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When in Fiesole, do as the Romans did

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Under the Tuscan Sun

C’mon, have a go!

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The Leonardo Codexes reversed

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How to get there:

The terracotta of Impruneta

More about Abetone

LIFE’S A BEACH ! (PT.1)

LIFE’S A BEACH ! (PT.2)

Villa Le Corti opens its doors and gardens

A beautiful Garden & Fair
[Susan Glasspool]

The Fair of Gardens, now in its 12th year, was the bright idea of Oliva di Collobiano and promoted by Duccio Corsini with the contribution of Credit Suisse and is sponsored by the Florence Tourist Board, the Tuscan Region, the Town Council of San Casciano, the Association of Italian Historic Houses and the Florence Garden Club.
That is just to give you an idea of the importance of this Garden show and market of flowers and plants. It is held in the splendid grounds of Villa Le Corti at San Casciano in Val di Pesa, only a few kilometres away from Florence and easily reached by car or Sita coach (for Mercatale Val di Pesa via San Casciano). The fair offers plants of a high quality and also explains their behaviour, where best to grow then, the sort of climatic conditions they require and so on, and therefore the public can consult real experts on the types of plant to buy and cultivate.
The theme this year is Other gardens, other herb gardens. Artemisia Absinthium (wormwood), which is an aromatic medicinal herb that grows wild on uncultivated land. This plant was used to make absinthe, the drink that was once so popular with poets and artists but also good for the digestion or to stimulate the appetite. A simple but transgressive plant that introduces the latest novelties and experiments at the fair as well as inspiring the Project Ideas competition for landscape gardening. The one hundred exhibitors offer a wide range of products accompanied by conferences, talks and other events, and the general effect in the magnificent setting of the Villa and grounds is really fascinating. Naturally there are restaurant and bar facilities to make it a real day out. And even if you are not a gardener or anyway have nowhere to grow plants at the moment, it gives you the chance to see the great villa and its beautiful gardens and views...in other words it is a most enjoyable way of spending a Saturday or Sunday in the country in September..


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