Towers & Torture: San Gimignano

One of my favorite places in Italy is San Gimignano—a Medieval Tuscan city with 14 preponderant towers that was settled by the Etruscans in the 3rd century BC.

This morning, I made the drive with the director of Varna International to plan a side excursion for the musicians that will join the music festival tour this summer.

The name of the hill-top city is derived from Saint Germinianus, who defended the city against the Huns in the 10th century.

San Gimignano rises high above the Tuscan countryside with its preponderant towers, which, at one time, number 72 in all.

Within the city walls, there are several museums of torture, which drive home the point of human brutality.

San Gimignano—a wealth of history for the interested traveller. Enjoy the shots here.

Photos Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Italy , My trips , San Gimignano , Tuscany

Chianti—Under the Tuscan Sun!

Today the director of Varna International and I drove from Venice to the Tuscany region of Italy. Our goal was to organize a wine tasting tour for the musicians that will be performing throughout Italy next summer.

We arrived to Florence and immediately set out for Chianti—not the bottle of wine but the region! Situated between Florence and Siena, there is a wine producing area in Tuscany called Greve in Chianti.

Many people are familiar with the variety of wine called Chianti, but what they fail to realize is that it comes from an area called Chianti.

Besides the breathtaking countryside, which is studded with medieval castles and villas, many wine cellars that offer wine tasting can be found.

One of the most exciting sites for me is the Museum of Wine located in the center of the city.

Settled by the Etruscans and later owned by the Romans, the city became a monastic settlement in the 11th century—and there is a logical reason why!

Chianti wine dates back to about the 14th century, while viticulture dates back to the Etruscans in the 8th century BC and then onto the Roman period.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, monasteries carried on the tradition of wine production, which was later passed onto aristocrats and merchants.

Chianti was first white and, then red.

Italian explorer of North America, Giovanni da Verrazzano, also comes from Greve in Chianti.

Taste the passion here.

Photos Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Chianti , Greve , Italy , My trips , Tuscany

The Florence Contribution to Men’s Fashion

Florence is often associated with the rebirth of culture, having become the cradle of the Renaissance. As I read 4,000 pages of Machiavelli in college, I have always held a certain fascination with this city.

Despite all the lessons of medieval diplomacy and Renaissance politics, what I did not learn in college was the Florentine influence on menswear!

Already by the 12th century, the great-grandfather of the 3-piece suit had appeared on the scene in the form of a long doublet—the snug-fitting buttoned jacket. This garment was donned with a mantel and leggings (tight-fitting hose).

By the Renaissance, the doublet had become shorter, exposing the leggings, which made Florentine menswear scandalous to the outsider! Oftentimes, this look was accompanied by long hoods.

In the 14th century, silk made its way to Italy and Florence emerged as the fashion capital of the world. Drawing from the French Gothic influence, the Florentine look was elongated and sumptuous.

By the 15th and 16th centuries, tunics were no longer popular. If worn, however, they were tight and short like a shirt with a belt tied around the waist.

Now, Florence is home to one of the most prestigious menswear trade shows in the world: Pitti Uomo.

Photo Public Domain.

Category › Florence , Italy , Medieval fashion , My trips , Renaissance fashion , Tuscany

Padova—a Cradle of Culture

Today the director of Varna International and I spent the morning in Padova to plan side tours for the musicians who will join the festival tour next summer.

Home to a prestigious university built in 1222, Padova contains some of the most remarkable artistic treasures in the world, such as the famous 14th-century frescoes of Giotto in the Scrovegni Chapel.

Located about 20 kilometers west of the Venice lagoon, Padova is an ancient city, which dates back to the 11th century BC.

During the Roman times, the city was known as Patavium, which, at that time, was inhabited by the Veneti people.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Padova passed through many powers during the Medieval period, from the Huns (5th century) to Gothic kings (6th century) and onto the Lombards and then the Franks (7th century).

Interestingly, these Goths wore knee-length tunic over trousers with a cloak that was knotted in the front. Distinctly Gothic, these garments were cut at the edges in long points.

The Lombards were a Barbarian tribe from Germany that wore tunics, large mantles, and strips of cloth that was attached to the legs through gartering (crisscrossing strips of cloth). The Lombards also wore pointed shoes!

The city fell under the rule of Venice in 1405, later becoming part of the Austrian Empire 1797 and the Kingdom of Italy in 1866.

Numerous significant events took place in this magnificent city: Mozart composed there; Shakespeare wrote “The Taming of the Shrew” there; and Galileo was chair at the university for a decade.

Photos Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Gothic fashion , Italy , Lombard fashion , My trips , Padova

The Venice Factor in Men’s Fashion

Until the Renaissance (14th—17th centuries), clothing had changed relatively little for both men and women on the Italian peninsula.

Hence, menswear throughout the High Middle Ages (11th—13th centuries) consisted of 2-3 overlapping tunics, which laid the foundation for modern clothing and regional styles.

Remember, tunics were worn from the fall of the Roman Empire onward as a type of knee- or ankle-length shirt with some sort of hose-like pants.

By the time of the medieval period, the court dictated clothing. Take Venice, for example, where the nobility enforced a strict code of fashion laws, which dictated what was acceptable for any give class of society, whether military, worker, or aristocrat.

One thousand years ago, in the 11th century, men’s fashion finally parted ways with women’s attire, which, formerly had been quite similar.

Once menswear began taking its own course, it could be summed up in one word—extravagant. The men’s silhouette was robust, with wide shoulders.

On runways around the world today, elements of medieval fashion have been rearing their head; however, most items have been influenced from military dress.

It would be interesting to see other influences from this period pervade our times.

See some Medieval styles here.

Photos Public Domain.

Category › Italy , My trips , Venetian fashion , Veneto , Venice

Veneto...Not Just Venice

Today I spent most of the day in the Veneto region of Italy, making contacts for the upcoming concerts that I am organizing in conjunction with Varna International.

Veneto is mostly known for grandiose city of Venice, but other renowned cities lie within the region, such as Verona, Padua, and Vicenza.

Located in northeast Italy, the Veneto region was first inhabited by the Eugenei between the 2nd and 1st millennium BC and was later occupied by the Veneti in the 13th century BC.

In the Middle Ages, Venice rose to a major maritime power, trading with Byzantium and the Muslim world as it dominated the Mediterranean for a thousand years.

Throughout history, this region has enjoyed a significant role in the development of menswear and men’s fashion.

Today, numerous fashionable labels lie within its region.

As you can see, I enjoy driving throughout this industrialized region, stopping at the local pits stops on the highways called Autogrill and eating in various out-of-the-way restaurants in the country side.

Have a peek at a few more shots here.

Photos Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Italy , My trips , Veneto , Venice

Thematic Hotels of Perugia: Jazz, Wine & Chocolate

If you are planning to join a Music of Fashion tour in Italy with Men’s Fashion by Francesco and Varna International, I would like to present to you the choice hotel and venue for the inaugural Fashion Jazz tour.

In 1992, the Guarducci family of Perugia inaugurated their first hotel with the theme of wine, dedicating the décor and name of each room to a wine variety.

In 1998, the family opened the doors to a second hotel: the Etruscan Chocohotel, which, as you can see by the name, is dedicated to the savory theme of chocolate. Some furniture in the rooms like lamp shades is even eatable!

Timely and appropriate, the opening of the Chocohotel has enhanced the city of Perugia, which is home to the Eurochocolate Festival.

Finally in 2007, the Guarducci family opened the doors to a third hotel, which is devoted to the theme of jazz—another appropriate theme, which accompanies the city’s Umbria Jazz Festival.

In the jazz hotel you can find pianos dating back to 1740, LP records, listening areas, saxophone lamps, and other jazz-related amenities.

With a 700-seat auditorium, the hotel is the perfect venue for the Fashion Jazz event, to which Men’s Fashion by Francesco would like to extend a warm welcome!

See more of all that jazz here.

Photos Copyright Apicehotels.

Category › Italy , My trips , Perugia , Umbria

Emilia Romagna

After a long hour drive this morning from the hills of Perugia, the director of Varna International and I arrived to the flat region of Emilia Romagna, which has been classified as one of the richest regions of Europe.

While the region may not be well known, the region’s capital city, Bologna, may sound more familiar.

Emilia Romagna is the Italian region that gave birth to one world’s greatest tenors—Pavarotti, who was born in Modena.

My trip took me to the neighboring town of Reggio Emilia. Strangely, Reggio Emilia is the birthplace of a pre-school educational theory called “Reggio Emilia,” which advocates a self-guided curriculum.

For my purposes, however the city is home to an amazing students’ choir that will accompany our tours in Northern Italy next year.

After we met with the director, I walked around the city and took some pictures for you as a light snow fell to the streets. Brrr…it was cold!

Have a look here at the city.

Photos Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Emilia Romagna , Italy , My trips , Reggio Emilia

Italy in a Whirlwind

I am very excited that, tonight, I will take a transatlantic flight back to Italy—even if just for one week.

While I definitely plan to investigate the menswear scene—past and present—my primary purpose is to organize 10 classical concerts throughout central and northern Italy, in conjunction with Varna International, for which I have been handling all PR.

Since most of the concerts will be performed in two regions of Italy, the focus of this trip will center on Umbria and Veneto, with several minor exceptions, such as a quick stop in Emilia Romagna and Toscana.

So buckle your seatbelts and get ready for a whirlwind tour of 8 Italian cities in 7 days! Let’s say, I know how to handle a stick shift!

Have a panoramic view of my hometown here.

Photos Forio, Ischia, Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Italy , My trips

Jet-Lagged in Tunis!

If I have to take my laptop out of my carryon just one more time (chuckles).... I must admit, sometimes cheap tickets make for stressful trips!

Putting all kidding aside.… After 4 flights, 6 times zones, and 24 hours of traveling, I finally arrived to the palm-studded city of Tunis! And it was worth the effort!

I checked into my 3-star hotel, snapped a few photos from my 6th floor balcony for you, and took it to the dusty streets of the city in search of a quiet dinner, which, consisting of grilled fish and sautéed vegetables, I found just around the corner.

I cannot wait to begin my explorations tomorrow. I think I will hit an early morning souq, or market, and then work my way over to the Bardo Museum for a major dose of history.

Well, before I start rambling, I had better take my jet-lagged body to bed! Enjoy the photos!

Enjoy the photos here!

Photos Copyright Men's Fashion by Francesco.

Category › My trips , Tunis , Tunisia

See you in Tunisia!

Hopefully the next time I write to you, it will be from the exotic beaches of Tunisia, on my way back home to visit family and friends in Italy! I board the plane this afternoon!

But many people have asked me, why the fascination with Tunisia? Well, I have been intrigued by all foreign languages and cultures since my early years, at which time I became acquainted with a fellow classmate from the Middle East.

Unfortunately when I went on to study at university, I was not able to major in Arabic, since I was already double-majoring in Russian and Chinese languages. Nevertheless, I never lost my fervor for the Middle East!

Then last year when I began studying Arabic, I persuaded my family to be tested in the Genome Study. The results were mind blowing and fun, if nothing else!

While maternal and paternal sides originate in Africa, the DNA on my paternal side can be traced back to 6,000 BC, to the Fertile Crescent. Maternally, our DNA can be traced back to Lebanon at about the same time, sharing 25% in common with the Bedouin and Yemeni.

In a diverse world like today, such studies can do much to eradicate bigotry and hatred, as people realize that we are not so different but rather all related in one way or another!

Well in my case, such information is taking me to the ancient foundations of Carthage, where I will continue to explore the history of menswear and—who knows—possibly the old stomping grounds of my ancestors!

I imagine that, eventually, I will have to go to Lebanon and Yemen. But for now, see you in Tunisia!

Category › My trips , Tunis , Tunisia

Ancient Carthage—Here I Come!

When I returned home last year to visit friends and family in Italy, I travelled throughout the island of Sardinia, exploring the ancient ruins of the Phoenicians and Carthaginians.

During my exploration, I discovered the amazing fashion sense of the ancient Nuraghic men, who lived thousands of years ago, dwelling in honeycomb structures and sporting—what we would consider today—very avant-garde styles.

As I return home this Sunday, I plan to continue my research on Phoenician and Carthaginian menswear with a 4-day excursion to the ancient city of Carthage, the ruins of which lay just outside of Tunis—the capital of Tunisia.

Tunisia is a country in North Africa, which is situated just 95 miles (155km) from the coast of Sicily, Italy.

(One of my favorite Tunisians, by the way, is Oussama Mellouli—gold medalist in the 1500m free at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.)

Some scholars attribute the name Tunis to the ancient Phoenician goddess, Tanit, although there exists an array of explanations.

While researching the culture and dress of the ancient Phoenicians and Carthaginians, I hope to meet up with modern Tunisian designer Salah Barka, with whom I have been corresponding.

For the past year, I have been studying Arabic, so I hope it comes in handy! If not, well, fortunately I can rely on some French!

Photo Oussama Mellouli, GNU Free Documentation License at Wikipedia.
Photos Nuraghic figures & sketches, Copyright Angela Demontis 2005, used with permission.
Remaining photos of Phoenician and Nuraghic sites, Copyright Men’s Fashion by Francesco.

Category › Italy , My trips , nuraghi , Nuraghic fashion , Sardinia , Tunis , Tunisia