Abbondanza Toscana - Italian cooking courses and wine tours in Tuscany, Italy

From the hundreds of books and movies about Tuscany, we’ve culled just a few which to us present the essence of Tuscany. Reading the books or watching the movies will get you ready for the beauty and culture of Tuscany and give you some reference points for some of the places you’ll see and the experiences you’ll have on an Abbondanza Toscana course or tour.

Movies:

Much Ado About Nothing, the William Shakespeare play faithfully reproduced by Kenneth Branagh, also starring Emma Thompson and Denzel Washington. Its cinematography of Tuscany is stunning. One of its settings, a post-Renaissance villa and excellent winery, is a favorite stop for our groups who visit Chianti.

Stealing Beauty, the story of a young woman "coming of age" almost eclipsed by the beautiful Tuscan scenery.

Under the Tuscan Sun, forget the plot, just look at the pictures.

Books:

A Tuscan Childhood, an autobiolgraphy by Kinta Beevor, the daughter of artistic parents who chose to live in a remote castle in the Garfagnana mountains north of Lucca. The story is of an idyllic childhood between the Wars, followed by a return after the last war to recount the story of the Tuscan people rebuilding their shattered existence.

Images and Shadows, by Iris Origo, another fascinating autobiography of an initially shy girl overshadowed by an eccentric mother who lived in the Villa Medici near Fiesole, the book takes you through World War II and again to the rebuilding of the peasant existence after the War. The Villa Medici is one of the villas and gardens visited by the Tuscan Gardens and Farmhouse Cooking program, and the artists programs.

Too Much Tuscan Sun, by Dario Castagno, a funny look at tourists inspired to come to Italy by Under the Tuscan Sun, written by a tour guide from Chianti.

A Garden in Lucca, by Paul Gervais, follows the author and his partner through the purchase of a rundown hunting lodge and garden, and his growing obsession turning into a passion to re-build and add innovations to the garden over twenty years. Villa Massei is another of the gardens visited by the Tuscan Gardens and Farmhouse Cooking Program.