Restoring A House In Tuscany

A hands-on account of buying and restoring a house in Italy. Written by Anne M. Bauer, a Norwegian diplomat who has worked with the UN in New York, with UNESCO and its Cultural Heritage list in Paris and the FAO in Rome. Mrs Bauer now lives part of the year in her restored farmhouse in Tuscany. She has assisted others in interior decorating and restoring houses in Italy and she has acquired extensive insight in what it takes to buy and restore in Italy, the craftsmen needed, the legal framework and the aesthetic issues involved. Her unique coffee table book, finished in real linen, illuminates the history and traditions of Italian farmhouses and the captivating countryside in which they are situated. This new publication emphasises the importance of cultural heritage by highlighting architectural details, local customs, ... Mrs Bauer shows how old, deserted farmhouses can be turned into modern, comfortable homes without losing their original character. She also introduces garden ideas with low maintenance plants, outdoor spaces and swimming pools integrated into the landscape.

This text examines 22 restored homes in Italy. Owners and designers share anecdotes about their experiences with local artisans, vendors, and bureaucracy, while offering real-world advice on the tactics of restoring a house in a foreign country.

The fascinating story behind the revival of an ancient Italian castle and its enduring way of life. When Charlotte Horton and her family of British bohemians discovered an abandoned Tuscan castle, little did they know that they would transform it into a vibrant, modern locale. Nestled in the rugged terrain of Mount Amiata, Castello di Potentino was a dilapidated mess: roofs had collapsed and there was no plumbing or electricity. Following the arduous process of purchasing it from 24 different owners, they set to work renovating the 11th-century structure. In this enthralling account of ravamping the castello into a contemporary ode to Italian tradition, photographs by the late British fashion photographer Michael Woolley showcase the property, while Charlotte’s text dives into the renovation and life at Potentino. From a dramatic vaulted entrance hall to a starry ceiling mural, the interiors are bound to delight. Readers also learn about technical details, such as recycling materials, painting, and bureaucratic paperwork. A chapter dedicated to the land—complete with a vineyard and olive groves—displays Charlotte’s philosophy of self-sufficiency. This book is a must-have for those interested in Italian architecture and the Tuscan lifestyle, or anyone with the dream of restoring a castle in Tuscany.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The beloved memoir of self-discovery set against the spectacular Tuscan countryside that inspired the major motion picture starring Diane Lane—now in a twentieth-anniversary edition featuring a new afterword “This beautifully written memoir about taking chances, living in Italy, loving a house and, always, the pleasures of food, would make a perfect gift for a loved one. But it’s so delicious, read it first yourself.”—USA Today For more Frances Mayes, including a tour of her now iconic Cortona home, Bramasole, watch PBS’s Dream of Italy: Tuscan Sun Special! More than twenty years ago, Frances Mayes—widely published poet, gourmet cook, and travel writer—introduced readers to a wondrous new world when she bought and restored an abandoned Tuscan villa called Bramasole. Under the Tuscan Sun inspired generations to embark on their own journeys—whether that be flying to a foreign country in search of themselves, savoring one of the book’s dozens of delicious seasonal recipes, or simply being transported by Mayes’s signature evocative, sensory language. Now with a new afterword from Frances Mayes, the twentieth-anniversary edition of Under the Tuscan Sun revisits the book’s most popular characters.

Lonely Planet Florence & Tuscany is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Experience art-lover heaven at the Uffizi Gallery, tempt your taste buds on a food tour, or climb San Gimignano's medieval towers; all with your trusted travel companion.

AUTHORs REVIEW and COMMENTS on Ah! Tuscany : the Enlightenment of an ExpatraiteFive years ago my wife - Silvia - and I purchased a condominium in San Gimignano. This book is my story of what followed. Unlike most books, there is no obvious story line throughout - and this presented me with the challenge of leaving the reader with what at the end coalesces into a complete story. There are however, two shorter story lines. The first is: locating, purchasing, improving, and furnishing an apartment near San Gimignano and the second - woven throughtout the book - concerns obtaining our permission to live in Italy, official residency, car ownership and registration, Carta di Soggiorno, citizenship, and documents for a stolen car.Otherwise the book is a mosaic of personal experiences and observations that encompass our living experience and in the end it becomes clear that the real story is about getting to know the customs and people sufficiently that we felt truly at home in San Gimignano. For example, I describe shops, restaurants, a visit to the mayors office, the grape harvest and wine making, olive harvest and mushroom hunt and interactions with workmen (our artisans). I take the reader traveling to Volterra, Florence, Siena, Certaldo and Poggibonsi and Tuscan villages. We go cycling, take country walks and become acquainted with ancient books, the art scene, sunsets and winter in San Gimignano. I describe money laundering, medical sevices, doctor visits, pharmacies and the payment or avoidance of taxes. We learn several difficult lessons concerning government-controlled services: utilities, banks, telephone, post, computer connection, water and traffic violations. We learn the importance of notaries and town registrar (anagrafe), I make observations on politics, TV, strikes and the press, on All Saints Day, barbers, how a condominium functions, and festivals. During the entire process, we develop valued friendships and transition from outsiders to residents who truly belong to San Gimignano.There is a separate chapter on the special issue of Tuscan Way of Life, [the strange dichotomy of aggressive governance vs beautiful life style and wonderfully warm, friendly people] and another on the history of San Gimignano.My Target Audience comprises two groups: those who enjoy reading about life in Italy particularly Tuscany - and those adventurers who are either considering living in Italy or actually doing so. Both groups, and indeed all readers who enjoy travel will be entertained by many humorous and sometimes hilarious events surrounding the mysterious bureaucratic machinations of government, while those thinking of living there may better prepare themselves for the adventure. But all readers are sure to enjoy the pleasures of Tuscan friendliness, culture and customs.The living of this story has been an experience of a lifetime. From friends and unknown readers alike, I receive reports of pleasure, enjoyment and amazement. I therefore recommend the book to you and wish that many more will decide to share in my story.Don McPhersonclick to get published: http://outskirtspress.com/cgi/agent.cgi?key=22944

An important locus for English-speaking writers, the region of Tuscany is also well represented in the Italian literary canon. In Tuscan Spaces, Silvia Ross focuses on constructions of Tuscany in twentieth-century Italian literature and juxtaposes them with English prose works by such authors as E.M. Forster and Frances Mayes to expose the complexity of literary representation centred on a single milieu. Ross uses the works of writers such as Federigo Tozzi, Aldo Palazzeschi, Vasco Pratolini, and Elena Gianini Belotti, to seek out alternative visions of Tuscan space and emphasizes that each author fashions the region in a manner which reflects their personal poetics, background, and experiences. Theories of cultural geography, space, travel, and narrative contribute to Ross's consideration of the dualisms commonly employed in writings about Tuscany, such as country/city, nature/culture, female/male, and self/other, all of which are in turn affected by her interrogation of the local/foreign opposition that underlies the study as a whole.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A lyrical and evocative collection of personal stories from the author of Under the Tuscan Sun, in which the queen of wanderlust reflects on the comforts of home. “Personal, warm, and lovely . . . a charming read. The book feels like a warm conversation with your most thoughtful, curious friend.”—Garden & Gun LONGLISTED FOR THE PEN/DIAMONSTEIN-SPIELVOGEL AWARD • VERANDA BOOK CLUB PICK “Where you are is who you are.” Though Frances Mayes is known for her travels, she has always sought a sense of home wherever she goes. In this poetic testament to the power of place in our lives, Mayes reflects on the idea of home, from the earliest imprint of four walls to the startling discoveries of feeling the strange ease of homes abroad, friends’ homes, and even momentary homes that spark desires for other lives. From her travels across Italy to the American South, France, and Mexico, Mayes examines the connective tissue among them through the homes she’s inhabited. A Place in the World explores Mayes’s passion for and obsession with houses and the objects that inhabit them—books, rich food, gardens, beloved friends, and transportive art. The indelible marks that each refuge has left on her and how each home influenced the next serve as the foundations of the book’s chapters. Written in Mayes’s signature intimate style, A Place in the World captures the adventure of moving on while seeking comfort in the cornerstone closest to all of us—home.