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May 17th - 25th, 2002
We stay in Tuscany, a region that requires little introduction. It is a province of great beauty and symmetry: its gardens, farmhouses, orchards, olive groves and cypresses evoke a sense of order undisturbed over the centuries. Our sightseeing explorations will include the extraordinary cities of Florence and Pisa, and San Gimignano where you'll walk through centuries of history, architecture and, of course, magnificent art. Of the many cultural treasures of Tuscany, the "simpler pleasures" -- the arts of cooking and eating -- are intrinsic to the Tuscan experience. Refined and tasteful, the local fare offers plain grilled meats, grains, fresh vegetables and an abundance of premium mellow cheeses. Fresh herbs such as marjoram, juniper and rosemary enhance the flavors of game, meal and fish from Tuscany's coastal waters. A "no frills" style of cuisine that allows the natural flavors to reach their peak is deeply satisfying and nourishing. Homemade breads and soups are daily fare. A passion for those noble members of the legume family -- beans -- is fundamental (Tuscans have been called mangiafagioli, "bean eaters," but not always by way of a compliment!). Of course wines are abundant and varied, and are essential to our explorations. From Tuscany's rich resources, we will draw on the guidance of some excellent local chefs. We heartily subscribe to the old Tuscan saying: "You don't want some fancy chef in the kitchen, you want Mama!" During our week in the gorgeous late Tuscan spring, as its many treasures unfold before us, we shall live and eat as Tuscans, revisiting some favorite dishes, discovering new ones, and absorbing all we can of the cultural riches surrounding us. Accommodations are in the fabulous Villa Gamberaia, full of character and atmosphere. A large well-equipped kitchen will be our classroom, and double rooms with en suite bathrooms ensure plenty of privacy. The price includes round trip airfare on Alitalia from Boston to Milan, first-class accommodation, all meals as outlined on the day-by-day itinerary, including two restaurant dinners, wine with all villa dinners, all excursions and transfers, and all cooking in-struction. Fully comprehensive travel and cancellation insurance is included, as well as all customs fees and airport taxes. Whether you've been to Italy many times or never crossed the At-lantic, La Bonne Table, in association with Discover Europe, Ltd., has planned an adventure both memorable and elegant. This spring join La Bonne Table for a unique taste of "La Dolce Vita" in sunny Italy.
Day 01, Friday May 17th
Day 02, Saturday May 18th
Day 03, Sunday May 19th
Day 05, Tuesday May 21st
Day 06, Wednesday May 22nd
Day 07, Thursday May 23rd
Day 08, Friday May 24th
Day 09, Saturday May 25th
THE VILLA GAMBERAIA
From the moment you pass the gate, with its sentinel cypresses, the impres-sion is one of such perfect loveliness that at last, by force of contrast, the mind goes back to strong Caprarola or tragic Este, only to turn once more to bathe in the pefection of the Tuscan villa.
Set on the hills of Settignano, close to Florence, yet immersed in the tranquillity of the Tuscan countryside, the Villa Gamberaia enjoys an exceptional position overlooking the city and the Arno valley. Strolling through the celebrated Italian gardens, visitors can contemplate the beauty of their design and their unique setting in the surrounding Tuscan landscape. Rich in history, the Villa Gamberaia discloses its charms little by little to those who allow themselves the time to look, think and explore.
A LITTLE HISTORY
At the end of the nineteenth century, Princess Giovanna Ghika began the transfor-mation of the parterre de broderie into the beautiful parterre d'eau, enclosed at its southern end by a majestic cypress arcade. Elegant expressions of topiary art were created by the American-born Mathilda Ledyard Cass, Baroness von Ketteler, in the following decades. After the Second World War, the Villa became the property of Marcello Marchi and then of his heirs Luigi Zalum and family, who have continued the work of restoration and conservation.
THE GARDENS
The plan of the Gamberaia...combines in an astonishingly small space, yet without the least sense of overcrowding, almost every typical excellence of the old Italian garden: free circula-tion of sunlight and air about the house; abundance of water; easy access to dense shade; sheltered walks with different points of view; variety of effect produced by the skilful use of different levels; and, finally, breadth and simplicity of composition...
Certainly the minds of the Florentine family of Capponi were original and inventive. First, in 1570, they created the beautifully detailed asymmetrical gardens at Arcetri overlooking Florence, a simple design that has the archetypal similarities to Bingham's Melcombe in England; and in 1717 they finally synthesised and completed the slowly evolving complex of the Villa Gamberaia at Settignano across the Arno valley, whose concept of a domestic landscape is by general consent the most thoughtful the western world has known.
A Mannerist garden with a place for every mood. There is a place for every mood. Hamlet will find an answering chord in the twilight of the bosco, muysterious, elusive, fantastic with the shapes of ilex; the joker can go and joke among the water steps and grotto; and the two can agree to differ in the most delightful of lemon gardens.
The liquid and the solid...nowhere else in my recollection have these been composed with such elegant refinement of taste on so human a scale.(...) The whole conception of a garden to live with and in on intimate terms, responsive to loving care and constant culture, has been realized and expanded. It leaves an enduring impression of serenity, dignity and cheerful repose.
Its beauty...is...great enough to absorb one almost completely, the terraces, the ponds, the great apse of cut cypresses, the bowling green as you look at it from the grotto toward the south like a great boat sailing through space, the view over the quiet landscape of the Chianti hills and further over domes and towers to the snow-capped Apennines and the Arno glimmering in the plain...[For] years Gamberaia remained one of...the haunts of my life....
ACCOMMODATIONS
Photographs and text courtesy of The Villa Ganberiaia
Discover Europe Ltd.
Discover Europe (UK)
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Day 04, Monday May 20th
Set on the hillside of Settignano, with extraordinary views of Florence and the surround-ing Arno valley, the Villa Gamberaia is renowned for its splendid gardens, celebrated throughout the world by leading landscape architects and garden historians.
