Who knows by what mysterious mechanism, sometimes, Destiny and Chance decide at a precise moment in our lives, to bring us back to “place.” Perhaps, right there, where we have intensely experienced people or situations and returning there, inevitably brings the mind back in time. It happens then, that the heart reopens its doors, to seemingly distant or slumbering thoughts, sometimes dear and sometimes melancholy, that we know have deeply determined who we are.
Il va sans dire… yours truly also has its “place,” and of this I cannot but consider myself very fortunate and grateful to Fate and Chance, who have chosen for me. Two powerful forces that are not always forgiving, but this time they were magnanimous and generous, because my “place” is incredible. I love it. I respect it deeply, because it has determined and still determines my life … my place is Tuscany.
To the years I spent in Siena, I reserved a privileged place in my heart. I was a young student, leaving my family and my homeland of Puglia for the first time to pursue studies in Science and Banking. When – to get to the ancient convent of San Francesco, the seat of the Faculty, early every morning, I would leave from the house on Via Mascagni – immediately as if by magic, I would enter another dimension. There, where culture and history came together in a perfect fit.
A thousand times I walked down that street, so much so that even today in my schizophrenic days, I find myself remembering images and scents of it, because everything was simply mind-blowing. And it was always there that I dreamed and marked what I would do in the years to come, first admiring the Duomo, then walking down Via di Città and afterwards when to make it quicker, I was “forced” to cut through from Piazza del Campo, where time literally stops. To understand, I invite you to walk through the square at 7 a.m. or 11 p.m. in winter. I assure you it will be a real salve for your soul.
After many, many years, Fate and Chance brought me back to my dear Tuscany. This time to welcome me was Cecina, a serene seaside town a few miles from Livorno. And, although many years have passed since the Siena days, the enthusiasm for what there is to do is equal.
From Cecina, the idea of making Vieni A Vivere la Toscana was born and from here it will be directed and managed together with my enlightened fellow travelers, Mari and Angelo.
Arts, artists and artisans…territory, businesses and culture…. in the land of Tuscany.
I am sure of it, it will be a great adventure, and I will want to write about it in my Director’s Diary.
VVT to all.