Local ambassador stories: Paola Turci, Trequanda

Paola Turci, a well-known and appreciated Roman singer-songwriter and musician, author of hits such as “Bambini,” “L'ultimo ostacolo” and “Off-Line,” has moved to Tuscany, specifically between Florence and the Valdichiana Senese, in Trequanda, for the past few years.

That of living in a farmhouse in the countryside was a choice dictated by a desire for a more serene and less chaotic lifestyle:

“I was born in Rome and I feel like a citizen of the world. One of the positive sides of my job is the possibility to travel, to be always on the move and at the same time to get to know the world with its differences and traditions. The choice to put down roots in Tuscany is the result of a whole new life project made of love, beauty and constant peace. Thanks to its history and strong cultural identity (with the oldest and most defined identity) this land has bewitched me. The Valdichiana - like Florence - was the choice of my new life path, and I sincerely feel it is the ideal place to start again.”

Paola and her wife Francesca divide their time between living in Trequanda and Florence as needed: “Moving from the city to the countryside is like experiencing a leap in time every time. In the city, time is devoured by social pressure, hectic and demanding; in the countryside, on the other hand, time leavens in bliss and the whole organism absorbs the benefits... Then there is Florence, where it is possible to stroll through the most beautiful art history of all time. A city that is a worldwide testimony that cultural beauty is Revolution, Evolution, Education. Fundamental weapons for the growth of the human being.”

You can sense from the way she talks about it that Paola Turci is really in love with the territory of Trequanda and the bucolic experiences she can live here, as a true local ambassador:

“I live singular experiences every day, just think that every time I am on my way back home I am accompanied by deer and jackrabbits. There is almost untouched nature here. But the most fun and productive experience I definitely live during the harvesting of the olives that become extra virgin olive oil, where from the tree to the table there is an experience with an extraordinary emotional charge.”

The singer-songwriter is also one of the faces of Valdichiana 2026's bid to be the Italian Capital of Culture, so she represents the entire territory. Why she accepted, she explains in a few but convincing lines:

“It is a privilege to represent the candidacy of this magical place: it has conquered and conquers me from season to season. Belonging to this land is almost immediate and natural. Let my choice be a warning especially among younger people to discover the beauty of territories often considered only for a few months a year.”

This is a land also rich in excellent food and wine products, and even Paola Turci has “fallen” into this world so enjoyably: “Food, a sore point for a glutton like me! Italian cuisine is undoubtedly the best in the world, and Tuscany in terms of authenticity is at the top of the list. My favorite dish before I drastically reduced my meat consumption was Tuscan bruschetta, today are pappa al pomodoro and panforte.”

The local ambassador's place of the heart:

“The most beautiful place for me is the house we have chosen to live in, having the privilege of living surrounded by nature where the only perceptible noise is the barking of our 10 dogs. Trequanda is a medieval village straddling the Val d'Asso and the Val di Chiana, in the center of which the Romans built the Via Cassia. I longed for a place between nature, beauty and history, so here I am.”

Paola Turci has bought a country cottage in Trequanda and is the face of the Valdichiana Senese's bid to be the Italian Capital of Culture 2026.