Press Clippings

Idylling in Italy by Part Schwartz, Mail & Guardian, South Africa

…Thanks to friends who had previously rented her home we found Alessandra, owner of a 16th century villa in that enchanting Tuscan region affectionately nicknamed Chiantishire by satirist John Mortimer in recognition of the number of Brits who are sensible enough to leave their horrible climate and retire here.

The location of Villa Alzato [Baldasseroni] was perfect – it was set in gloriously expansive countryside a mere 40 minutes from Florence, if you didn’t get lost (which we, invariably did); an hours or so from the magical medieval towered town of San Gimignano; not far from Sienna; ideally placed for an exploration of history art, architecture, spectacular mountains and valleys; tiny, exquisite and ancient hilltop villages and culinary riches of a region famed for its glorious food and wine.

The population of the villa included an elderly brain-damaged tortoise with a foot fetish, assorted mini tortoises and an affectionate cat. All of them were central to the atmosphere. Other contributors to the ambience and entertainment value were our landlady, the irrepressible Alessandra, in whose family the glorious old building had been for six centuries; her English husband – academic and rose gardener supreme, Michael; and a host of ghosts of ancestors, who included a prime minister of Tuscany.

The wonderful bonus of spending time in one area in another country is the liberty it gives you to explore as much and as often as you wish but to return that rapidly becomes ”home”; to experience a taste of what it must be like to live there and not to feel guilty about spending time relaxing with a book, “chilling” at the swimming pool and eating home cooked meals created from goodies acquired at the local alimentari (grocery shop) or village market.

And we had an array of those around us. Practically at the bottom of the garden was the minute village of Lucignano – total extent a couple of streets but with an alimentari to rival many of South Africa’s fanciest Italianate delis. At our nearest town of size San Casciano in Val di pesa, the Monday morning market, along with its array of flea-market grunge, offered newly harvested fruits and vegetables, freshly baked breads, pastas and olives and olive oils, cheeses, roast chickens, salamis, prosciutto.”