The Hills of Tuscany: A New Life in an Old Land

Reading "The Hills of Tuscany", Ferenc Mate's exuberant, joyful ode to his adopted country, makes one eager to join that expatriate band. After occupying a series of dwellings a "houseboat, sailboat, mountain cabin, that garage in Laguna Beach, the attic in Paris, the cubbyhole in New York, and a whatsit in the Bahamas," the Hungarian-born Mate and his artist wife, Candace, deemed it time for a permanent home. Central Italy's countryside, where "Everything was small to the measure of man," beguiled them; there "reigned the gentle Tuscan light, and silence, and a calm." They became contentedly sated by "pranzo," the four-course daily meal that resembles in quantity "our average Thanksgiving dinner," and decided to buy a farmhouse, to put down roots in the idyllic Tuscan hills. Their enchanting dream was a challenging task. Mate spoke no Italian and was woefully ignorant of the vagaries of an agrarian existence. Nonetheless, he set about his search for their perfect home with a Quixote-like zeal, undaunted by a real estate agent cum undertaker who stored his listings with names of the recently departed in a shoe box. A parade of touted homesteads in abject disrepair didn't discourage him. Collapsed fireplaces and gaping roof holes were the norm. Mate zigzagged his way across unfamiliar terrain, following unmapped rutted paths, bouncing over rocky roads until he found his utopia, "a structure with perfect rhythm." La Marinaia The Sailor's Wife. Once that purchase was accomplished, attempts to have utilities turned on introduced him to an implacable, inscrutable Italian bureaucracy. It was explained that there are an almost infinite number of regulations in Italy, " . . . many dating from Roman times, some contradictory, some incomprehensible." Settling in also meant becoming a part of the nearest town, Montepulciano, "built for humans not for cars, so the main street was just wide enough for conducting daily affairs, evening promenades, and small festive processions." The couple delighted in exploring closet-size shops run by often absent, usually amiable owners. Their nearest neighbor welcomed them with fresh goat cheese covered by a large fig leaf, and they attempted to improve their Italian by watching Telegiornale, the local televised news an "Italian version of reality, a flexible amalgam of fresh headlines, old footage, and clips from Steve McQueen movies." More than an enthusiastic tribute to the ever astounding beauties of the Italian countryside, "The Hills Of Tuscany" is a paean to the pleasures of the palate as Mate describes in rapturous detail ravioli stuffed with ricotta and wild mushrooms, crostini spread with tuna and capers, rabbit ragu "spicy with tomatoes" plus a legion of dishes bathed, basted, stir-fried, swathed in or caressed by olive oil. He is also unreservedly passionate about the local wine, "wine as robust as the clay," "wine with a deep complexity that tingled all the taste buds." T

I've read many many new and old books about Tuscany and other parts of Italy and this is my very favorite. A sweet romance is told along with giving the reader a somewhat secretive map of the region. If you take the time to figure out the north south east and west directions imbedded in the story, you may be able to find several little known and delightful places in and around Montepulciano and even all the way over to the Tuscan coast. I liked this SO much more than Under the Tuscan Sun and in person, I liked Montepulciano so much more than Cortona too!

After reading Frances Mayes' books on Tuscany I didn't think I would find another that could paint any more vivid a picture of this magical part of Italy. I was wrong. Mate's light style and discriptive passages of the search for the perfect Tuscan house rekindled my own personal desires. Mate doesn't dwell as much on the restoration of the dwelling itself where Mayes goes into great detail, but rather concentrates on developing more human contacts and connections. That may be more due to the fact that he and his wife are permanent residents and not just summer and holiday transplants. That gives this book a more personal touch and I think gives the reader a clearer sense of the wonderful Tuscan people than in Mayes' efforts. Mate also lets us know how strong his love is for his wife, and that so much of the joy of living in this part of the world is that he gets to share it with her. One has to admire their resolve in moving to a counrty where neither speaks a single word of the language, but for someone else who has strugggled to communicate in a foreign land, I could relate to their difficulties and take joy in their triumphs. A very enjoyable memoir. I look forward to the ineviatable sequel.

I've read most of these 'move to Italy(or France)' books and can say without reservation that this is my favorite. The writing style is delightful and really funny, and the author and his wife are truly likable people (he adores her and doesn't speak about her like the odd chair observed from afar like Mayes refers to her mate.) You feel very much in the middle of all the activity, because he feels that way... a nice change from the other books. The warm and giving 'Italian personality' comes through in all these books, even seen from so many different views, but in this book it blends so closely with the author's own that it is less 'reported on' and more part of the fabric of his story. He is truly at home in this place.... which means he doesn't have to tell you that. The Hills of Tuscany has a refreshing warmth and reality that make it stand out in this category. I highly recommend it.

The Hills of Tuscany was a precious, delightful read. I enjoyed each and every moment and it made me love the land, people, food, animals, small towns, cities, sky, fields, and even those mushrooms, so well described. I was well nourished for the entire book. Thank you Mr. Mate and his wife for the delightful drawings!