Dream of Italy

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Dream of Italy is made possibly by... -

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Tuscan Women Cook, cooking vacations in Italy taught by Italian nonnas. -

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Access Culinary Trips, exploring culture through cuisine with small group vacations in Italy and beyond. -

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LivItaly, your guide in Italy. -

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Italian oil and more, olio2go.com. -

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Tourissimo, active travel in Italy. -

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Live Tuscan; Cortona, Tuscany, and you. -

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La Corte Dei Papi, tradition in Cortona. -

Announcer

And also made possibly by... (upbeat, lively Italian music) -

Kathy

I'm Kathy McCabe. In this special, I meet author Frances Mayes in her adopted hometown of Cortona. We discover what makes Tuscany unlike any other place on Earth. Join me as we dream of Italy, basking in the Tuscan sun. (lively, bright string instrumental music) "A house protects the dreamer. "The houses that are important to us "are the ones that allow us to dream in peace." -

Kathy

And this house might just be the most famous in all of Italy, Bramasole, meaning to yearn for the sun. It is the villa that author Frances Mayes and her husband Ed transformed from an abandoned ruin into a thrilling second act in life, inspiring the book, the movie, and the worldwide phenomenon, Under the Tuscan Sun, and bringing people from around the world to the town of Cortona to see Bramasole in person. Today, I'm one of them. (speaks in foreign language)! Ciao, welcome to Bramasole. - (speaks in foreign language) Oh, thank you, Frances, nice to see you! And Ed, mwah, mwah! - Kathy, mwah. -

Frances

I've been so looking forward to seeing you again. Oh, it's the perfect day. The sun is out, there are butterflies everywhere. Do you really live in a dream world? (laughs) Very much so. Sometimes I just wonder if this could possibly be a mirage and tomorrow I'm going to wake up. -

Kathy

The color of the grass, the flowers, the house, the air; it's so fresh up here. What is it about Bramasole, this piece of land, that really called to you? So I pulled up in front of this house that was for sale, and I thought, I really would like to have the life that could be lived inside that house. I thought it looked like a box of crayons left out in the sun to melt, kinda smeary apricot rose. And I've always loved looking at the colors of the house. So I got out of the car, and I slammed the door, and I said, this is my house. And then we went in, and I saw what a disaster it was, (Kathy laughs) but But you worked on it. - I'd already decided it was just one of those spontaneous decisions. (upbeat, pleasant guitar music) It's so funny, as we're sitting here, you can hear the people on the street that come to the front of Bramasole. What's that like? My books have been translated in 54 languages, Oh my God. - so there are people coming from all over creation. And it's really fun how you don't know their language, they don't know yours, you can make contact. I'm coming and going all the time, so I see people a lot and talk to them. And what is their reaction when they see you? They're happy to be here, and I'm flattered that a book or a movie has the power to make someone make a journey. My mom's favorite movie is Under the Tuscan Sun. So we're here, and I was gonna FaceTime her and show her the house. -

Kathy

And what did Frances think of the big-screen version that fictionalized her as single, not married to Ed? I love the movie. That's 'cause books and movies are always different, and I knew that it would be different, but I expected that. But I really thought Diane Lane was just wonderful, and the man, the Italian man she had the affair with, Raoul Bova, is quite divine. (laughing) You approve. - Quite divine. And I thought they had to do some more dramatic things. My book is a quiet book, and they had to make drama. (pleasant, bright instrumental music) (lively, plucky guitar music) -

Kathy

Frances is taking me for a tour. There's the view that hasn't changed in a thousand years. -

Kathy

That's amazing. That's something you rarely see. -

Frances

If you were a medieval person, it would've looked just like that. So it's a combination of a traditional Italian garden and an English touch with the soft flowers. It's really fun. -

Kathy

And, of course, all the butterflies and bees, and it's a very vibrant, lively place. (laughs) Yes, it is, always something going on. (upbeat string instrumental music) -

Kathy

And now, the part of Bramasole few ever see. This was the former kitchen of the house, and this - Fireplace. was just covered in baby blue tile, which we ripped off and found the real fireplace underneath. And I remember, as soon as I walked in, I looked at the floor. Did you work on the floor, and Ed worked on the ceiling? Absolutely, absolutely. I was stripping the floor of 30 years of grime. He had to strip the whole ceiling, so he was working like Michelangelo, almost, (Kathy laughs) Sistine Chapel. (laughs) - That's awesome! So there's so much of yourselves in this house. There is. It's a quirky house, it's a writer's house, and now it's our house. (lively, bright guitar music) In this room was the real surprise of the restoration. Oh my gosh. It was all white, and we were just washing it down to repaint, and this beautiful blue started to emerge. And we kept scrubbing and sponging it off and splashing water, and this fresco emerged. And we were stunned. We thought, a fresco! - I'm stunned, I'm stunned! And when do you think it was painted? I think it's original to the house. The house is about 275 years old. One of the workers was so unimpressed that he wrote his boss's telephone number on the wall. You're kidding me! We were furious, but they just thought we'd paint over it because, any time you scrub in Cortona, you find a fresco. And it's really the centerpiece of this house. Well, I recognize this bed. You certainly do. It's the bed from the movie, Under the Tuscan Sun, the one that Diane Lane jumped up and down on and said, I got it, I got it! (Kathy laughs) And we were able to keep it at the end of the film, so we have our little shrine to leave it here. (Kathy laughs) And guests who come here often think they wanna have that moment as well, so-- So they jump on it? (both women laugh) So tell me, do you jump on the bed? Yeah, all the time. (both women laugh) -

Kathy

How many bedrooms do you have in Bramasole? -

Frances

The house has eight bedrooms. They're all small like this. Yeah, but cozy. And we use most of 'em for other things, but all the old farmhouses had these kinds of beds, usually with the Madonna at the head, watching over you while you sleep, or some other saint. (mid-tempo, pleasant Italian music) -

Kathy

Ed and Frances recently expanded their kitchen. It looks a far cry from the original. While Frances likes to cook, where she truly creates is in her study. (mid-tempo, pleasant Italian music) Kathy, this is my study. This is where the work of the world takes place. (Kathy laughs) How many books have been written here? Oh, eight at least. And I feel like this particular corner of the house has inspired me always. Sometimes a little butterfly comes in and goes out. Once, a bird did. (Kathy laughs) But it feels very open to the outside. I can feel the inspiration of the place, which is omnipresent. -

Kathy

Tuscany, of course, is the setting for Frances's latest novel about a group of American women retiring here. What inspired Women in Sunlight? -

Frances

I think it was sitting in the piazza in the mornings, which I do often. And I'm sitting there having my cappuccino, and I see a woman reading or taking notes in her notebook or sketching, and I know why she's there. I know that she is not here just to absorb the sights, but she has a quest. And seeing that same kind of woman over and over, I identify with her because that's why I came here, too, on a quest. And I thought I would like to give a voice to these women, and that was really what inspired the book. What is it about women and Italy or what women come here to find? I thought about that a lot, and I think I've come to the conclusion that it's not so much that Italy changes them once they're here. It's more that they were ready to change, and they came here, and Italy is such a lovely catalyst. Like when the student's ready, the teacher appears. (laughs) - Yes, yes. And the teacher in the form of Italy. I'm always amazed at the connection that women feel for Italy and that they come on their own, they come with their mother, their daughter, their friends. (lively, pleasant Italian music) And Italy has inspired Frances to write two nonfiction travel books, See You in the Piazza and Always Italy. She and Ed traveled the length of the boot, seeking out hidden treasures and the answer to why so many are drawn to Italy again and again. They find something here that they need, that they want, that sense of this is the way life could be. And you feel your shoulders go down, you feel relaxed. And there's this intense sense of community that even a visitor of one week can feel and also participate in. Like we have the wine dinners in town. You get to go be with people. You're sitting in the piazza, you start talking to someone. You're included. (fast-tempo Italian music) -

Kathy

Cortona's rich history dates back to the Etruscans. There's even a noteworthy Etruscan museum here. Piazza della Reppublica is the center of life in Cortona, the setting for everything from the occasional medieval parade to the simple ritual of having a coffee. What time do you usually get here? -

Frances

Pretty early,

around 8

30, nine. The people are here, and-- (speaks in foreign language), Frances. (speaks in foreign language). Oh, (speaks in foreign language). Oh, how nice. Thank you for the gift. - That is sweet. You are a gift to Cortona. -

Woman

around 8

Oh yeah, oh, oh, this is Frances Mayes. This is Frances Mayes! - I love your movie! Thank you, thank you. - Yes! -

Kathy

around 8

We need someone to take a picture. Cheese! - Cheese! All right, well I think you hit the jackpot today! Frances is showing me around her Cortona. We start with the art. Cortona is home to the riveting Annunciation by Fra Angelico. Wow, you could see the gold from here. Yes, it's illuminated. This Fra Angelico worked for 13 years in Cortona and left this. -

Kathy

around 8

Native son Luca Signorelli also left his legacy. This entire room is all Signorelli's. We're so fortunate. So much of his work remains. - It's incredible. Cortona, you think, is small, but the works of art is fabulous, yes. - are numerous. (pleasant Italian music) (fast-tempo Italian music) Modern-day art collectors stop at the galley Il Pozzo to meet Ivan. And you were in the book! Who was Niccolo in Under the Tuscan Sun. -

Frances

around 8

'Cause Ivan has great taste. Thank you, thank you very much. - (speaks in foreign language) (speaks in foreign language), Francesca. -

Kathy

around 8

He sells art inspired by Cortona. It's a very emotional and inspired artist, right? Would you agree? - Absolutely. And the light here is exquisite. -

Ivan

around 8

Yes. -

Frances

around 8

Look at that, it's Le Celle, the beautiful monastery in Cortona. -

Kathy

around 8

We walk down Via Nazionale to Cortona's smallest shop, where Ana sells cashmere. And does it get very cold in Cortona in the winter? It can be breezy, yes. - Yeah, so it's good to have-- - And a little bit of snow, this much snow. - Yeah. So it's good to have a-- - (speaks in foreign language) Oh, (speaks in foreign language). It's good for the winter. In pink, nice! - Nice, too. Well, thank you, Ana! Every color, it's nice on you. I'll take them all! (women laugh) (upbeat, bright music) All this shopping has us hungry, so we meet Ed for lunch at La Loggetta. There's such a sense of community here. And the reason for that community is this piazza, it's just the living room for everyone who lives around here. So there really is something to the title of your book, See You in the Piazza. Mm-hmm. And that's about all of Italy, so it happens in every town. It's the blessing of Italy. When I first came here, I looked around, dropped my bags, and said I'm home. -

Kathy

around 8

Wow. And I had no idea, I was not expecting that to happen. Well, we've found since then - I'm not Italian American or anything. - so many people feel that. Yeah, they do. - Yeah, I feel that. And I think that, for most people, they're looking for that in their lives. We all are. (bright, pleasant music) To be in a small town with this many restaurants, They're all good. - it's amazing. All good. - And they are. Tell us the truth, you're sure, Ed. - They are. No, they are. - They are. Otherwise, they would not be in business. (mid-tempo, jazzy instrumental music) -

Kathy

around 8

After lunch, Frances has one more artisan she wants me to meet. (speaks in foreign language)! (speaks in foreign language), ciao! Pleasure meeting you. - Kathy, (speaks in foreign language). Ciao, (speaks in foreign language). - Ciao, ciao. -

Sebastiano

around 8

Welcome now our beautiful showroom. What does Frances mean to the people of Cortona? Oh, everybody knows Cortona now because Francesca. Yes. (Sebastiano laughs) You're too kind. Sebastiano and Megan started this wonderful, enchanting Walks Under the Tuscan Sun, and there are posts all over town with scenes from the movie and quotes from my book. And you can follow this walk and see some of the most historic sites in Cortona. And one of the really fun things is the Wine Shine Dine dinner. We are the shine part - Yes. (laughs) because we loan the jewelry to all the ladies. -

Kathy

around 8

So it feels like I'm a kid in a candy store. Please follow me. -

Kathy

around 8

Every piece is so beautiful that it's hard to make up my mind. What do you think, Frances? - Oh, gorgeous. And actually, in this one, you can see the seal of the Pope. (gasps) Behave yourself. (Megan and Sebastiano laugh) Not only jeweler at DelBrenna, but also shoes Oh, mamma mia. - with jewelry. That's the Italian dream! - Yeah. You can see this is one of our pendant in a shoe, so it's-- People come to Italy for leather and jewelry, and you're marrying them. Sebastian, I have a party to go to tomorrow night. Perfect! -

Kathy

around 8

I've got my DelBrenna shine on, and I'm headed to Piazza della Reppublica. (lively guitar music) Hi, look who's here! - Hello, how are you? Good to see you! -

Kathy

around 8

Every Thursday, there's a wine tasting open to all. This is my message. The wine is free, it's for everybody, it's in the square. All right! So come to Cortona Thursday nights, ask for Marco. - Free wine! (laughs) I can't help how many people come! That's okay, really. The square is large, the square is large. -

Kathy

around 8

You see everyone you know and meet plenty of new friends. 'Cause of Frances and Ed, I fell in love with the book. I fell in love with the movie, watched it a billion times, crying on a Sunday afternoon, and said I want what she's got! (everyone laughs) -

Kathy

around 8

And after the wine, we walk to Barrachi to dine. (crowd applauding) (speaks in foreign language). Welcome, everybody, to our taste of dinner. This time, I'm with my friend Silvia. She's the chef here at Barrachi. -

Kathy

around 8

And Frances is the guest of honor. I'm thrilled to be here. Thank you, Kathy, - Thank you. for coming to Cortona, so thank you. - (speaks in foreign language) (speaks in foreign language). (people applaud) (people chatting indistinctly) (bouncy, bright instrumental music) -

Kathy

around 8

The next day, Frances takes me to Silvia Barrachi's resort and restaurant, Il Falconiere, so Silvia can teach me how to cook Cortona style. Welcome in my kitchen. Silvia's one star Michelin chef Oh! - and is known to be so creative with local ingredients. I'm sure she has something incredible in store, so I'm going to leave you all. Oh, ciao! Ciao. - We'll see you later. I'll be back. - Ciao, see you. So, Silvia, what are we gonna make? (fast-tempo, lively guitar music) Today, we have a very nice recipe. It's a stuffed pappardelle with wild boar, served with a sauce of the red wine and juniper berries. That sounds completely Tuscan.

We start making fresh pasta

flour, eggs, salt, and-- A little bit of the water because want to make it a quite sticky pasta. Of course, my grandmother would use it to make this dough directly on the table. I make a mess when I make pasta on a table, so the bowl is a great idea. - It's easier. -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

We then knead the dough until it is smooth. Now use this part of your hand, Oh, yeah. - Yes? And then you can-- - My grandmother used to do that, yeah. - Yes, this way you have more power, mamma mia. -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

The dough rests for 30 minutes, and then it is time to roll it out. You must work the pasta this way. This way, you can massage, massage. Okay. So I'll start with just - Okay, start-- moving it like that - Okay. and then back, right? - Right. Flip it with a little bit of energy. Hey, (speaks in foreign language)! - Woo! Woo! Kinda fun! At the end, your pasta will be this size. Wow. You're one of the best-- - No! Yes, really, really, yes. - You're just being nice. I think I get it from my grandmother. She was a great Italian cook. But I think I'll let the professional finish. Yes, oh, thank you. -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

Pappardelle is a long pasta, so we will stretch and massage the dough until it is transparent and nearly the size of the table. (burner hisses and roars) Silvia has the filling simmering on the stove. It includes wild boar, sausage, red wine, and tomatoes. We fill and fold the pasta, eliminating any air pockets. It cooks for just five minutes. Then it is time to plate with some surprising accompaniments and Frances has returned for a taste test. Oh! - Look at this, oh! Whoa! Well, now we get to enjoy the fruits of my labor. Yes, I'm very (speaks in foreign language) to know. -

Frances

We start making fresh pasta

What's lovely is the juniper ingredient to it because the boar is in the woods, and the juniper's in the woods. It all goes together. - All goes together. Silvia! Ah, did you enjoy the pappardelle? It's amazing! -

Frances

We start making fresh pasta

You always have a secret ingredient. Like the chocolate. - Yes. Ah, the chocolate, yes. It's very typical in a game cuisine. Really? - So yes, just a touch. Not too much, but the aroma, so because it's a bitter chocolate. So chocolate and wild boar under the Tuscan sun. Chin chin. Cheers, to Silvia. - (speaks in foreign language) (pleasant music) (upbeat, bright Italian music) What is it about Tuscany that attracts the world? I think it's because the Tuscans are so at home in time. It's more like time is a river, time is something that flows, and you're in it. And I think that, to me, is the secret of why people just notch it down a bit when they get here and feel like they can be themselves. (upbeat, pleasant Italian music) It's quite something to participate in an olive harvest. It's just a great time of year because you enter into this ancient agricultural cycle that's been going on forever, and it really makes you feel close to the land. (pleasant, rolling Italian music) So this has to be the Tuscan dream. I am harvesting olives with Ed at Bramasole. Here we are, and it's a great gastronomical moment in Italian life when we all get out into the fields and harvest our olives. So how do you do it? Take your fingers and pick them off like that. -

Kathy

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Did you ever think you'd be an olive farmer? -

Ed

We start making fresh pasta

I did not. (both laugh) I had no idea, but both sides of my family were farmers. It's a natural thing for me to be out here on the land, picking this-- - Makes you feel-- -

Ed

We start making fresh pasta

beautiful fruit. It is a fruit, isn't it? - It is a fruit. It's not a vegetable, it's definitely a fruit. All of our olives are hand picked by poets. (laughs) You and Frances. - Frances and I are poets. Yes. - And this tree will produce one liter of oil. Oh my God! And we're picking on it for awhile, and then we're taking it to the mill. But after all that is done, it's one liter. - It's only one liter. Do you talk to the trees? Well, we name them. I have the name of every tree. Really? - Yes. So what's the name of this tree? This tree is called Firenze after I city I love and many people love, and we named quite a few of the trees after cities in Tuscany. Oh, I love Firenze, too. How many olive trees do you have here? -

Ed

We start making fresh pasta

We have about 250 trees here and then, for our grandson's birthday, when he was born, we bought another olive grove right around the corner, which has 400 trees, so we have a lot of trees. -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

What an incredible gift. So you produce your own Bramasole olive oil. -

Ed

We start making fresh pasta

We do, we do. -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

The missing ingredient of life, truly. Truly. - Well, it's always a celebration, too, when you reveal the new oil. Yes. And I think we're gonna do that tonight. We are, we are. (Kathy laughs) It'll be fresh off the press. -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

As if this visit to Bramasole can't get any dreamier, Frances and Ed are throwing a cocktail party to celebrate the new oil. And I know just how to get the party started. You take the sword and just a (makes swish sound), yes. With power. - Hi. I love the book. Did you sign the release? (laughs) (Silvia speaks indistinctly) Okay, right. (sword slides against glass) Aah! - Oh, don't kill the cameraman. - No, I love him! (sword slides against glass) (crowd cheers and applauds) Drink up! Okay, everybody, let's eat. -

Unison

We start making fresh pasta

(speaks in foreign language)! I just wanna pour some of this beautiful, green oil on this bread. - Woo! See, that bottle is so beautiful. Frances designed the label, of course. She did? Watch out. - Okay. Mmm, mmm! Spicy. - Spicy. Very spicy. - Picante, yeah. Mmm, I like it! I'll order a case. (Ed and Kathy laugh) Not only has Frances given millions the gift of Tuscany, she has inspired so many of us to live our dreams. Chin chin! - Chin chin. What do you do? You're going to live to be 100, so you might as well do something interesting and fun and new. I think it's really important to surprise your own life. -

Kathy

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Cheers to life's surprises as we-- (accordion playing) - Hey! -

Unison

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Dream of Italy! -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

Under the Tuscan sun. (man playing accordion) (crowd chatting indistinctly) -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

Dream of Italy is made possible by... -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

Tuscan Women Cook, cooking vacations in Italy taught by Italian nonnas. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

Access Culinary Trips, exploring culture through cuisine with small group vacations in Italy and beyond. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

LivItaly, your guide in Italy. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

Italian olive oil and more, olio2go.com. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

Tourissimo, active travel in Italy. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

Live Tuscan; Cortona, Tuscany, and you. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

La Corte Dei Papi, tradition in Cortona. -

Announcer

We start making fresh pasta

And also made possible by... -

Kathy

We start making fresh pasta

To hear more from Frances Mayes on the Dream of Italy podcast, download a free Cortona travel guide, and watch more Tuscan Sun videos, visit dreamofitaly.com/tv. Follow Dream of Italy on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. (pleasant Italian music) In loving memory of my mother, Kathleen Nargi McCabe. (pleasant melody) (light, pleasant melody)