The stage is set: Florence in late spring. When I first received the exquisitely illustrated invitation box from Cartier, and opened it to discover that the rendezvous point for Le Voyage Recommencé was Florence, the capital city of Tuscany, I thought it was sheer genius. Apart from the ancient city being my favourite in the whole wide world, it is the birthplace of the Renaissance.
Botticelli, Michelangelo, Dante, the revival of Greek and Roman philosophies, the Brunelleschi Dome, the innovation of techniques like perspective and chiaroscuro in art, the Gates of Paradise - all had come from the wellspring that is 15th to 16th century Firenze. Then a wealthy independent city-state, it became the seat of modern European thought and worldview, and where the Medici empire was a pioneer in modern banking, and in my opinion, tastemaking.
Florence was where it all began, and now, finally when the world is moving in full swing again, we will be recommencing our journey of beauty in this glorious city.
NO BETTER PLACE
The sun is high, and the weather perfect, when we set off from Florence into the Tuscan countryside. The previous evening had officially marked the start of our adventure, of the vino kind, at the stunningly contemporary Antinori Chanti Classico Winery an hour's drive from the city.
This morning's destination - the historic Villa Reale di Marlia dating back to the 9th century just outside the city of Lucca - will show off another side of the region's charms. Upon our arrival, a glow is radiating from the newly restored national monument, which used to be the home of Elisa Bonaparte, the French emperor's sister, during her reign as Princess of Lucca from 1806 to 1814. Later owned by socialite Countess Mimi PecciBlunt, the property had seen guests the likes of Grace Kelly, Jacqueline Kennedy, Jean Cocteau and the Duke of Windsor.
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