ItalianoArchive for May 2013
Concerts and Masterclasses
The Contucci family has for centuries been involved in the study and diffusion of the various different arts. The matchless 1826 Conrad Graf fortepiano which graces the Sala delle Feste of Palazzo Contucci is only the most remarkable example. Music and painting have perhaps been the Contuccis’ best loved among the arts and this can still be seen in such current family members as Alessandro, son of Maria Vittoria Contucci, an art historian and Professor at Siena University, and Eleonora, daughter of Gian Stefano Contucci, who is an opera singer.
Eleonora Contucci is married to Carlo Cavalletti, conservatory diploma in piano, Professor of Music History at the Perugia Conservatory and founder of the music agency CAVARTISTS, which represents numerous artists well-known worldwide (www.cavartists.com).
Eleonora and Carlo organise various events in the Sala delle Feste. Solo or chamber music concerts with the fortepiano present rarely performed music (such as German lieder, the baroque repertoire) and there are also more popular broader-based programmes with a modern piano: from opera arias to hausmusik, from French to American music and Neapolitan songs.
Their particular interest in training and teaching has seen them organise top level Masterclasses. One important example was the week with Malcolm Bilson on the Interpretation of the early 18th-century Classical Piano Repertoire on the Fortepiano.
Concert |
Lesson M° Bruno Bartoletti |
Lesson M° Malcolm Bilson |
Itinerary: Music, Art and Vino Nobile
The Contucci family has elaborated an unmissable tourist itinerary for those visiting Montepulciano:
-A family welcome to the historic Palazzo. Concerto (30 minutes) in the Sala delle Feste – a programme to be pre-selected from those proposed.
-Brief presentation of the frescoes (1701) painted by Andrea Pozzo (1642-1709) in the Sala delle Feste.
-A tour of the Palazzo’s16th-century internal courtyard.
-A tour of the monumental cellars underneath the Palazzo, amongst the oldest and most impressive in Montepulciano (www.contucci.it)
-A wine tasting of the famous Montepulciano Vino Nobile which can, on request, be accompanied by typical local foods, such as Pienza pecorino and home-produced salami.
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Reception in Villa
The eighteenth-century Villa Contucci is situated five kilometres outside Montepulciano. In the surrounding grounds there is a family chapel, the imposing Carp Pond typical of the noblemen’s villas, a Giardino all’Italiana with geometric beds filled with coloured gerberas, the Boschetto for shade when “the sun is overbearing” with its flowing brook, the Limonaia, the kitchen garden for home produce, and the Orchard, in spring a riot of blossom and in summer bountiful with plums, cherries, crab apples and pears.
A special occasion with friends and family in this rural idyll guarantees a relaxing atmosphere and unique hospitality. An important festivity celebrated here will provide for ever a memory of beauty such that a mere reminder of that special day will prolong the sense of joy and happiness!
At the present only a part of the interior of the villa can be rented: the two large entrance halls, which form a single space, the dining room, the bathrooms and a private space for the clients.
The three reception rooms can seat up to 80 people or accommodate 90 people for a buffet. The Limonaia can be used as a dining room for the young (up to 30 people seated) or accommodate a further 20 adults sitting down.
The grounds can be rented for large numbers.
There is unlimited guest parking beneath the trees in the Orchard.
Children’s Parties in the Limonaia
The Limonaia is situated behind the Villa in a delightful small garden. It provides a small space which is less formal than the Villa itself. With its separate facilities it is an ideal place to celebrate with the very young. For Birthdays, Christenings, First Communions food can be served inside the Limonaia or in the garden in front, where a pleasant seating area can also be provided for the parents. In the large, open and safe area of adjacent Orchard youthful energy can be channelled into play and healthy running around. The Limonaia can also be used in the context of a wedding as a children’s dining space and can seat up to 30.
The Family Chapel
The chapel is an ideal and special space for anyone who wishes to take the sacred vows with only a few chosen invitees. Baptisms or weddings with up to 30 participants can be celebrated here or such events may take place out of doors in other areas of the grounds.
Receptions
A wide variety of festivities can e held in the Villa and grounds: First Communions, Baptisms, 18th birthday parties, Silver and Golden Wedding Anniversaries, Graduation or High School leaving parties, Engagement parties… Whatever the occasion, the Villa lends itself for an unforgettable and special celebration to be enjoyed in the elegance which the Contucci family offers and demands for its guests.
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