On his blog Montalcino Report, Mazzoni winemaker Alessandro Bindocci reports rain and snow in Montalcino today.

But as bothersome as the snow and rain can be, he says, they are good for the vines.

Click here to read what he has to say…

Emilio Pucci, the darling designer of the 1960s icons such as Sophia Loren, Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe, lived a charmed life and nurtured a successful career in the international fashion industry.

Born into Florentine nobility in 1914, Emilio Pucci lived a life of privilege from the very beginning. An avid skiier, Pucci was awarded a scholarship to Reed College in Oregon, which would later provide him with one of his first prefessional design opportunities.

Shortly after World War II, while skiing in Switzerland, a photographer from Harper’s Bazaar asked Emilio to design a line of ski wear for a winter edition of the magazine. His use of fitted, stretchy fabrics caused an immediate sensation.

The international jet-set quickly became fans of Pucci’s designs while passing through the resort island, where he lived. This caught the attention of such famous stores as Neiman Marcus, whose owner encouraged him to expand his line from bikinis and scarves to blouses and beyond. His fame in America was solidified and his brightly-colored, geometric patterns became ubiquitous among the fashion savvy.

Pucci was commissioned to design uniforms for Braniff Airlines and he even designed a logo for the Apollo 15 space mission.

His marriage to Baronessa Cristina Nannini produced a daughter, Laudomia, who would design for the label after Pucci’s death in 1992. Luxury giant Louis Vuitton Moet-Hennessy bought a controlling stake in the company 2000 and began to bring in famous designers to create for the label such as Christian Lacroix.

The recognizable swirls and angles of Pucci’s prints remain a staple of high fashion and wardrobes of the jet-set today. They have achieved a classic status in the fickle fashion industry, a significant accomplishment by any measure.

Image via Wikipedia.

The nativity scene is part of the popular Christmas iconography all over the Christian world, but nowhere is it elevated to such an art form as it is in Naples.

While Saint Francis of Assisi is credited with introducing the first living nativity scene in 1223, scenes with statues are mentioned in Neapolitan church documents as early as 1025. The current style of presepio napoletano, however, began its evolution in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

A Neapolitan nativity scene (image via the Wiki).

What sets them apart is that the holy figures are set in the midst of scenes from every day life, usually life from the eighteenth century. Great pride is taken in the construction of these pieces which is respected as a true art form in all of Campania.

The nativity scene is of greater cultural importance than the Christmas tree and is constructed and displayed in most homes on December 8, the feast day of the Immaculate Conception. The baby Jesus figurine is placed in its crib on the night of Christmas Eve.

On via San Gregorio Armeno in the heart of Naples’ historic center, artisan shops sell presepio scenes and figurines year round. In addition to the holy characters, the classic characters to be found in the nativity scenes include the pulcinello, fisherman, monk, female gypsy, and Bacchus.

Recently, many artisans have taken to creating figurines of contemporary characters as well. The famous Neapolitan comedic actor Totò is probably the most popular, along with Eduardo de Filippo. Prominent Italian politicians can even be found, as well as Americans such as Barak Obama.