Blog Archives - Gabriele's Travels to Italy

Why They Choose these Shores

Sunset over the temples

Greek and Roman Settlers

They Choose the Best Places available

It’s evident that first the Greeks and then the Romans were masters at finding the most exquisite places to settle during their wanderings around the Mediterranean basin. Think of Siracusa, Taormina on the eastern shores of Sicily and Agrigento and Selinunte on the western shore of the same island.

If you take a careful look at the picture that opens this short blog you can easily understand what drove those ancient populations to select one place over another. The sunset in that picture is absolutely breathtaking, but to feel that what those ancient civilizations might have experienced in that distant time you must experience the moment for yourself.

I arrived there in the afternoon after spending the entire day visiting Selinus, as the Greeks used to call Selinunte, the archeological park that is considered one of the largest of its kind.

The size of the numerous temples still standing is awe-inspiring. Selinunte was founded in 628 B.C., and finally destroyed by the Romans in 250 B. C. after the Carthaginian’s famous general Hannibal in 409 B. C. gave a mortal blow to the city. The Romans definitively destroyed the city and ended the constant fighting between Selinunte, Athens and Siracusa.

Much more interesting than a history lecture is the stunning beauty of the area and the incredible atmosphere I experienced at the Agriturismo Case di Latomie that is located only five miles from the archeological park. The agriturismo was built on the Latomie (stone quarries) used to extract the stones needed to build the ancient city of Selinus. Still a working farm, the Agriturismo Case di Latomie produces excellent organic olive oil and wines.

There is a restaurant that, of course, features a very authentic Greek-Siculo cuisine. Spacious rooms are available, 27 of them, all furnished with modern comforts, a spa is available as well and the location is an excellent base for the exploration of the entire western part of Sicily that comprises Agrigento, the other well-known archeological area, Marsala and its famous wineries, Trapani and the salt marshes, Erice, a perfectly preserved medieval town better known as the “marzipan” capital of the world where Maria Grammatico still teaches pastry making classes. A little further down the road, about 90 minutes drive you can find Piazza Armerina with the Villa Romana del Casale world-known for its mosaics.

Around the area of Selinunte there are several small sandy beaches and quaint fishing villages that are very pretty and easy to explore.

Before I forget, rooms are only $85 a night in low-season, $140 in July/August. A wise choice is to select the half-board option (breakfast & dinner) package for delicious food at a bargain price.

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Winter in the heart of Tuscany

Montalcino in the winter, very peaceful

Tuscany off-season

Montalcino in the Winter

Traveling toward Montalcino that gloomy morning of January I knew that the place would be like a ghost town, but I had a secret hope that my favorite place would still be open even on a cloudy windy day.

Well, it was open, a small “pizzeria al taglio” right on the corner of Piazza Garibaldi. The best pizza “al taglio” I have ever had in Italy. Their pizza stuffed with sausage is to die for, warm, tasty and filling. I also had a piece of their “ai funghi porcini” (porcini mushroom), which was scrumptious.

After my heavenly lunch, I moved down the street a few doors to the “Caffé Enoteca Il Leccio” where Lisetta, the owner, introduced me to a “Poggio dell’Aquila” 2004 Brunello Renzo Cosini that is still warming me up even though it’s been two months!
It was a typical Sangiovese Grosso-made Brunello with very reminiscent aromas full of liquorice and fruits from the woods, a perfect companion for my delicious pizzas.

To top all these fabulous delicacies, I enjoyed a perfectly made espresso from an espresso machine replica of the first commercial machines made in Italy at the beginning of the 19th century.

This simple, quick and delicious lunch cost a very affordable 10 euro. I would gladly have paid more; the pizzas and the wine were unique and delicious.
Remember, if you are in the area and looking for a quick delicious inexpensive lunch, visit the pizzeria Sassetti and Caffé Enoteca Il Leccio.

Tags: Gastronomy, Tuscany, wine
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Florence new findings

A delicious trio of Tuscan sweets

Cantina Barbagianni

When you start believing that you know everything about a person, a place or a thing, it’s the right time to start asking yourself what else there is to be discovered.

I was thinking that I knew quite a bit about Florence, a place I have visited many, many times. But the reality is that, and I find this true more and more, that the more I visit a place, the more I realize how much there is to learn. This is a word of advice for those, like me, who often say, “been there, done that!”

That said, I was recently in Florence for a few days and found a terrific dining spot, not next door to the Ponte Vecchio, Piazza del Duomo, or Via Calzaioli busy corridor, but still in the heart of the city tucked into small anonymous places.

The place is Cantina Barbagianni, a little restaurant half way between the Duomo and Piazza Santa Croce church in Via S. Egidio 13r. Lina Alongi with her husband run this small restaurant that features a delightful and authentic Tuscan menu.

During our visit we started with the quintessential Tuscan soup “Ribollita,“ not a new recipe but a sure winner when it is prepared with good and fresh ingredients such as the wonderful olive oil they are lucky to have in Tuscany.

Our “primo” was “Pici Senesi with Meatballs!” Yes, I can see you smiling, but this dish is not even a shirt-tail relative of the Americanized spaghetti and meatballs. This pasta was freshly made that morning while the sauce and meatballs were being prepared.

The main course was “Peposo dell’Impruneta” the peppery beef stew known since Medici times. In fact, Piero de’ Medici, known as “the gouty,” was crazy for this dish. A very tasty and tender beef stew that cooks for hours in a “terracotta” vessel is made in the little hill town of Impruneta. One story says it was the typical dish of the workers employed by Messer Filippo Brunelleschi, architect of the dome of Florence. This hearty stew kept the masons fortified while the dome was under construction.

Another legend says that the dish was popular in Impruneta a small town 10 miles south of Florence famous for the “terracotta” made there. The craftsman working in the industry used to cook the dish placing one of their locally made wares next to the opening of the kiln so the stew could cook slowly during the day. Pepper and good Tuscan wine are the main ingredients in this recipe. Naturally Tuscany has no no problem supplying fine red wine for the famous stew!

The grand-finale was a trio of sweets, that, as they say, could bring the dead back to life: “Chocolate mousse with red pepper,” “Torta Senese with Pinoli and Ricotta,” (Siena cake with pine nuts & ricotta cheese) and “Crostata di Mele” (Apple tart). Which one was the best? I can’t decide, my plate, as well as those of my dining companions, was polished.

We had a powerful 2007 Poggio Tondo – Cerro del Maso 100% Sangiovese-made Chianti that was a perfect match.

If you are in Florence and looking for an authentic Tuscan dining experience, this is the place. Reservations are not required, but if you like to go in the evening, reservations are suggested. Some evenings have live music; the place is very small, so you want to reserve to not miss this opportunity.

Tags: Food & Wine, Gastronomy, Tuscany
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The Truth About Olive Oil

The machine that changed the olive oil game

Recently I was drawn to Mario Batali story in a food magazine. Mario was talking about how Italians cook their fish. Rightly he was talking about Italian cooking without heavy sauces, just a simple light stream (“un filo di olio” as they say) of excellent olive oil.

I’ll take this opportunity to try to explain a few things about Italian olive oil production. There’s still a lot of confusion, among “experts,” and as I was told by a friendly source a few week ago, even among some “nutritionists.”

Olive oil is one of the few natural products that offers proven benefits to the human body and that has medicinal characteristics if used in the proper way. The confusion is in the definition and qualification of the oil.

Everybody knows “cold pressed” “extra virgin” olive oil, but the irony is that there is no “cold pressing” in olive oil production. There’s a cold extraction, but the “cold pressing” method is a pure marketing and sales invention.

All olives have a pit that contains about 3% of the total oil content in the fruit. Of course the mill wants to extract that oil because it actually adds to the total production and is significant if you consider that in the best vintages the total oil produced by a tree is in the range of 10/20% of the total fruit weight.

Until recently the only production systems were the typical heavy stone crushing the fruit and reducing it to a fine pulp that was spread over a coconut mat in the past, and on plastic mats now and then pressed with hydraulic presses at very high pressure.

During the crushing phase the weight and friction of the stone created heat, a normal physical occurrence. Subsequently, removing the oil from the mats, whether they were made of coconut or plastic required rinsing them with with hot (boiling) water and solvents. Thus, the term “cold pressed” is misleading.

Many years ago in the small town of Foligno, set in a large olive oil production area in Umbria, a small company that manufactures equipment for olive oil mills invented a new machine, the Sinolea, that offers the only real cold extraction system. This machine works with a simple principle that you can see and try at home. Pour a little oil, a third of a cup is enough, in a glass, stick a fork in the oil and take the fork out, you will see droplets of oil slide down from the tines of the fork.

This machine, instead of the heavy stone wheels, has a system made of rows of gentle hammers that break the olives, using low speed with no friction or heating of the paste. Another part of this system consists of spears that pierce the paste resulting in the first extraction. The paste is then sent to a centrifuge that spins at 3500 RPM. This centrifuge separates the natural water contained in the olive and the oil from the paste. The oil extracted here and previously with the spears is sent to two other centrifuges for another refinement and blending of the oils extracted.

Everything is done at room temperature. There is no heating or spraying of hot water. The reason why this system has only become popular in the last 10 years or so, is because it leaves a slightly higher quantity of residual oil in the processed paste, called sansa. This slight reduction in yield, for many small farmers, was a very important drawback. But today with the consumers who are more and more aware of good natural products and whose taste is more educated and discerning, the small loss of oil is compensated by the higher sale price charged for a higher quality product.

In addition to wine lists in restaurants in Italy, it’s not uncommon to find olive oil lists with detailed descriptions of the unique characteristics of each olive oil represented.

Tags: Cooking, Gastronomy, Olive Oil
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Another gastronomic discovery

Black rice a recent gourmet discovery

Vivo d’Orcia is a hamlet on the hills surrounding Monte Amiata in Southern Tuscany. Just a few hundred lucky people live in this peaceful place. Vivo d’Orcia, though not really very far from Siena, is out-of-way enough to keep the hordes of “its Tuesday it must be Siena” tourists at bay.

I read that “Vivo d’Orcia” is a “way of life” not a place.” Indeed! I arrived in this little corner of Heaven with a local travel promoter, not for its artistic masterpieces, but for the 100% organic culinary creations of Luisa, Nadia and Umberto at their restaurant, Taverna del Pian delle Mura.

Imagine a very cozy room, a fireplace that welcomes you on a chilly day, just 8 tables in a small dining room simply but tastefully decorated and the captivating smiles of Umberto, Luisa and Nadia, and you have begun an incredible culinary experience.

The menu is simple, 2 or 3 selections for each course that change almost daily based on the fresh ingredients available in their garden.

Our appetizer: “Tortino di miglio e zucca gialla in crema di formaggio pecorino” (Yellow squash and millet ‘cake’ with pecorino cream). It was a perfect starter, very light despite the pecorino cheese.

The main course consisted of three different dishes: “Riso nero cotto in padella with broth” (black rice sautéed and cooked in broth – served with a stream of fresh olive oil) This black rice was a discovery; as matter of fact, it is relatively new and a bit difficult to find in grocery stores. It is cultivated in the Vercelli rice producing area in Piedmont, little known to the general public but very well-known among the Italian gourmets. It is gaining popularity very quickly. It has a unique perfume and flavor and is excellent in salads and cold plates. Of course it is a conversation peace given its black color. Oh, just a bit of advice should you plan to try it, it takes one full hour to cook.

The second main course was “Lasagnetta verde con salsiccia e cavolfiore” (green lasagna with sausage and cauliflower) – a superb flavor combination.

We then tasted their “Zuppa di Miglio,” – a very simple, nutritious and tasty soup made with cannelloni beans and millet seeds in broth.

Last course was “Coscio di maiale di cinta Senese con le mele,” (pork leg roasted with apples). This a breed typical of the hills surrounding Siena, a cross breed of wild boar with dark skin pork. This was another superb dish produced by Luisa and Nadia who scurried between the kitchen and the dining room to present and serve making everyone feel like personal guests.

A scrumptious “Tirami sú” and “moka-made” coffee concluded this extraordinary experience. Of course, the local house wine Sangiovese (aka Brunello di Montalcino) was the perfect match for dinner.

Remember this place is only 90 minutes south of Siena, 2 hours from Florence, 2 hours north of Rome, 30 minutes from Montalcino and 40 minutes from Montepulciano. The roads are good in the area without much traffic. If you are nearby, stop for dinner; it’s well worth a stop. La Taverna Del Pian delle Mura is open weekends for lunch and dinner, weekdays dinner only, and is closed on Mondays.

Plenty of nice accommodations are available in Abbadia San Salvatore just 5 miles dow the road from Vivo d’Orcia at very competitive prices.

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Unknown Italy: Anagni and its Popes

Frescoes in the crypt of Duomo of Anagni

ANAGNI is a sleepy little town about an hours drive south of Rome that is known for its history tightly tied to the papacy. It appears medieval, but the town is actually much older evidenced by archeological artifacts found in the area that trace its origins to the pre-roman era in 306 B.C. when the Roman legions expanding in the South conquered this territories creating a Municipius Romanus.

Nonetheless, the hay days of Anagni were in the Middle Ages when four popes, 2 from the Conti Segni and 2 from the Cetani families, (the two most powerful families in town), were born here. Innocenzo III, Gregorio IX, Alessandro VI and Bonifacio VIII, moved the Holy Seat to this small town. Each of the four popes tried hard to embellish this new city, but Gregorio IX gets the most credit for building a new road, the Via Anagnina that still today, connects the city to Rome.

The winner of Anagni’s popularity contest goes to Bonifacio VIII, more for the famous “slap di Anagni” an unconfirmed historical episode that happened at the beginning of the 1300s, when the pope decided to excommunicate the French King Filippo il Bello. Philippe le Belle sent two of his ambassadors to Anagni to speak with the pope about rescinding the excommunication, but the meeting ended up with the pope arrested after getting slapped in the face. There aren’t any historical witnesses to the happening and many historians think that the “slap” was more moral than physical. However, Dante Alighieri in his famous Divine Comedy narrates this episode, so there are some who believe the Pope was actually slapped. Incidentally, Bonifacio died later in October of the same year.

There are lovely frescoes to be viewed on the ceiling of the crypt where the remains of its patron saint, San Magno are located under the pavement of the Santa Maria Assunta Basilica, one of the finest in the Lazio region. This Basilica gives Anagni the nickname: the town with the mini Sistine Chapel. It is indeed an extraordinary work of art, well preserved, with vivid colors, that tell remarkable stories of the old and new testaments. I strongly recommend a visit to this site to those of you interested in history and art.

The other jewels of Anagni are the “palazzo Bonifacio” that Pope Bonifacio built to be used as his residence and the Palazzo Comunale or City Hall building.

Anagni is easily reachable by car with the A1 or Autostrada Roma-Napoli, by train and bus service. Lodging is available in the nearby town of Fiuggi, a well known spa town; several hotels, for all budgets, are available. In addition to the hotels there are many little restaurants that feature the true Cucina Cioaciara that offers a wide variety of pastas, meats and cheeses. Wines also need to be mentioned, they are good and inexpensive. (I’ll talk more about them in another blog) To be noted are: Passerina del Frusitane white and Cesanese del Piglio, the two most popular and the best to match the substantial local cuisine.

Tags: Art, Rome
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Driving in Italy? Reads this carefully

Nightly view of Florence Dome and Giotto Bell tower

While driving in Southern Tuscany I was listening to a worthless radio program instead of tuning in to FM 103.3 Isoradio, a station of the Italian government’s broadcasting system RAI. Isoradio is a station that broadcasts 24/7 and reports weather conditions, road and traffic conditions every 10 minutes. At one point I left the Via Cassia (one of the four Roman Imperial roads) that departs from the Capital and connects the extreme ends of the vast Roman Empire. I was planning to take the A1 Autostrada del Sole to get to the airport in Rome a bit more efficiently. I wasn’t in a big hurry, but I was trying to avoid a very twisty section of the Via Cassia around Lake Bolsena.

As I passed the barrier I saw a truck with a big sign alerting drivers of upcoming bumper-to-bumper traffic. I discovered, in less then a mile, that it wasn’t bumper-to-bumper, but much worse, all cars were at a stand still. I lost two full hours trapped in this five-mile traffic mess. A truck had caught fire and traffic was stopped on all lanes. The highway was closed.

Lesson #1: When driving in Italy tune your radio to this station: FM 103.3. Carefully listen to the updates if they involve your itinerary. The announcements are offered in English as well. Take immediate action if necessary.

Lesson #2: Never plan to arrive at the airport the same day of your departure if you are planning to take an Intercontinental flight. Get close to the airport the evening before your departure day. It could save you from a bad situation.

Tags: driving in italy
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Cesanese del Piglio & Passerina del Frusinate

An incredible cellar in a Roman cave

CESANESE DEL PIGLIO and PASSERINA DEL FRUSINATE are not two famous members of the Italian nobility, but rather two little known wines produced in the area around Frosinone about an hour south of Rome.

One of my friends mentioned these wines as we were driving in the area, but,at the moment I didn’t pay much attention. It wasn’t until the waiter served these local wines for dinner did I realize how spectacular they are… local products to be appreciated in the area since few ever leave the zone.

A perfect couple indeed: the CESANESE DEL PIGLIO is a red wine and the PASSERINA DEL FRUSINATE a white, just like, as the name suggests a husband and wife, the perfect married people. Married of course they are with the tasty food of this area famous for its cured meats and cheeses.

The wines get their names from grapes Passerina del Frusinate and Cesanese del Piglio, not much creativity here but excellent creativity in the processing of the grapes and in the wine making which is producing excellent results.

The Cesanese del Piglio is a red wine, derived mostly from the same clone of Cesanese Comune; this grape is strictly indigenous to the province of Frosinone and a few locations around that province. The primary grape is blended with a small percentage of Sangiovese, about 15%.

The wine has a bouquet with a wide range of wild flowers, and is warm, intense, soft and persistent.

It is a perfect match with “Abbacchio alla Cacciatora” Lamb Cacciatore, “cannelloni ripieni con vitello e spinaci” cannelloni pasta stuffed with veal and spinach, Oxtail, “Pasta ‘ncasciati” and some of the best local hard cheeses.

The Passerina del Frusinate, gets its name from the fact that little local birds are crazy for this grape harvested late in September and October, a food that they still enjoy until late in the year. These little birds are called “Passeri” therefore “passerina” grape.

It is a white wine with a blend of small amounts of trebbiano that gives the wine a more intense bouquet of fruit and flowers. It is a dry wine with a light straw color, excellent served lightly chilled and is a perfect match for any fish from the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea and it goes well with many dishes represented by the local culinary traditions.

Click here for more images from the area.

Tags: Food & Wine, Rome vacations, wine
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Unknown Italy: ELEA (Velia) Romana

Archeological Park of Velia Romana

When finished our lunch and walked out of the garden that was full of orange trees, we sat there for our lunch and enjoyed several of the local specialties I looked up to a mountain near by and the ski behind suddenly understanding why the Greeks and the Romans and other traveling civilizations settled in some beautiful places instead of others.

I had the distinct feeling that I was in another world. The air was fresh full of aromas from the flowers, roses, orange trees heavily loaded with fruits and everywhere. A near perfect, 77ºF temperature, clear sky, bright warm sunlight. I had to call my colleague and friendMarcello and ask him “Marcello is this real.” Him too was having the same thoughts and dreaming of what could be leaving there.

Greek and Roman settlers were famous for their choices, think of Taormina, Selinunte in Sicily, Pompeii and Herculaneum in Campania, Metaponto in Calabria.

It truly was a perfect day for being November 21.
Velia is a former Greek-Roman settlement and archeological area; 40 minutes drive South of Paestum, 90 minutes for the cliff of the Amalfi Coast. Located in a tranquil area a calm bay that forms the gulf of Castelvelino a small summer resort that not even Italian know about. Thank God. That means even during the Italian vacations rush time there are no crowds and bumper-to-bumper traffic.

I strongly recommend a visit to the area for those traveling North-South or vice versa. Or even better plan to spend few days there. Accommodations are modern, nice and very affordable. Cuisine is simple but exquisite and locals are really friendly and hospitable. Wines? That’s will be for another post.

A variety of activities, cultural and recreational, are available in the area. In the summer there is a festival of classical theater with national and international performing groups. Free transportation to/from the entrance to the archeological park to/from Salerno.

The Greek theater is wonderfully located on the top a hill overlooking the calm bay of Ascea.

Theatrical Greek Festival at the Archeological Park

Tags: Archeology, Campania
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Ravello the New Mediterranean Salzburg

The eye

Will Ravello become the Salzburg of the Mediterranean? Indeed, all the necessary requirements are already in place.

The controversial new Auditorium designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, the man behind Brasilia’s modern architecture will be inaugurated January 29-31 with a series of exceptional guests and happenings. On the program is the Orchestra of San Carlo, the Opera House of Naples, with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony. Another evening Saxophonist Nicola Alesini, Violinist Salvatore Accardo and Italian pop-singer Lucio Dalla will perform.

Friday 29 via satellite from his home in Brazil, Niemeyer will discuss his latest architectural achievement with a distinguished panel of experts.

Saturday 30 Massimiliano Fuxas, Paolo Portoghesi, Cesare De Seta, Mario Antonio Amaboldi e Masimo Pica Ciamarra, the cream of contemporary intellectuals will have a conference about the feasibility of creating these types of constructions without harming the local environment.

Oliviero Toscani will document the happenings with his talent and photos.

The Ravello Festival organization is working day and night to prepare an exceptional calendar of concerts for the entire year.

The construction of the auditorium took more than 40 months, the design is striking and in a breathtaking location. The audience will be able to enjoy both the performances and Ravello’s unique Mediterranean “panorama” at the same time.

The building’s shape resembles a sea-wave with an “eye”, a unique feature of the building is an opening next to the stage where all spectators can see the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea. (See the picture above).

The “wave” fits perfectly with the surroundings and it blends seamlessly with the landscape. I visited Ravello only a few days ago and I was very skeptical before I got there unsure of what I’d find. I’m amazed by the results truly a unique accomplishment especially since the architect had never seen the area before.

It will be interesting to hear the reactions of the people, music critics, journalists, and music lovers. Media from around the world are preparing a friendly invasion of Ravello.

Gabriele’s Travels to Italy has prepared packages that includes tickets for the performances, excursions on the Amalfi Coast and cooking classes, feel free to contact Gabriele for additional information. Or call 888-287-8733.

A view of the Auditorium

More pictures of the Amalfi Coast.

Tags: Campania, Music
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Gabriele's Travels to Italy