Description
Book SynopsisA glimpse inside a magical Tuscan villa--rustic yet urbane, old-world elegant yet bohemian, accessible yet personal--that nurtures the world's finest literary talents.In the hills above Florence, Santa Maddalena is like a secret garden where writers hone their craft and meet like-minded people. Paired with evocative images, these essays by 27 acclaimed authors invite readers to understand how the spirit of this restored villa, its owners and resident pets have inspired creative writing and creativity among so many.
Monti della Corte and her late husband, Gregor von Rezzori, transformed a ruin into the ultimate retreat where they would write, garden, and entertain friends and fellow artists--Pedro Almodóvar, Bernardo Bertolucci, David Hockney, Isabella Rossellini. This gracious weaving together of hospitality and creativity became the Santa Maddalena Foundation and writers' fellowship program in 2000.
Trade Review"What’s better than a look inside a home in the idyllic Italian countryside? A selection of essays from authors including Zadie Smith and Edmund White, among many others who’ve retreated to a storied Tuscan farmhouse to write." —ELLE DECOR
"Beatrice Monti della Corte has been welcoming writers to her villa in Tuscany for what feels like forever. Ralph Fiennes and Edmund White recount the extraordinary experience of being there." —AIRMAIL.COM
