I am thrilled to announce our alliance with Incontri in Terra di Siena, and their charitable foundation, Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena.

As a person who loves Italy (perhaps excessively), one of my favorite places in Italy is La Foce, in Southeastern Tuscany's Val d'Orcia. It is where we stayed for our wedding in Italy, and we have had many happy and memorable times there.

Incontri in Terra di Siena is a not-for-profit cultural association founded in 1989 in memory of Antonio and Iris Origo (the well-known Anglo-American writer), who dedicated their lives to the development and progress of the Val d'Orcia region and its people. Antonio Lysy, the internationally acclaimed cellist, Professor at UCLA, and grandson of Antonio and Iris Origo, is Incontri's Artistic Director and it's principal founder.

Incontri in Terra di Siena is based at Villa La Foce (my most favorite of favorite places!), and in a medieval castle nearby, Castelluccio di Pienza. Its aim is to spread the appreciation of music and art through concerts, meetings, and artistic events in the many beautiful venues of Southern Tuscany; art and music being the meeting-ground for awareness of many issues, such as understanding between peoples, cultural interaction between America and Europe, and the importance of musical and literary education for the young.

In the halls, courtyard, and gardens of Castelluccio, contemporary art exhibitions are held during the summer months, and seminars, conferences, and round tables concerning environmental issues and sustainable agriculture are often organized in its Granary. During 2002-2003, a symposium and exhibition celebrated the 100th anniversary of Iris Origo's birth, the much-admired writer best known for her books The Merchant of Prato and War in Val d'Orcia. Local schoolchildren also get a taste of Incontri music through the annual school concerts organized in the local town theatre.

Incontri has an American 501(c)3 Corporation, Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena. Through this Corporation, Incontri hopes that more people will come to appreciate La Foce and contribute to its non-profit activities.

Incontri is looking for help with on-going yearly expenses (approximately $95,000), and it also aims to set up a Fund through which to expand its activities throughout the year, buy a concert grand piano, start a music library, and eventually create a concert hall for about 200 people in the Castelluccio Granary to be usable throughout the year.

In our affiliation with Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena, we are pleased to announce that you may designate 10% of the purchase price of any item on amymccoy.com to be donated to Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena to help support their programs and larger vision. At check-out, before the completion of your order, please enter the code lafocemusic in the "coupon code" window. This offer truly applies to any item, so, for instance, if you'd prefer a print of Adirondacks rather than a print of Italy, you can still designate that you'd like to donate to Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena.

Alternatively, if you would like to support Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena directly, you may send your donations to the Secretary-Treasurer of Friends of Festival in Terra di Siena (a 501(c )3 Corporation): Judith Rice Millon, 8051 Parkside Lane NW, Washington, DC 20012, telephone: 202.882.6460. Donations are tax deductible as provided by law.