logo
Tuscan Wedding Romance with a Modern Twist at Historic Villa Mangiacane

Tuscan Wedding Romance with a Modern Twist at Historic Villa Mangiacane

Hidden away in Tuscany's rolling hills, Villa Mangiacane mixes historic detail with modern elegance. Originally imagined by Michelangelo himself back in the 15th century, the villa's careful restoration between 2000 and 2008 gently brought it back to life. Frescoes were painstakingly revealed, damaged tomb plaques restored, and even parts of the villa lovingly rebuilt after an earthquake. Now it still feels historic, but with stylish comforts naturally woven in to the aesthetic, making for a relaxed yet sophisticated atmosphere for a destination wedding in Florence.
Villa Mangiacane knows how to do weddings, and the property offers numerous beautiful spots around its grounds for ceremonies and receptions. Couples can say their vows in the restored chapel, lush gardens, or romantic courtyards—each with breathtaking views over the Tuscan countryside. The villa's event team is hands-on, making sure every detail is personalized and carried out to perfection.
For guests who stay overnight, Villa Mangiacane offers luxurious suites and stylishly furnished rooms scattered across the main villa and nearby buildings. Interiors are warm and inviting, mixing classic Tuscan personality, antique pieces, and modern amenities. Guests are made to feel comfortable, perhaps even a bit pampered. Beyond just a place to rest, guests can taste premium wines from the villa's own vineyards, enjoy delicious Tuscan dishes prepared by the in-house culinary team, and relax with exclusive spa treatments and both an outdoor and indoor pool.
Surrounding the villa are other famous vineyards—including Antinori, known for some of Tuscany's finest wines. On the property itself, the gardens host a carefully selected sculpture collection, blending global artistry and Florentine tradition. With its combination of quiet luxury, genuine Italian spirit, and careful attention to detail, Villa Mangiacane makes for an unforgettable choice for couples planning a wedding in Tuscany.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

TikTok's Cugine opens Brooklyn sandwich shop, cafe, Casa Cugine
TikTok's Cugine opens Brooklyn sandwich shop, cafe, Casa Cugine

New York Post

time3 minutes ago

  • New York Post

TikTok's Cugine opens Brooklyn sandwich shop, cafe, Casa Cugine

This sandwich influencer has gone brick and mortadella. Danny Mondello, the Italian-American behind @Meals_by_cug has turned his social media brand — making chicken cutlet sandwiches and tossing pasta into the air from a frying pan for more than 2 million followers on TikTok and 1.5 million on Instagram — into Casa Cugine, a new sandwich shop, market and cafe in Williamsburg. When he's not slicing soppressata behind the line, Mondello, 28, personally greets customers from a lawn chair outside the Brooklyn storefront, his pinky finger, encircled with a gold ring, jutting out as he sips his signature Diet Coke. 'It's a dream come true,' Mondello told The Post of opening the shop earlier this month on a neighborly Graham Avenue block. 10 Danny Mondello, the Italian-American behind @Meals_by_cug with millions of followers, has turned his social media brand — making chicken cutlet sandwiches and pasta — into Casa Cugine, a new sandwich shop, market and cafe in Williamsburg. Brian Zak/NY Post 'You see families, you see the old Nonnas walking down the street. Everybody knows each other,' he said as he nodded to passersby. Fans of Cug — short for 'cugine,' which is Italian for cousin — are traveling from as far as Texas and South Carolina to get a taste of viral sandwiches like the 'Hey Toots' with turkey and spicy soppressata; and the 'How Ya' Doin,' with chicken cutlet and broccoli rabe. 'The menu is Italian-American delicacies — everything you want. Panninis, like what they do back in Italy — hot soppressata, provolone, olive oil and oregano. Real simple. We're not trying to reinvent the wheel. We just want something that's good, and not over indulgent,' Mondello said, noting the shop will eventually serve heroes. The Rossville, Staten Island, native worked as a line cook in college in New Paltz and made it big posting cooking videos during the pandemic. 10 The menu at Casa Cugine comprises panini sandwiches like hot soppressata, provolone, olive oil and oregano, along with coffee and desserts. 'We're not trying to reinvent the wheel,' Mondello told The Post. Brian Zak/NY Post 10 Rainbow cookies are a signature at the cafe, along with Italian pastries like sfogliatelle and cannoli. 'We just want something that's good, and not over indulgent,' Mondello said. Brian Zak/NY Post 10 When he's not slicing soppressata behind the line, Mondello, aka Cugine (left), 28, personally greets customers from a lawn chair outside the Brooklyn storefront. Brian Zak/NY Post 10 Rachel Kriesel, 23 (right) from Clinton Hill, took her best friend, Sophia Ojeda, 23 (left), visiting from Austin, Texas, last Monday for a panini, in hopes of getting a photo with Cug. Brian Zak/NY Post 'Since I'm 18, I have always worked in delis and sandwich shops growing up. It's kind of where I got the name 'Cug' from. Some guy would come in and call everyone Cug,' he said. The Casa Cugine space was previously home to Cafe Capri, a family-owned coffee shop that opened in 1974 and shuttered in 2015. Mondello kept the original molding from its previous owner, but has also made the shop very much his own. A custom gold sign on the coffee counter reads 'Reserved for Cug & Ya sista,' while a portrait of Frank Sinatra hangs above a still life of Cug's pinky ring hand gripping a cigarette. Rachel Kriesel, 23, from Clinton Hill, took her best friend, Sophia Ojeda, 23, visiting from Austin, Texas last Monday for a panini, in hopes of getting a selfie with Cug. 10 The Rossville, Staten Island, native worked as a line cook in college in New Paltz and made it big posting cooking videos during the pandemic. Now, he's selling his own branded spices and other ingredients. Brian Zak/NY Post 10 'Since I'm 18, I have always worked in delis and sandwich shops growing up. It's kind of where I got the name 'Cug' from,' Mondello told The Post. Brian Zak/NY Post 10 Casa Cugine is also a feast for the eyes — with Italian-American inspired merch. Brian Zak/NY Post 'I was following his social media and I saw a post about his restaurant and that it recently opened. We've both been fans of him for so long,'said Krisel, wearing a Casa del Cug T-shirt. 'We love his sister jokes. I'm also a Diet Coke fan. We were both really depressed and isolated during the pandemic and we would send each other his videos,' Ojeda said, of making the trip to get a zucchini eggplant sandwich. Another visitor from afar, South Carolina clothing designer Michael, 35, started following Cug two years ago and was taken with his Staten Island accent. 'I've been here twice,' said Michael, who declined to give his last name. He raved about the rainbow cookies. 10 Customers enjoy coffee and pastries at the counter, where a sign reads 'reserved for Cug & ya sista.' Some tourists have traveled as far as Texas and South Carolina to support the popular influncer. Brian Zak/NY Post 10 Cugine decorated the cafe with a still life of his pinky ring-clad hand, and other homages to Italian-American culture. Brian Zak/NY Post 'He's authentic, man. I'm not Italian, I'm Russian — I have no idea about how they should talk, the lingo, the slang. What really made me like his videos was when he would cook in his house, saying a bunch of Italian s—t. The chicken cutlet sandwich looked bomb.' Mondello told The Post that he wanted to diversify his staying power by having a business of his own offline. 'There's only so much social media you can do. There's no long term play for it. It's very hard,' he said. 'When I'm 50 years old, what am I supposed to be doing? Still flipping pasta?'

I tried Martha Stewart's one-pan pasta and had dinner on the table in 20 minutes
I tried Martha Stewart's one-pan pasta and had dinner on the table in 20 minutes

Business Insider

time34 minutes ago

  • Business Insider

I tried Martha Stewart's one-pan pasta and had dinner on the table in 20 minutes

Martha Stewart told me she loves making her one-pan pasta when she only has 20 minutes. Stewart's dish barely takes five minutes of prep and leaves almost zero mess. Her one-pan pasta is very light and simple. I'd make it again, with a few changes. Meghan Markle made headlines after making one-pan pasta on her Netflix show "With Love, Meghan," but she wasn't the first to bring it to the masses. That honor goes to another very famous woman. Martha Stewart told me that her magazine was the first to include one-pan pasta, and it's a recipe she swears by when she's short on time. "It's delicious, and you can do so many different kinds of pasta and so many different flavorings," she said. "Add tomatoes, the spaghetti and basil, and a little bit of salt and water, the cheese at the end. It cooks in 20 minutes and you're done!" Martha Stewart's one-pan pasta has made headlines in the past. Stewart released the recipe in 2014 and demonstrated how to make it on her PBS show, "Martha Stewart's Cooking School." "Here is the recipe that's taken the internet by storm," Stewart says in a clip posted on her official YouTube channel that year. "This is an odd dish because you'll never believe you can cook pasta in so little with all the other ingredients." "It's fragrant and well-cooked and just ready to eat," she added. "Can you imagine? This is it!" The dish requires just a few basic ingredients. And there's very minimal prep. Then, I thinly sliced my onion and a few cloves of garlic. You know that scene in "Goodfellas," when the mobsters are all in jail together and make that beautiful Italian feast? That is exactly how I felt as I carefully sliced through my onion and garlic, watching as they nestled together just as they had in Martin Scorsese's famous shot. I didn't use a razor like Paulie, but I was still pretty proud of my handiwork. Plus, my prep was already finished. Unlike most pasta recipes, you don't bring the water to a boil before throwing the noodles into the pan. Stewart's recipe requires that you throw everything into the pan at once for maximum ease. I accidentally put the 4 ½ cups of water into the pan first instead of last, as Stewart does in her cooking demo. Thankfully, it didn't make a difference. Then, I added my linguine, cherry tomatoes, onion, and garlic. I topped it off with Stewart's required seasonings. I added two basil leaves, two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, ½ teaspoon of red pepper flakes, two teaspoons of salt, and a few twists from my pepper grinder. The tomatoes and basil popped brightly against the yellow of the linguine, reminding me of spring. I wondered if the dish would taste as fresh as it looked. Then, I turned on the stove and struggled to mix everything. Stewart's recipe instructs you to stir and turn the pasta "frequently with tongs," which was a challenge at the start. I didn't want to break the pieces of linguine, so after a few failed attempts, I decided to let the pasta soften a little in the water. After a few minutes had passed, the pasta was fully submerged. The pan almost looked like a clear chicken noodle soup, or an Italian spin on pho. It felt weirdly therapeutic to watch the pasta move around in that clear broth as I delicately turned the linguine with my tongs. And it wasn't long before the water started to really boil. The top of the pan was covered in little bubbles as I continued to flip the pasta. It was around this time that the entire kitchen filled with an incredibly fresh aroma, just as Stewart had promised. I frequently checked to see if the pasta was al dente, per Stewart's instructions. I used my tongs to grab a noodle from the pan and drop it into my ladle, splashing some cold water on it before taking a bite to see if the pasta was ready. The second time I tested a noodle, around the 14-minute mark, I could tell that the flavors from the tomatoes, basil, and seasonings had infused into the linguine. Overall, it took 20 minutes for Stewart's pasta to cook. While Stewart's website said the pasta should take "about nine minutes," the recipe also states that the water will be "nearly evaporated" when the dish is ready. It wasn't until the 20-minute mark that I could see a significant drop in the pan's water level, and it took just as long for the noodles to cook. Since Stewart herself had told me that the pasta is usually ready in about 20 minutes, I wasn't too worried about waiting it out. After plating the noodles, I topped my pasta with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Stewart's one-pan pasta is really light, but the dish has a hint of richness thanks to the olive oil and tomatoes, which had a nice blistered texture. While the dish tasted fresh — and paired great with my glass of rosé — I thought it was just a tad plain. I got a lot more flavor out of the noodles once I added extra pepper and crushed red pepper flakes. I would make Stewart's one-pan pasta again — with a few changes. Next time, I'll add more basil, which I think could have really brightened up the flavors, as well as more tomatoes — my favorite part of the dish. I saw in the comments on Stewart's recipe that some had tried the dish with chicken stock instead of water, which I think is a great idea. Others discussed sautéing the onions and garlic first. While that technically defeats the purpose of a one-pan recipe, I do think it's a modification worth trying. Overall, I still enjoyed cooking Stewart's one-pan pasta, which surprised me given my ongoing case of kitchen fatigue. It was soothing to watch all those ingredients spin around one pan as my kitchen filled with delicious smells.

Taste of Summer: A Caprese Riff
Taste of Summer: A Caprese Riff

Epoch Times

timean hour ago

  • Epoch Times

Taste of Summer: A Caprese Riff

Tomatoes hit their stride in midsummer when they burst with sun-ripened sweetness. There's no better way to enjoy these beauties than at their peak and prepared in the simplest way to let them shine. A caprese salad does just that. Named after the Italian island of Capri, a caprese salad is composed of just a few key ingredients: ripe tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and fragrant basil, drizzled with olive oil and lightly seasoned with salt and black pepper. Its simplicity highlights each component at its freshest, resulting in a no-cook dish that's summer on a plate.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store