Villa Bramasole: Tuscany Under the Sun

“It’s market day in Cortona. The piazza is an ongoing party and everyone is invited. Clichés converge at this navel of the world. You almost want to laugh but you can’t help feeling these Italians know more about having fun than we do. I eat a hot grape from the market, and the violet sweetness breaks open in my mouth. It even smells purple. I wish I could stay here longer, but the bell reminds me of time. ‘Ding-dang-dong,’ the bell says, instead of ‘ding-dong.’ I wish you were here.” 
~From the 2003 movie, Under the Tuscan Sun

This week I had the privilege to visit Cortona, an ancient hilltop village in Tuscany with beautiful architecture, cobblestone streets, vibrant public squares and spectacular views of olive groves and vineyards terracing to the valley below. One of the oldest settlements in Italy, Cortona is known to have been a city of the ancient Etruscan civilization and later became a Roman colony. It is one of the best preserved historical centers in Italy.

Cortona is surrounded by Etruscan walls, around 3000 years old.

Reflections of Venice

Love Locks On The Grand Canal

The Ponte dell'Accademia is one of only four bridges in Venice, Italy, to span the Grand Canal. It crosses near the southern end of the canal, and is named for the Accademia di Belle Arti di Venezia. Above, starry-eyed lovers placed padlocks on the bridge, a phenomenon started from a scene in Federico Moccia's 2006 novel, I Want You. Couples write their names on the padlocks, swearing eternal love, and throw the keys into the canal.

Rocca Sforzesca di Soncino

The Rocca of Soncino, a small town in the province of Cremona, is a typical medieval fortress of the 15th century. It has four towers and under one of them there is a "secret" passage to escape in the countryside. Built in 1473-1475 by the Sforza family, nobles who ruled Milan after the Visconti, it was sieged by the French army in 1522. It has been chosen as set for movies like Ladyhawke and Il mestiere delle armi.