Benvenuto!

I wanted to share a very special day with you to bring back memories of ancient traditions, the warm colorful countryside, the spirit of festivals and the romance of Tuscany. So with anticipation, John, a couple of our friends and I (Max), woke up very early in the morning. We were off to explore the ancient Malmantile village which is 15 kilometers from Florence in the area of Lastra a Signa. We saddled up the famous Maremma horses with ‘La Scafarda’ which is the Italian word for the cavalry-style military saddle. As the Butteri or the Trail Guides directed us, we learned that this saddle changed after the 2nd World War but was more comfortable and longer lasting, fashioned with cowhide, padded cushions and covered with a layer of leather. We followed our Buttero, who guided the horse with one hand, while the other held the ‘l’uncino’ or a short traditional stick used by the Butteri cowboys to control their horses. Our horses were the typical wild Maremmana breed that were strong, hardy and reliable with withers over 165 cm being the usual Maremma race whose color tended towards dark brown to black.

So John, our friends and I mounted our Maremma horses who were named Lorenzo, Piero, Zufolo and Nibbio. We set off down the shaded woody forest path just behind the Villa Pandofini. As we climbed steadily uphill through pine trees and ancient holm oaks, we reached the top of the picturesque Colle Ubertini. This hill took us through an exciting forest of pine trees past the stately red country manor ‘Casa Rossa’ which originally belonged to the Count Bardi family. We soon passed a bubbling clear stream which is the source of the Fonteparti aqua mineral that is bottled downstream. Our uphill route took us past avenues of wild olive trees to a fork in the road. We kept climbing uphill on our Maremma horses till we reached a vineyard. Going through a romantic ‘filare’ or rows of plants, we saw hues of green opening out to a stone wall. With the stone wall on our left we followed the path for about a hundred meters which led to a huge gate. An amazingly beautiful sight met our eyes. We were right in front of the famous Villa di Bellosguardo or the villa of the legendary ‘Caruso’, the famous tenor.

Let me tell you a lovely story about Lastra a Signa where the Villa di Bellosguardo or the villa with a beautiful view stands. Historical with a wealth of artistic endowments of gorgeous churches, villas and country homes of the nobles of the Middle Ages, Lastra a Signa had been the retreat of famous people right through the Renaissance. So it was natural that Enrico Caruso made this beautiful Renaissance Villa Bellosguardo which was owned by the Marquises Pucci for centuries, his hideaway in the hills. Spectacular both outside and inside, the villa welcomes you to step through its elegant doorway into its fabulous rooms with soaring vaulted ceilings, sweeping staircases, frescoed friezes and deep pastel pink velvet lined furniture. Rich and ornate, the frescoed ballroom leads to the Orangerie that is swept with a refreshing fragrance. You can almost hear Caruso’s voice caressing and haunting echoing through the lovely garden, the tree-lined parks with fountains and the secret paths with mysterious flower-filled arbors. We were especially overwhelmed with the Renaissance loggia with wide views over the gardens and Tuscan hills. The caretaker guided us through the gravel ‘viale’ or the boulevard as we reluctantly rode away unwillingly to leave this fabulous sight. We went through the silent forest, each with private thoughts about the hauntingly beautiful villa. We entered a paved road which stretched for three kilometers and an awesome vista dazzled our sight as we rode through a picturesque meadow, past a forest of delicate cork trees with a great 360-degree view of the countryside around us.

Time slowly but surely pulled us through its endless corridors as we entered the quaint village of Artimino. A huge tower rose up before us which was the look-out tower used by the "protezione civile" or the civil authorities as the look-out tower for fires and enemies who surprised the inhabitants. Further down we saw the beautiful Villa La Ferdinanda with its elegant lines and façade built by Ferdinando I, Grand Duke of Tuscany, who commissioned the project to Bernando Buontalenti, the court architect in 1596. Typically a Renaissance Florentine structure, the building is characterized by an amazing feature of a 100 chimneys! This lovely Medici villa was built by Lorenzo il Magnifico for his family and his friends who loved to go hunting. The Villa La Ferdinanda of "one hundred chimneys" is outstanding because of a series of chimneys with different forms and shapes were built at different angles to provide warmth for its noble visitors at all times.

Inspired by this vision, we rode downhill for about 500 meters and then got off our Maremma horses as the descent got steeper. We led the horses out into the paved road and then again the past beckoned with its ancient trail and we were lost in the mists of time as we approached the old village of Malmantile. Time stood still as Malmantile with its ancient roots traced a medieval pattern. Quiet and still, there were no tourists in this old fort. There were just a few shops, a school, a pharmacy and a post office. This silent interlude had sharpened our appetites and we ate a ‘panino con salame e stracchino’ or a bread roll with salami and rich cheese washed down with a Coke. This nourishment would sustain us on the long ride back to the Villa Pandolfini. We listened with awe as the locals told us about the mysterious legends surrounding Malmantile. The fortified medieval village whose origins are lost in time is encircled by ancient town walls. The old settlement was a military stronghold on the old road that connected Florence with Pisa. It evolved into a town and the story goes that the town sprouted from as far back as the 4th century! We met some of the local people and were very pleased when the owner of a 16th century Cantina invited us for the inauguration of his restaurant. We all trooped in and found to our surprise a really long table that could seat thirty people. This was the fratina table used by the monks of old. Anyway, we were served a lot of good quality Chianti Colle Bertini produced by the Fattoria and a menu stuffed with game dishes among which was Sweet and Sour Hare/Rabbit. After much merry making and bantering with a pleasant local crowd, we set off after a filling dinner to have a coffee in Florence. Normally when there is no traffic the ride to Florence would just take barely 15 to 20 minutes.

As we approached Florence, we were shocked and surprised to see mysterious almost Oriental lights twinkling and a pagan air hung over the atmosphere. Almost forgetting our coffee, we raced ahead to find that it was the Festa della Rificolona. Interesting stories surround this colorful festival. Held on September 7th, the traditional Rificolona festival is held on the eve of the Feast of the Madonna. Though it is a Florentine festival other parts of Tuscany also celebrate this old 17th century festival. Its origins go back to the times when the farmers traveled to the city for the feast day. Invariably they brought their wares to be sold in the open market as part of the festivities. Since they had to start almost before dawn to find an advantageous position to market their produce, they made lanterns with canvas or paper to light their way across the distances they had to travel. This inspired the Florentines to make lanterns resembling a long skirted female which swayed from side to side on a pole. We walked around the streets to find both children and adults parading the streets with clappers, whistles and pea shooters to aim at the lanterns causing them to burst into flames. At this point, I must tell you that the word ‘fierucolone’ evolved into the name of the festival, ‘rificolona’ which is used in dialect to refer to women who are overdressed or who dress in bad taste. The young men would throw things at these lanterns till they caught fire. The children made up little ditties like:

Ona, Ona, Ona,
O che bella Rificolona,
La mia l'é coi fiocchi,
La tua l'é coi pidocchi!

The translation reads:
Ona, ona ona,
What a beautiful Rificolona,
Mine with bows is tied,
In yours do lice reside!

We were delighted to see a traditional boat parade sparkling with colored lanterns of all shapes and sizes with prestigious prizes for the most original boat. Even today traditional Rificolona laboratories are managed by the City Wards to keep alive the tradition of lantern making. The children make their own lanterns with colored tissue paper and use their blowguns to shoot at farmers’ lanterns so that the candle would be knocked down and the lantern would be set ablaze. We joined the parties in the square and enjoyed the street theater performances besides the lovely traditional food. The Festa della Rificolona ends with a spectacular and colorful procession from Piazza Santa Croce to Piazza Santissima Annunziata, which is led by the Cardinal. After he addresses the people, the revelry continues till dawn blazes through. One of the main features is that this festival was first organized by organic food producers in Italy and still has sustained its momentum as one of the most important festivals.

So, laden with big bags of organic food and other delicacies, we made our way back to the Villa Pandolfini to try out recipes with the wonderful produce from the Festa della Rificolona. Welcome to the Good Tastes of Tuscany cooking class where our expert chefs will conjure up delicious dishes with the magic of the Festa della Rificolona. Walk into the historical kitchen at the Villa Pandolfini and witness a colorful parade of ancient recipes.