Book Description
Opening up their ancestral homes, the owners of these preserved and fully-functional estates now offer you a key to the hidden splendors of the Italian countryside. A detailed appendix provides all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits. Taking you off the beaten track of tourist Italy, Italian Country Hideaways invites you to the most unforgettable private villas, castles, fortresses, and farmhouses which you can actually stay. Tuscany and Umbria are divided into a number of sub-regions based on cuisine and culture as well as geography. An introduction to each region's local food and wine, sites, festivals, and other points of interest is followed by a selection of unique estates memorable for their meals, decor, architecture, grounds, and history. Opening up their ancestral homes, the owners of these preserved and fully-functional estates now offer you a key to the hidden splendors of the Italian countryside. A detailed appendix provides all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits, including a complete contact information, prices, amenities included, and dates of availability, plus helpful facts and advice on transportation, seasonal considerations, and making reservations.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful book! .......2006-03-27
This was such a fun book to read and the photography is absolutely beautiful! Italy is much more fun off the beaten path anyway...and I'm so glad to see more and more books that take the traveler to the unknown places!
--Vicki Landes, author of "Europe for the Senses - A Photographic Journal"
Behind Italy's Curtain.......2005-05-02
A beautiful book that takes travelers to places in Italy that are not generally publicized. An excellent travel guide.
Seeing the romantic heart of this beautiful country........2001-07-25
An excellent guide that takes you off the beaten tourist trap path. This warm and wonderful book invites you to the most unforgettable private villas, castles, fortresses, and farmhouses-places most of which you can actually stay. This book also is a good introduction to each region's local food and wine, sites, festivals, and other points of interest. The book continues to a selection of unique estates memorable that are known for their meals, architecture, grounds, and history. Opening this book is like the owners of these preserved and fully functional estates opening up their ancestral homes many of whom actually do and this book shows you how. The book further lays a full featured and detailed appendix providing all the practical information you'll need for planning your visits, including complete contact information, prices, amenities, and dates of availability, plus helpful facts and advice on transportation, seasonal considerations, and making reservations. Ever think of traveling to Italy and seeing the romantic heart of this beautiful country. This is the book you will need. ...
Plan your trip around this book.......2000-12-22
This is not only a beautiful book, with gorgeous pictures of Tuscany's castles and countryside, but also provides an excellent service by relaying contact information for all of the castles profiled in the book. My husband and I stayed at Castello di Ripa D'orcia this past fall and it was the highlight of our Italy vacation. We chose the castle as our base since the pictures were so magnificent--and we were not disappointed. It was well off the beaten path and it was the only time during our vacation that we were exposed to a real slice of Italy without the onslaught of tour buses that seemed to invade many of the other small villages in the area. If you are planning a trip to Italy, I highly recommend that you comb through this book and choose one of the country estates to stay in. It will make your trip much more memorable and enjoyable.
Rich resource to discover hidden Italian inn splendors.......2000-06-19
This is a wonderful Italian guide book that provides the reader a selection of off-the-beaten- track inns in the very scenic and culturally rich regions of Tuscany and Umbria. We used Ms Hurst's "Italian Country Hideaways" to book a glorious stay at a 19th century, castle-estate in Umbria. Her description of the Titignano estate accurately captured its atmosphere, our stay there was the highlight of our Italian vacation.
The audience for this book is anyone who has an appreciation for Italy and is looking for information to go beyond the typical tourist staples of Italy, i.e. Rome, Venice and Florence. Ms Hurst impeccable research provides the reader a rich resource to discover the hidden splendors that a non-native Italian tourist would not find. The books starts with a short introduction in which Ms Hurst describes her criteria for featuring the 30 unique inns. The text is well written by someone who knows her subject and obviously enjoyed doing her research. "Italian Country Hideaways" is filled with splendid photos that aptly portrays the scenic and immensely civilized Tuscany and Umbria regions and its featured inns. In essence its a tourist guide and coffee table book in one. Included is all the prerequisite information on how to contact (phone, fax and email addresses) the inns. The only quip I have is the lack of an updated map, it would have been helpful to provide an idea where these inns are relative to the say Florence and Rome. Otherwise, this is a great travel resource for anyone contemplating a trip to the Tuscany region and who wants to interact with the local culture.
Product Description
Have you ever dreamed about a few idyllic weeks in Italy, staying in a lovingly restored historic villa or apartment? Can you imagine yourself wandering through vibrant villages and towns, seeking out art treasures in tumble-down churches, and shopping for antiques, fine wines and the latest fashions along streets that have remained virtually unchanged for centuries? Does dining in rustic country trattorias, chic city restaurants, or even trying your hand at cooking authentic Italian meals in your own villa kitchen appeal to you? If you thought that this kind of vacation was only for the super-wealthy, you are in for a surprise.
Your Own Private Tuscany is the first guide that helps you turn this fantasy into an affordable reality.
Your Own Private Tuscany is not like other guides. It won't dictate where you should go or stay, what you should see, do, or eat, but it will give you all the tools required to custom-design a trip that suits your own personality and interests. In the pages of the guide you will find explanations of what to expect in an Italian rental, the reasons that vacation rentals are vastly superior to hotels, and specific instructions for finding a rental on the Internet at a price that is within your means. There are descriptions of regions to visit, the probable costs involved in renting, and tips on car rental, driving, and travelling with groups and children. Instructions on dining out and shopping in family-run stores, supermarkets and outdoor markets are spelled out for you. You'll even find reviews of rental agencies and guidebooks, and cookbook recommendations to help you prepare superb meals. So what are you waiting for? The holiday of a lifetime is closer than you think.
Customer Reviews:
Vacation Rental Guide.......2007-07-09
This was a great little book. Easy, quick read - lays out the questions to ask when considering a vacation rental in Italy. Definitely identified things I had not considered, that I will definitely include when narrowing down our rental.
A Must-Read if Your Are Planning a Vacation Rental in Italy.......2005-08-12
Sensible and well written, Ms. Jennings' "how-to" for renting a vacation villa in Italy is a great investment for hunting, evaluating and enjoying your vacation. As a vacation rental expert, I found every aspect of her book helpful and clearly explained. I am encouraging my clients to purchase this books for many reasons: it lays out the pros/cons of rentals, helps in choosing location and type of rental, explains the owner's perspective and offers advice on how to share a rental. The general travel advice is solid and helpful. The most useful aspects -- you won't find them anyplace -- are the tutorial and check lists on how to evaluate rental properties remotely. I evaluate many properties and assure you she knows all the secret ways that owners use to disguise problems with their rentals. She also lists trustworthy rental agencies and many helpful resources.
Pat Byrne, Excellent Europe - Vacation Rentals in Italy
Customer Reviews:
La Foce: A Garden and Landscape in Tuscany.......2005-05-15
This is an excellent book. It bodes one well to have read Iris Origo's autobiography to help understand much of the background of La Foce, although Benedetta Origo does an excellent job of providing background, too. The combination of the estate's background, color photographs and sketches by the authors makes this book an excellent buy, especially if one is interested in Italian gardens and their development. Maps, too, have been included to give one a sense of location. Beautifully done.
A Garden In All Its Glory.......2001-11-19
La Foce is an attractive Tuscan villa which is presented here in text and pictures. The text offers a picture of one family's history, including interesting archival photographs and drawings. What makes this book truly spectacular, however, are Morna Livingston's photographs, presented in a beautiful layout and printed on a silky white paper which heightens the luminesence of the incredible Tuscan colors. In more than one hundred photographs Livingiston captures the villa's gardens in every light and season. There are stunning images of the broader landscape and fascinating details of both the architecture and the plants. For those who have wondered just what the attraction of Tuscany is, you will find the answer here. For those who already know, this will serve as a reminder.
Book Description
Europe north of the Alps knew virtually nothing of fine living until Charles VIII of France and his army invaded Italy in the late 15th century. There, in the palaces and villas of Tuscany, the French discovered luxury on a scale beyond anything imagined in the medieval stone castles of the Loire Valley. Even today these villas remain among the wonders of the civilized world, with their architecture conceived by such renowned masters as Sangallo, Buontalenti, and Peruzzi, their interiors radiant with trompe-l'oeil frescoes attributed to the likes of Pontormo, Allori, and Il Volterrano, and their lush garden settings replete with fountains, grottoes, statuary, and breathtaking vistas.
Lavishly illustrated with more than 300 color photographs, Villas of Tuscany brings together 40 superb examples ranging in date from the Middle Ages to the late 19th century. Each is captured with all its aristocratic trappings: towers, peach-color stucco walls, and red-tiled roofs; dovecotes, courtyards, and loggias; nobly proportioned salons with sumptuous furnishings; and panoramic views over the Tuscan landscape, a sun-drenched world of rolling hills, olive groves, vineyards, and tall cypresses. The text, by Florentine scholar Carlo Cresti, is richly informative.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent trip in photos.......2007-08-10
To read this book is like a voyage to the Tuscany, great pictures, marvellous palaces and gardens and the feeling to be in Italy during a splendid spring.
Thanks for the pleasure to read this great book.
Average customer rating:
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Villa im Regen: Impressionen aus der Toscana
Waldtraut Lewin
Manufacturer: Verlag Neues Leben
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 German
| World Literature
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German
| Foreign Language Fiction
| Literature & Fiction
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General
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German
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| German
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| Specialty Stores
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ASIN: 3355001384 |
Average customer rating:
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The Villas of Tuscany
Harold Acton
Manufacturer: Thames & Hudson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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Residential
| Building Types & Styles
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Tuscany
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ASIN: 050024085X |
Amazon.com
The Wizard of Oz bears the remarkable distinction of being a perennial favorite in both book and movie form, the former for a solid century. Since the first Wizard of Oz book appeared just as the American merchandising machine was swinging into full gear, the characters of Oz have also been immortalized in a century's worth of memorabilia. In 100 Years of Oz, John Fricke takes the reader through the remarkable history of L. Frank Baum's creation, lavishly illustrating the progression with pieces from Willard Carroll's Oz collection. This collection is in itself a stunning monument to one man's obsession, albeit a charming one. Once you get past the sheer enormity of the accumulation, though, the individual pieces themselves are well worth a look. They range from the expected, such as dolls and comic books, to themed peanut butter and "hangers from the Merrie Land of Oz." Posters, ads, and jacket covers from the many stage, film, and book versions of the Oz series from all over the world are also included and make for more lovely eye candy. 100 Years of Oz is the perfect gift for hardcore Wizard aficionados, but it also gives the casual fan plenty to ogle, as well as a new appreciation of just how enduring this classic series has been. --Ali Davis
Book Description
Since its publication in 1900, The Wizard of Oz has remained in print, spawning 39 sequels, five silent movies, innumerable stage productions, a radio series, countless animated cartoons, and arguably the greatest MGM musical of all time. Conventions of Oz fans, held thrice yearly, draw upwards of 75,000 visitors.
For these fans-and anyone who ever dreamed of visiting Oz-Willard Carroll draws from his private collection of more than 10,000 museum quality pieces to offer a rare glimpse of Baum's beloved creations and their influence on popular culture.
Divided by decade, this book traces a century of Oz lithography, photography, sheet music, book jackets, stationery, manuscripts, costumes, film props, animation cells, newspaper rotogravure, greeting cards, Halloween masks, theater programs, contracts, maps advertising fliers, gams, toys, puzzles, dolls, and other memorabilia gathered from every corner of the world. With brilliant new photography, original artwork, drawings, sketches, blueprints, and stage and movie stills, 100 Years of Oz is a joyous and unique passport over the rainbow.
Customer Reviews:
Oz-some book!.......2005-07-21
This book is a 7 course meal for the eyes and mind! You will love the photographs of the rare Oz treasures, which are organized by decade.
This book is one of my favorite Oz reference books! John Fricke is truly the leading Oz expert!!
Now THIS has EVERYTHING to do with 'Oz'!.......2005-05-27
When I first saw this book years ago on "the Inernational Wizard of Oz Club", I wasn't really keen to get it (I guess the front cover looked a little too dull for me), but after seeing it in a bookstore and actually looking through it, I then knew I had to get this book, because (unlike the small "All Things Oz" collection), this book includes things OTHER than Baum's Book and MGM's Wizard, such as an unknown song from the 1904 Musical (not mentioned in "Oz: Before the Rainbow"), the Silent Films, 'Journey Back to Oz', 'The Wiz', both the Rankin Bass & Disney versions of 'Return to Oz', the 4 1987 CANADIAN-Animated Cinar Films (YES!! The mystery of their animation origin is written here!!), "the Wizard of Oz - Animated Series", "Oz Kids", the Asian "Space Adventures of Oz" TV series, "On Ice" Productions . . . it not only has all of this but also INCLUDES the most important and best of all, "The Dreamer of Oz"!! other language editions of the Oz books, and we also get a few 'Baum's Non-Oz' stuff, like his "Last Egyptian" Film and "Queen Zixi of Ix" book (plus a "Denslow's Picture Books for Children",) games/items/figurines, a few design sketches for MGM's Oz props/Emerald City and lots of other things that have to do with 'Oz' too - even though we don't get like 1-full page on info on every particular item, we still get some good information and lots of pictures too. Just like "All Things Oz", this book has lots of written information, pictures in the background/inserts and quotes from "the Wonderful Wizard of Oz" (and I'm glad to say that it doesn't have so many mistakes as "All Things Oz" does). But we also get a glimpse at some not-so pleasant Oz stuff, like the "Oz Comics for Adults" and a horrific Winged Monkey Creature Features model.
The Chapters of this book go by 10 Years (e.g. 1900's, 1910's, 1930's, 1940's, 1980's, 1990's, 2000's, etc.).
This was a pleasant surprise to find on a bookshelf (along with many other Oz books) and it was an absolute pleasure for me to buy it.
Also, what you see is a slip-on cover. The actual front cover is (an Italian poster of MGM's) Dorothy looking at the Crystal Ball and seeing the Wicked Witch of the West flying on her broomstick.
Trust me, get this book, and you'll love it - maybe even more than "All Things Oz"!
5 STARS, AS BRIGHT AS THAT YELLOW BRICK ROAD!.......2003-05-30
Lions and tigers an bears? Oh my! Add Munchkins and Winged Monkeys and a Horse of a Different Color to the list. This is Oz Country, and things simply don't get better than this. To celebrate the centennial of the publication of L. Frank Baum's novel (and the 60th anniversary of the classic MGM flick), preeminent Oz historian John Fricke has written a glorious homage of all things fun and fantastical. Not only does the book offer a fascinating chronicle of the Ozian phenomenon, but the illustrations, culled from Willard Carroll's priceless collection of more than 10,000 museum-quality pieces, are breathtaking. Oh Auntie Em, there's no place like home . . . provided you're snuggled up in front a fire with this gem.
The best pictorial of "Oz" past and present.......2000-10-17
With Willard Carroll's Oz collection as a backdrop, John Fricke has cataloged the fabric of Frank Baum's stories of Oz. I am certain that Frank Baum could not have been aware this fabric would become a great tapestry upon which the world could identify what it meant to be human. Oz has permeated our society with its influence. It is found in our languages, our politics, human behavior, and is probably used more often as a simile than any other imagery in our language.
From the opening pages of this book to the last, the book is a compelling journey through Oz. The collection of Mr. Carroll's Oz memorabilia is so large that it is like trying to comprehend the distance between stars or that a few people actually have a billion dollars. This colligation of Oz collectibles somehow unites every civilization, geographic location, and human condition. It is one of the few things that have true universality.
After reading John Fricke's take on Oz, of course, based on Willard Carroll's collection, I am left wondering how history would be different were it not for Frank Baum's Oz?
The pictures are glorious, the layout intelligent and thoughtful-I will never see Oz in quite the same way again. John Fricke's writing is stellar. Willard Carroll's collection ---what can I say, WOW! 100 years of Oz is entertaining, educative and provides a new look at Frank Baum's Oz through the other end of the spyglass. This is a visit to a museum with a very knowledgeable guide through an unforgettable exhibit. Thanks for the tour. I'll be back again.
This book is a must for all collectors.
Fabulous!.......2000-03-15
"100 Years of Oz" is a delight for everyone who has ever fallen in love with "The Wizard of Oz" (which includes just about everyone.) The success of the book lays in John Fricke's capabilities as a writer. His words are consise, thoughtful, and honest. The photographs, likewise, catch the eye like flashes of brilliant light. It is not easy to take one of America's most chershed series of books, its favorite film, and 100 years of mechandising and condense it all into one volume. Thankfully, Mr. Fricke has done that- impeccably. Buy this book today. I highly recommend it to everyone as an example of first class research. Above all, it is a time capsule of memories. Fricke will long be heralded as "Oz"'s best friend. Congratulations to all who made this book such a beautiful addition to my library.
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- Jan Tschichold: A Life in Typography
- Law for the Expert Witness, Second Edition
- Mediating Sports Disputes:National and International Perspectives
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- New Spiritual Architecture
- Origins of Legislative Sovereignty and the Legislative State: Volume Two; Classical, Medieval, and Renaissance Foundations of Corasius' Systematic Methodology ... & Renaissance Foundations of Corasius')
- Padres brillantes, Profesores Fascinantes/ Brilliant Parents, Fascinating Professors: El metodo de eficaz para formar jovenes felices, proactivos, seguros ... to form Happy, Proactive, Secure and Intelli
- Paradise Burning: Adventures Of A High Times Journalist
- Planning Law and Practice in Alberta
- Principles of Kinesic Interview and Interrogation, Second Edition
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