September | 2015 | Blogging In Italy

Archive | September, 2015

San Galgano

Between 1218 and 1288, the Cistercian monks built the first gothic church in Tuscany. Its location was selected because Cistercian monks built their monasteries close to rivers, here the Merse, where they could cultivate the plains, marshlands and woods.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Several tragedies struck the area, including the famine of 1329, the plague of 1348, and finally mercenaries at the end of the 15th century, causing the monks to relocate to Siena. Then in 1786, lightning struck the bell tower, which collapsed onto the roof of the Abbey, causing the roof to collapse.

©Blogginginitaly.com

In 1789, the Abbey was deconsecrated, but the remains are still quite a site.

©Blogginginitaly.com

If you look closely through the Abbey window below, you will see a bit of The Hermitage of San Galgano, up the hill from the Abbey, and a place steeped in legend.

©Blogginginitaly.com

On our hike uphill, we passed a vineyard where grapes continue to be harvested, and saw locals on horseback riding through the fields.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Galgano Guidotti was born in 1148, and the events of his life have been enriched by legends, some of which we see in Camelot. Galgano, like Francis of Assisi, was born into a life of means but was tormented by a lack of direction for own life, even though he had earned the title of Knight.

According to legend, at the insistence of St. Michael the Archangel, Galgano became a hermit. To demonstrate his commitment to his faith and to peace, he plunged his sword into a rock that emerged in his hut. This was Galgano’s sign of his renunciation of war and the symbol of the cross was a symbol of his faith.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Galgano died in 1181, and in 1182, construction began on the Hermitage Rotunda as a mausoleum to shelter his tomb, as well as the rock and sword. He was canonized in 1185 by Pope Lucius III, only a few years after his death.

Over the years, there were several additions and modifications to the structure, as well as periods of demise. It is thought that the original architect may have drawn his inspiration from other circular structures in Rome such as Castel Sant’Angelo and the Pantheon.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Whether the details are accurate history or legend, it is incredible to see what remains, including the vibrant colors.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Cistercian Monks, L'Abbazia, L'Eremo, Montesiepi, San Galgano, The Abbey of San Galgano, The Hermitage of San Galgano

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Italian Art, Italian countryside, Italian History, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Symbol of Christianity, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

ChocoCortona

20 Sep

This weekend, Cortona is hosting ChocoCortona, La Grande Festa del Cioccolato Artiginale, or festival of handcrafted chocolates.

©Blogginginitaly.com

And what a selection there is. You can sign up for chocolate making lessons,

©Blogginginitaly.com

observe various chocolate cooking shows,

©Blogginginitaly.com

or simply wander the tents filled with chocolate delicacies.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Some of the chocolates are especially creative:

Various cheeses or an antipasto platter ©Blogginginitaly.com

Cars, purses or shoes? ©Blogginginitaly.com

While others are just plain tempting…

White, milk and dark chocolate discs ©Blogginginitaly.com

Fresh waffles or hot fudge covered fruit skewers ©Blogginginitaly.com

Covered nuts and fruits ©Blogginginitaly.com

Look no further for that kid in a candy shop…

©Blogginginitaly.com

Or a happy messy one…

©Blogginginitaly.com

Thinking of an after dinner liquor? So many flavors to choose from.

©Blogginginitaly.com

But then why wait till after dinner when you can have a shot in a chocolate filled cup!

©Blogginginitaly.com

However you like your chocolate, you’re sure to find it at ChocoCortona.

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: ChocoCortona, Handcrafted Chocolates

Comments 12 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Market, Italian Festival, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscany

Italy: It’s So About the Food

17 Sep

A sampling of what we’ve eaten in the past few weeks, some out and some at home:

©Blogginginitaly.com

And let’s not forget the sun-dried fichi (figs)!

©Blogginginitaly.com

Wish you could taste them all.

Ciao,

Judy

Comments 11 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Cortona Trattoria, Food, Food shopping in Cortona, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, Tuscany

From Vine to Wine

14 Sep

When in Italy, it’s hard not to get caught up in the production of wine. Grapes seem to grow everywhere with diverse types of soil, climate and winemaker contributions. Saturday afternoon, we headed to Leuta in Cortona, not only to sample wine but also to visit nature at its best.

Our friend Carlo was our guide as we headed to the beautiful Leuta vineyards. I’ll let the photos tell the story of the beautiful day we had.

Leuta vineyard with Cortona in background:

©Blogginginitaly.comLeuta vines up close:

Leuta vines up close:

©Blogginginitaly.com

Carlo and Len:

©Blogginginitaly.com

Leuta worker:

©Blogginginitaly.com

Next career?

Len’s new job! ©Blogginginitaly.com

Yours truly ready with Epi pen and Benadryl, but the bees were much more interested in the grapes…

©Blogginginitaly.com

Other beautiful sights:

©Blogginginitaly.com

A close up of same building with a fig tree growing within…

©Blogginginitaly.com

Afterward, we caught up with Denis, the passionate owner of Leuta, as he was giving a tour of the wine making process…

©Blogginginitaly.com

We were fortunate enough to sample several of Leuta’s excellent wines and once again hear the story of Denis’ love of winemaking, a passion that grew from working with his grandfather.

©Blogginginitaly.com

On the way home, we saw this, the inactive Amiata Volcano .

Amiata Volcano ©Blogginginitaly.com

Thanks, Carlo, and Denis, for a wonderful day!

For more on Leuta, visit Leuta.

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Leuta Wine

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italian WIne, Italian Wine Tasting, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

Cantanapoli

11 Sep

The town of Cortona sits in the center of the country, and the speciality, besides pici pasta, is chianina beef.

When you look at a map, it is easy to understand why seafood is not a mainstay of many of the restaurants. But there are a few exceptions, several with connections to Napoli.

Last night we had dinner at Cantanapoli with dear friends Fernanda and Carlo. This restaurant is located in Camucia at the base of Cortona. Although there are many pasta dishes on the menu, Carlo asked Mario, the owner, to create our menu – one of only seafood.

Not only was it delicious, it was so fresh you could almost taste the sea. I love this from their website: the dishes on the menu may vary based on what the sea gives every day.

Our Primo:

©Blogginginitaly.com

Our Secondo:

©Blogginginitaly.com

In addition, they serve Neapolitan pizzas which are baked in a wood oven, using DOP buffalo mozzarella and cherry tomatoes from Vesuvius.

The company was great, the food delicious, and the evening a perfect way to celebrate Fernanda’s upcoming birthday. Buon Compleanno, Ferdanda!

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Cantanapoli, Seafood near Cortona

Comments 7 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Food, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Naples

Sara Lovari at Il Pozzo

10 Sep

A few days ago, we attended the Sara Lovari exhibit hosted by the owners of Il Pozzo Galleria.

Sarah, Loriana and Ivan
©Blogginginitaly.com

Sara is a local artist who exhibits her most interesting work in Italy and abroad. She uses acrylic paint and multi-material applications on various backgrounds. Using a selection of objects from everyday life, she creates three-dimensional art with recycled materials such as vintage magazines and newspapers, discarded boxes, string, etc.

Here’s a sampling of Sara’s work. Please note that all works are ©Saralovari.it

©Blogginginitaly.com

Purse and compact ©Blogginginitaly.com

Luggage©Blogginginitaly.com

Lamp (which lights) ©Blogginginitaly.com

Clothesline ©Blogginginitaly.com

Bookshelf and lamp ©Blogginginitaly.com

Shoes ©Blogginginitaly.com

Espresso Anyone? ©Blogginginitaly.com

Sarah and her art ©Blogginginitaly.com

©Blogginginitaly.com

You can find more at Sara Lovari.

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Il Pozzo Galleria, Sara Lovari

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Art, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy

Man on a Mission

8 Sep

Although I am not certain, I’d guess this man brings local wines to Cortona bars and eateries, and this is what we drink when we order vino di casa, or house wine. In Cortona, such wine would usually be Sangiovese, the “mother” grape of Tuscany. Even the engine is working hard!

Grazie, signore, we certainly enjoy the fruits of your labor.

Ciao,

Judy

Comments 2 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian History, Italian WIne, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Sitting in our Painting

7 Sep

Two years ago, we bought a wonderful Allesandro Bulli watercolor from Ivan at Il Pozzo Galleria. We chose it because it depicts a view we see here daily – the view from Piazza Signorelli into Piazza Republicca. At home, it hangs over our breakfast room table and brings a smile to my face daily.

Allesandro Bulli

Late this afternoon, after a pretty steep 4.5 mile walk, we headed to Cacio Brillo for a glass of wine and some bruschette. As we sat, I felt as if I was sitting in our painting enjoying the same view, so I took a photo of it.

At Cacio Brillo, we chose four bruschette: artichokes/pecorino, fresh tomatoes, fresh porcini mushrooms, and one liver pate for Len (not depicted!).

Eating the bruschette and sipping some red wine, Len’s was Chianti and mine from Bolgheri, (western part of Tuscany), we took in the scenery as we enjoyed music from a flamenco guitarist in the piazza.

Piazza life – such a civilized way to spend a sunny afternoon.

Ciao,

Judy

Comments 9 Comments
Categories Caffe, Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Food, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italian WIne, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca

Sharing Cortona

6 Sep

My Chicago Italian teacher, Giovanna, a Tuscan native, and her dear friends Clarissa and Sergio, who live about two hours away in Tuscany, have been with us for two beautiful days. We have walked, talked, climbed, dined, and been welcomed by our wonderful local friends who call this incredible town home.

Among other things, we visited two of our favorite eateries, Caffe Tuscher for appertivo and Prosecco –

and AD Braceria for dinner…

as well as our favorite gallery, Il Pozzo.

At each, not only were our visitors surprised by the creativity and quality of the food and art, they were also charmed by our friends, the proprietors, who willingly share their knowledge of the history of the ancient buildings that house their establishments.

One of the things I often tell people is that Cortona has a never-ending supply of surprises, and today did not disappoint. After emerging from the Cortonantiquaria, an important antique show that has been coming here for 55 years, we followed a drum beat to the central piazzas. Piazza Signorelli was filled with luxury autos…

and in Piazza Repubblica, the flag bearers were performing to the beat of the drums.

In addition, the weather was perfect – bright blue skies filled with sunshine and gentle breezes. Our friends proclaimed, “If we had ordered a perfect day, it would have been today!”

We ended the day at Le Celle, where St. Francis of Assisi spent part of his monastic life.

At Le Celle, we noticed these caper bushes growing on the stone walls. Amazing nature.

While we are having many visitors this fall, and look forward to sharing Cortona with them, it was particularly gratifying to see native Tuscans fall in love with Cortona. It is truly a special place – its ancient beauty, its warm people, and its fascinating history and culture. It is not a town that shuts down at sunset, nor a town that has an overabundance of tour groups. It is, as my friend Paula said, a town that works. Bravo Cortona.

Finally, I am proud to report that Giovanna and her friends were impressed with my Italian. When here, I am in language training 24/7, but I would never have progressed without Giovanna as my cara professoressa.

Grazie Giovanna, for coming to Cortona and for introducing us to your dear friends and now ours as well. Auguri!

Ciao,

Judy

For more on Le Celle, including photos and a short video I made a few years ago, please click here: https://blogginginitaly.com/2013/06/12/franciscan-hermitage-of-le-celle-cortona/

Tags: AD Braceria, Caffe Tuscher, Il Pozzo Gallery

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Restaurant, Food, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, Le Celle Cortona, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca

Familiarity

3 Sep

We awoke this morning to the sites, sounds and smells of Cortona – and fell into our familiar rituals. Morning cappuccino, an uphill 2.5 mile hike to Torreone, the “take your pick” downhill roads leading back to town, lunch at Caffe Tuscher, an afternoon nap, appertivo with friends, and a light dinner.

I’m reminded of a Peter Allen/ Carole Bayer Sager song, Everything Old is New Again:

Don’t throw the past away
You might need it some rainy day
Dreams can come true again
When everything old is new again

Exactly when we fell in love with Cortona is unclear – perhaps our very first day in June, 2011. We had long planned and dreamt about spending significant time in Italy, and for us, this continues to be the dream come true.

Seeing Cortona in the fall already brings a newness. Fewer people, many fewer children and strollers, and a final let up of the heat wave that surrounds Italy in the summer. The olives are ripening on the trees, the zucchini blossoms are gone, and the sun flowers are getting ready for harvest. But the incredible views

and the enticing smells coming from kitchens remain the same. Somethings just never get old.

This evening, as is customary on Thursday nights, a band played in Piazza Signorelli.

We joined the others and dined al fresco with friends. A perfect ending to a perfect day.

Dreams can come true again
When everything old is new again.

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Caffe Tuscher

Comments 9 Comments
Categories Caffe, Cortona, Food, Italian Food, Italian History, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

← Older Entries

Search

Blogging In Italy

San Galgano

ChocoCortona

Italy: It’s So About the Food

From Vine to Wine

Cantanapoli

Sara Lovari at Il Pozzo

Man on a Mission

Sitting in our Painting

Sharing Cortona

Familiarity

Follow this Blog via Email

Blog Stats

Calendar

Categories

Blogging In Italy

Past Posts

© Blogginginitaly.com, 2011-2022

Blogroll

Search

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Follow this Blog via Email

Blog Stats

Calendar

Categories

Past Posts

© Blogginginitaly.com, 2011-2022

Blogroll