Almost Home

ALMOST HOME •••• •• a quilted novel by . Annamaria Brenti •••• •• www.annamariabrentiquiltstudio.com [email protected] 1

Figure 1: Almost Home I am the rider on the white horse at the far end of the quilt. 2

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Figure 2: Fanta Ghiro´ Please follow me in my journey back in time in and around Florence! 4

I also appear in the large fresco commissioned in 1338 by the City Council in Siena to Ambrogio Lorenzetti to illustrate the effects that a Good Government has in and out of the city. ( fortunately I don’t appear in the second and poorly preserved fresco about the effects of bad government!) Figure 3: Il Buon Governo, Ambrogio Lorenzetti Anyway, however bad or good the government of the time might have been, in the Middle Ages it was considered not appropriate for a woman of my status (in fact for any woman) to ride alone in the countryside without being properly escorted by a man, as in fact I am in the fresco. Figure 4: Il Buon Governo, dettaglio, Ambrogio Lorenzetti 5

But times have changed and in this XXth century quilt, I am enjoying the freedom of a ride by myself dressed in my crimson silk organza gown(it would have been a very expensive dye in the 1300)... 6

I might even encounter its lord ! His name is ... 7

He appears in a stunning 1330 fresco by Simone Martini in Siena... or was it painted by some other mysterious artist in the 1400 as some art critics are now suggesting?... Guidoriccio’s elaborate outfit is a true masterpiece of patchwork, embroidery and applique on precious fabrics. Is it the result of countless hours of workmanship by skilled male artesans as it was customary at the time, or was it lovingly made by his wife during the long hours at the castle waiting for him to return from the endless wars with the neighbooring towns? (and we can only immagine how much of a common past time warfare was in those troubled middle ages if even the young Francis from Assisi went at war with nearby Perugia before becoming a Saint).... The mistery is still open but it remains an example for one of the earliest patchwork work hand made in Tuscany... 8

Figure 5: calanchi hills I need to hasten my pace as dusk is quickly approaching.. It is so scary at times to pass through the calanchi hills (so called for their clay composition that causes erosion) 9

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I pass by castles perched on top of steep hills... 11

...olive trees... 12

...and small towns, 13

I stop for a prayer inside the lovely Chapel of the Madonna of Vitaleta in Val d’Orcia... 14

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For those of you interested in a healthier version of the cake (with no lard) here’s my recipe: 16

You should use a special kind of small, black, sweet and jucey muscat flavor grapes (even in their seedless variety if you prefer). Slices of apples and/or pears can be substituted to grapes or it can be baked plain with the addition of a chocolate cream middle layer when it is baked. I like to use a combination of all purpose flour and unrefined flour. 17

Like so many Florentines that fled away from the city during the 1340 epidemics, I am now going back to the city. As I am approaching the fortified walls... In the XIIIth century, Alemanno during one of his jouneys in the Far East, incidentally rediscovered a chemical reaction between a lichen, so called, oricella , and urine that would color wools and silks in purple red. The discovery made the fortune of the family (who consequently changed their last name to Rucellai) in the XIVth century when the dye was in great demand and the family became very rich. 18

The Rucellai commissioned, to the great architect Leon Batista Alberti, one of the most elegant palaces in Florence, Palazzo Rucellai (in Via delle Vigne Nuove). They also commissioned the elegant family’s chapel adorned with white and green marble mosaics:look at a sample of these creative geometric motives reminiscent of some traditional patterns used by quilters! In the Middle Ages more then half of the population of Florence was involved in the wool and silk manifacture. In fact a few florentine families like the Strozzi and the Medici became so rich and powerful because of the wool and silk commerce, that they started operating their own banks to lend money to the kings of half Europe and even to the Pope and in so doing they became even richer. The humble beginnings of these industrious and resourceful families signed the dawn of Reinassance: arts flourished and the very best artists, poets, philosophers of all times produced art and dialogued together at the court of their patrons. 19

.. Nowadays there is still a small surviving comunity in the Casentino hills (in the north of Tuscany) that manufactures the Casentino panno, a rustic wool cloth in many solid colors, according to their past traditions as documented in the Museo della Lana in Stia. TACS is the weaving company that still produces fashionable coats and other winter items made of Casentino wool. 20

Regarding to the traditional crafts and arts from the Tuscan hills , here’ s my little hidden treasure: a sewing basket masterly handcrafted with two materials that were popular in Florence in the late XIXth beginning of XXth century: straw and felt. Look at the patchwork covering on top of the basket with half-inch squares of felt in shades of blue. Three intricate hand made miniature flower compositions embellish its border. 21

This basket crossed twice the Atlantic Ocean, back and forth from Tuscany: the first time after World War 2 following a bride with her husband as they settled down in Ann Arbor, Michigan and a second time following a young Italian quilter...as... 22

In fact, even nowadays there is the popular saying in Florence: ALLE PORTE COI SASSI In other words: Not much time left.... HURRY UP!! And since I am not so clever in throwing stones and I am always late... It was good that I didn’t come yesterday evening to \"CIVITAS FLORENTIE\", when the city gates are being closed by the guards at sunset and the only possibility of convincing them to delay, is to throw stones at the gates, either to announce your arrival or, even more unpolitely, to block the entire procedure! 23

So many errands await Fanta Ghir´o in the hustle and bustle of the streets of Florence, at the eve of Renaissance times. Follow her adventures and a tour of the city as it was in 1342. Find out about the textile projects inspired by the masters of the past that will be available in the book with patterns and explanations... 24

ALMOST HOME by Annamaria Brenti COMING SOON... 25