On Tuscany

Every time I am in the Italian countryside I cannot but hear strains of music in my head by composers such as Puccini, Monteverdi and Palestrina. Surely, these great composers found much of their inspiration from the landscape on their doorsteps, bathed in the purity of light that is so unique to Tuscany. So, after many years I was eager to return to Tuscany for a week of photographic indulgence.

The tour was led by Charlie Waite and Phil Malpas; both completely in tune with each other as we set off each day to explore the undulating countryside and the honey-coloured towns perched aloft the fields. Mists arose as if by command as dawn approached, and the late afternoon sun bathed our vistas with a golden glow. Midday saw us recuperating in villages such as Pienza, Montisi, Monticchiello and Lucignano, their very names lyrical and enticing.

Charlie was very much the maestro, conducting us at each location to unravel and appreciate every nuance and every detail of the land laid out around us. Phil orchestrated our movements, ensuring every technical query was met and nudged us into being creative. We were immersed into the landscape rather than being mere onlookers.

The weather was mostly kind but a day of downpours meant an opportunity to explore the city of Siena, with its magnificent 13th century Duomo in characteristic black and white stone and the adjoining 15th century Piccolomini library. The rain somehow brought out the richness of the ancient stone buildings and marble clad palaces surrounding the irregularly shaped ventral Il Campo dominated by its campanile.

Signs of faith were never far away. Each village has its own church and the occasional chapel can be found isolated in the landscape, for example, the Capella della Madonna di Vitaleta. One of the highlights was a visit to the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo nestling in the valley below the village of Castelnuevo dell’Abate.  Sadly, the countryside is punctuated by abandoned farm houses that resonate of more fortunate times. It is almost as if the occupants had suddenly left behind the wares of everyday life. 

The tour was based at the Hotel Casanova just outside the walled town of San Quirico d’Orcia. The setting could not have been better, with unsurpassed views over the Val d’Orcia. It was just a short walk into San Quirico of an evening to enjoy typical Tuscan cuisine at one of its many restaurants.

This was a tour where the whole experience amounted to more than the sum of its various parts. A veritable photographic symphony.

Val d’Orcia