Tag Archives: Medici family

Alchermes, a florentine liqueur

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A name that has little or nothing of Florentine, yet the recipe for this liqueur was born in Florence. The origin of the name is Arabic and is linked to the red color obtained from “Cochineal”, from which a red powder is obtained that dyes and characterizes the liqueur, now replaced by food dyes. Liqueur…

Un liquore fiorentino, l’Alchermes

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Un nome che ha poco o niente di fiorentino, eppure la ricetta di questo liquore nasce a Firenze. L’origine del nome è araba ed è legato al colore rosso ricavato dalla “Cocciniglia”, dal cui si ricava una polvere rossa che tinge e caratterizza il liquore, che oggi può essere sostituita da coloranti alimentari. Liquore composto…

Stimato, odiato e amato:Giorgio Vasari, le “mille vite” e lo wedding planner

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A marginedi una copia de “Le Vite… di Giorgio Vasari”, fu trovato un appunto senza firma:  “Ciarlone, sfacciato, presuntuoso, bestia maligna, ignorante, invidioso, bugiardo…” e altre offese forse peggiori. Si dice fossero state scritte da Annibale Carracci (pittore bolognese), acerrimo nemico del Vasari… Anche se non fu mai artista eccelso, Giorgio Vasari ebbe l’intelligenza di…

Florentine love stories: wishes and windows always open

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On the 700th anniversary of the death of Dante Alighieri, we cannot forget his love story, his most famous Florentine love story. Dante and Beatrice first met when they were just 9 years old. The meeting took place in the church of Santa Margherita dei Cerchi (church where Beatrice Portinari’s family had her burials) and…

Go on vacation!

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The term “villeggiare”(vacation) originated in Venice and Florence during the Renaissance to define the period of residence that nobles and wealthy gentlemen had at the country villas during the summer. The whole family moved to the villa to escape from the heat and miasma of the city where, in the streets of the center and…

For Carnasciale (Carnival), meat in abundance

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It is Carnival time or “carnasciale“ as they said in Florence. “Joyful” days in which it is allowed to exaggerate, having fun and eating … then Lent arrives. The same term “carnival” reminds us of the origin of this festival, from the Latin carnem levare, but it also seems that “carnasciale” is the evolution and…

Bianca and Francesco: their marriage and the mystery of their death

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They disliked the opulence of their Court and its power intrigues. They loved simple things such as good food, country life and hunting: Bianca and Francesco loved each other tenderly and passionately, and wished to be left alone. Although their relationship was under everyone’s eyes, “He” was Francesco de’ Medici, or Francesco I the Grand…