The Genius Of A Place

One of the ways I've intellectually "grown" over time is through the casually seductive way Italy has introduced me to new perspectives, cultural values, delicious foods and charming people.

Along the way I've met talented artists, Italian musicians who love Texas music, small business owners/operators, and above all ~ passionate folks who have a calling beyond the boardroom. One of those people is Sarah Marder.

Sarah recently discovered my "For The Love Of Italy" Facebook page and reached out. She's part of a team of spirited filmmakers who have been creating a special project in Cortona, Italy.

The film's purpose? To document and share the perspectives of how smaller towns around the world, like Cortona, balance sustainability, economic development and conservation. It can be quite the juggling act!

Filmmaker Sarah Marder interviewing a French tourist in Cortona's main piazza.

If you've been to Cortona, as have I, you'll understand the importance of protecting the charm that is uniquely Italia.

More about the project ~

A film for people around the world who love Italy

While we're all chasing economic development, who's thinking about the dynamics that gradually destroy the beauty and livability of places we love? A question like this should be posed about practically any community and is especially pertinent in a country like Italy, where nearly every place overflows with natural, artistic and cultural treasures.

Cortona has become a popular destination where foreigners arrange
"romantic weddings."

For nearly three years Sarah and the four other "Genius" crew members from production company OLO Creative Farm have been examining the effects of modernization, sometimes brought by mass tourism, by photographing the experience of Cortona, the little hilltop town in Tuscany made famous by "Under the Tuscan Sun." In their independent film "The Genius Of A Place," Cortona serves as a symbol for challenges faced by communities around the globe as they struggle to find a balance between growth and conservation.

Up until now, all the crew's work has been self-funded. Now they need outside help ~ your help ~ to finish the film. They've started fundraising through several channels; one is a campaign on IndieGoGo ~ an online community that helps creative ideas become reality. The team is seeking micro-contributions from individuals like us who feel an affinity for their movie's theme. They're seeking to raise $20,000 and donations are tax deductible here in the U.S. They are currently less than halfway to reaching their goal.

Filmmaker Sarah Marder interviewing Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, who chose a town near Cortona as his set for his film "Certified Copy."

"For the Love of Italy" made a contribution and I encourage you to as well, since it's a way of promoting smart development so we don't thoughtlessly ruin places of beauty around the world. It's truly a case of "love 'em or lose 'em!" Plus, your contribution is a way to participate in the making of an emerging, cool film that includes interviews with Jeremy Irons, Anthony Hopkins and "Under the Tuscan Sun" author Frances Mayes!

The campaign ends soon on December 31, 2011 (mere hours away), so please check out www.indiegogo.com/genius:

Learn ~ More about "The Genius Of A Place" and how you can be an exciting part of this thoughtful project that will educate us and protect "them."

Share ~ Your financial support (donate here) and tell all of your Italy-loving friends about the project! The Genius Team has even set-up "Perks" (special tours, watercolor paintings, recipes and more) at varying donations levels so you can join in on the fun.

Sarah set-up a special perk for our community so the first five folks who donate $75 will get to talk with her live via phone or Skype to score insider information on the film or ask questions you have about living in Italy... plus she'll include the secret chocolate recipe for free!

Love ~ Send your much needed support to Italy during a time when the economic climate is tough. Show 'em you love Italy, too!

I recently took the "plunge" and became an official movie producer by making a donation. Plus, I received a cool perk (a secret chocolate recipe from Italy) just for helping out! If the 2,500 fans of our Facebook community made just a $5 donation, the film would reach it's goal and have a great chance to make it's debut at the Sundance Film Festival 2013. A big accomplishment, indeed!

"Grazie mille" for reading my post and sharing the news!

~ Patrick

Founder, for the love of : italy
"Budding" movie producer, The Genius Of A Place

More Info:

Donate To The Project
Join the Facebook Community for "The Genius Of A Place"
More Cortona here at my "For The Love Of Italy" Blog

Cortona

Charming Cortona

Bountiful blue skies, fabulous fountains, valley vistas, Texas-sized gelato... even "chicken gardening." The good life doesn't get much better than this, folks. Pat yourself on the back ~ you've just made a wise decision to stop in beautiful Cortona on what may be your most treasured Italian getaway.
Arriving To Cortona:

From our stay in nearby S. Albino, we arrived via car rental with a short and beautiful one-hour drive in the countryside. We traveled through Gracciano, popped over the A1 Autostrada, then through Centoia, Camucia and at the end-of-our-stop... Cortona.

We've arrived at cities in a variety of ways (boat, plane, train, car and scooter), but the arrival at the hilltops of Cortona is one of the most mem-
orable. Cortona is stately situated above the valley below and as we wound our way up to the village's outer walls, we found this village a truly unique experience.

Suggested Stay:

Like the movies we've watched countless times, you can never get enough of Cortona. Francesca, you're a lucky lady! Cortona will make a great home base stay if you're in the area for a week... or hopefully, longer.

Must See | Do:

Gelateria Snoopy ~ Piazza Signorelli, 29 ~ Everyone's childhood favorite is also the inspiration for this tasty gelateria that's in the heart of Cortona. Our travel friends summed-up Snoopy's as "big scoops, low prices... need we say more?" We found out after our return that they scored hand-painted keepsake ceramic gelato bowls for just 1.5 € each (while we only got paper cups and cones), so if you visit Snoopy's, hit them up for the ceramic bowls... they are really awesome.

Ceremiche L'Etruria ~
Piazza Signorelli, 21 ~ This charming ceramics store has some beautiful hand-painted pieces. This is where I found my awesome ceramic holiday ornament and an assorted collection of miniature churches and houses.

The Memorable Fountain ~ If you've seen the movie "Under The Tuscan Sun," you'll undoubtedly remember the scene near the movie's end that's a tribute to La Dolce Vita. So topping my itinerary, my friend urged me to visit "Katherine's Fountain" on our visit and after an hour of walking the quaint and hilly alleyways and no fountain, I was convinced I couldn't find Italy, if I was standing in it!

We stopped in a charming leather shop (see below) and asked the British storekeepers for the fountain's whereabouts. In a nano second, I realized that this was playing out like a scene from Pee Wee Herman's Big Adventure where Pee Wee embarrassingly learns there isn't a basement in the Alamo. And I learned the raw and real way that the fountain from the movie, while rumored to be a gift to the citizens of Cortona, was actually a short-lived prop that was disassembled after the movie wrapped-up.

So while you won't find "that fountain," you can find another fountain that is equally majestic in the heart of Cortona's Public Gardens. You can easily reach it by heading out of the village proper via Nazionale an onward via the Passeggiata Pubblica. Here's a handy online map I found that will help guide you. Take note of the giant trees that line the roads here... every one of them marks the local lives lost of World War I and II. Sobering.

T-Nobile ~ Via Nazionale, 7 ~ Note that this is T-Nobile ("No-Bill-Ayyy") and not a "T-Mobile" hotspot. This is a leather shop that has a great and affordable selection of wallets, purses and belts. We scored new wallets and a belt here which prove to be holding up quite nicely.

T-Nobile is also the shop that set me straight on the fountain story, mentioned above. One saving grace from the disappointment on my face was that the store owner told me that while the fountain didn't exist, the home of the Under The Tuscan Sun author, Frances Mayes, did, and it was just a "brief walk" through the park and around the tennis courts. And while her home wasn't in the movie, we learned the house used in the movie was inspired by Frances' house, so we knew we had to go for a peek.

Salivating at the idea of
seeing her home, we headed out the door, new leather goods in tote, for Frances' casa. We walked. We past the fountain and about 10-15 minutes of walking later... the tennis courts... then more walking... and then we were convinced we were lost.

The shop owner said it was the "third house on the left," but all we saw was greenery and a seemingly never ending road. At least 3 times we thought about turning back, but we forged ahead.

All of a sudden, a bend in the road gave a peek-a-boo view of a terraced garden and - I kid you not - dancing butterflies and flowers galore. I felt like I had walked into a real-life Thomas Kincaid painting.

Rounding the corner revealed a grand 2-story house that had the most unique "frescod" paint color. We were mostly sure this was it?

Turns out,
it was! We found out *after our return home* that we indeed found "the" former home of Frances Mayes, and here's a picture to prove it.

Porta Montanina ~ If you love an easy walk, then you've come to the right place! Cortona is a beautiful walking town... and while in search for the fountain that didn't exist, we stumbled upon this delightful passageway located near Cortona's northeastern fortress walls.

Walking through Porta Montanina reveals wonderful valley views and we found ourselves not he only ones basking in the Tuscan sun.

So there I was... meditating in the sunny outskirts of Cortona, when all of a sudden SMOKE! I snapped into action to save the village and the people of Cortona. I ran in the direction of the smoke... and then I found this.


In Italy... you just never know what whimsies are around the corner... even if they're in the surprising blend of of a farmer, a chicken and a fire.
And Italy did have more surprises in store for us! So even though we could have spent many a day in Cortona, we soaked-up the last of the sun's rays that day and headed home to prepare for our next stop... peaceful Pienza.
for the love of : italy