In his book Saving Italy, Robert Edsel writes about the extraordinary effort that was made to successfully save Michelangelo’s David, among other precious artworks, from destruction during the second world war—an effort that included the scores of craftsmen who built a fortress of brick around it, Florentine officials, and even both Axis and Allied war planners, who made an effort to avoid bombing the Academia, in which the statue is housed. Although it’s not the book’s focus, Edsel also discusses why so much was invested in the effort to preserve that piece of art. It was because it is a thing of such exquisite beauty that it became upon its completion, and remained throughout the ages, a part of human story, such that the statue’s preservation was necessary to preserve a part of our humanity.

The David has that ineffable quality because Michelangelo created it with such meticulous attention to every detail. Every muscle, every vein, even the way the young man’s weight is palpably shifted from one leg to the other feels so unnervingly real, as though it is not so much a sculpture of a person, but a person made into sculpture. Indeed, Michelangelo legendarily said that he did not see a block of marble that he could sculpt into human form, but human that he could simply free by chipping away at the excess marble around him. His dedication to his art, and to the craftsmanship necessary to realize it, allowed Michelangelo to create works of such indisputably high quality that they are truly timeless.

When we found the centuries-old Villa Ardore and recognized what it could be, we determined to restore it with this same ethic in mind, using craftspeople and artisans whose work is of the very highest quality. While we were careful to preserve those things that are so characteristic of the villa’s origins, like the structure’s irregular, thick stone walls and wood-beam and terracotta ceilings, we also spared no modern amenity or comfort. When entering the villa, you do not feel as though you are stepping into the past, but into a beautiful and comfortable present; a present that is in harmony with the past and will remain so indefinitely into the future: timeless.

This dedication to timeless quality extends beyond the physical confines of the villa itself to every artist, artisan, and craftsperson with whom we have a relationship. Take for example master ceramicist Nicoletta Penco. From her studio at the entrance of the historic Castello di Spatenna, Nicoletta creates works of pure decorative art as well as utilitarian objects of great beauty—platters, plates, cups, bowls, butter dishes and every imaginable domestic ceramic necessity transformed into art for daily use.

Our relationship with Nicoletta began when we approached her about making a set of signature tableware for use by villa guests. Bearing in mind the colors that predominate in the villa’s natural environment, the olive trees throughout the property from which the

villa’s extra virgin olive oil will have its first full production this year, and the wild boars that roam in the Tuscan forest (and therefore appear on the Villa Ardore logo), Nicoletta created the olive-leaf, earth-toned, hand-painted tableware used for the past two years by those who have made Villa Ardore their Tuscan home away from home. And, to help us celebrate this past festive season and as a small token of our appreciation to those who stayed at Villa Ardore in 2024, Nicoletta created and individually hand-painted olive-oil jars, whose recipients we hope will be reminded of the wonderful time that they spent here every time they see them.

There is perhaps no art whose quality (or lack thereof) is so immediately apparent to the discerning individual as the culinary art, and there, too, we have partnered with someone who shares our commitment to the very highest quality. Marcello Crini, owner of Magazzino del Gusto, respects the timelessness of the traditional Tuscan foods and ingredients that he sells in his store and blends his deep knowledge of that tradition with unrivalled meticulousness. He personally selects every product that he offers, and personally inspects and researches the farm from which it was produced to ensure its authenticity and excellence. Magazzino del Gusto even grows its own produce using organic farming bioactive techniques to provide the very highest-quality seasonal fruits and vegetables.

Marcello takes great pride in not only inspecting each facility that produces any product that he offers, but also in personally knowing each producer, ensuring that every item, as he puts it “tells a story of tradition and care.” He, along with many members of his team, continue their passion for providing the foods that are at the root of Tuscan cuisine and local tradition after years of experience in Michelin-starred restaurants.

Far from the more practical arts of ceramics and gastronomy, but no less subject to the rigors of craftsmanship without which a lack of quality will be apparent to the discerning individual, is the art of fine jewelry making. And, in that rarified realm, Villa Ardore has partnered with Atelier Barducci. Located in the heart of Florence’s historic center, at No. 1 Piazza Strozzi, on the upper floors of the Palazzo Mattei, jewelry-maker Lorenzo Barducci carries on a family tradition that stretches back for generations.

Lorenzo not only creates new jewelry of his own design, but he also provides assessments of clients’ heirlooms, assessing their authenticity, the purity of their materials, quality of craftsmanship, state of preservation, period, and originality. But it is in his designs and creations that Lorenzo creates his own works of timeless quality. For four generations, the Barducci family has hand-created jewelry for persons of refinement, including royalty, that would look as stylish today as in the eighteenth century, or centuries from now. Today, Lorenzo collaborates with master jewelers on the iconic Ponte Vecchio who, like him, have inherited their knowledge and skills from their fathers and grandfathers before them, continuing a revered tradition of timeless quality.

Because these partners are so dear to us, and because they share with us a commitment to the utmost quality, they have each arranged to share their knowledge and skills with Villa Ardore guests. With Nicoletta Penco, that sharing can come in the form of her coming to the villa to provide a hands-on ceramics experience, or a visit to her studio. A visit with Marcello Crini at Magazzino del Gusto with a personal tour and service of fresh, Tuscan meats, cheeses, and produce is an experience that you will remember fondly forever. And, in the case of Atelier Barducci, Villa Ardore guests not only have the opportunity to visit the jewelry maker’s studio and witness the art of jewelry making firsthand, but may also commission a unique piece brought to life by the master jeweler’s own hands.

These are only a few of the experiences that make up what we have called “Bottega Aperta” (open shop). We chose that name because these experiences offer a glimpse behind the scenes into how works that are so characteristic of Tuscany and yet so universal—works of the utmost quality—are made. We have found that those who are drawn to Villa Ardore believe, as we do, that fashions come and go, but quality is timeless.

There is an expression, “if you know, you know,” that suggests that there are things that only discerning persons know. At Villa Ardore everything, including the individualized experience our guests have, has been hand-crafted and chosen for its uniqueness, rarity and high quality, from the mattresses and sheets to the art on the walls and the incredible artisans who we have chosen to work with. If you know the rarity of the highest quality, you know the rare few places where it can be found. Places like Nicoletta Penco’s ceramics studio, Magazzino del Gusto, Atelier Barducci and Villa Ardore. If you know, you know.

Quality, of course, need not be either costly or out of reach, even if it seems always to remain rare. This is a secret known to anyone who has tasted a perfect, garden-grown tomato, just picked and still warm from the sun and rich with summer flavour. Alas, it is March and not yet summer tomato season, but an equally flavor-rich vegetable is growing strong in the Villa Ardore organic garden: cavolo nero, also called black kale or, sometimes, dinosaur kale in the US. In March, we have probably only a few weeks left of cavolo nero season, making us savor its flavor even more. This month’s recipe from the Villa Ardore garden is Cannellini beans with cavolo nero, surely one of Tuscany’s most characteristic late winter dishes. We hope that you will make this in your own kitchen and enjoy it as much as we do.

Savor the Last Weeks of Cavolo Nero Season