Giovanni Battista Giorgini

The Winter ’17 editions of Pitti Uomo and Pitti Bimbo have passed and the fashion ‘carnival’ has now moved on to Paris.  In the January edition of This Tuscan Life, you can read about the history of Pitti and the man, Giovanni Battista Giorgini who started it all. You can see some photos from the Giorgini Archives which help to translate the elegance of these early fashion shows.  I was fortunate to have met Giorgini’s grandson who shared some of his early memories in Florence when Italian fashion was so sought after.

During Pitti, iconic Florentine porcelain manufacturer, Richard Ginori together with well known street fashion photographer, The Sartorialist, were hosting a complimentary breakfast featuring these gorgeous printed paper coffee mugs below.  The food was delicious and I regret not returning for a follow-up visit.  There were four designs to choose from and I really wanted to walk away with all four!  Now a ceramic version of this would be amazing!

These last few weeks in Florence have been incredibly cold and I am yearning for the Spring and her warmer temperatures to arrive.  I am tired of piling on the Winter layers and keeping track of the boys’ beanies, scarves and gloves while taking forever to even get out the door in the morning!

One thing to help brighten the mood is the arrival in the loca bakeries of the sweet Carnival treats like Cenci, Frittelle di Riso and Schiacciata alla Fiorentina.  I’ll be sharing recipes for these three delights in February’s issue of This Tuscan Life so stay tuned but to tempt you a little bit here are some photos to give you an idea of the delights in store.

CENCI

CENCI

FRITTELLE DI RISO

SCHIACCIATA ALLA FIORENTINA (From famed pasticceria, GIORGIO)