With increasing pace have we begun to covet and adopt a more back-to-basics lifestyle, be it with regards to our diets, a detachment from technology, or making an effort to spend more time outdoors. 

All three can be uniquely combined during a stay in one of Tuscany’s characteristic farmhouses, a relatively new style of vacationing otherwise known as agriturismo (a combination of the Italian words for ‘agriculture’ and ‘tourism’).

Agriturismo’s roots can be traced back to the fifties, when small-scale farming started bringing in less money, forcing farmers to move out of rural areas in search of work – and abandoning their farms in the process. By 1985, laws were introduced encouraging the restoration of many of these older farmhouses, and a new way to holiday was born. 

Tuscan farmhouses attract people from all over the world, not just Italy, and allow one to experience some of the unique aspects and benefits of a slower, countryside life. Indeed, so alluring have they become, that they have even been featured on UK TV in a series which follows a group of Brits living and working in an 18th-century Tuscan farmhouse as they look for a permanent change of scenery.

Though not everyone who wants to experience a slower, more organic lifestyle has to take as drastic a move. Many rely instead on family-run farmhouses to help them take full advantage of their surroundings, if only for a while.

At Villa di Campolungo, for example, visitors have the chance to cook traditional dishes, take part in local area wine tastings, or walk through some of the estate’s 1,800 olive trees. In all, spending time taking part in life’s more uncomplicated pleasures. 

“It’s very simple,” says Silvia Cantini, who has run the villa since the family purchased the (at the time) run-down building 12 years ago. We offer “clean air,” and “beautiful landscapes.”

Close to towns and cities such as Fiesole, Pisa, Siena, and Lucca, guests can easily explore Tuscany’s famous landscapes. Silvia also offers guests a real taste of zero kilometer Tuscan life. Literally. “We offer real, local breakfasts made of local products,” Silvia says. “We search in the area and we try to pick the best local products (like pecorino). For some people, it is important.” 

If the artisanal cheese is not enough, guests of Villa di Campolungo can also indulge in some of Silvia’s other homemade delicacies: “I bake my bread every day, my focaccia. I bake it every day for the guests. [There is also] homemade jam, homemade cake … ". The family also make their own olive oil.

And the homemade goods that await guests every day? They come with an important, yet sometimes overlooked feature, the atmosphere. Says Silvia, “we are having breakfast and people are chatting together, [people from] France, Germany, from the US. Last week, we had people from the UAE. People, I think they like to interact together. Yesterday we had a cooking class [for] three hours then they had dinner with what they had prepared all together. This morning, they were all really happy. This is the kind of lifestyle.”

--Zaineb Al Hassani

Is the Mediterranean Diet (dietà Mediterranea) really a magic wand of beauty?  For decades doctors have been extolling this diet based on olive oil, complex carbohydrates such as fresh pasta and rice, fresh fruit and vegetables, while remaining low in red meat, animal fats, and refined sugars. 

We may now have proof that it works.   It seems the Mediterranean diet has made Italy the healthiest country in the world, according to the 2017 Bloomberg Global Health Index.  Bloomberg surveyed 163 countries and ranked them according to life expectancy, causes of death, and health risks such as high blood pressure, use of tobacco, malnutrition, and access to clean water, and ranked Italy #1. The US ranked #34, below every country in Western Europe. 

Moreover, based on life expectancy alone, Italy ranked #7 in the world for female longevity, according to the World Health Organization.    Italian women live an average of almost 85 years, compared to their US counterparts, whose average is 81.6, ranking them #33 worldwide.

The Mediterranean Diet that fuels the women of Italy, in both north and south of the country, is rich in farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, supplemented by freshly-caught fish, a small amount of meat, local cheeses, and bread from neighborhood bakeries. Dessert is a secondary consideration.   “Locally grown,” zero-kilometer living isn’t a market slogan; it’s just life.  There are fewer factory farms in Italy and many more mom-and-pop type agricultural entities than in the US, which makes prices arguably higher but quality decidedly superior.

While pasta is a staple at an Italian table and the average Italian can choose from 140 different shapes, Italians on average eat little more than two ounces of pasta per day.  Sauces are often light; they may consist of EVO (extra-virgin olive oil) and a seasoning or two, not the thick cholesterol-heavy glop popularized by Italian-American restaurants.    

(While EVO serves as a keystone of the Mediterranean Diet taken internally, it is also useful as a softening agent for the skin when applied externally.  It is rich in vitamin E, fights the deleterious effect of free radicals, and contains a naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory chemical.  It has been used as a beauty enhancement since Roman times, when it was applied as a lotion).

Additionally, although Italy is the largest rice producer in Europe and has 15 different varieties, Italians themselves eat only about 8.5 kilos (18.7 pounds) per person per year (about 1/3 of a pound per week).  One of the country’s iconic dishes – risotto – is hugely popular in the north, where the most fertile rice fields are located, and risotto has become appreciated around the world. 

The sometimes errant mantra of “protein good, carbs bad” is not so simple as illustrated by the Mediterranean Diet.  Studies have shown that heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and other metabolic ailments occur less frequently with Mediterranean diets than with meals heavy in meat protein. And you can lose weight in the process!  What else explains why Italian women are the slenderest and best-proportioned in Europe? 

--Claudia Flisi

Buyers from all over the world mingle with design students, who often have shared in creating some aspect of the subtle beauty and form on display in the exhibits. Members of the general public are intrigued by what is on show: innovative ideas in captivating spaces that exist all year round but which often go unnoticed in their splendor or are off-limits to the public. All are welcome, while the Happy Few get to snag invites to the many parties that punctuate the evenings at this time of year.

An event that started as the Salone del Mobile, over 50 years ago has expanded over the years, thanks to enterprising designers and creatives who saw scope for integrating 2,000+ exhibitors and 270,000 trade visitors, with smaller, more intimate, cutting-edge exhibits in the downtown area. Aided and abetted by the people Interni magazine, a distinguished design magazine that has been publishing a map and guide to these “fuori Salone” (Beyond the Salone) events for many years. 

In the Milan city center, you can check out the showrooms of the leading design names such as Alessi, Cassina, and Kartell. Milan Design Week also features new temporary occupants of well-known spaces, usually closed to the public. The elegant Palazzo Crespi in Corso Venezia housed a lovely Swarowski show this year and in 2015 provided a majestic backdrop for AirBnB’s exhibit.

Each year, designers get more ambitious in conceiving of new premises where events can be held, Tom Dixon being one of them. A couple of years go, this leading British designer organized a dazzling display in a disused cinema. This time around, he opted for another picture palace. He managed to rent the entire shopping arcade, just off the super-central Via Manzoni. Each of the arcade’s shops was given over to one design store and, in the movie theater, Tom held events with IKEA, the Swedish bye-word for innovative, budget furniture and furnishings.

To facilitate the flow and interchange of ideas and form, a shuttle linked this Tom Dixon space in the Galleria Manzoni with the Ventura design district, a place that only exists for six days a year.

Named for the main street in the Lambrate area of eastern Milan, the Ventura design district is a place of redundant warehouses and workshops, many of them refurbished. In its eighth iteration, Ventura boasted 128 exhibitors from all over the world. And visitors galore.

But nothing stands still for long at Milan Design Week. Ventura’s success in past years led the organizers to launch Ventura Centrale this year: four disused railway arches under the city’s main Central Station. The exhibits included Lee Broom’s slow-moving white merry-go-round bearing examples of his work over the last ten years, a mesmerizing spectacle rising out of the gloom of this long-neglected vaulted space.

Ready to make your reservations for 2019?  Be sure to be in Milan, April 9 to 14, but you had better be quick, as hotels sell out months in advance. But it will be well worth it!

--Roberta Kedzierski

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Yet, somehow Italian women seem to always have their beauty in place – effortless polish, refinement and spark. 

How to do it?

Overall the biggest difference between American and Italian beauty is that American women might go for what makes them look good, but Italian women go for what makes them feel good.

That's according to Italian model Mitzi Peirone.

Here are some simple tips--

• Stress is the true beauty enemy, it makes anyone look older and feel more tired.  Relaxation is a virtue in Italian culture.

• Much of the Italian beauty routine is dedicated to moisturizing and hydrating skin & hair – think facial moisturizer, salon quality conditioner and body butter.

• Don’t fear the sun or elements, embrace them – avoid tanning beds and fake tanners.

• Use color sparingly and strategically. The key with color is restraint, less is more. Let your skin breath to ensure softness and moisture.

• The Mediterranean Diet fuels the women of Italy, providing nourishment and enrichment inside and out.

• The diet is rich in farm-fresh fruits and vegetables, supplemented by freshly-caught fish, a small amount of meat, local cheeses, and bread from neighborhood bakeries.

• Locally grown, zero-kilometer living isn’t a market slogan; it’s just life. And, contrary to the Italian-American thick red and white sauces, most Italians eat very little sauces or dressings.

• Don’t limit and restrict, indulge and enjoy wholesome, fresh and simple organic foods based on the Mediterranean Diet. 

• When there is no restriction on enjoying food, there is no need to binge and then feel guilty and diet again, benefiting both physical and mental health.

• Extra-virgin olive oil serves as a keystone of the Mediterranean Diet. Rich in vitamin E, antioxidants and omegas, this same olive oil is also applied externally to soften and enrich the skin. 

• Used as a beauty enhancement since Roman times, extra-virgin olive oil helps fight the deleterious effect of free radicals, and contains a naturally-occurring anti-inflammatory chemical.

• Before moisturizing. Italian women use espresso grounds or fresh herbs & olive oil for body scrub, especially on the thighs and glutes.

• Coffee both exfoliates but also helps tighten skin while the olive oil works to moisturize.

• Instead of a mud mask, Italian ladies often use fresh plants or flowers like crushed roses & aloe for a deeper hydration and glow.

• Smile and indulge in dark chocolate for higher endorphins, serotonin and that perfect smile.

Following these simple tips can help you achieve a more relaxed, natural beauty.