By Federico Minghi
At the Loggiato di Bagno Vignoni, the innkeeper Alessandro Topini preserves the essence of Tuscan cuisine: a sensory journey between ancient stone, sincere flavours and great wines.
Bagno Vignoni is a magical place, where time seems to have stopped to contemplate the steam rising from the large sixteenth-century pool in the heart of the village. In this suspended setting, where the thermal water whispers stories of pilgrims and popes, there is a place that contains the same authentic and warm welcome as in the past: Il Loggiato. This informal tavern, overlooking the main square, is not just any place: it preserves the traces of an ancient stable with yokes for animals still attached to the walls and a legendary late sixteenth-century oven in volcanic refractory stone from Monte Amiata. At the time the structure was under the care of the Church and probably the friars lived here, who in that ancient oven prepared bread for wayfarers and pilgrims in transit along the Via Francigena and the old Cassia.
The cuisine of the Loggiato is a journey into the most delicious memory of Tuscany. It starts with the iconic hot croutons, where the most popular combination triumphs: local Pecorino and Cinta Senese lard. The menu teases with signature “treats” such as the fine anchovies from the Cantabrian Sea in pesto served with toasted bread and butter, the Chianina tartare with a knife and the skewers of dried figs with lard and truffle honey. Among the first courses, alongside the traditional summer panzanella, the classic pici all’aglione from the Val d’Orcia and those with Cinta ragout dominate, but also sumptuous tortelli embellished with fresh truffles. The second courses celebrate the truest tradition: Cinta Senese livers cooked in lard in a pan, roasted ham shank shaded with beer and honey, and baked Chianina meatballs. For the summer, tripe becomes fresh and contemporary, served in the form of a salad with vegetables, legumes, sun-dried tomatoes. To close, the house decomposed tiramisu or fresh ricotta with pepper, berries and dark chocolate.
Orchestrating this hymn to conviviality since 2010 is the host Alessandro Topini. With a past as a maître d’ and professional sommelier.
When did you start this adventure and what prompted you to choose this location so rich in history in the heart of the Val d’Orcia? «I took over the management of the Loggiato in 2010, capitalizing on my years as a maître d’ and sommelier. This place has existed since 1996, but its walls tell of centuries of passages. Bagno Vignoni is not just a dream location; it is a daily inspiration that requires us to work with respect, truth and rigor.”
Your wine list has a very precise identity, so much so that you define the labels of the territory as ‘the neighbors’ or ‘across the street’. What is the philosophy behind your choices? “Eighty percent of our menu is deeply local: we are surrounded by giants such as Brunello di Montalcino, Nobile di Montepulciano and Doc Orcia, so for me enhancing the ‘neighbors’ is natural. At the same time, I like to include excellences from outside the region: great reds from Piedmont, vertical whites from Trentino Alto Adige and Friuli, or Vermentini, to offer a complete and never banal sensory journey.”
What comment would you like to find online from your customers at the end of the evening, and is there a nice anecdote that you remember with particular affection? “It excites me when I read that people have felt ‘at home’, enveloped by the relaxation and conviviality of stone. Many funny anecdotes happen: one day a guest entered surrounded by an escort; I didn’t know who he was, but we immediately hit it off and he was the Mayor of Tirana. We ended up signing a paper together, sanctioning a memorable and official twinning between his city and the Loggiato!”
Being a restaurateur is first and foremost a passion. What are the gastronomic workhorses that fuel this drive every day to serve your guests? “The spark is human contact and the pleasure of seeing people smile at the table in front of a sincere dish. Our passion is expressed in the dishes for which customers return: hot croutons with pecorino cheese and Cinta lard, pici all’aglione, our livers in lard or a Chianina tripe reinterpreted in a summer key. Being an innkeeper in Bagno Vignoni, dispensing sartorial combinations of great wines and recipes from memory, is a privilege that is renewed with every service.»
Info: Taverna del Loggiato, Via delle Sorgenti 36, Bagno Vignoni (Si) / Tel.: 0577 1390723 / Cell.: 347 9806104 / www.illoggiato.com
