Country Houses of Tuscany [Hardcover]

Barbara Stoeltie (Author), Rene Stoeltie (Author), TASCHEN (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Country Houses | Publication Date: April 8, 2000

Another book on Tuscany? Is it still possible to discover something new there? Barbara and Rene Stoeltie prove that it is. They have found the most beautiful country houses in the remote towns of Chiusi and Montalcino and in the Chianti and the wild Maremma region. These romantic farmhouses and isolated villas have been photographed exclusively by Rent Stoeltie for the third volume in the successful "Country Homes" series. Rene is a master at capturing the soft light of Tuscany which, once seen, is never forgotten. It Floods the interiors and paints cryptic messages on the uneven terracotta floor tiles. In a corner, bathed in the famous "sfumato," a timeless still life consisting of a picture of the Virgin and a kitschy infant Jesus. Barbara Stoeltie writes consummately on the landscape and its inhabitants, on the hermitage in a hidden river valley near Arezzo, the "fattoria" with its award-winning wine, the palazzo in the moon-like landscape of Siennese Crete and the Renaissance villa near Sienna, formerly the country home of the Chigi family. She also managed to entice from the owners of these houses their favourite recipes for classic Tuscan dishes such as "fagioli" or "ribollita," wholesome food that is quick and easy to prepare. A tempting invitation to rediscover Tuscany!

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Taschen (April 8, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3822863068
• ISBN-13: 978-3822863060
• Product Dimensions: 10.2 x 8.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #730,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars beautifully photographed book, July 9, 2000

By 

Cyndi Bonetti (McCall Idaho) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Country Houses of Tuscany (Hardcover)

Looking for ideas to inspire building a Tuscan farmhouse, then this is it. It does lack in exterior shots, but the interior shots are wonderful. Whether you use this for inspiration or not, it will add to anyone's collection.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truly enjoyable, April 23, 2002

By 

Britt Arnhild Lindland (Norway) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Country Houses of Tuscany (Hardcover)

If you are in love with Italy and like to look through interior books, this one is truly a winner. You needn't even be in love with Italy to see that.

Barbara and René Stoeltie has made a piece of art taking us on a tour through country houses in Tuscany, from the old fashioned homes to the more modern, they all have the typical Tuscan touch which I love so much. You can almost feel the taste of olive oil, and the small of lavendel when you look through the pages.

The text is written in English, German and French, so there should be no problem reading the informative writing.

A perfect coffee table book for all Italian lovers.

5.0 out of 5 stars My Most Influential Interior Design Book, January 1, 2011

By 

wild child's mom - See all my reviews

This review is from: Country Houses of Tuscany (Hardcover)

I have owned this book for some 12 years and still not a month goes by without me leafing through its pages. The photos in this book are absolutely beautiful and stunning in their own right and can be enjoyed immensely even without using the ideas for decorating your own home. However I have done just that and I keep coming back to the lavishly presented houses in this book. The homes featured in this book range from spartan to very richly decorated, and no matter what my decorating dilemma is, I will always find inspiration here. I cannot recount the many, many ideas I have pulled from this book, from tiles, to window treatments, to wall colors, to the arrangement of flowers and decorative objects, to fireplaces, and landscaping ideas. I love the simplicity of Italian interior decoration that comes through in these pages, and I love the shift towards function rather than pure decoration when it comes to the use of beautiful objects. The way Italians use beautiful, well made, gracefully aging furniture in everyday life and just leave it be without trying to make it perfect again is just incredibly inspiring. I own quite a few books on Italian country style and this one is by far my favorite!