Marriages and houses

Today I am transporting you to an  Abbey in Tuscany and an apartment in Florence, both the set for a 2010 Italian movie “Matrimoni e altri disastri” (Marriages and other disasters) starring, among others, Margherita Buy and Marisa Berenson.  It is a comedy talking about a single lady living in Florence  organizing (or trying to…) the wedding of her sister in the parents’ old mansion in the country. Even if the movie may not come to North America (or has it already?) I love to show some beautiful images of those houses filled with antiques, warmth and memories of several lifetimes as European houses often are.
Above is an image of a classic “giardino all’italiana” or classic Italian garden where  the lack of flowers and the 'chiaroscuro' effects are created by sculpted trees and shrubbery, in a geometric pattern, not my favorite I should say but still representing centuries past.

 

Badia a Coltibuono, where part of the movie was shot, is an ancient Abbey from XI century, in the hills of Chianti, recently in part renovated as an Hotel with pool, gardens and acres and acres of land where the owners produce excellent olive oil and wine. Add to this a famous cooking school, wine tasting seminars, a shop where you can find the most delicious and organic products and you got the picture.

 

Eight rooms and three suites are available for clients, as you can see from the images floral patterns, ancient affreschi, antique furniture are decorating these glorious rooms.

Timeless elegance in the common areas.

One of the guestrooms with the beauty, acquired through centuries, of the cotto tiles. 

Very different but also fascinating is the movie set in the apartment in Florence. Again this place is in an historic XVI century building which, after the movie,  the shooting actually took place here during renovation, was transformed in the  Hotel Palazzo Guadagni with 15 rooms, elegant common areas and antique furnishing.

The Hotel reception which in the movie was set as the living room  and on the right a veranda opening to a large terrace. I love the ceiling treatment and the tall doors.

Margherita Buy walking in a vast corridor filled with chairs, books, art.

 

Mid century bed and a gorgeous Thonet settee reflected  in a mirrored armoire.

The Florentine roofs and the Tuscan hills in the background.

The terrace, or I would call it a loggia,  has a beautiful view over Florence roofs.

One of the sets of the movie in the  apartment.  If you like to see more of this here is a a video clip

with some scenes from the movie.

I have a fascination to see how set designers work, do you?
 Photography by Simone Martinetto



©2011 Brillante Interiors writes about new trends, timeless decor, iconic pieces, design ideas, or at times just musing about "a certain Italian way of doing things".

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