THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW -- PART 5

WORDS BY JAMES BENTLEY AND 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUGH PALMER

The most awe-inspiring of Palmer's many photos presents itself near the beginning of the book.

A full-page print is dedicated to an image of ancient Tuscany both beautiful and a bit foreboding.

"The delightfully irregular Ponte della Maddalena, a beautifully-preserved medieval bridge, spans the river Serchio at Bargo a Mozzano, on the route to the area of northern Tuscany known as the Garfagnana," the photo credit explains.

That perfectly lit and vivid image, accompanied by the late Bentley's dozens of mini-essays, makes dream of waking up under the Tuscan sun till the end of time.

www.thamesandhudsonusa.com

 

THAMES HUDSON BOOKS -- $26.95   

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW -- PART 4

WORDS BY JAMES BENTLEY AND 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUGH PALMER

The final section takes us to the southern parts of Toscana such as: Cetona, Radicofani, Sovana, Arcidosso, Abbadia San Salvatore, Saturnia, Pitigliano, Montemerano, Magliano in Toscana, Populonia and Ansedonia.

We learn that Pienza was once called "the Pearl of the Renaissance" because of its high concentration of palaces and churches in such a small village.

 

The sumptuous book takes us to Monterchi, where Piero della Fracesca's gorgeous Madonna del Porto once decorated the tiny cemetery chapel.

The author and photographer transport the reader to San Gimignano, where the medieval towers have ruled over the town's square and streets for centuries.

THAMES HUDSON BOOKS -- $26.95 

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 26

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW -- PART 3

WORDS BY JAMES BENTLEY AND 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUGH PALMER

The writer and photographer start near the great towns of Florence and Lucca and move south through the Chianti region to the valley of the Orcia.

Along the way, we find out about villages that produce fine olive oil, art, wine, herbs and crafts.

The section on villages around Florence and Lucca includes: Bagni di Lucca, Castelnuovo di Garfagnana, Castiglione di Garfagnana, Cutigliano, Uzzano, Collodi, Vicopisano, Artimino, Scarperia, Vicchio, Stia, Poppi and Camoldi.

The section focused on villages around Arezzo and Sienna introduces us to: San Gimignano, Casole d'Elsa, Radda in Chianti, Castellina in Chianti, Moterchi, Monten San Savino, Foiana della Chiana, Lucignano, Pienza, Montalcino, San Quirico d'Orcia and Castiglione d'Orcia.

 

THAMES HUDSON BOOKS -- $26.95 

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 25

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW -- PART 2

WORDS BY JAMES BENTLEY AND 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUGH PALMER

Writer Bentley and photographer Palmer produced this amazing book for Thames & Hudson in hardback version in 1995.

Now, perfectly appropriate for our pocket book-conscious times, the beautiful publication is out in more affordable paperback version that retails for $26.95.

Three dozen villages are profiled in 287 color illustrations over 216 pages.

Again, don't expect even hauntingly hilly Siena or walled Lucca in this volume. 

Both are beautiful, but they are cities.

The Most Beautiful Village of Tuscany covers tiny hill-villages and valley vineyard places, most too small to even merit a Trenitalia stop.

THAMES and HUDSON BOOKS -- $26.95 

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 24

 

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL VILLAGES OF TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW -- PART 1

WORDS BY JAMES BENTLEY AND 

PHOTOGRAPHS BY HUGH PALMER

Anyone who has ever visited Tuscany leaves teary-eyed, wishing he had the time and means to stay months longer to explore the little villages tucked in the hills and valleys.

Florence is in Tuscany, but it is a metropolis the size of New York compared to the little villages -- some with populations in the hundreds -- captured by James Bentley's words and Hugh Palmer's photographs.

Bentley, an English-born Anglican parish priest who became a distinguished travel writer who specialized in Italy and France, died in 2000.

Palmer, one of Britain's leading photographers of architecture and gardens, has contributed to many of the titles in the popular "Most Beautiful Villages" series.

THAMES HUDSON BOOKS -- $26.95 

TUSCANY BOOK REVIEW CONTINUES 

TOMORROW -- SEPTEMBER 23