twice a month, except in August); Thursday afternoons in the Sala di Lorenzo (2 times a month, except in August) and the Salone dei Cinquecento (two times a month except in August). Those who want to tie the knot on the weekends can choose from the Sala Rossa on Saturday mornings and afternoons (once a month, except in August); Villa Vogel on Saturday afternoon (once a month, except in August) and in the Sala Rossa on Sunday morning (once a month, except in August). For more information on civil ceremonies in Florence, see http://en.comune.fi.it.

Villa La Pietra

VISIT VILLA LA PIETRA

A visit to Villa La Pietra is a very special event & one few people know about. Villa La Pietra, former home of the Acton family, is open to the public on special days. Guided tours of the Villa, the Collection, and Garden are offered Friday afternoons. Advance reservations are required as spaces are limited. Bookings may be made by e-mail, phone or fax. The cost of the tour is € 20,00 per person, payable at the time of the tour. Guided tours of the Gardens only are offered Tuesday mornings. Again, advance reservations are required as spaces are limited. The cost of the tour is € 12,00 per person. Tours are not available in August or during the winter holiday break (mid-December to mid-January).

Get out of town...

Florence is much more than narrow medieval streets of brick & tile & stone & art. It's good to get out and about in the parks & gardens & the surrounding countryside of the dolci colline or sweet hills which ring the city. In town, the Boboli Gardens or the Botanical Gardens which date back to Cosimo de Medici or my favourite, the Bardini gardens, offer respite from the crowds & the noise & the heat. They also offer a bit of height so that you can take in the little city in its entirety from a secluded vantage point. If you like to walk, there are many lovely routes to take you out into the countryside, especially to the south. One of my favourites begins on the southern side of the Ponte Vecchio, up to the left along Costa San Giorgio & winds up through walled gardens along via di San Leonardo then left along viale Gallileo with its splendid outlook over the valley & the elegant Florentine villas with their olive groves & italiante gardens, to pass by the magnificent Monastery of San Miniato al Monte & finish high on Piazzale Michelangelo gazing out over the city.
Another wonderful walk is along the ridge-line from the hill-top Etruscan village of Fiesole to the other hill village of Settignano. You can take the #7 bus from Piazza San Marco to Fiesole, have a coffee there, begin the walk which takes about two hours through woods & olive groves & past castles & ancient churches, with wonderful vistas back towards Florence until the path drops steeply into the little hamlet of Settignano. And there you can enjoy your just reward in the form of lunch at Caffe` Desiderio. It has been there as long as I remember & it has always been nice, but as of late last year, the new owners, Michele & Francesca, have taken it to a whole new level. The atmosphere is unpretentious & rustic in the old Florentine manner, a feeling of a welcoming hostelry of an earlier time with the whole leg of prosciutto on its big rack & the wine bottles stacked all around, but the food is cutting-edge modern Tuscan served by enthusiastic young Tuscans not afraid to experiment. I have eaten the classic Tuscan winter dish, Peposo, there & never tasted a better or more authentic version, but at the same time, I was also offered little pot of creme brulee with foie gras which was simply exquisite. There is an exciting range of wines, both local & from wider afield & a range of Italian designer beers to blow your mind. Or if you can resist all that you can have a board of the best salumi, formaggi e pane imaginable. The window in the back wall gives out over the Tuscan hills & the easy, happy atmoshere make this a compulsory stop for me. After too much of everything you just step onto the #10 bus which takes you back down to Florence. If you are feeling lazy you can just take the #10 from San Marco, eat everything in sight & take the bus back down again.
Or if you want to do that in Fiesole for a very special lunch indeed, the #7 bus or a taxi will take you to the utterly fabulous Villa San Michele in the photo above, where you can dine like the Medici of old. But then beware the waistline.