Many people feel that their affection for Tuscany stems from the food, the wine and the breathtaking countryside. But my love for Tuscany starts with the accent.
The Tuscan people speak Italian with an endearing twist. My favorite characteristic is that c’s turn into h’s in Tuscany. Casa is pronounced “hasa;” Coca Cola becomes “Hoha hola.” I imagine that my Tuscan ancestors sounded something like this when they talked so many years ago.
My great grandmother, Tecla Pellegrini, was born in Sarteano, Siena, Tuscany in 1903. I’ve been told by those who knew her that I am like her in many ways — she and I share idiosyncrasies and even look a bit alike. Although I never had the pleasure of knowing her, being in Tuscany gives me a sense what life must have been like for her. Just listening to native Tuscans converse in a cafe makes my beautiful great grandmother, Tecla, come alive in my mind. For a passing moment, I can see her happily involved in her unique culture with its special dialect, and I am with her. This is a place I do not ever want to leave.
-Mary M. Tedesco, ORIGINS ITALY.
