Benvenuto !

At Good Tastes of Tuscany we constantly celebrate the essence of life, the color of fun and the spirit of tradition. Come with us on a journey that gives you the heritage of Italian craftsmanship and flavors sculpted to tantalize, tempt and tickle the taste buds. One of the most admired and appreciated cuisines of the world come from Italy, the land where tradition and culinary skills are handed down as the richest legacies. Follow a natural path into ancient kitchens and discover the art, the architecture and the foundation of a refreshing range of food at its freshest and most delectable best. Be it ever so humble, gourmet or innovative, there’s no place like Italy with its colorful culinary repertoire.

So come down to the Villa Pandolfini to the “Good Tastes of Tuscany cooking school” in Florence, Italy. Get a firsthand taste of a creatively planned cooking module that lets you experience Italian lifestyle along with the charmingly popular cooking and wine classes that display the fundamental treasures of Tuscany.

Interpreting The Essence of Creativity…

After a delicious meal cooked under the instructions of the chefs, our expert chefs with a hands-on experience for our guests at the cooking class, we sat around and chatted idly at Villa Pandolfini’s beautiful and huge kitchen. We talked a great deal about the perfectly sculpted creations by our chefs. I asked them if they were interested in seeing a wonderful place where they could actually see the art of the myriad creations being made. Ofcourse everyone was game for this delightful excursion! We walked to the station which was just a little bit more than five minutes away from Villa Pandolfini. We took the train from Lastra a Signa to Viareggio, the scene of the colorful carnival. We whizzed through the countryside and our guests were thrilled to see the wild stretches of verdant land, through vineyards and hills, all painted by the hand of Nature.

But I still had not told my guests what they were in for! We arrived at Viareggio, an hour and fifteen minutes later and we were all fascinated with this little fishing village which was structured as far back as the 15th century. Its name was taken from Via Regia or the Royal Way where the people of Lucca built a fortress, but now has been transformed into a resort. Viareggio is also a place that is very well known for its shipyards that build the most expensive yachts for the rich and famous. We were very hungry by then and we found the pearl in the oyster, the famous Ristorante Romano in this coastal village. We were welcomed by the Francheschini family and were escorted into elegant interiors with two rooms, one for receiving guests with a cloakroom and the other one for dining. Enhanced with soft lighting and a melodious décor of parquet, colored glass, elegant settings in pastel shades with a classic touch, the restaurant has been the meeting place for gourmets, connoisseurs and the rich and famous. Franca Romano, the proprietor’s wife, delivers well-performed culinary acrobatics that turns a simple fish dish into a divine black tagliatelline featuring calamaretti or small squids with a dash of flavored squid ink. We were totally impressed and taken up with their talented children. Roberto, the son is an experienced sommelier, who takes you through a complete journey to the abode of Bacchus. Maria Cristina, the daughter produces magical delicious desserts. You just can’t miss the first courses which include Bavettine pasta with scampi, Baby squid with flowered courgette, Spaghetti with seafood and fish, and the classic Cacciucco alla Viareggina, a soup made with different types of fish found along Versilia's coastline. Typically, the Ristorante Romano dishes unfurl a myriad delights with antipasti of baby squid stuffed with vegetables and shellfish, mullet fillets with olives, tomato and basil, Scampi with Piana di Camaiore beans, grilled shrimp and ravioli stuffed with lobster in a pink sauce. Thanks to Franca's special coconut biscottini or cookies and apple crumble and Maria Cristina’s special Bavaroise with a chocolate heart and sautéed pears with acacia honey, we were transported to a heavenly gourmet retreat at Ristorante Romano.

Sculpting a Spectrum of Entertainment

Hearing sounds of merriment outside the restaurant, I, Max, the maestro of surprises then explained to my surprised guests that it was the Viareggio Carnival. My guests were excited and wanted to take a look immediately. But Romano had wheeled in his trolley of cheese and we took our favorite ones while some of the others just chose from a range of delicate chocolates. While we went through the finishing touches to a delicious spread, I explained the legend behind the Viareggio Carnival. I told my guests that every year, from the 12th of February to the 5th of March the carnival takes place with the most impressive parade of floats, fun and food. My guests were intrigued and I went on to tell them that the Viareggio Carnival was established in 1873 following the custom of the Mardi Gras. Dreamed up by the well-to-do young citizens of that time, the Viareggio Carnival has come to be known as the grandest and biggest festival of its kind in the world today. These young people quickly gathered up sculptors, carpenters, ironsmiths and made huge models of the leading figures in politics in Italy, with wood, plaster and jute. Though the First World had destroyed most of this tiny village, they courageously picked up the pieces and built up their lives and the town bringing back their old traditions and celebrations.

We walked out and found the place thronging with holidaymakers and the local inhabitants in a fantastic merry and boisterous mood. We threaded our way to through the crowds and selected vantage positions among the crowds who lined the sidewalks. We talked to the locals who told us that the parade was characterized by allegorical floats made with papier-mâché. Float makers dedicated the whole year to making these fabulous floats. Then the magic of the Carnival began with the ‘Cup of Champagne’ theme song, as the voice from the loudspeaker hushed the excited tones of the crowd. Then Mr. Carnival makes his appearance, attired in a magician’s costume. Performing different tricks every year, Mr. Carnival has become a much-awaited personality, especially with the children. Then to our amazement, immense floats glided past. Some had animated figures and some were incredibly huge with rolling eyes and mouths opening and closing. We clapped and cheered them as kids and youngsters on the floats threw confetti and shooting stars in the direction of the crowds. Each float had its own identity and represented a scene or an occasion, dragons, personalities, mythical figures and monsters. The star of the show comes in the form of the ‘Burlamacco’, who is the official sign of the Viareggio Carnival mask. The name is derived from Buffalmacco a Florentine painter and a character in the "Decamerone". As Burlamacco pranced along, the children were delighted and the crowd amused as they observed his costume. This clown wore clothes and accessories taken from other Italian masks or caricatures. He sported checkered overalls, taken from the Harlequin's costume, a white ponpon whisked away from Pierrot's big fluffy blouse, a white gorget in the "Captain Scary" style, a red headband and a black mantle. Accompanied by musical bands, cheerleaders, colorful parades and dancers, the most creative floats are awarded prestigious prizes.

A Citadel of Peace

As the evening wore on, we walked around to find that during this entire magical period, masked balls and parties in the various ‘rioni’ (quarters, districts) are organized as well as numerous sports and cultural events like “Torneo Internazionale giovanile di calico” or soccer. We also found that Viareggio has celebrated 133 years of Carnival parades, culture and tourism. As we sat in the square, the locals told us that Viareggio was named as the new ‘Citadel’ or the Carnival town where the ‘Citadel under the stars’ review takes place with concerts and cultural shows. A great superbly constructed hangar housed the floats. We were eager to see this wonderful piece of architecture and found the Citadel Museum that was conceived by the architect, Francesco Tomassi and completed in 2003. As we went through the Museum, we saw the statue of Burlamacco, which was made by Uberto Bonetti in 1930. The Museum unraveled an entire new world with models, allegoric floats in glass showcases displaying the structure and various chromatic composition solutions and the satiric interpretation of the different subjects. Besides this, we saw original works of some famous artists, such as those of Enrico Prampolini, Lucio Venna, Moses Levy, and Uberto Bonetti. The Museum also housed a training section for aspiring float builders with the museum walls lined with advertising graphics and posters. The laboratories on the ground floor ranged over 300 meters allowing for personalized courses and also lessons in the techniques of papier-mâché.

We made our way back to Villa Pandolfini with the triumph of overcoming barriers and a privileged chance to be present at a traditional festival that showcased solidarity and peace. With our senses of hearing, seeing and feeling fully satisfied, our group overwhelmed with the romance of the festival mood had a chance to witness a carnival that brought together people from all races.