Now that we’re in ‘summer’ (using the term very loosely, of course) we’re also in the middle of festival season. But, having experienced the dubious delights of a UK festival with a tent perched on a hill with a mud-slide threatening, the idea of the gorgeous Tuscan countryside is more than a little appealing.

For anyone who has read and loved War in Val D’Orcia, Iris Origo’s powerful account of the late stages of the Second World War, you might be interested to know of the annual chamber music festival held in the magnificent grounds of La Foce, the estate that Iris and her husband Antonio restored from a ramshakle house. Whetted your appetite? Get more detail at www.itslafoce.org

Lesley-Anne Crooks, Sales & Digital Manager