HempWanderings: To Firenze with Love

Romantic gardens became our first stop this morning. Sixteen acres, smack in the middle of Florence, just a few blocks off the Arno. The gardens owned by the Torrigiani family for many years and maintained by the family as a tribute to the romantic history of one of the most enchantingly beautiful places on earth. Most of the structures on the residence and defensive walls were designed by Michael Angelo and constructed under his guidance. The secluded pathways winding through the gardens bring the illusion of being many miles from the bustling city. The earliest construction began in the fourteenth century and continued to the early eighteenth century.

Alisandro, our host, and Torrigiani family member guided our group through the gardens sharing family memories and detailed history of the gardens and its medieval structures. The garden tower is unique in its design and serves a defensive structure as well as an advantageous viewing sight for the family.

A restaurant Pam and I sampled last week turned out to be our lunch spot today. Ala Vecchia Bettola should be on everybody’s list while in Firenze, and order Penne ala Bettola pasta, we believe it’s the best pasta dish we’ve had.

An artisan tour followed in the heart of the city, where modern day Angelos were continuing the art of medieval craftsman and birthing pieces that will become historical in their own time. We watched as they sawed, shaved and carefully fit and assembled inlaid cuts of marble, alabaster and other beautiful stone into perfect mosaic images of birds, flora and memorable city structures.

In another shop we witnessed Marco creating Florentine paper, which I didn’t know existed until we entered his shop. He worked in a low sided pan of fluid, of a type I didn’t catch, and dripped, splattered and sprayed laytex paint onto the surface of the liquid. The liquid was then agitated to distribute the colors in creative ways that soon become colorful patterns on paper that he would float in the paint infused liquid and dry on wooden racks. Most anyone could explain this process better than I just have, but it’s late and I’ve overeaten and I am tired.

Piazza del Duomo, identified by the iconic dome on the central church of Florence, is the most visited spot and photographed view in all of Italy. The baptistry, adjacent to the church, houses some of the most historic and beautiful art of the period and should not be missed

Doors created by an artist I don’t recall to the baptistry. Pictures do not do justic

while in the city.

The day concludes with a champagne rest stop in a “glitzy” restaurant on the square and short van ride to an “unavailable anywhere else” fish and other sea animal dinner at La Trattoria del Pesce that will remain a memorable dinner for a while. Memorable, Jim

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