Hidden Tuscany : Unusual Destinations and Secret Places

Rating:
Summary: Great Treasures We Don't Know in Tuscany
Review: HIDDEN TUSCANY: UNUSUAL DESTINATIONS AND SECRET PLACES is a title that explains this beautiful book well. Even to the traveler who frequents Tuscany often there are little known but extraordinary treasures that author Cesare Cunaccia and photographer Massimo Listri unveil in a most conversational and sensitively visual display. Yes, it takes many visits to Florence, Sienna, Lucca, etc to see absolutely everything found in the art history books, most of which is in the confines of the Uffizi in Florence and even more of which is reflecting the rich Renaissance era of art. The lines just to see Michelangelo's David, for example, attest to their well-won popularity. But this book points out that there are great examples of the Romanesque architecture, of buildings and gardens that date back to the 1300s, that one of the best-kept secrets of Florence is its Silk Factory. For those art lovers who seek examples of the Mannerist Pontormo look no further than the lavishly illustrated section on his decor for the Santa Felicita. The magic found in the geometric designs that adorn San Miniato defies credibility. Listi is not a documentary photographer and that is a compliment: his photographs are bathed in light and shadow and are reproduced in this splendid volume with great respect for color value. For those not already addicted to the romance of Tuscany this volume will certainly weight the case for its preeminence in the traveler's world.

Rating:
Summary: Absolutely delightful.
Review: This large but not-too-thick book details a number of beautiful and little-known places in Tuscany, ranging over the entire region. This isn't actually a travel book per se -- it doesn't tell you contact information, for example, or even if these places are open to the general public. It does, however, tell you about places in Tuscany that tourists probably never ever get to, to wit: The Refuge of the White Monks at Monte Oliveto Maggiore, built in 1313, with its vaulted white halls filled with frescoes of cats and mounted archers; the lush, almost surreally beautiful gardens of Villa Garzoni in Lucca; the thousands of treasures of all sorts in the Museum of Silver in Palazzo Pitti; the Florentine Botanical Museum; the inlaid treasures of the Museo delle Pietre Dure, including shots of inlay artists at their craft; a silk factory; and many other things, probably 30 to 40 in all. The pictures are lavish and beautifully made, and the text is lyrical and pleasant on the eyes. I'd never even heard of ANY of these places, so reading this book was quite a delicious experience.

I wouldn't get this as a serious travel guide, but it piques the imagination. There may be things here you'll want to find on your next trip to Tuscany.