Altared: A Tale of Renovating a Medieval Church in Tuscany
“Altared” is a humorous memoir based on my experiences renovating an ancient church in the heart of Tuscany. The property was an historic way station for Crusaders and religious pilgrims dating from the 12th century, and an ossuary with hundreds of skeletons was unearthed in the backyard. I battled an invasion of mysterious insects, guests who held up the local lavanderia, and a resident ghost with a penchant for Marlboro Lights. The project took so long there was a change in Italy’s national currency, but I emerged - battered and bitten – but victorious. The church’s transformation was beautifully captured by Kim Sargent of Sargent Architectural Photography and was featured in the March 2010 “Before and After” issue of Architectural Digest © Conde Nast.