Ertymans Blog

Metamorphasis in progress


One of the evolutions that the Tuscan countryside has undergone is the rebirth of historic abandoned out-buildings into rich holiday apartments. These edifices, some no more than a weatherproof shell used to stock cattle or cereal, have been converted into the most spectacular and sought after after bases from which to base a vacation in the region of Tuscany. The changes in the countryside materialized for 2 causes: first due that local farms were incapable to meet the demands for produce from an ever thriving population, and second, that they were unable to compete on price with the larger and more centralized distribution companies (a similar switch took place in the UK with the procession of Supermarkets in the early 1990s, the only difference being unfortunately that English farmers did not have the same guarantee of sunshine like the Italian’s did, on which to build a future). As the big production companies took over mainstream distribution, the local farmers were left reflecting on how to make it to the end of the week, and Agriturismo was born.

Tags arezzo, florence, livorno, siena, tuscany