Ristorante Da Delfina

             Visitors to Florence can be overwhelmed by the wealth of artistic, historic, and gastronomic treasures that are available to them, and sometimes never get around to leaving the city at all.  But a visit to nearby Artimino, 15 minutes by train from Florence, is well worth the time it takes to make this brief journey, and not least of all for a wonderful dining experience at perhaps the most well-known restaurant in Artimino,  Da Delfina.  In her column in the International Herald Tribune, Patricia Wells says that Da Delfina's food is earthy and based on the freshest of local ingredients.

            Summertime visitors to Da Delfina can enjoy its lovely  terrace which features stunning views of the surrounding countryside. The gorgeous panorama can be savored from beneath the lush arbor on the ample terrace.  The freshness of the summer evenings is rivaled only by the freshness of the food produced by the family of Delfina Cioni, now 92 years old.  A favorite summer dish that begs to be enjoyed on the terrace is Risotto with Garden Vegetables.  As one experiences this succulent treat amongst these delightful surroundings, the flavors of the area come to vibrant life. 

            In colder weather, the open kitchen  and several brick clad interior rooms create a cozy atmosphere.  The kitchen at Da Delfina  interprets classic dishes in ways that set this establishment apart from other nearby restaurants; the food is never ordinary and even the most familiar and traditional dishes, such as ribolitta and pappardelle al pomodoro, are always exciting.

            Dinner at Da Delfina always starts with a complimentary appetizer accompanied by a glass of spumanti.  Typical of these small initial offering is Crocchette di Carne Fritte,  crisp little rounds graced by succulent meat.  Appetizers include an unusual presentation of tongue in sweet sauce and a lovely zucchini salad with pinenuts. Perhaps the most popular appetizers at Da Delfina are the selections of home cured meats.

First courses can be chosen from the aforementioned risotto, or the wonderful array of soups, including ribolitta, or the  traditional farro soup, or the fragrant profume of artichokes and bacon. A highlight among the pasta offerings is the taglierini with wild asparagus in season. 

Second course favorites include a delicate frito misto, and a winter specialty: wild game roasted with herbs. Flavorful roast goat and savory lamb cutlets are also excellent choices. Wells' favorite dish at Da Delfina is the skewered pork cooked over a wood fire. 

Da DELFINA
Loc.Artimino 59015
Via della Chiesa, 1
Tel.055/8718074
fax 055/8718175
Closed Sunday evenings and Monday, but be sure to check.
All major credit cards.  (From the Santa Maria Novella station in Florence, take a 15 minute train ride to Signa, and a cab from there to Da Delfina.

Risotto with Autumn Vegetables

Ristorante Da Delfina is well known for its Risotto with Garden Vegetables.  We invite you to try our version of this dish especially designed to take advantage of late autumn vegetables.

1 medium sized butternut or similar squash, roasted

6 cups chicken broth

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups Arborio rice

1 teaspoon minced garlic

6 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage

4 oz arugula or baby spinach, stems discarded and leaves very coarsely chopped

Cook onion in butter in a 4-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring, until softened. Add rice and garlic, and cook for a few minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup simmering broth and cook at a strong simmer, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is creamy-looking, about 18 minutes total. (You will have leftover broth.)

Cut roasted squash into a large dice, and stir in squash pieces, then stir in cheese, salt, sage, and arugula and simmer, stirring, 1 minute. (If necessary, thin risotto with some leftover broth.)

Two Medici Villas

            If traveling by car, a daytime visit to Artimino, with lunch on the terrace at Da Delfina, can be combined with a visit to either of these nearby historic Medici villas.

Poggia a Caiano

            The best known of the many Medici villas decorating the Tuscan landscape, the Villa of Poggia a Caiano was designed by Giuliano da Sangallo and built for Lorenzo the Magnificent in 1480.  The villa features an unusual floor plan in that it is "H" shaped.  The facade of the building features a graceful porticoed base.  This classic facade also greets  the viewer with  a loggia defined by Ionic columns and a broad pediment featuring a terra-cotta frieze by Andrea Sansovino.  The frieze currently on view as one approaches the building is a copy; the original can be seen inside the villa. 

            A double curving staircase, added in the late eighteenth century, defines the foyer.  The magnificently decorated and furnished interior features several rooms of note.  Perhaps the most marvelously furnished is the splendid Salone di Leone X, which is named for Pope Leone X, the son of Lorenzo the Magnificent.  The room contains important 16th century frescoes that depict episodes from Roman history.  These scenes were chosen because of their obvious allusions to episodes in the life of Lorenzo, and were begun by Andrea del Santo, but finished by Alessandro Allori.  The lunette, frescoed by Portormo, is the finest work in the villa, and is considered to be one of the masterpieces of Florentine Mannerism. 

Villa dell'Artimino

          The Villa dell'Artimino was designed by Buontalenti and built in 1594 as a hunting lodge for Ferdinand I.  While some see the facade of the Villa dell'Artimino as austere, its spectacular ramped staircase and the host of chimneys that grace the villa's roof provide interest to an otherwise imposingly stern frontage.  The chimneys have earned the house the nickname of "The Villa of One Hundred Chimneys" and they appear like so many tiny towers watching over the roof line to lend the villa an air of gaiety.  There are actually forty of these chimneys, each on belonging to a particular room in the villa.

            The paintings that once belonged to the villa are now on view in the Museum Firenze Comíera at Via Oriuolo, 4  in the Casa Buonaratti.  This famous series of lunettes from the Villa dell'Artimino were done by Flemish painter Giusto Utens; they depict the Medici. But while the many of the paintings from the Villa dell'Artimino are gone, the wonderful views from the villa remain.  There is a splendid panorama awaiting visitors, and a small Etruscan museum is of great interest.

The Beautiful Tuscan Cypress

Throughout Tuscany, beautiful landscapes, like those to be seen from the Villa dell'Artimino, are graced by the familiar and charming  Cypress tree (Cupressus sempervirens).  The Cypress has long been a part of the Tuscan scenery; some say that this noble tree was introduced by the Etruscans, but others believe that it was brought here by the Romans. These ancient cultures thought of the Cypress as a religious symbol and of life and death, and used it in many sacred sites.

Two quite different varieties of the Cypress exist in Tuscany.  One is the wild variety, with open and irregular branches that do not form a point, and the other is the graceful cultivated variety that travelers are familiar with and that has so often been used by landscapers and the designers of Tuscan gardens.  This cultivated variety of Cypress is known as the masculine varietal (pyramidalis), and its familiar branches cling closely to its trunk, forming the easily recognizable tapering silhouette.                                                                                                                                                                                                

In many parts of Italy the Cypress is used almost exclusively as an ornamental part of parks and cemeteries.  In Tuscany, however, Cypress trees, whether in long lines bordering streets and lanes, or beside homes and churches, are a prevalent part of  the landscape.  They seem to stand like watchmen, overlooking grand villas and humble farmsteads alike.

The long lines of Cypresses to be seen throughout Tuscany aren't just there for beauty.  They serve as windbreaks, and they provide an excellent source of strong and valuable wood.  The fruit of the cypress is rich in tannin, which is of pharmacological use.  The Cypress can live to be a thousand years old, and usually grows to a height of  20-25 meters.          

            The graceful and majestic Cypress is still a vital symbol today.  While the symbolic origins date to Etruscan and Roman times, the Cypress has had a continual role in historically symbolic landscapes, such as the knoll of Monteaperti, where in 1260 the Ghibellines defeated the Guelphs.

           Sadly, in recent years this great symbol of the Tuscan landscape has been attacked by the Coryneum Cardinale virus, possibly brought from the United States during World War II.  Scientists are battling to save these trees, and hopefully they will succeed.

Our Accommodations

            All of the properties featured for rent on our website,  www.florencevillas.com, are privately owned and are kept to the highest standards of comfort.  If you don't see exactly what you want on our site, please contact us, as we have other properties that may exactly suit your needs.  We also have properties that are perfect for groups, whether for weddings, reunions, or business gatherings.

Your comfort is our major concern.  We can provide you with the desired amount of assistance you need.  If you prefer privacy, that is as you wish.  But if you need help with anything from guides to restaurants or even medical assistance should it be necessary, someone is available to assist you. Most importantly, our homes are your home away from home.  We promise a relaxing getaway in a Tuscan paradise.                                                                                               

Hotel Express International

Many visitors to Tuscany come here through other parts of Italy and Europe.  Before or after staying at one of our villas or apartments, you may be looking for hotel accommodations. May we suggest a membership in Hotel Express International as a way to insure the very best value in hotel accommodations.  With Hotel Express International, the world's leading hotel discount club, members enjoy a 50% discounts on rack rates in 3, 4 and 5 star hotels worldwide.   

Those with memberships in Hotel Express International can stay in any of the 3,500 hotels listed in the Hotel Express International directory. Most of these hotels belong to famous chains (Sheraton, Holiday Inn, Hilton, Golden Tulip, Renaissance etc.). In order to learn more, and become a member of Hotel Express International, just click on www.hot-ex.com.