Cetamura VIP Week

Save the Date

Cetamura VIP Week

Cetamura Wine Tasting Fundraiser – Oct. 14

We’re celebrating! To kick off the 50th anniversary of FSU’s Excavations at Cetamura, Dr. Nancy de Grummond (FSU Classics Professor) and Gregg Anderson invite you to join us for an evening wine tour of Chianti. You’ll sample three wines from Badia a Coltibuono paired with appetizers while learning more about some of the amazing archeological discoveries soon to be on permanent display at the Museum at the Origins of Chianti in Gaiole, Italy.

A suggested $25 donation to help support ongoing research and FSU student scholarships can be paid at the door. Seating is limited and reservations are required. The event is open to members of the FSU and Tallahassee community ages 21 and over.

Join us June 4 - 10 for a VIP tour of Italy

Below is the itinerary for our special week of celebration at Cetamura. To make reservations for the tour or to ask for further information, please write to Jessica Rassau ([email protected]) and Nancy de Grummond ([email protected]). It is recommended that reservations be made as soon as possible but no later than March 1, 2023.

Meet your escort

The VIP group will be accompanied by Dr. Katherine T. (Katie) Brown, who is Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences at Ashland University in Ashland, Ohio. Katie earned her B.A. in Art History (1989) from Florida State University, where she studied on the Florence Program (1987 and 1989). She holds the M.A. (1993) and Ph.D. (1998) in Art History with a focus on Italian Renaissance art from Indiana University – Bloomington. As an FSU student she took numerous classes with Dr. de Grummond in both Florence and Tallahassee. Katie has published three books and many articles on Late Medieval and Renaissance art. She is an active board member of The Italian Art Society and lives in North Canton, Ohio, with her two daughters.

Plans are well underway for the 50^th Anniversary Celebration of FSU’s involvement at Cetamura and the inauguration of the new Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti in Gaiole, Italy, which features Cetamura’s spectacular archeological discoveries.

Our VIP tour is now organized, and we invite you to view the itinerary below. We hope you will join as for the exciting week of activities that includes the inauguration of the museum (June 9, 2023) as well as Open House at the site of Cetamura and our lab at Badia a Coltibuono.

We have launched our exciting and ambitious fundraising campaign to raise $500,000 to secure the future of critical archeological work by our FSU students, staff, and faculty, to develop innovative museum exhibitions and events, and begin conceptual planning to provide public access to Cetamura as an archeological park. Please visit our FSU Spark page and contribute to help us to raise the first $35,000 toward our goal.

And please follow us on this website and on our Instagram to stay in the know!

Fifty years ago, Florida State University began excavation at the site of Cetamura del Chianti, located in the Italian region of Tuscany. Since then, hundreds of students from FSU and other schools as well have had the unrivaled opportunity to participate in excavation and preservation work at Cetamura as well as museum exhibitions and research.

In May and June, 2023, we will be back on site, digging with our regular crew of students from FSU International Programs. In addition to holding an Open House event with tours of the site and the lab, we will also host a unique occasion, the official inauguration of the new museum at nearby Gaiole, the Museum at the Origins of Chianti. Within this space, numerous finds from Cetamura will be integrated into displays related to the history and archaeology of the special region known as Historic Chianti.

Another aspect to celebrate is the relationship between the Cetamura program and the FSU Study Center in Florence. Fifty years ago in 1973, the excavation was a course in the Florence program: The students would come out for a long weekend, dig passionately, live in tents, eat soup they cooked over the fire, then go back to Florence to prepare for classes during the week. In 1978, Cetamura transitioned into a summer field school. Gregg Anderson, one of the students on the dig in 1979, has taken on the task of chairing our 50^th Anniversary Committee in planning all the events for the special Cetamura Week to be held June 4-10.Of course, Gregg and I hope you will consider making a donation so that we may continue what we started 50 years ago! Click here to donate.

Our VIP tour has now been organized and we invite you to check out the itinerary and give serious consideration to joining the group! [LINK to BROCHURE] Of course, you may wish to plan and book travel on your own to attend the inauguration of the museum and the Open House at the site and lab, all open to the public.

If you’d like to receive further details about any aspect of this year’s celebration, opportunities, and our exciting Tuscan trip to tour Cetamura, send me a note at [email protected].

Hope to see you soon,
Nancy (aka Dr. de)

50^TH Anniversary of Cetamura, Italy

VIP Week

June 4^TH 2023 – June 10^TH 2023

Join us for a 6-day adventure exploring Florence and the original Chianti region! After two days in Florence, we will travel to Radda in Chianti. From there we will explore the archaeological dig site and excavation lab of Cetamura del Chianti to celebrate the 50^th Anniversary of FSU’s involvement and the inauguration of the new Civic Museum at the Origins of Chianti in Gaiole, which features Cetamura’s spectacular archeological discoveries.

Cost: $2,500 per person

Included in price: 3 nights in Florence (June 4th, 5th, and 10th) 4 nights in Radda in Chianti (June 6th- 10th). 4 dinners and 3 lunches. Transportation includes pickup at airport, travel between Florence and Radda, transportation back to Florence, and transportation to the Florence airport.

Itenerary

Sunday, June 4^th

Fly into the Florence Airport Peretola (FLR); a car service will meet you and take you to your hotel in the heart of Florence. Take the day to stroll off the jet lag in Florence and rest up. There will be a chance to grab drinks and meet a couple Cetamura folks.

Monday, June 5^th

In the morning, the group will visit the FSU Florence Study Center at Palazzo Bagnesi and view the Fine Arts Gallery exhibition that is curated by our Bucher-Loewenstein scholars and focuses on the history of excavations at Cetamura.

Take the afternoon to meander the streets of Florence and enjoy the culinary scene with lunch on your own.

Join us in the evening for the “Bagnesi Lecture” at the FSU Study Center on the history of the FSU Florence Program and Cetamura. Following the lecture, we will have dinner together with FSU admin and faculty.

Tuesday, June 6^th

Check out of the hotel; free morning, with an optional tour of the National Archaeological Museum in Florence.

In the early afternoon, the group will depart Florence by bus and travel to Radda in Chianti. After checking into the hotel, you can enjoy a beer with archaeologists at Chianti Brew Fighters in Radda or have a glass of Chianti on the terrace with Dr. Nancy de Grummond! Get to know the ’23 Cetamura Crew and join them for dinner and drinks on the terrace. Don’t miss the amazing sunset!

Wednesday, June 7^th

Join us for a Cetamura Open House! Depart Radda in the morning and travel to Badia a Coltibuono to tour the Cetamura Lab. Following the lab, the group will travel to the Cetamura dig site where students will be excavating and sharing the history of the site. Be sure to wear /bring court-type shoes for climbing up the hill to Cetamura.

After visiting the site, the group will travel to Castello di Albola for a guided tour of the vineyards, the ancient Borgo and the historic cellars followed by a classic tasting of 4 estate wines paired with typical Tuscan dishes.

Thursday, June 8th

In the morning, you’ll have a choice between two excursions.

Participate in a culinary exploration of Tuscan Cuisine with a half-day cooking class with Signora Emanuela Stucchi at Badia a Coltibuono. Classes start at 10 amwith a guided tour of the abbey, its renaissance gardens, frescoed salons, cloister and historical aging By 10:30 class begins; it will end after lunch with coffee and grappa served in the large fireplace room. Classes include: cooking lesson, dining, wines, guided visit, recipes, a diploma and the apron.

Discover how modern technologies are utilized to explore ancient sites with Kurtis Butler. He will demonstrate how he uses drones to map Cetamura. (More activities will be available on site. Total of 3-4 hours) Participants will bring their own lunch to the hill. We recommend the sandwiches at Bar Dante across the street from your hotel.

Take the afternoon to explore the artisans and shops of Radda. Join us in the evening for the exclusive VIP preview of the exhibition in the Museum at Gaiole. Following the preview, we will have dinner at Badia a Coltibuono.

Friday, June 9th

Participate in an optional half day exploration of Castellina in Chianti. By visiting Castellina, you’ll have visited all three of the original Chianti towns, Radda, Gaiole, and Castellina. A guided tour of the Etruscan tomb, and museum at Castellina will be provided. Meander the town and have some lunch on your own.

In the evening, the group will travel to Gaiole for the Inauguration of the Museum at the Origins of Chianti with an Etruscan section from Cetamura. There will be a reception and aperitivo to celebrate the opening with the local community. Afterwards, we will travel back to Radda and rejoice over a dinner in town.

Saturday, June 10

The group will travel to Gaiole for the Museum conference on biodiversity in Chianti, including research on grape seeds, history of vineyards, animals, and the environment at Cetamura. The conference will take place at the auditorium in the museum in Gaiole and lunch will be provided. The conference is from 10:00 am -3:00 pm.
Following the conference, the group will travel back to Radda to collect their bags and then continue on to Florence for the evening. The group will spend their last night at the Florence hotel they stayed in earlier that week

Sunday, June 10th

Your tour ends, and you may request transfer to the Florence airport or train in the morning on Sunday.

We are embarking on an exciting and ambitious fundraising campaign to raise $500,000 to secure the future of critical archeological work by our FSU students, staff, and faculty, to develop innovative museum exhibitions and events, and begin conceptual planning to provide public access to Cetamura as an archeological park. To kick off this endeavor, we have launched an FSU Spark page to raise the first $35,000 toward our goal. We believe our VIP’s are extremely important for the success of our fundraising, and hope that you will make a generous donation to help us reach our goals and provide for the continuity and the best experience possible for Cetamura and the FSU students and staff involved in the project

Fifty Friends of the 50th Anniversary of Cetamura

As Cetamura approaches its 50^th anniversary, it is time to celebrate all its supporters and participants in the excavations and research through the years. This page is intended to present 50 friends, 5 at a time at least once a month, starting with those who were connected in the earliest years (the 1970’s and 1980’s) and finishing with some of the most recent enthusiasts. Many thanks to everyone who has shown so much dedication!

Here are 5 of the earliest Cetamurans!

Clark Sykes

Clark Sykes was the first field director at Cetamura, for the initial 1973-1974 seasons. John Reich, a professor at the FSU Florence Study Center, offered him the job of field director, because of his experience excavating archaeological sites in the U.S.

Clark arrived in Florence in August, 1973, and quickly set about securing proper equipment for the excavation, surveying the site, and setting up a lab in a church basement in San Giovanni Valdarno. Once the students arrived, they established a tent camp at Cetamura, and he began working on training the crew in the basics of archaeological methods and techniques. They spent most weekdays excavating the initial test pits and trenches and weekends at the lab, cleaning and cataloging recovered artifacts. Work aside, Clark has wonderful memories of listening to opera on the hilltop with students, visits from the Stucchi Prinetti family, and dinners at the Badia a Coltibuono. Without question, his experiences at Cetamura and in Italy were defining moments in his life. Clark taught anthropological archaeology at colleges in Virginia and at Massachusetts and left academics in 1983 for a career in high tech, retiring in 2011.

Cheryl Sowder

Cheryl L. Sowder received her B.A. in Art History and her M.A. in Classics (1978) from Florida State University, and went on to become Associate Professor of Art History at Jacksonville University. While attending the FSU Florence program in the spring of 1976, she served as assistant to the Cetamura field director, Prof. John Oleson. She later wrote her MA thesis on the Etruscan utilitarian pottery from the site, under the direction of Dr. Nancy de Grummond, and subsequently published her results in Archaeological News, 1984. Cheryl returned to the site as Dr. de’s Assistant Field Director at Cetamura in 1983-84, and then much later from 2011 to 2017, when she served in the epic mission to finish the excavation of the very deep Well # 1. As Registrar for all finds coming out of the well, she made brilliant and detailed records that have facilitated the study of everything found from the Etruscan and Roman levels. She published an article in Etruscan Studies, 2015, on special Etruscan finds from Well #1.

Patrick Rowe

Patrick Rowe became involved with the excavations at Cetamura when he was a student on the FSU Florence program in the fall of 1976, taking the field with Prof. John Reich. He returned as field director in 1978, for the first summer field school, and continued to work at Cetamura in the summers until 1982. In 1979, he produced a valuable FSU MA thesis covering the early work at Cetamura. Pat resumed work at the site as Assistant Director under Dr. de Grummond in 1987, continuing to work each summer up until 2002. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1989, with a dissertation on Etruscan temple architecture directed by Dr. de. Through the years he supervised the creation of the first and still most authoritative map of the site, meticulously recording the walls uncovered.

Dr. Rowe taught at Pensacola State College and the University of West Florida in the period 1983-2010, during which years he became a skilled and distinguished collector of works of art, in particular prints. He has frequently shared his collections with the public, arranging for exhibitions of originals by Alphonse Mucha, Hokusai, Daumier, Aubrey Beardsley and Bill Mauldin.

Gregg Anderson

Gregg Anderson is the recently retired President of Wyndham Hotels and Resorts’ Registry Collection Hotel brand. He is a 1978 graduate of Florida State University with a degree in Mass Communication. Gregg was first introduced to Cetamura while studying with Dr. John Reich on the FSU Florence program in 1977 and returned to Cetamura to participate in the second Summer Field School in 1979. He spent most of those six weeks working inside Well # 1 on Zone I.

Gregg spent 14 years in various roles at Wyndham after a successful career in marketing and brand strategy with the Walt Disney Company in Japan and the US. Earlier in his career Gregg served as Marketing Director for the Pinellas County (Florida) Arts and Humanities Council, was a board member of Habitat for Humanity of the Sand Hills (North Carolina), and was a long serving local executive with the Boy Scouts of America.

Gregg lives in Windermere, Florida with his wife Shawn and is a Rotarian, trying to live every day adhering to the organization’s motto of “Service above Self.”

Charles Ewell

Charles Ewell fell in love with Italy as a youth and has lived there much of his life at his family estate at Borro al Fumo, not too far from Cetamura in the commune of Gaiole in Chianti. “Carlo” was a member of the first FSU summer field school in 1978, and returned to Cetamura many times through the years to work in other seasons. He received his B.A. in Archaeology from Yale University (1975), an M.A. in Anthropology from George Washington University (1981) and a second M.A. in Architectural History from the University of Virginia (1991). He obtained the Ph.D. from Florida State University with a dissertation on An Etruscan Hellenistic Workshop: The Kiln and Artisans’ Zone at Cetamura del Chianti (2000), directed by Dr. Nancy de Grummond. From 1990 to 2001 Dr. Ewell served as Associate Field Director at Cetamura, returning again in 2010-2018, with students from his classes at Syracuse University and New York University in Florence. He published an article on the kiln, Structure K, in Etruscan Studies, 2014.

Fifty Finds and other highlights from 50 years at Cetamura

Between now and the 50^th Anniversary Celebration, we will highlight fifty finds from Cetamura and other memories over the last fifty years on our Instagram. Follow along to see spectacular artifacts and take a walk down memory lane.