Notorious Vandal Strikes Again - The Florentine

22
Thursday 20 October 2005
Travel & LEISURE
Back to the Future
Agriturismo: Getting Back
to the Good Life
By Kathy Perunic
Life in Italy
www.theflorentine.net
It is no secret that Italians are
leaving bigger cities in search
of a slower paced rural lifestyle.
The current revival of small towns
throughout Italy is allowing people
to rediscover the beauty and benefits
of a more simple and traditional
way of living. Tourism is also following
the lead,
and visiting
Italy is no longer
just about
cities of art and
monuments.
The “in” vacation
amongst
Americans has
become going
to an old farmhouse
in the
countryside to
really experience
nature. In response, we have seen the
fast-growing trend of Agriturismo
(country houses, usually family run,
offering room and board and often
many other activities). Today there are
over 13,000 authorised agriturismi in
Italy; five years ago there were fewer
than 9,000. Fortunately, by boosting
local economies, they are also helping
to preserve the old way of life in
and around these picturesque historic
towns.
I am one of those fortunate foreigners
who lives in a portion of a
restored casa colonica (farmhouse)
in the Tuscan countryside. What are
the perks of living outside the city?
NO traffic, NO parking problems,
LESS smog, NO crowds or noise...
and, of course, that small town thing
where everyone knows you and is
more willing to pitch in and give you
a hand when you need something.
I love looking out of my windows
(which have no curtains) and seeing
the green hills and open space
all around me. I enjoy the silence
that is broken only by the sounds of
nature, making spring the noisiest
season. It doesn’t leave me feeling
lonely or isolated, but rather it gives
me a sense of space and calm.
I feel like
I have always
known what
the Italians
seem to be “discovering”
only
now: that there
is a treasure to
be protected in
Italy that goes
beyond its urban
monuments and
museums. It is
precisely the
natural beauty of its landscapes and
the rich fertile earth that provides
its world-renowned wines and oils
(not to mention the simpler things
like tomatoes, oranges, eggplants,
etc, which just ‘don’t taste the same’
anywhere else!) that the Italians
must protect. Finally, there are signs
of hope: you can actually find cases
where land is being cleared, not to
build yet another condo complex,
but rather to plant a new vineyard!
It’s about time. But, there is still a
long way to go.
All over the country, there are
quaint mediaeval villages called
borghi perched upon rolling hills,
with their narrow stone-paved
streets, that seem to have been frozen
in time. They must not be allowed to
decay. Many are full of important artwork
and artefacts, often overlooked
because they are not classified as “masterpieces,”
or taken for granted due to
the sheer quantity of art in this country.
It is clear that some of these tiny
old villages would be hard to live in
for many. But there are those “daring”
people who find that kind of
lifestyle alluring. The problem has
always been how to “survive” today
in one of these places. Where do
you work? Well, finally there is a
growing movement amongst local
governments to sustain the development
and re-population of these
tiny towns. Even the federal government
is deliberating financial-aid
packages for small towns in order
to guarantee their future. (Let’s just
hope that the usual bureaucratic
traps don’t hold it up for decades!)
For some of the towns the answer
is specialised agriculture: from vineyards
and olive groves to agricoltura
biologica (organic farming). Others
are counting on ‘didactic tourism’
aimed at rediscovering the feudal
heritage of the smaller, more remote
towns that still maintain their historic
landmarks. The burgeoning
trend of turismo enogastronomico
(in which food and wine become
the focus of a vacation) has many
scrambling to prepare wine cellars,
specialised shops, and restaurants
to cater to the journey of this new
breed of tourist. Even the original
vocation of the bed and breakfast
style agriturismo is mutating to
enrich its offerings and expand its
services. When you think about it,
it’s really a fabulous idea!!
Thus, all the indicators are posi-
tive for rediscovering some of the
most ancient traditions of Italy in a
new and dynamic framework that
is compatible with the 21 st century.
In the long run, the results of this
change in attitude will hopefully
benefit both the land and its inhabitants.
Tourists can check out what’s
available, and authentic (thereby
avoiding unauthorised facilities
claiming to be agriturismi), by consulting
the regional government
websites.
FOR TUSCANY:
www.agriturismo.regione.toscana.it
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