Spannocchia

When studying food and culture in Tuscany I was mesmerized by the beauty of this historical estate. In 1991, Spannocchia was at a crossroads. For centuries, the estate had existed underneath Tuscany’s traditional system in which resident tenant farmers sustain the property and, in return, themselves—but that all changed in the decades after the Second World War. By the late 1980’s, the last of what had at one time been forty resident families had left Spannocchia; the majority of farming operations had ceased, and Spannocchia’s main activity was providing seasonal housing for several art and archeology programs. Since then, Friends of Spannocchia, in collaboration with many universities and other educational institutions, has exposed thousands of guests and hundreds of interns to the lessons of Italian culture, organic farming, and environmental responsibility. A blended community of American and Italian staff have built the estate into the international model for sustainability that it is today, my Food and Culture proffesor Jessica Haden is one of those Italian Americans. After learning the extensive history and importance this estate holds and their prized values of sustainability and craftsmanship these photos hold a special place in my heart. As a kid who grew up on a farm, photographer, and artist Spannocchia is a true piece of art.