American Graves in Florence: World War II

The American Florence Cemetery is located approximately 7.5 miles south of Florence. This past Sunday – after ten years of driving past the cemetery (which is viewable from the superstrada between Florence and Siena) – I finally took the exit to pay a long-overdue visit. The cemetery is the final resting place of over 4,000 American soldiers killed in Italy during World War II.

It was 1:00 p.m., and the temperature hovered around 100 degrees F.  I drove into the property and followed the uphill road that took me to the main memorial. The memorial is elegantly designed and beautifully maintained (as is the cemetery itself).  It’s composed of two peaceful and dignified atria – southern and northern – both of which are overpowering in their simplicity and elegance. The atria are joined by an exterior wall on which the names of the missing are engraved.

I was the only visitors on that blazingly-hot summer afternoon, which only added to the power and poignancy of what I witnessed. Four thousand four hundred and two American soldiers are buried within the cemetery’s 70 acres. Row after row of headstones, in perfect symmetry, show the enormity of the sacrifice that these soldiers made, and reflect the loss that their families endured.

If your plans ever take you to the Florence area , I encourage all Americans to visit this sacred place.

To read more, please click here.

–Susan Naythons

The Hotel Room: John Singer Sargent

A delightful exhibition at the Palazzo Strozzi in Florence, now through July 15th!

Americans in Florence – Americani a Firenze – features the works of artists who came to Florence in the late 19th through the early 20th century. John Singer Sargent, Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt and Maxfield Parrish are among the 40 artists represented in this extraordinary collection.

To read more, click here.

Wild boar – cinghiale - is a staple on Tuscan tables and restaurant menus, especially during the hunting season of fall and winter.

Those who live in the Italian countryside can easily buy wild boar meat from local farmers and hunters. Tuscan butchers also sell it, never skinning the meat as its grey fur is proof it is not an ordinary pig! Alas, the rest of us must be more creative in sourcing this delicacy. For Americans, wild boar meat may be found in gourmet food stores or chains such as Whole Foods (though it’s usually frozen).  Fresh wild boar meat may also be ordered through websites such as Broken Arrow Ranch, a Texas purveyor of exotic meats and game (prices start at $9.00 per lb.).

This recipe is one of our favorites; the result is Tuscan comfort food at its best!

Cinghiale alla Maremmana in Umido

Cooking time: 20 min. preparation, 8 hrs. to marinate, 2 hrs. – 2 hrs. 15 min to cook. Serves four.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds wild boar meat, cut into stew-sized pieces

Marinade:

• 1 bottle red wine minus 1 glass
• 2 Tbsp. vinegar
• 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1 onion, chopped into big pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 bay leaves
• Juniper berries, whole (to taste); approx. 1 Tbsp.
• Red chili pepper flakes (to taste); approx. 1-2 tsp.

To finish:

• Olive oil, 5 Tbsp.
• Salt and pepper
• 1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) plain tomato sauce or tomato puree

Prepare the marinade with the wine, vinegar, chopped vegetables, garlic, bay leaves, juniper berries and chili flakes. Pour marinade over the boar meat, stir to coat, and marinate, covered, for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Drain the meat and vegetables, reserving the liquid. Chop the vegetables into smaller pieces and sauté them in 5 Tbsp. olive oil for several minutes, preferably in an enameled, cast iron casserole or any heavy stew pot.

Now add the wild boar meat to the pot, salt and pepper it, and brown the meat with the oil and vegetables. Add one soup spoon of the wine; let it evaporate at high flame. Now add the reserved marinade liquid, the tomato sauce or puree and bring to a boil; reduce the flame to very low, cover and let simmer for approx. 2 hours, stirring from time to time. If the sauce becomes too dense, add a few spoons of wine, perhaps diluted with a few drops of hot water. The meat should be melt-in-your-mouth tender when done.

Delicious with roast potatoes, Tuscan bread and Fagioli all Uccelletto (white beans).

Buon Appetito!

During our recent trip to Italy, EyeItalia took a journey to Borgo San Lorenzo to visit one of our favorite vendors, Rossi1931.

We were warmly greeted by Mattia Rossi, President and Managing Director,  and Joka Belgrado, who handles all international customers. Mattia and Joka graciously gave us a tour of Rossi’s very impressive facility and we were able to see first-hand how they create their beautiful papers, stationery, albums and journals.

Rossi1931 is a third-generation business, founded in 1931 by Mattia’s grandfather, Antonio Rossi. Over the years Rossi has elevated the Florentine craft of fine papermaking and stationery production to an art form.

Rossi’s fine social stationery and classic decorated papers are hallmarks of their production. The beautiful and vast array of designs used in their products includes rich traditional and spirited contemporary themes. The quality of their goods is unsurpassed.

The secret of Rossi’s great success is a mixture of love for Italian tradition, attention to quality, technological innovation and superior customer service. Despite its tremendous growth throughout the past seven decades, Rossi 1931 is still a family business, and each member of the Rossi family plays an important role.

EyeItalia is proud to carry the Rossi1931 line of fine products. We hope that our customers recognize as well the very best of “Made in Italy” that Rossi represents.

The artist Fiorella Ilario, a friend of EyeItalia, will have a multisensory performance at the Galleria Monumentale called Mademoiselle Babà (or: the dress is served!) featuring, among other things, an antique dress she has adorned with real cantuccini (almond cookies).

This year’s event is aptly and wittily dubbed Insonnia Creativa – Creative Insomnia! This year the “sleepless night” also welcomes children, with a specific program for them that winds between Palazzo Vecchio, the Botanical Gardens, the Istituto degli Innocenti and other places in the historic city center. If you’re in Florence, do not miss this festive night (or start making your plans for 2012)!

Sibylla in Fiorella's Cantuccini Dress

EyeItalia is delighted to be the first North American company to offer the fine fragrances and bath products of Acqua di Bolgheri, made by Dr. Taffi in the beautiful Maremma region of Tuscany.  Since 1987 Dr. Enio Taffi, a biologist and herbalist, has been creating cosmetics and fragrances using the plants, flowers and herbs of his native region to capture the essence of the Tuscan countryside.

To browse our selection of Dr. Taffi’s products, click here.

Author Susan Van Allen presents an inspiring and personal travel guide for all women who dream of going to Italy, whether for the 1st time or the 10th time. Van Allen, a passionate Italophile and seasoned Italian traveler, suggests itineraries for every woman’s interests and comfort level.

Whether one’s passion is art, food, shopping or all of the above, you will find just the right suggestions in this marvelous book. Highly recommended by EyeItalia! To buy 100 Places Every Woman Should Go, click here.

Carnival, or Carnevale, is Venice’s answer to Mardi Gras and Fasching.

For eight days before Lent each winter, tourists flood Venice for an orgy of pageants, commedia dell’arte, concerts, balls, and masked self-display until Shrove Tuesday signals an end to the party. In 2011, Carnevale will be celebrated between February 26th through March 8th.

Carnevale isn’t just a Venetian tradition; similar festivities occur throughout much of the Roman Catholic world, including other cities in Italy. The term “carnevale” comes from the Latin for “farewell to meat” and suggests a good-bye party for the steaks and stews that Catholics traditionally gave up during the weeks of fasting before Easter. The masquerade aspect of Carnival is even older: the Romans celebrated winter with a fertility festival where masks were worn by citizens and slaves alike.

In its glory days of the 1700s, the Carnevale di Venezia began on December 26 and lasted until Ash Wednesday, with mask-wearing and other unofficial activities continuing well into the spring. The nonstop partying, gambling, and general irresponsibility reflected the decline of the Venetian Republic, which had begun to lose wealth and power with the rise of Dutch and British trade in the 1600s. After Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Venice in 1797, the Republic was finished and so were the desultory remnants of Carnival.

Still, today, Carnevale remains a strong, colorful and raucous Venetian tradition and an experience that should be on everyone’s “bucket list”.

Giorgio has won numerous awards over the years in Italy and throughout Europe for his original alabaster creations, which include musical instruments – from flutes to drum kits – to whimsical pieces such as chess sets and clocks, to more traditional pieces such as chandeliers and sconces.  EyeItalia is delighted to offer Giorgio’s alabaster votive holders – made exclusively for EyeItalia – in a variety of alabaster types: Venatura (veined), Trasparenti (transparent) and Mandorle (almond-shaped).  Light and alabaster are natural partners…when used with candles, these votive holders cast an unbelievably warm and gorgeous glow.

Giorgio has his own retail store in Volterra  – Opus Artis – which has many of his creations on display. Opus Artis is located at Piazza Minucci, 1, Volterra

A Tuscan Life

Monica Gianozzi lives and works between Florence and Marcialla, a small village in the heart of the Chianti, residing in the ancient family villa, where the family has been producing wine and olive oil following the ancient Tuscan tradition.

Monica’s work as an artist draws inspiration from the Tuscan countryside and its artistic patrimony from the 16^th century. She realizes portraits using the collage technique, based on photos of her clients, working in a variety of formats and sizes.

Some of Monica’s recent work draws on the work of the famous artist and poet Bronzino, who worked at the Court of Cosimo I di Medici. Palazzo Strozzi in Florence features in its current show this sophisticated 16th century painter. The show runs through Jan 23, 2011 and gives an unique opportunity to admire over 70 paintings, with loans from some of the world´s leading museums.

Visit Monica’s website @ www.monicacollage.it to view more of her delightful and whimsical work.