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Profiles

Stefano Bemer

Bespoke traditional shoes, Florence
Stefano Bemer began doing shoe repairs in Greve, Chianti, in 1983 after the town cobbler died. A local aristocrat noticed his work and showed Bemer his collection of John Lobb shoes. Inspired, Bemer moved to Florence to study design and ...

Team -
My Cortona

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 15

IF YOU WANT TO TRY YOUR HAND AT POTTING OR GIFT A MEMBERSHIP TO SOMEONE WHO DOES, TUSCAN CLAY LAB IS THE PLACE...
Tuscan Clay Lab, Cortona’s first pottery school and a wonderful space just off Via Nazionale, is likely set to become THE long awaited creative and cultural hub for artists in town. It was conceived by Tamara Godivier who, with three partners, set up ...

Alison Koetser -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES: NO. 14

WRESTLED BACK FROM THE WILDERNESS, TENUTA LA SCURE IS NOW AN AGRITURISMO-RESTAURANT PARADISE...
Happiness, is a meal served on Tenuta La Scure’s beautiful panoramic terrace, with a glass of chilled white wine (or pink or red) and a menu offering ecological, home-grown dishes – from quail’s eggs with truffles, to saffron gnocchi, to mixed roasts, to ...

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My Cortona

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 13

TOUR GUIDES BY DEFINITION NEED TO BE WELL GROUNDED IN HISTORY OF ART. VALERIA LORENZINI SHINES IN THE SUBJECT...
Any registered tour guide, by definition, needs to be smart! The exams are excruciatingly tough. Guides are also expected - by law - to take regular courses to update themselves. Many spend days, even weeks, putting together a new itinerary ...

Alison Koetser -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 12

NO. 1 IN ITALY FOR SUCCULENTS AND CACTI, GIROMAGI GROW & SHOW THEIR PLANTS IN SPECTACULAR SETTINGS...
Step into Giromagi and you find yourself in the most wonderful world of exotic cactuses and succulent plants exhibited amongst vibrant colours and textures. Gianni, Romano, Marcello, Giulio – the four brothers behind this inspirational venture – bring to the Val ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 11

GINO MATTRASSI, FURNITURE RESTORER AND DEALER, IS ALSO OWNER OF TERONTOLA'S SECOND-HAND MARKET...
Excited at the prospect of finding novel and unusual fixtures and furnishings for our new home extension, I headed off to Gino Mattrassi’s mercatino dell’usato (secondhand market), in Terontola. It’s a treasure trove of sorts and Gino is a fountain of inspiration, with a ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 10

We are spoilt for choice in Cortona between so many fine restaurants, but Organika would seem to excel...
Throughout our travels to every region in Italy (except one), I have found some towns to be immediately captivating.  And within minutes of our first visit, maybe 20 years ago, Cortona captured my heart.  It’s a place where ancient meets modern and blends in ...

Karen Farabee -
Texas, USA

CORTONA PROFILES - NO.9

AL TOCCO IS A RESTAURANT WITH A DIFFERENCE! LUCY WOOD INTERVIEWS THE TEAM WITH A DREAM THAT HAS COME TO FRUITION...
‘Al Tocco’ in Tuscan dialect refers to the hour after noon and after midnight.  It also denotes something special (extravagant or even a little crazy) and quality, as in the round hats worn by judges, lawyers and university professors on important occasions. So, it comes ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO.8

Dave Lucado has made Cortona his adoptive home. By joining the Trasimeno Big Band his life was further enriched...
For me, living in Cortona has meant enjoying the refreshingly different culture, community, cuisine and natural beauty.  But after a while, I realised that I missed some of the things I’d left behind in my previous life, most notably TexMex ...

David Lucado -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 7

Works by Clelia Tondini, artist and ceramicist, can be found at Semi D'Arte and in her workshop in via Guelfa...
Clelia Tondini, ceramic artist, clearly has the most enticing spaces in Cortona, and that is no easy feat. Many of her works are on display in Semi d’Arte in Cortona’s central Piazza della Repubblica, but her workshop-cum-gallery half way down (or up!) via ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 6

Famous for his wild boar sculptures, there is a lot more to Antonio Massarutto than simply creating works of art...
It’s no coincidence that sculptor/designer Antonio Massarutto was celebrating World Earth Day – April 22nd – preparing a land-art project in North Macedonia because ‘Art as Nature’ or ‘Nature as Art’, could not be a more apt juxtaposition of his work.Originating from Pordenone ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 5

Marie Lardino has dedicated much of her life to education, but since retiring she has returned to her first love...
Marie Lardino, seems like one of those gifted achievers who has sailed through life without a cloud.  She is a small dynamo of energy, intellect, humour and quirkiness. It is only when you talk with her, that you discern the ...

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CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 4

Examples of Walter Venturini's artwork can be found in private homes and many of Cortona's bars and restaurants...
Walter Venturini is well known in Cortona not only for his art and restoration works, but also for his exceptional skills in trompe-l’oeil. From detailed landscapes, to windows with a view (where there are none!), he uses his art to ...

Lucy Wood -
Cortona, Tuscany

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 3

The combination of an exceptional olive oil and a unique balsamic vinegar has won L'Arte dell'Olivo numerous awards
In 2005, about 6 months after Tania and her husband Keith von Barkenhagen moved to Cortona, they experienced their first olive harvest.  That moment would change how they looked at olive oil forever.  The freshly pressed extra virgin olive oil they ...

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My Cortona

Cortona Profiles - No.2

The Molesini family have long been a household name in Cortona, their reach has now extended across the Atlantic...
The Molesini family, owners of both the delicatessen and wine shop in Cortona’s main square, have been fixtures in Cortona society for almost a century.   According to Marco Molesini, “…my family has been involved with the wine industry since 1937, ...

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My Cortona

CORTONA PROFILES - NO. 1

The first DelBrenna to turn his hand to jewelry making was Giovanni DelBrenna - a Florentine count - in 1201...
Cortona, throughout its long history, has  been the inspiration for many artistic individuals, from Henry James’ “Italian Hours” to local artisans handcrafting ‘one of a kind’ works of art and the many art students who come to study the beginnings ...

Rebecca Ghezzi -
Cortona, Tuscany

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