I Tatti festivities

The second half of this week was packed with events to celebrate the 50th anniversary of I Tatti. Wednesday night we had dinner--complete with pre-dinner drinks and antipasti, a four-course meal, and post-dinner coffee and treats--at the Castello di Vincigliata at the end of the road and at the top of the hill where I Tatti is located. This was quite a formal and fancy affair, probably the nicest I have ever been to (rumor was that it was 90 euro, or $130, a head). The dramatic, beautiful setting and the luxurious dinner was very much like a pricey wedding reception, without music and the chicken dance, unfortunately.

There are supposedly records of the castle dating back about a thousand years, but it went to ruins and had been reconstructed so much that today it is basically a 19th-century reproduction. Still, not too shabby!

Located at the top of the hill, the castle had a very impressive view! It had been storming for the past three days, but fortuitously the storm cleared about 2 hours before the dinner.Being seated between two Italians, I was too embarrassed to take photos of the rest of my meal, but I couldn't resist creating a memento of the creamy, chocolaty, caramelly, dessert! You know a dish is fancy when the name is really, really long

The 15 fellows being presented with their studies in the new loggiato

The following day was packed with speeches culminating in the inauguration of the new loggiato at I Tatti. This is basically a state-of-the-art building containing the 15 studies for the fellows. The celebration finished with yet another elegant and overwhelming 'garden party'. Usually I Tatti is self-sufficient and has the resources to pull together large, beautiful events with its own staff, but it was catered, so you know it was to be good and expensive. I wish I had taken photos of the aperativi--they were by far the most exquisite I have ever seen.

Beyond being the 50th anniversary of I Tatti, I imagine these were also important fund raising events, so while the donors were wooed, we got to ride the coattails to excellent food and a beautiful (though somewhat stuffy) atmosphere.

Debbie Loeb Brice preparing to cut the ribbon to the Deborah Loeb Brice Loggiato Checking out the new studies. (Seth's is the one on the lower left.)The 'Garden Party'

One of the many, many tables of food, each different. Oh my.

I couldn't believe it, they had actually hired a 'famous' marching band from northern Tuscany to hang out and eat with us