Dear travellers,

She was born in Florence in 1519, and at just fourteen years old she married Enrico of Valois, Prince of France, son of Francis I°, who loved Italy so much.

Gifted with great intelligence, a strong character and a passion for hunting, she loved equitazione  and archery. She introduced the Amazon riding style to court while French ladies used to sit on a sort of side chair that forced them to ride very slowly. For Caterina it was an unacceptable sacrifice, so she decided to extend the use of underwear for the equestrians.

She was cultered and a refined gourmet, thus bringing to the French Court – the elegance of the best Reinassence Florentine banquet: elegant plates, embroidered tablecloths, she introduced the use of napkins and made the use of forks mandatory, a medieval custom only present in Italy but destined to revolutionize all European tables.

Thanks to Caterina two new figures “lo Scalco” who had the task of controlling the courses served and the “Trinciante” who choreographed the exquiste Florentine dishes that would forever influence French cuisine.

Florence was infact considered the European center of a refined culture not only for artists and scholars of all fields but also for the gastronomy that would conquer the palates and tables of wealthy European families.

The very young Caterina, when she moved to Paris for her wedding, brought with her – tailors, hairdressers, perfumers, jewelers but aboveall Mugello’s excellent cooks, several pastry chefs and an ice cream maker, a figure still unknown in France but destined for excepional success.

caterina’s Florentine cooks enchanted the court with exquisite recipes such as “il Papero al melarancio” which will become famous as “canard à l’orange”, the “carabaccia toscana” so beloved by Leonardo da Vinci, renamed as “soupe à l’oignon” la zuppa di cipolle, the “Salsa colla” as bechamel, the “Pezzole della nonna” a sort of “crespelle” the French will trasform them into tasty crèpes.

It was finally the jams and sweets of the Florentine pastry chefs that enchanted with “ Fruit Sorbet” of the legendary ice cream maker’s Ruggeri; the “Cibreo” will become ragout d’abattis, lo zabaione and the….Zuccotto.

Here the encounter of Tuscan delights with French cuisine will give life, over the centuries, to a heritage of international cuisine.

Thank you to Caterina and to France!

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Have a good trip… I’ll see you in the South!

Cinzia