Handmade paper in Italy and accommodation in Tuscany

[Jason Holland]

Hello! I am a travel butler in the USA and have clients who will be visiting Italy next year for their honeymoon in May 2013. I have two questions.

1. She loves paper and would love to visit a very special handmade paper store in Italy. Do you have any suggestions? What areas would be the best to visit? Are there special tours for this?

2. For accommodation they like to be part of the local culture. They want to take day trips throughout the Tuscany region seeing Florence, Siena, and San Gimignano including a visit to the Abbey of Sant'Antimo to hear the Gregorian chant. What would you suggest for the area to stay and what do you recommend as some nice B&Bs or Farmhouses with great service and a nice atmosphere? They do like wine.

We are planning to have them arrive from Naples via train and rent a car from the airport to explore the region. Also, you know any good local guides who you would recommend?

Thank you!

[Lourdes]

Hello Jason,

Really sorry to find your post remained without an answer for so long!! :/

Hope these are still good for your search:

1. paper making - I'd recommend looking at http://www.beyondtheyalladog.com/
Penny Howard has done workshops with papermaking shops in Florence so she has contacts to help your clients organize their own. See this post for some information on a past workshop:
http://www.beyondtheyalladog.com/201...e-italian-way/


2. I'd recommend San Giovanni in Poggio as far as great quality accommodation in the countryside - very central for day trips and close to Montalcino area where the Abbey is. Here's more info: http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/...in-poggio.html
and here's info on the Abbey:
http://www.discovertuscany.com/monta...ontalcino.html
as well as the official site: http://www.antimo.it/pagine_en/00FRAME.html

Another farmhouse in the same beautiful area is Podere Cunina:

http://www.tuscanyaccommodation.com/podere-cunina.html The hard part is choosing which one!

[Lourdes]

for those interested in particular workshops in Florence and Tuscany and are on Facebook, there is an open group for "Beyond the Yalla Dog" with info on currently planned activities, that way you can see whether you can join something for when you'll be here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/beyondtheyalladog/

[douglasphil]

Florence is a nice place you must visit there. Farmhouses in Florence and in the nearby hills offer the perfect solution for anyone looking to stay close to the city and its amazin sights as well as enjoying a relaxing stay in the beauty of the Tuscan countryside. Some of the nearest farmhouse are: Fattoria Poggio Arioso, Poggio al Sole.

[Lourdes]

I found another very good option for making handmade paper with a local artist that also teaches art painting workshops - her name is Francesca and here you can see some of the courses she offers, with pics of what students have made:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/corsi...44941695587914

this is her website: http://www.decorazioniepitture.it/

[Carlotta2]

Hello! what a beautiful forum! 100% cotton Italian handmade paper is just perfect! I have found it in Italy at Lo Scrigno di Santa Chiara in Amalfi Coast. I continue to purchase it from the online website because I can't paint without it anymore

https://www.lacartadiamalfi.it/

I love painting and writing!