Family estates in tuscany

For the Love of Italy

Rural Pleasures and Hotel Estates

By Marella Caracciolo and fotos by Oberto Gili

“The spectacular beauty of Italy is revealed through the treasures Marella Caracciolo has meticulously sought out and that Oberto Gili has captured on film.   For the Love of Italy is a private tour of the wonderful diversity of a country whose food, landscapes and people fill me with inspiration.”
—Alice Waters

With the rising popularity of farm-to-table eating, more travelers and foodies are taking their love of food beyond the farmer’s market and across borders.  Not surprisingly, the most popular destination for “agri-tourists” is the sophisticated and magical countryside of Italy. The Slow Food movement began here, and culinary traditions have been passed from generations there for centuries. FOR THE LOVE OF ITALY: Rural Pleasures and Hotel Estates (Clarkson Potter, October 19^th, 2010) presents Italy’s most extraordinary places to eat and stay, where visitors will be enchanted by endless gardens of flowers and produce, miles of vineyards, fortified castles, frescoed bedrooms, renaissance gardens, and more.

As a child, Marella Caracciolo grew up visiting her grandfather’s farm in Tuscany.  She learned to care for the animals and make jams from fruit she herself picked.  In the introduction she writes: “The pleasures of farm life…are found in the details of everyday living: the smells, the tastes, the long walks in the woods; picking berries in summer; seeking mushrooms in winter; being aware of the sun and the moon at all times of night.  Sitting in front of a crackling fire, sipping a glass of wine, and cooking chestnuts on the burning coals.”  It is this incredible romanticism and passion for farm life that led her to venture throughout Italy in search of the country’s most renowned and exquisite farms where travelers can stay.

The 25 farms and their owners featured in FOR THE LOVE OF ITALY welcome guests to vacation in their rustic villas, rural hideaways, or luxurious rooms within castle walls. Whether looking to pick olives from nearby groves, take a cooking class, or just enjoy the quiet simplicity of the rolling Tuscan hills or a sun-drenched Sicilian garden, visitors will find estates that showcase Italy’s most authentic self.

The book is divided into four sections based on location:  Northern Italy, Tuscany, Central Italy, and Southern Italy and Sicily.  Marella provides a brief introduction to the area before delving into each farm with great detail.  From eat-in kitchens with hanging copper pots, fluffy beds with hand-woven linens, and towering library fireplaces, to the gorgeous vineyards and olive groves, blooming rose gardens, and pastures dotted with wandering sheep, renown photographer Oberto Gili captures the essence of what it’s really like to stay on these farms and enjoy their artisanal craft, highlight each agriturismo’s unique character and charming story.  Some of the places include:

• Il Picot – Oberto Gili’s own Piedmontese cheese farm set on a wooded hill overlooking the town of Bra

• Tenuta di Marsiliana – a 15th century castle of Marsiliana where the Corsini family’s guests can enjoy an exclusive annual “food fair,” where local farmers and artisans mingle with guests.

• Castello Romitorio – Marella’s husband, artist Sandro Chia, fell in love with this property that he then restored with a vineyard  for his Brunello wine and a fortress where visitors can participate in wine tastings and experience the local cuisine

With a resource section complete with a directory of farms and contact information as well as helpful websites, FOR THE LOVE OF ITALY not only captures a side of the country that few outsiders get to see, but it makes traveling to the farm estates and resorts that much simpler.  You will be delighted, intrigued, and hopefully planning a trip abroad very soon.

About the Author:

MARELLA CARACCIOLO was the Italian editor of House and Garden for twelve years and writes regularly for W and World Interiors.  She is the author of several books on Italian and Mediterranean villas and gardens, including Niki de Saint Phalle and the Tarot Garden, and a novel, The Light in Between.  She is married to the artist Sandro Chia with whom she has two daughters.  They live in Rome and at Castello Romitorio, their wine estate where they welcome tourists throughout the year.

About the Photographer:

Oberto Gili’s work is regularly featured in Town & Country; Travel & Leisure; and British, Spanish, and American Vogue, among other publications.  Gili, the author of Luxury of Space, divides his time among New York, Rome, and his own cheese farm and agriturismo in Bra, Italy.

About the Book:

FOR THE LOVE OF ITALY: Rural Pleasures and Hotel Estates

By Marella Caracciolo; Photographs by Oberto Gili

Clarkson Potter

# 23/11/2010 in uncategorized

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