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Tag: Tuscany

The Valley of Piero and Raphael

The Valle Museo [Valley of the Musems] comes closer. What is meant by this expression? Is it said that it was coined a few good decades ago by the Castello gallery owner Luigi Amedei and then became an effective (if abused) synthesis for interregional tourism and cultural policies between Città di Castello and Sansepolcro.

Less than seven degrees between Piero and Frida

In this extraordinary “photo album” often painful events in her life pursue one another but she remained always passionate about her life, her loves, friendships and adventures.

Tradition, taste and health in the gardens dedicated to the famous painter

The beef is exclusively from the Chianina breed (certified organic) or organic Angus, the pork is exclusively from the Black Pig breed raised in the woods of Aboca (when they say low food miles they mean it!) and it’s certified organic. The prosciutto too is local from the Nebrodi Black Pig, the poultry comes exclusively from organic farms and the other meats and game come only from local farms without the use of GMO feed or from the woods owned by Aboca.

‘Dal Grigino’ classic dishes and flavours of both land and sea

The Tartare del Grigino is justly famous, but also the sliced beef flavoured with different spices and condiments and the superb Bistecca Fiorentina. And, if you start your meal with a classic Antipasto della Valtiberina (a triumph of cold cuts, cheeses and bruschette with local pate) or with the equally classic panzanella, noth[1]ing stops you from opting for a first or second course of fish: from tagliolini al nero di seppia su crema di zafferano up to prawn tartare and fresh swordfish or octopus carpac-cio paired with seasonal vegetables.

The land meets the sea at the Tenuta del Belguardo

Native vines such as Sangiovese, Alicante and Vermentino and international vines such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Syrah, planted at an average altitude from 50 to 180 meters above sea level, facing south-west, rooted in soils with a high presence of ‘skeleton’ – with alberese-type rock and sandstone. It is the breath of the Tyrrhenian Sea that stimulates the magic and complexity of these wines: the Belguardo Tirrenico Maremma Toscana DOC, the Tenuta Belguardo Maremma Toscana DOC, the Belguardo Bronzone Morellino di Scansano Riserva DOCG, the Belguardo Codice V Vermentino Maremma Toscana DOC, the Belguardo Vermentino Vermentino di Toscana IGT and finally the Belguardo Rosè Toscana IGT.

Villa di Piazzano, an oasis of grace

At the end of the Val D’Esse, nestled under the hill separating Tuoro and Lake Trasimeno from the countryside below Cortona sits the tiny hamlet of Piazzano. Just inside the border of Umbria, it is surrounded by farmland, olive terraces and woodland. This ancient area may have gotten its name during the famous battle between the Carthaginian general Hannibal and Roman consul Gaius Flaminius in 217 B.C.E. when it is thought the Roman contingent set up a military camp there with a “piazza d’armi” or a parade ground.

The Centro Volo Serristori

Driving across the flat plain which stretches between Castiglion Fiorentino and Marciano with its fields and sparsely scattered farmhouses, we come across a vast, open stretch of land, eleven hectares in all, home to the Centro Volo Serristori. Here all manner of light aircraft can be seen coming and going, particularly on the weekends – ultralights and small touring planes such as Pipers and Cessna.

The Medici Fortress of the Girifalco

There has probably been a fortress on the hilltop overlooking Cortona since the 5th or 6th century BC, when the original Etruscan walls followed a course which roughly corresponds to the existing perimeter walls of today. However the first historical records describing a ‘strong and beautiful fortress’ date back to 1258 AD. Having been plundered and sacked several times during the wars with Arezzo it was sold to the Florentine Republic in 1411, together with the entire city of Cortona, although reconstruction work only began in 1527.

Barbabì

The house and lands of Fontelunga have been in Lucia Catani’s family for more than two centuries, with a part of the house itself dating to 1491. From the moment the Catani family purchased the property at the end of the seventeenth century, “every member of my family was born and grew up here”, says Lucia.

DelBrenna

The Piazza collection grew naturally out an emotion: Sebastian and Megan remained astonished by the hollow silence that fell over the piazzas and streets of their town during the worst of the pandemic, so when life began to trickle back into the open air this spring, they realized just how important the social contact of these gathering places is, and the essential vitality it lends to the community. This new collection is based on that idea – the lively conviviality, light-heartedness and sense of belonging that the piazza filled with neighbors and visitors enjoys.

A Mojito and a Cuban at the Yacht Bar

A classic yet fashionable enough that is the Yacht Bar in Castiglione della Pescaia, a place that certainly does not need any introduction. Roberto’s passion also engaged his son Giampaolo who has committed himself with strength and dedication to the business. Over the years, in fact, the restaurant has kept its old enthusiasm high but still kept up with the times.

Taste the Maremma

The list of specialities is really long: you can choose from burrata, ricotta, mozzarella, cold cuts and fresh truffles as well as panzanella enriched with local vegetables, legume soups, ribollite and tomato soup. To ensure freshness and quality the list changes according to the season. Products such as ricotta, yoghurt, cheese and burrata are in fact offered only during specific times of the year, that is when the raw materials and their derivatives are available at the highest level of quality.

An agricultural shed welcomes a modern villa

The Casa al Vento property is located in the hamlet of Montemorli, not far from Poggibonsi. Here a nineteenth-century agricultural shed came to new life thanks to a preservation and restoration plan devised and directed by architect Giovanni Del Zanna. Works were carried out by EDILPIÙ and their workforce coordinated by foreman Cosimo Lecce, aka Mimmo, under the expert guide of technical director Alessandro Taddei. With their experience, they managed to valorize the building’s historical character while adapting it to the spaces and functions of a modern dwelling, equipped with state-of-the-art technological systems.

The sun shines on Grignanello

In Grignanello today wines without added sulphites are produced following rigorous biological and biodynamic canons. The vineyards, more than 50 years old, extend for about five and a half hectares and are composed of the historic Chianti varieties: Sangiovese, Canaiolo, black Malvasia, Colorino, Trebbiano, and long white Malvasia. In the cellar, an evocative and magical environment, vinification is carried out in beautiful terracotta amphorae from Impruneta, from which red, macerated white and rosé wines are obtained, with an experimental production of passito.

Betty and Daniele: this is our idea of excellence

Today Il Pitena successfully continues its activity as a Lounge Bar, but, since 2019, it has been joined by one of the projects that Betty and Daniele care the most about: Il Pitena Vinosteria.

Castellina in Chianti, events, culture and flavours

BY GIOVANNI SALVIETTI For the municipality of Castellina in Chianti, summer 2021 is a symbol of the great return to normal and the municipal administration, in collaboration with cultural associations, has organised a rich calendar of events that lasts until autumn. Both adults and children can take part in the fun and learning […]