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Love restored an 1100 year old church and made a refuge for artists from around the world. We meet Mimma Verduci and Duccio Trassinelli in their garden where we have spent many productive and happy hours over the past five weeks of our writing and promotion internships at La Macina di San Cresci. When Mimma and Duccio first arrived here, this Eden could hardly have been called a garden. There was nothing but weeds and two neglected palm trees.    The garden is emblematic of the care the couple puts into everything.  The lawn, where their sweet dog Anea romps, bursts with greenery and is sweetly shaded by trees the two have planted over the last 30 years.  Fig, walnut, apricot, wild chestnut, apple, pear, cherry, orange, almond, and hazelnut trees ripple and sigh in the soft breeze.  When Mimma and Duccio first arrived here, this Eden could hardly have been called a garden. There was nothing but weeds and two neglected palm trees.   Over time, this welcoming space has become imbued as well with the presence of the many Italian and international artists who have been strengthened and inspired by the precious days they have spent working here at the artists’ residency program that the couple began in 2008.  An artist in residence at La Macina di San Cresci. Terracotta sculptures, many modern and unpredictable, some whimsical and hinting of folk tales, have been gifted to the garden or made by Duccio, an industrial designer. His artistry includes the garden lighting, an inspiring redesign of traditional terracotta vessels into a new use, that of illuminating this place where artists and friends spend hours sharing stories in the evenings. Duccio’s intent when working in this medium is to create “lamps that not only illuminate, but play with surfaces and space.” Some of his lighting designs are in permanent collections at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Centre Pompidou in Paris, and the Vitra Design Museum in Germany. Mimma went home and declared, “I met a man. I’m going to marry him.”  We pull out chairs at the expansive table kept cool by leafy vines overhead. It’s an easy-going gathering of Mimma, Duccio, and Elizabeth, a floral designer from Canada who volunteers her time to assist at La Macina. Elizabeth speaks fluent Italian and has helped us in numerous ways during our stay.   We take a moment to admire the view. The Chianti vineyards and orchards, leafed out into a silver green, spread upward and beyond to the ancient walled town of Montefioralle, famous for being the childhood home   of Amerigo Vespucci, the 15th century mapmaker and explorer whose name will be printed on maps of the continent we call home. Looking out the door of the international artists' studio and workshop at La Macina di San Cresci. In the distance is the walled medieval village of Montefioralle. Before we get down to the business of our interview, we also admire Duccio’s suspenders. They are bright yellow and patterned like measuring tape.   We have questions that have taken shape during our weeks here as we observed and assisted in the artistic life Mimma and Duccio have created through their hard work and care. We are eager to get started. Your love for each other radiates outward and creates such a wonderful community for artists from around the world and members of the local community. We are curious and must ask:  How did you two get together? What drew you to each other? Mimma explains with a smile they met in Florence, where Duccio owned a design and contract agency. One day Mimma, who was then studying architecture at the University of Florence and collaborating with an architectural firm, walked in to discuss a project. Duccio says he was struck by her beauty. After they chatted, he asked her to lunch, and she said yes. It was from the first moment a whirlwind romance.  Mimma prepares traditional Tuscan beans for our travel writing class from Pacific University. Each student always leaves with a copy of the recipe. Mimma describes one of their first dates. They had to eat outside in the middle of winter to keep watch over a motorbike Duccio had borrowed from a friend. They had such a good time shivering together they did not notice the cold. At the end of the night, Mimma went home to her brother and declared, “I met a man. I’m going to marry him.”  After Mimma completed her university studies, the adventure for the pair truly began. Mimma called her surprised mother to tell her she wouldn't be going home to Calabria (in Southern Italy), where her parents were then living, for summer holiday.  (Mimma grew up in Lecce, Puglia and Duccio in Florence.)  She and Duccio had decided to drive to Greece. This was before cell phones. Mimma usually called her mama every day, but for a full month there was no word.   After their first journey together, the pattern for the life Mimma and Duccio would share had been set: They would follow their curiosity and joy as a couple and see where it would lead them. After Mimma and  Duccio explored Greece, they were driving back to Italy when she spied a large road sign with an arrow indicating “COSTANTINOPOLI.” She asked Duccio, ‘Why don’t we go to Istanbul?” She explains to us that “He had already been there many times, but he was happy to oblige me and return to what we believe is the most beautiful city in the world.” Mimma did finally send her worried mother a telegram from Istanbul. A telegram her mother still has. We are the same age that Mimma was then. We can imagine how worried our mothers would be if we did not send word for a month! We can also imagine the lecture Mimma received when she finally returned to Italy and called her mama.    After their first journey together, the pattern had been set for the life Mimma and Duccio would share: They would follow their curiosity and joy as a couple and see where it would lead them. In the years since they have explored by car and by motorcycle much of Italy, Europe, North Africa , and the United States. Outside of the door to the artists' studio at La Macina San Cresci. The couple spent many painstaking years restoring the church and adjoining house. “All our trips have strengthened our bond,” Mimma tells us.  She thinks for a moment and then explains further: “While traveling we have shared unique and unforgettable experiences, some difficult. Each adventure became an opportunity to grow together, an occasion to learn, listen and understand each other.”   Being so far from home ourselves, we imagine the two of them negotiating all the unanticipated surprises as they drove through countries new to them, including coping with cars that break down, language barriers, and confusing customs.  Being so far from home ourselves, we imagine the two of them negotiating all the unanticipated surprises as they drove through countries new to them. Some couples might not do so well negotiating those hard times, but we believe Mimma when says, “Each mishap and new discovery brought out the best in both of us. We grew stronger with every journey we took. And that strength,” she tells us, “has had an impact on our daily lives and the projects that we have developed over the years–especially the difficulties that, together, we have had to face.”   Mimma is quite direct when we ask her why she decided to marry Duccio and stay with him for 40 years. “He’s not normal,” she says, with her signature shrug and bright smile. “He’s extraordinary.” It is obvious Duccio feels the same way about her. We think they are both extraordinary. When you first saw the church and house [the Pieve San Cresci and the attached casa], it was in a very poor condition. The ceiling had caved in on the church, and the house was not livable.  What were your reasons for wanting to restore it?  The couple had been looking for a house to live in outside of Florence, and the Diocese of Fiesole, which oversaw churches in the Chianti area, recommended to them the closed church of San Cresci and its adjoining house.  The entire property was in a bad state, however. The roof of the church had, for example, collapsed in 1966, and there had been no attempt since to repair it. Pacific University student walking the Slow Road route pauses to admire La Macina di San Cresci artists' complex with its historical church that Mimma Verduci and Duccio Trassinelli restored. Mimma says, “When we came to see the church and house for the first time, the place had a gloomy appearance, worn out, and neglected by decades of abandonment, but we immediately sensed that the complex had a hidden, great charm.”   As soon as  they opened the upstairs window of the house to the view of Montefioralle and the fields below, they knew they had to restore it, no “want” about it. While most people would be daunted at the neglect, they saw the potential in the rubble.   They went to the local bishop to learn more about the place. Was there a way they could help? Many churches and sites such as this one had slipped into degradation as the rural population in Italy moved to the cities. The church could not afford to maintain churches no one attended.  A Romanesque arch at the front of the church, dating back to the 10th century. The bishop was glad for Duccio and Mimma’s interest, and so began the conversation that opened the 30-year path to their restoration of this ancient place, almost all of which they have paid for with their own funds and accomplished with excruciating attention so as to stay true to the original designs of this historically significant location, the first documented Romanesque church in the Greve in Chianti area.   Despite all of the challenges they experienced in those years as they faithfully brought back to life the 1100-year-old church and priest's house–and there have been too many obstacles, some quite complicated and terribly expensive–the couple say they would not have changed the life they have shared here. “It’s a paradise,”  Mimma says. When did you begin the international artists residency program?  What motivated you? It wasn’t until they were finished restoring the casa’s old cellars that they started wondering what to do with the space. They could have offered wine tasting or cooking lessons, both common options in the enticing Chianti wine region of Tuscany, but the couple comes from art. They wanted to stay loyal to the experience they were passionate about. It helps that the cellars, which hold the house’s original and enormous stone olive oil mill, are fantastic spaces in which to create.  The many-roomed cellar provides a cool place for artists to work during their Tuscan summer residencies at La Macina di San Cresci. And so the La Macina di San Cresci (The Mill at the San Cresci Church) International Artist Residency Program was born. Since 2008, painters, sculptors, writers, musicians, videographers, and a host of other artists have come to spend from a week to several months at the house, sometimes working in collaboration and always sharing with the local community their creations in the lecture series that Mimma and Duccio also coordinate. There often 5 to 6 artists working on site. Do you ever find it difficult to live the slow life surrounded by people from other countries who are used to more fast-paced living? Simple answer? No. Duccio explains that the artists are obligated only to their own path with their own work, not the other way around. Mimma agrees, stressing that artists who receive residencies here do tend to eventually grasp that a slower life is one with more quality. “You can’t rush a solution here in this place. You just have to wait and let the answer come,” Mimma says. This thoughtful and patient approach imbues the atmosphere at La Macina with an attitude that spreads among artists who are awarded the time to and space to pursue their work. It's certainly helped us, both writers, to expand the stories we are crafting into new and surprising directions. After almost 25 years of running the residency program, what inspires the two of you to maintain it? Mimma says, “The aspect of the future. We don’t dwell on the past. There’s always something new.” This sentiment is evident in every aspect of life at La Macina, from the family-style aperitivo evenings the couple offers in the gardens,   to the time and energy the couple have put into recovering the house and church, to the way they greet each new guest. They love being able to meet people and see how each person interacts with the space in their own way. Truly, what is more beautiful than that? The endeavor you created here has expanded to include the Slow Road, a five mile driving, biking, and walking route that passes in front of La Macina and circles around to include the walled hamlet of Montefioralle and the popular city of Greve-in-Chianti in the valley below.  The route, which you named the Slow Road, has been enhanced by commissioned art installations of local artists and university art students from Florence. The project is a striking contribution to the community and to tourists, who must indeed slow down to take in the relationship between art and landscape.  In your opinion, what are the core conceptual values of slow living?  We are especially interested to hear what Mimma and Duccio have to say on this matter.  As outsiders, we know firsthand what it is to learn from these generous hosts who welcomed us with open arms.  One of our Pacific University travel writing students pauses on the Slow Road hike to rest on a terra cotta installation created by student artists from the University of Florence. The presence of mind to sit upon, touch, or consider the art and locations along the Slow Road is very similar to how we feel in the garden at La Macina as we learn to slow down and pay attention to the surprises of this ancient but very alive place. At the very core of ‘slow living’ is the act of taking the time to connect with the people around you and learning to prioritize community over material things Mimma shares a specific example. “If I am at the Co-op (the main grocery store in Greve) and my ticket is called at the bread counter while a friend is talking to me, I will let my turn pass and wait to finish the conversation.” When we asked her why this was so important, she answers, “What is more important? The cheese and bread or the conversation with someone you care about?” It is a sentiment that is often lost on Americans and important to be reminded of. At the very core of ‘slow living’ is the act of taking the time to connect with the people around you and learning to prioritize community over material things. Map of the Slow Road, the vision of Duccio and Mimma. It includes several large scale artist installations, most in terra cotta, the medium of Tuscany. The route passes in front of La Macina di San Cresci. The two of you seem to be a focal point for a huge community of artists and crafts people. This may be a silly question, but how did that happen? Did you seek it out or did it happen more naturally? In short, the community simultaneously forged itself and was fostered by the pair, who from our perspective are at the center. According to Duccio, the thing that brings the community together is a genuine curiosity in each other's lives and well-being along with a predisposition to being open to other people from all walks of life. As newcomers welcomed into this vibrant community, we couldn’t agree more.  By Wren Bonham and Cryptid Parke with contributions by Elizabeth Sargeant and Kathlene Postma. Writers Wren Bonham and Cryptid Parke in the garden at La Macina di San Cresci during their Writing and Promotions internships arranged and sponsored by Pacific University.

We interview Giulio Saturnini on how Greve in Chianti can innovate on its distinctive "Slow City" culture in a modern age. This interview was conducted with Giulio Saturnini by Pacific University interns and travel class students over several meetings at the Town Hall located on the Piazza Matteotti in Greve.   A solid, square Tuscan structure dating back to the 16th century, the Palazzo Comunale (as the town hall is called in Italian) is imposing as we enter through its massive door. As we make our way up the stone steps to the second floor, we pass city employees calling cheerfully to each other, and the atmosphere seems to lighten up.  Walls throughout the building are lined with framed documents related to Greve’s history. The piazza in Greve in Chianti in 1903. On the building on the far right is the Palazzo Comunale, were we are are welcomed on this May day in 2025 by Counselor Saturnini for a Q & A. After a short wait outside the official reception room, we are ushered in and directed to chairs lined up to face a formal table. Out the window to our left is the distinctive triangular piazza, sun-warmed and busy with tourists and local shoppers. On the pale walls around us are painted what appear to be old family seals and other official insignias. Councilor Saturnini enters wearing the official sash, bright with the colors of Italy's flag, that indicates his position. He settles into a wooden chair facing us. By all appearances, he seems young and modern, but we are a little daunted by the weight of history in the air. How much official business has been conducted in this room over the centuries? Saturnini says, “My English is not that good, but let’s begin.”   We will soon find out that his English skills are in fact excellent, and that he will generously consider any question we ask, including some that amuse him.  (“What’s your favorite pasta?” one of the students inquires.  Answer: “Simple out of the box spaghetti with a tomato sauce. “ This response tells you all you need to know about the easy presence of this down–to-earth, accessible champion for his hometown. He does not take himself too seriously.)   Giulio Saturnini, age 37, comes to political activism by way of his parents, who were both dedicated to the local community. He graduated from the University of Florence with a degree in political science. About ten years ago, he became politically active and was asked to join Greve’s city government.  Recently he was re-elected to the city council. His official role is Greve City Councilor for Public Works, Promotion, and Tourism.  The Cittaslow flag and logo hang proudly on the Palazzo Comunale (City Hall) in Greve in Chianti. The bronze sculpture is by Igor Mitora. Saturnini’s father. Paolo Saturnini, was Mayor of Greve in Chianti. Giulio grew up to a life of service and has spent many hours inside this very building watching his father and his friends at work for the community. Whenever he speaks of his father, Giulio is visibly moved. Paolo Saturnini passed in 2020. Greve in Chianti was one of the first cities to honor the charge of Cittaslow, which includes:  Respect the environment, promote local goods and agriculture, and treat everyone–locals and visitors–with respect. In 1999, Mayor Paolo Saturnini founded the Cittaslow (or Slow City) organization . An outgrowth of  the international Slow Food movement, Cittaslow is a more expansive effort by a consortium of cities to encourage sustainable values. Greve in Chianti was one of the first cities to honor the charge of Cittaslow, which includes:  Respect the environment, promote local goods and agriculture, and treat everyone–locals and visitors–with respect. These are just a few of the movement’s admirable goals. There are now 305 cities involved  in the global membership, from Sonoma, California, to Halfeti, Turkey to Jingyan, China.  Greve's public library's architecture is inviting, thoughtfully designed, and full of light, reflective of the attitude of the town itself. Our Pacific university interns and professors have enjoyed writing and researching here. When we conducted research for this article, Paolo Saturnini’s groundbreaking work and dedication to the establishment of Cittaslow came up numerous times.  We are interested in how his son, Giulio, is continuing his legacy as well as the causes most important to Giulio in his own work for the city. What do you think should be the main goal of a local government? Do you feel like this goal ever conflicts with your own personal desires for the community? “We need to  build a “vital, vibrant and vivible” environment,” Giulio Saturnini says.  Vivible? We pause for a moment to sort through its meaning. Vivable is originally a French term that captures a sentiment that can roughly be described as good living.  Although it might be tempting to simply translate the word as “livable," Saturnini’s use of vivable contains the intention to encourage members of the community to create positive connections for a quality living environment. Although it might be tempting to simply translate the word "vivable"as “livable," Saturnini’s use of vivable contains the intention to encourage members of the community to create positive connections for a quality living environment. How is this kind of productive interaction possible?  He explains, “Well first there has to be a relationship of trust between the citizens and local government. Those who do this work need to be honest and hold ourselves accountable. That’s the only way.”   We understand you are a member of the Democratic Party (Partito Democratico), which is different than the Democratic Party in the US. We’ve grown up with a largely two party system in our home country, while Italy has an established multi-party system. Can you help us understand the goals of your party and how they are a good fit for a town like Greve? [The rest of his answers to our questions are in Councilor Saturnini’s own words. Some of his answers have been edited for brevity.] Try to keep in mind is that while there is a left and right wing in Italy, it's a completely different situation in Greve, not only because of changes in the last 20-30 years [when immigration has increased while the birth rate and population of Italy as a whole has dropped] , but also because it's difficult to have a direct link between national policies and a local government like Greve’s.  We have to work more closely with each other and across party differences here.   For example,  immigration. How to handle this challenge is an ongoing debate all over Italy. There are newer immigrants who have lived and worked in Greve for a couple of years, and the Democratic Party members have been trying to help them integrate into the community. There have been blocks, like language and passports, but in many cases those obstacles have been overcome. Other parties might just ignore those problems, but our intention is to reach out and help.  What are the core values of slow living?   What steps do you want to take to ensure that the town honors and builds on those values? Twenty five years ago, my father and other town leaders were trying to bring the Slow Food movement into Greve’s administration. Back then, we were fighting a very different enemy: fast food franchises. We did not want to see a MacDonald’s built on the piazza one day. Nowadays everything is fast because of globalization, so the enemy is much bigger. The main principle of slow living is supporting the identity of a community, and so Greve's administration should make choices to go in that direction. You have to keep alive the soul of the community, otherwise it is all meaningless. The local people have not wanted big hotels, chain restaurants, or golf courses, so they have written the city planning with that in mind. The majority have been against that kind of growth for a couple of reasons. It would be a risk for the image of the town. We have shaped some of our economy to the expectations of paying visitors who want the slower experience. And of course that kind of growth would have a dangerous impact on local resources and the environment. Greve, located in the heart of the valley, is serene and safe for walking during the day and at night. The Chianti region has its own things to be proud of. It is important to convince property owners to stay true to their own culture.  [He pauses and then continues on with his answer so we can better grasp his meaning.] You have to keep alive the soul of the community, otherwise it is all meaningless. Even though these things (sushi, athletic shoes, clothing made in other countries) aren’t bad, it’s necessary to impress that this culture, our  culture, is important because it is our own and unique. Yes we are a touristic place, but our priority should be about sharing our local perspective. Other places might not care, but Greve should. Moving forward, what do you think are the best ways to further involve the community in building a legacy of slow living that will continue to be there for future generations? Is there anything you think more people and businesses should adopt? Just this past weekend, I was at a Cittaslow/Slow City convention. It’s obvious to everyone who cares that this movement can only survive if it adapts to the challenge of the globalized world. Sadly, we have mostly lost the battle against fast food. Many restaurants and markets outside of smaller towns like Greve have become franchised.   Greve's piazza is simple yet elegant and surrounded on all sides by small, welcoming businesses. During the day it is a natural place for outdoor markets, children at play, and friends to meet and catch up over coffee. The message of Cittaslow has to be adapted to the realities of the fast life most of us live now.  Some of the Cittaslow values can include the “right to disconnect” from the internet,  to reduce weekly working hours, and to regain spaces for personal and not commercial  interests. For example people in Greve would like to see more benches in our parks and places for us to gather and connect. We can find more ways like this to protect the identity of a place in an innovative way.  Some of the Cittaslow values can include “right to disconnect” from the internet, to reduce weekly working hours, and to regain spaces for personal instead of commercial interests.  “Protection” has this negative connotation, but this protection has to have forward movement. We cannot  refuse the new and other ways of doing things, but we must at the same time remember where we come from. It is a thin line to live upon,  but we have to find it. We are having the the great opportunity to meet practicing artists who have chosen to live or spend time practicing their work in Greve. Does art play a role in everyday life of residents here?   We have art displayed and for sale around Greve. We are always trying to fund and develop more. One of the most interesting additions has been the statue downstairs in front of the city hall. [The striking bronze sculpture by Igor Mitoraj shows a much larger than life male torso with wings, akin to a Roman god or warrior. The headless statue causes some tourists to do a double take, in part because of its exposed male genitals.]  It was a bold decision by city leaders to place this controversial piece in the main piazza in front of the town hall back in 2001. Greve was still a rural farm town then. There was much debate. The local priest was not happy.  Greve has been an active farming town for generations. But with time the statue helped shift the local perspective on art, and contemporary art especially. We found a way to talk about our  art. Florence [located 20 miles to the north of Greve] is all about the Renaissance. I think we were brave to establish our own artistic ideas.  Those are reflected in more of the art that has appeared here. As students, we wonder how younger people in Greve in Chianti negotiate small town life.  Is the Catholic Church part of their daily lives?    Because of how our educational system works in this part of Tuscany, after age 13 or 14 you have to go to school in Florence.  Most students take the city bus into the city each morning. They can do sports here in town.  We cannot refuse the new and other ways of doing things, but we must at the same time remember where we come from. It is a thin line to live upon, but we have to find it. As for the church:  I don’t know the numbers regarding who attends. I’m agnostic. In fact I’m not even baptized because my parents decided to let me choose. I’d say only 5 to 10 percent of my friends are religious. They have their kids baptized, but my partner and I chose not to do that with our daughters. Honestly, given what’s going on in the world right now, I guess I’m a little jealous sometimes of those who have faith because they probably have more answers than I do.  [He smiles gently.]    What has been the local reaction to the new pope? The new pope [Pope Leo XIV]] has generated a lot of interest in Italy, but I would say that’s mostly because of the political aspect. He’s the first American-born pope. In reality there’s a big distance between Rome and the church in Greve. It might be surprising for you to hear that we are mostly not connected to what happens in the Vatican. The basilica on the piazza [Santa Croce] does have a presence here and elderly residents often attend mass. The church offers concerts in the summer that are also popular. Are the people in Greve concerned about climate change and protecting green spaces?   We talk much more here about how to keep our environment healthy. Climate change is affecting us too. Writer and botanist Stefano Mancuso, a professor at the University of Florence, has written interesting books about the intelligence of plants. I invited him to speak in Greve, and a lot of people came to listen to him. We’re trying to apply some of the principles he promotes. For example, planting as many trees as you can as a grassroots initiative is not really that expensive. I’m convinced that’s important, although tree planting applies more to big cities. Greve’s territory is about 180 thousand square kilometers, one of the biggest in Tuscany, but our population is only about 13,000 people spread across the town itself and the farms and small country villages. The rest is forests.  Climate change is touching us, so we have to think about how to address it. We see the reality in the winemaking industry, where it is affecting the taste and the smell of the wine. So for our community it’s more important to prevent big buildings and promote public transport to and from Florence. We have this beautiful road connecting us to Florence which is full of postcard picture views. At the same time, the buses that come through Greve are not convenient for our community in terms of travel time and schedule. So maybe we should invest more in public transportation, perhaps with electric buses that run on a separate lane or a similar kind of solution. Sculpture overlooking the Chianti countryside. When we construct new buildings, we can also be more thoughtful. For example, if we cut 5 trees for this new house or business, maybe we have to plant 10 trees as a replacement. Climate change is touching us, so we have to think about how to address it. We see the reality in the winemaking industry, where it is affecting the taste and the smell of the wine. Some farms are moving their planting to higher altitudes because of the warming earth.   We notice many of the people who we have been fortunate to spend time with here like to talk about food and eating, so we have to ask: What is your favorite pasta dish?  Spaghetti from the box with simple tomato sauce. I’m not that great a cook. When I was growing up, I had tagliatelle made by my grandmother twice a month. But the store bought today is okay with me. [This answer generates an incredulous response from us. This is Tuscany! We had imagined everyone would be very particular about everything they eat, especially pasta. For a few minutes after there’s a laughing discussion about food and we usually eat pasta from the box as well.] We end our conversation with a final question about Cittaslow, a concept that has deepened for us as we’ve interviewed people in the community and learned more about their intentional work and lives. Do you believe the Cittaslow movement to be a lasting success here? Snails are a common presence in Tuscany. It is easy to see why these distinctive creatures became the symbol of Cittaslow. I’m not sure if our citizens today all understand that the Cittaslow [Slow City] movement was founded in Italy and how much Greve played a part, but I think those values have entered into the DNA of our community.  We did not build big hotels here when tourism took off because they did not suit our way of life. We can put something slow and thoughtful into our daily routines to reinforce this attitude. In that way we probably have already succeeded in Greve. While there is constant pressure for that kind of development, we can look to Cittaslow to help us move forward thoughtfully. It’s a way of thinking. We can put something slow and thoughtful into our daily routines to reinforce this attitude.  In that way we probably have already succeeded in Greve. Article by Wren Bonham and Cryptid Parke with contributions by Elizabath Sargeant , Kathlene Postma, and Pacific University travel writing students.

A nourishing combination of art, food, and family. Our student writers and professors from Pacific University have had the joy over the last four years of cooking classes and dreamy afternoons lingering over our delectable creations with the Correani family, owners of the Agriturismo Podere Somigli . When we hike up to the Correani farm from the piazza in Greve in Chianti, a 4 kilometer (2.5 mile) trek, we get the full dose of Tuscan landscape. Wine trellises span the hills as far as we can see. The dirt road is lined by olive trees. We stop often on our climb to catch our breaths and inhale the beauty. Once a monastery founded 900 years ago, the Correani family house and adjacent buildings were converted during the 20th century into a home and thriving winery and olive oil business . First timers among our students usually making this pilgrimage in late May will likely remark that the glimpse of a distant castle on one side of the road and the little walled village of Montefioralle (population 100) on the other makes it seem as if we are walking through a fairy tale. When we arrive at Loretta and Alfredo Correani’s house, situated at a sharp bend in the road right across from the elegant Villa Bordoni, the fairy tale unfolds further. Once a monastery founded 900 years ago, the Correani family house and adjacent buildings were converted during the 20th century into a home and thriving winery and olive oil business. Stone carving on the wall of the farm by Alfredo Correani. We are met in the courtyard by Alfredo and Loretta and their daughter-in-law, Elena, who speaks to us in a warm, energetic English about our plans for this visit. She runs the front-end of most of the family’s business and organizes with Loretta the cooking lessons. Alfredo welcomes us with hugs and sincere delight. Loretta stands back to take us all in with her usual gentle smile. Sylph-like in frame and quietly attentive, she runs the cooking lessons, offering the instructions in Italian with Elena’s translation. As always, we are drawn toward Loretta when we have the opportunity to cook here. We believe she would be the perfect Italian auntie for us, if we were so lucky as to have one. As always, we are drawn toward Loretta when we have the opportunity to cook here. We believe she would be the perfect Italian auntie for us, if we were so lucky as to have one. A fourth host, Lorenzo, arrives briefly, sweating from hard work in the sun, to say buona sera (good afternoon). Lorenzo, married to Elena, is Alfredo and Loretta’s son. He tends the farm, which includes over 1000 olive trees and several hectares of the sangiovese grapes used for making chianti classico wines. The family's vines cascade down the encompassing valley below the house. We are reminded as Lorenzo heads back to the olive trees and vineyards that the environment we savor this afternoon demands hours of labor each day and many generations to build. The Correani family has expanded into the next generation with the more recent additions of Elena and Lorenzo's two young children. Alfredo works in watercolor, acrylic, oil and ceramics. We have become collectors. Before we enter the ancient house and start our pizza education, we get a glimpse of Alfredo’s modest studio. His paintings done on wood, canvas, and paper vibrate with life and story. Displayed thoughtfully inside and outside the villa, his creations capture the character of Tuscany from Alfredo’s vivid and unique perspective. He also makes terracotta sculptures that are playful and intricate. Many peek out from the stone walls and the expansive garden. Visitors can buy Alfredo's work—we regularly leave with a treasured painting or etching—as well as the family’s fine olive oil and wine. It is all irresistibly good. The products of the farm can be purchased only on site, which makes a visit–or several for a lucky traveler–a must during our time in Greve. For the next half hour we get sticky with flour, olive oil, water, and yeast inside the ancient farmhouse, which features both a modern kitchen and the stone sink where for centuries the monks who lived here washed their hands–and where we can rinse ours as well. After finding our places around the expansive wooden table in the kitchen and donning our striped Podere Somigli aprons, we are more than ready to get started. The Correani family manages a wonderful balance of teaching the skills of food preparation with play. For the next hour we get sticky with flour, olive oil, water, and yeast inside the ancient farmhouse, which features both a modern kitchen and the stone sink where for centuries the monks who lived here washed their hands–and where we can rinse ours as well. At times Loretta takes pity on us with our dough making and steps in to get us back on track. After we master the art of making dough, Elena and Loretta remove our not-bad efforts and bring out buckets of dough, already risen, they have spent hours hand mixing for us the night before. Then we knead and press out the springy goo into pans—with guidance from an amused Loretta and thoughtful Elena—before slathering our dodgy results with homemade tomato sauce. Of course we get creative with the numerous toppings Elena has set about the table. Some of us sneak shavings of fine mozzarella. Loretta, with her keen eye, steps in at each moment of confusion or debacle and gently corrects, fixes and then pats a grateful student on the back with a warm laugh that forgives clumsiness and spills. She speaks rarely because, it seems, she does not need to. We watch her closely, and she watches us. The results are culinary achievements–at least we think so!--displayed on flat metal pans that we parade together out to the terracotta oven burning with chopped oak branches that have been poked and prodded to the right temperature by Alfredo. He takes each pan and slides it carefully among the embers. “I'm afraid it will be a long time before I experience another day as perfect as this one.” It’s easy to get hypnotized by the baking process, but Alfredo directs us to the garden to wait and take in the abundant valley that surrounds the farm until the pizzas are ready. We gather at long tables with the incredibly verdant Chianti landscape before us like a staged dream. When the baking is complete, Elena brings us plates towering with slices of hot, fluffy pizza made to our expectations–one even gluten free! Under the grape arbor Alfredo pours us glasses of their own chianti classico or cold rosé and explains the hand made love that goes into each glass. Elena coaches us on how to use various toppings. Our question: Can there ever be too many? Then we eat, drink, breathe deep, and realize we move altogether too fast in our regular lives. As one student, Jacob, put it after biting into his pizza: “I'm afraid it will be a long time before I experience another day as perfect as this one.” We rise to the challenge of a multi-course meal! The pizza making class is the usual plan for our students at the Podere Somigli, however the family offers more challenging instruction for the ambitious cook-in-training. A few weeks after the pizza making fun, two of us Pacific University students–Wren and Cryptid–leap at the Correani's family offer of intensive study followed by an intimate conversation with the family. We have been serving as interns at the nearby international artists residency program at La Macina di San Cresci, located a short walk from to Podere Somigli. For today's training, we happily join four American tourists we’ve just met for the more sophisticated class with the Correanis. Cryptid Parke, La Macina di San Cresci and Pacific University intern, at work on pasta al citarra. This will be a full meal with multiple dishes. On the menu: Peposo with mashed potatoes, pasta al citarra with eggplant, bruschetta, and tiramasu. In order to help with our focus, we each start with glass of the family’s chianti classico, so dark and rich that when we hold it up to the window no light breaks through the ruby redness. For the next two hours we knead dough for citarra, take turns stirring the sauce, and learn the challenging art of pressing the juice from eggplants–much more difficult than it looks. Plate by plate we savor every dish we’ve made, pausing to breathe in the heavy, earthy scent of the grape vines that surround us. We make the bruschetta last, so it’s perfectly fresh, and then take it out to the garden, where we will eat it first. Plate by plate we savor every dish we’ve made, pausing to breathe in the heavy, earthy scent of the grape vines that surround us. To be eating like this on a breezy June day Greve in Chianti is like a dream. After the other Americans have left, sated and happy, for more wine tasting down the road, the two of us (Wren and Cryptid) and our Canadian guide and translator Elizabeth collect with Elena and Loretta for a chat in a small courtyard tucked between the house in the winery. The door beside us is open to Alfredo’s compact gallery and studio. An Artful Life Is a Thinking Life. Pay Attention. We have questions about the history of the farm, specifically Loretta’s history, as the property has been in her family for generations. The Podere Somigli olive oil comes from trees, a few over 200 years old, on the farm. Each tree is carefully tended by Alfredo and his son Lorenzo. The extra virgin oil is used with care in Loretta and Elena's cooking classes. Loretta tells us she has only lived on the farm for the past forty years, having been born and spent much of her young life in Florence where she worked as a seamstress. As a child, the podere was a place for her to visit, not a place she was from. She moved here with Alfredo to settle down and have a family and to make sure Alfredo had a space to make his art. As we write this, the memories of the details of that day and the Correani family come back to us with a treasured brightness. We think about the way time shifted for a little while and how we were allowed a sense of connection not possible for most outsiders. We ask Loretta how the farm itself and the town of Greve in Chianti in general have changed over the years. Her first response is many things are not so different now. Elena considers Loretta's answer and then clarifies. The property has gone through several changes and upgrades. The winery, a quaint and solid building that includes the stainless steel vessels for aging wine, a tasting room, and the winery shop, used to be a roofless, uninsulated building where residents stored cars—and then only if you had a tarp. The kitchen has also very recently been updated for the cooking classes. The label design of each bottle of wine, made from their own grapes, is painted by Alfredo Correani. The monks who lived here in previous centuries probably made their wine here as well. And that's not the only room in the house that’s been renovated. Even the picturesque, stone wall that wraps around the entrance drive to the property was over the years built up with bricks and embedded with ceramic art made by Alfredo. “The main house where the monks once lived is much the same and still as lovely,” Elena confirms. Greve, we learn from the two women, has changed too over the last generation. There’s been a steady shift towards comfort, modernity, and a tourist-based economy. We’re told Greve was once much more agricultural—an odd thing to hear as we sit surrounded by miles of grape trellises and olive trees on every side. The land was farmed by sharecroppers. This fairy tale we are admiring required for centuries the devotion of poorly paid labor. The feudal properties have since been divided into smaller parcels and are for the most part owned by the people who farm them, but that’s not the biggest change. We’re told Greve was once much more agricultural—an odd thing to hear as we sit surrounded by miles of grape trellises and olive trees on every side. Hiking the road to Greve gives any traveler a bevy of options for wine tasting, cooking lessons, or other forms of agriturismo (a farm that offers lodging and or meals) that have become the community’s lifeblood. Tourism has exerted its influence. “The first swimming pool was installed in town twenty years ago,” Lorretta mentions. That simple statement solidifies for us the way Greve and the Chianti region have changed. This place feels timeless to visitors, but for those who people who lived here even fifty years ago the shifts in culture must be tangible. We ask Elena and Loretta which do they think would be a better life, the community before the arrival of tourists and the pretty pools or now. Oh, not an easy question to answer! The two time periods each have benefits. How would they choose? It is important to be grateful for what they have today. Alfredo Correani's most recent series of paintings are on the lives of immigrants and the suffering many endure to reach a safe homeland. His provocative paintings exhibit in Florence and other locations. Alfredo takes a break from painting and ambles over. While much of his art seems closely tied to the land and shows his keen awareness of the Tuscan culture, he also confronts painful and urgent realities in his work. It might be tempting to see only the joyful and attractive in what he creates, in part because of his kind outward demeanor, but a closer look at his recent paintings reveals an unsettling use of color and imagery intended to capture the price immigrants are forced to pay in the pursuit of a safe home for their families in a hostile world. “Observe carefully whatever is close to you while you are here and wherever you go,” Alfredo tells us. “That is most important.” We ask Alfredo his thoughts on living in such a beautiful space as this one, where there is time to grow, make, and eat. How we can better understand it? “Observe carefully whatever is close to you while you are here and wherever you go,” Alfredo tells us. “That is most important.” As we write this, the memories of the details of that day and the Correani family come back to us with a treasured brightness. We think about the way time shifted for a little while and how we were allowed a sense of connection not possible for most outsiders. We left the farm walking at a slow, easy pace down the dirt road thinking about the real lives of the people who call this place home. By Wren Bonham and Cryptid Parke, with contributions by Elizabeth Sargeant, Kathlene Postma, and the Pacific University writing class students. Walking along the Slow Road from the Correani farm down to Greve in Chianti.

Generations of slow and careful labor with respect to the land result in exquisite wines at Le Masse Di Lamoli high in the hills of Greve in Chianti. The tiny and enticing borgo of Lamole, called il tetto del chianti (the rooftop of Chianti), can be found in the municipality of Greve-in-Chianti.  Lamole is home to Le Masse di Lamoli, a family owned winery easily recognized by the iconic iris on the labels of their Chianti Classico wine.  The history of the Socci family in Lamole can be traced back to the 1100s, and the early incarnation of their Le Masse winery dates back to the 1880s. The more recent incarnation of the winery, lead by Annamaria Socci, has resulted in distinctive wines, all Chianti Classicos, prized for their fragrant scent and bitingly rich flavor. The terraces and hilly landscape are better for the grapes—the stone walls release heat more slowly, and the slant brings more air to the vines, preventing disease and improving the taste. When we arrive at the vineyard, after a vertical drive upward on a winding dirt road that seemed headed into the sky, we are immediately struck by the jaw-dropping spectacle of our surroundings. The descending landscape is draped in trellises and sangiovese grape vines as far as the eye can see. Dotted within this expansive canvas of lush growth are stone casas and villas that harbor very old family stories and centuries of demands of farm life . The borgo, or neighborhood, of Lamole in Greve in Chianti is famous for its magical landscape, position, and soil, considered premium by Chianti winemakers. Despite our having been in the captivating Chianti for a few weeks at this point, nothing we have seen so far can compare to this view. After we soak in the sight, we are ushered by Annamaria Socci and her cousin, Gracia into the wine cellar built against a medieval wall where we get straight into what we were really here for: The story behind le Masse di Lamole and the family who owns it.  The two women tell us right away that, “slow life” is the work. They believe as long as the family stays in sync they’ll never have to worry about succumbing to the grueling, fast-paced mindset that’s the standard everywhere else. The two women tell us the “slow life” is the work. They believe as long as the family stays in sync they’ll never have to worry about succumbing to the grueling, fast-paced mindset that’s the standard everywhere else. Which isn’t to say that the work isn’t hard. When we asked Annamaria about her plans for the future of Lamole, how she’ll continue this legacy that’s been passed down for generations, she emphasizes the difficult nature of the job. This is farming, after all, and the layout of the grape trellises makes it difficult to implement effort-saving farm equipment like tractors or harvesters. All of the tending has to be done by hand, which makes it a challenging sell to younger generations. Annamaria does not have immediate descendants, and though Gracia’s son works for the business, he mostly focuses on the “soft” work—marketing, web design, and managerial tasks.  Li Masse di Lamole's distinctive iris label. Their Chianti Classico is lauded as very fine and nuanced, just one of the reasons the winemakers honor their older, more labor-intensive practices. During our time with her, Annamaria makes a point to remind us that the farm is a multigenerational business which she inherited from her father and shares with Gracia, and one day Gracia’s son will one day inherit.  While this assumption of passing-down a business to the next generation might seem presumptuous or unlikely to most Americans these days, it’s a very important traditional aspect of Italian life that the older generations are fighting to preserve. Many of the younger folk leave for the big cities in Italy and Europe in order to make a better living financially, and that means for farming families letting go of their land and the ancient ties to it and in some cases to each other. While this assumption of passing-down a business to the next generation might seem presumptuous or unlikely to most Americans these days, it’s a very important traditional aspect of Italian life that the older generations are fighting to preserve. That doesn’t mean that Annamaria has any plans to give up, however.  The two cousins truly believe that, for the right person, there’s nothing more satisfying than this kind of work, no matter their age. They want to find ways to give younger people the rewarding chance to try their hand at producing wine the traditional way.  We asked them, with some longing on our parts, about the beautiful communities and shared spaces that Tuscans have created and helped flourish. From our younger American perspectives, their farm feels a lot like heaven.  For the first time in the interview, the cousins hesitate. Things have changed, many of them by necessity. It’s not just that the communities are getting smaller as younger people leave. The business itself has had to grow and develop. The winery has created an online presence and adopted aspects of agriturismo to strengthen the business. Agriturismos, a special designation given to some farms in Italy, prioritize local and organic farming practices and offer guests a chance to learn about sustainable agriculture and enjoy fresh, seasonal food. This isn’t the first time the Socci family have innovated, though. When we asked about the story behind the proud iris that was featured on each bottle of wine, Annamaria told us that in the 70’s and 80’s the Italian wine market was so saturated that it was difficult to keep things running with the winery alone. This led to many people giving up their land in the countryside to move to bigger cities such as Florence and Siena, but her father had no interest in leaving Lamole. That practice lives on today, and the beautiful flower—also the symbol of Florence—has become the winery’s trademark. The change was one of survival, just like the changes they’ve made today, but it was also one made in the name of preservation.  Instead, her father turned his focus to cultivating irises and selling the rhizomes to France to be grown and made into perfume. That practice lives on today, and the beautiful flower—also the symbol of Florence—has become the winery’s trademark. The change was one necessary for survival, just like the changes they’ve made today, but it was also one made in the name of preservation.  To this day, Le Masse di Lamole uses traditional chestnut casks to mature their wine instead of the more typical stainless steel, and the dry stone terraces they grow their grapes on were abandoned by most farmers in the 1970’s. The terraces and hilly landscape are better for the grapes—the stone walls release heat more slowly, and the slant brings more air to the vines, preventing disease and improving the taste. Retaining that aspect of growing makes for a more labor intensive experience, as so much of it must be done by hand, slowly and deliberately, although the result is a wine that is extremely fine and rich. The work is harder, but the attention to the relationship between the Lamole soil, plants, weather, and ancient practices is worth it. As it always has been, and always will be.  By Wren Bonham and Cryptid Parke, Writing and Promotion Interns for La Macina Di San Cresci, with contributions by Elizabeth Sargeant and Kathlene Postma.

Sculpture comes to life at la Fonderia Del Guidice Leonardo near Greve in Chianti. The exterior of the Fonderia Del Guidice Leonardo offers us no clues to the wonders inside.  Located in a small industrial compound just outside Greve in Chianti, it is one of several non-descript buildings crowded together under the Tuscan sun. Separated into two spacious rooms with tall, cathedral-like ceilings and iron walkways, this busy workshop vibrates with intention and skill. It's dubious exterior hides the astonishing sculptures and work going on behind the door. The second we step inside, we begin to grasp why the fonderia is a haven for local and international sculptors working in bronze, brass, and aluminum fusion.  Separated into two spacious rooms with tall, cathedral-like ceilings and iron walkways, this busy workshop vibrates with intention and skill. The first room is where most of the “soft” work gets done. Here artists come to sculpt and plaster molds are created.  It’s stuffed to the brim with plaster proofs and finished bronze works. Art bursts from every corner.  Sarah, one of the directors, waves to us. She's helping an Australian artist with some preliminary processes, so her brother Giacomo steps in to act as our guide.  He leads us into the next room. Right away we spot the forge, a giant cauldron glowing with molten metal.  Established by Giacomo and Sarah’s father Leonardo in 1974, Fonderia Del Guidice Leonardo was first focused on replicating Renaissance sculpture for art dealers.  Giacomo patiently walks us through the process of lost wax casting, the foundry’s bread and butter.  From start to finish, casting is fascinating and complex.  In the 1980s, they expanded into working with contemporary artists who have since consistently come to Fonderia Del Guidice for the kind of collaborative attention that makes for outstanding art. Sculptures cast here over the last fifty years are on display in private and public places as well as in museums throughout Italy and other countries. Giacomo patiently walks us through the process of lost wax casting, the foundry’s bread and butter.  From start to finish, casting is fascinating and complex.  Along the way, he shows us  sculptures in all stages of creation, including many fully finished pieces: some super-human and majestic statuary and others whimsical and arresting, such as miniature girls at play, each beaming bright with life and yet at the same time stilled into a warm bronze  Creating art of this kind requires one to think differently about time. "We like to think we are a little anachronistic. In a world that sometimes goes so fast, we still stop to observe and value what the hands can do." Giacomo Guidice. On the fonderia website,  which we highly recommend for the striking photos, video, and explanation of their work, Giacomo says, “We like to think we are a little anachronistic. In a world that sometimes goes so fast, we still stop to observe and value what the hands can do. In this way, ours is no longer just a practice of a trade, but also a  cultural and social education.” We stop to watch the red-hot metal get poured into molds. The viscous fire shines like gems. This is not a one-man process. Three people maneuvered the heavy, hot equipment, including Sarah’s son.  When they finish and set the now-full molds aside, Giacomo turns to us with a proud smile. The metal will now cool for several weeks before being stripped off the mold and buffed down. Being allowed to wander in the storage room was the true highlight for us. Lofted high above the studio on a metal catwalk, it holds generations of work. There are hundreds, most likely thousands, of different sculptures, many of Jesus Christ and other major historical saints and figures. As we make our way through, we find it difficult to focus on just one face or detailed hand. Getting to walk among these vibrant pieces  is a  breathtaking experience we will not forget. We stop to watch the red-hot metal get poured into molds. The viscous fire shines like gems Near the end of our visit, we chat with Sarah and Giacomo. It’s obvious how much love they both have for this fine art and craft and their family’s long devotion to it. Their life’s work is dedicated to making an artist’s dreams a reality, solid and permanent. But this mission is a dream for them too. Giacomo says he’s proud of his self-identity as a “country boy.” Yet at the same time, he tells us, when he’s here in the studio working with artists from every country, he gets to see the world. by Wren Bonham and Cryptid Parke, writing and promotions interns at La Macina di San Cresci, with contributions by Elizabeth Sargeant and Kathlene Postma.

Every spring, the swallows, known as rondini, return to Tuscany from Africa. This poem, written by Cryptid Parke, was inspired by the bird families that nest atop the the 1100 year old church, Pieve San Cresci, and viewable from the window where our Pacific University interns stay. Art by Wren Bonham Some say the smallest disciples are the holiest But in this ancient sanctuary there is nothing holy about you You, who swoops and dives through the air like a renegade bullet So free against the backdrop of the sky that I can hardly stand it I am envious of you You, who are free and unbound by the fickle laws of man Uneeding of divine approval or recognition from anyone other than the heavens As you perch upon the arms of the cross, I tremble with guilt Not for your godless actions, no To hold you to such standards would be nothing short of cruel But for my own lack of faith, for my selfish desire to fly Unlike you, I was made in the image of God At the foot of the hill, olive boughs burn and the smoke dances with you And when I reach out for a taste of your freedom My lungs fill with smoke, choking and smothering me Mankind was not meant to hold a candle to you I burn as you watch from your perch on the church roof, unscathed Cryptid Parke Promotions and Writing Intern at La Macina Di San Cresci