A trip out of town …. Impruneta furnaces
If you want to discover one of the places near Florence, you should go all’Impruneta; Here you will find the charming environment the terracotta of Impruneta (ceramics, arthenware), the best in the world in terms of their quality and resistance to cold temperatures. They were used by the great Italian Renaissance artists. The small center is situated only 10 km (6 mi.) from Florence where we will visit the workshop of a prestigious furnace.
The making of the clay that is used to make the terracotta products dates back to Etruscan times. The process has evolved and been refined over the years but has remained linked to an entirely manual process that you can view with your own eyes!
The local furnace masters work the clay that is extracted from the furnace’s private quarry and make—with the ancient techniques of “cast, shell, and posteggiatura” technique—beautiful creations that are suited to equip the interiors or exteriors of buildings.
You’ll also find elaborate creations made by contemporary artists, like pieces of environmental art that are on display in the garden of the Poggi Ugo Furnace by Mauro Staccioli and Alan Sonfist.
The tour continues with a visit to the small but plentiful Museum of Sacred Art at the Santa Maria dell’Impruneta Basilica, one of the oldest in Tuscany that was in the past linked to the procession of the Blessed Mother. It’s located in the main square where the famous Festa dell’Uva dell’Impruneta, the most important in the Chianti Region, is held every September.
You can finish your tour with a fantastic experience on the premises of an old furnace: lunch with Peposo (Impruneta’s famous beef stew). This typical Imprunetan dish was invented on the construction site of the dome of the Cathedral of Florence during the Renaissance. It is a rich stew comprised of beef, red wine, pepper, and tomato.