Renaissance Man

How fitting that I should call Francesco Cappelletti, owner of Signoria di Firenze a Renaissance man. Florence (Signoria's home base is thirty minutes outside Florence), Italy is where the Renaissance started in about 1,400 before spreading to Rome, Venice and the rest of Europe, and changed the course of history.

My Mac dictionary defines Renaissance man as such: a person with many talents or interests, esp. in the humanities.

I will be forever grateful for the hospitality that Francesco, his wife Carmen, his family and his staff showed me during my five days in Florence. Nothing was too much trouble and every night was a new food and wine experience, highlighting the simple and traditional cuisine of Tuscany. Francesco is a host, par excellence. (I don't know how to say that in Italian!)

Francesco and the gang devoted an entire day to showing me the factory (and allowing the taking of the videos in the next blog entry) and touring the Tuscan countryside. These are memories I will cherish forever.

Back to the Renaissance man part of the story.... Francesco transformed his father's small table linen company into the studied, professional, fashionable and unique company that it is today. While rooted in the rich traditions of Tuscan hill towns, it is also a beacon of modernity. Much time and money go into the research that enables Signoria, in Francesco's words, to provide a raison d'être for the simple and ancient process of weaving threads into fabric.

Francesco's vast knowledge of European history, music and literature (and practically everything else related to his home region!) is not only interesting for a Tuscan first-timer like me, but is evident in the design and business philosophies of his company.

Please meet Francesco by having a quick look at the two following videos. I think they'll give you a sense of the man.

Here he is in the top-secret design laboratory:



Here he is in the showroom at headquarters:



And finally, have I emphasized how he enjoys hosting at the lunch and dinner tables? I've never eaten so well, so simply, and so much in my life!

Grazie per tutti, Francesco!