Be it simple or spectacular, the food in Cortona always pleases. Whether eating in a bar, a trattoria, or a restaurant, the ingredients are fresh and used in an array of creative dishes.
From salumi to steak
From formaggio to fondue
From panini (or bruschette) to pizza
From pasta to pasta to pasta
And for dessert, from gelato to gastronomic
End with a touch of espresso and some food for thought:
Anonymous: La cucina di un popolo è la sola esatta testimonianza della sua civiltà. (The cuisine of a country is the only exact attestation of its civilization.)
Virginia Wolf:
Uno non può pensare bene, amare bene, dormire bene, se non ha mangiato bene. (One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one hasn’t eaten well.)
One of our very favorite places in Cortona is Tuscher Caffé. The setting, food, ambiance, creativity, and especially the owners, make Tuscher a must when you visit Cortona. The beautiful caffé is open every day from 9-9, except Monday, serving delicious breakfast and lunch. In the evening, they serve drinks and very creative complimentary “happy hour” hors d’oeuvres.
Massimo and Daniela, the proprietors, are among the hardest working people in Cortona. Most evident is their passion to preserve Italian fine culture in everything they do, as they make your visit most memorable. Just this week, as we were having lunch, three visiting American fine arts musicians entered and sat at the table next to us. As they looked around the beautiful two-story palace which houses the caffé, we heard one say, “Ah, la dolce vita!” We certainly agree.
Tuscher Caffé, www.caffetuschercortona.com, opened in 2003 in the beautiful Palazzo Ferretti on Via Nazionale. Massimo and Daniela named it after the building’s architect, Carl Marcus Tuscher, an architect and painter who worked in Italy from 1728-41. Seating is available inside and out in this international gathering place. In addition to having the good fortune to befriend the owners, we have met an array of interesting people from around the world, all who seem to have adopted Cortona as a second home.
Massimo, Daniela, sons Niccolo and Edoardo, and Lucky Luciano, the dog they found last year, are all on hand to make your visit memorable. See for yourself! I’ve included a few photos from last year as well. (Touch bottom center of photos to progress at your own pace.)
Grazie, Massimo e Daniela, for your friendship and for sharing your wonderful Cortonese traditions with us.
Often in my winter month writing, I refer to my friend Patricia. We met two summers ago when I wandered into a leather shop in Cortona where she works. Through Patricia, I have learned a lot about what happens in Cortona during the winter when there are few tourists to be found. She has provided me pictures and stories that I am most grateful for, as well as great descriptions of holiday traditions that I have been able to share.
Patricia came to Italy from the UK some 40 years ago as a student and never left. Just like the movies, she fell in love in Firenze and created a new life. Recently, Len and I had a most enjoyable lunch with her and her husband Massimo, a true Florentine. We shared personal stories and found that our lives parallel in several ways. This year has been particularly interesting for Len and me as we are spending more time with locals and learning more about their lives and culture.
Since the day I met Patricia, she is the one I buy leather goods from. If you plan to be in Cortona, the shop is T-Nobile on Via Nazionale, not far from Piazza Republicca. Currently, she is there Tuesday-Friday.
Stop by, ask for her by name, and tell her Judy sent you. I will only shop if she is there!
This year, Len and I have a detached salon, or summer room. It is a triangular room with a wall of windows, built upon the town wall, and separated from our house by a patio. (Windows across top are ours. Our house is to the right.)
We especially love to sit in the salon in the evening, share some Italian vino, recount the day’s events, and watch the entertainment over the valley.
Who needs TV when we can watch moving cloud formations (no comment, Vince!), starlings, swallows, and sunsets. These are unedited pictures from last evening, from dusk to sundown…
Sunset over Valdichiana
A horse and chariot race, or ancient marathon?
A dog spotting his island?
And my favorite!
From Cortona, sharing our sunsets and hoping you have time to watch your own!
Italy is a popular destination for weddings, and Cortona ranks second, behind Venice, as the city of choice. Not difficult to see, as this lovely Etruscan town offers an incredible historic and romantic setting. I have written about weddings in the past, including one local wedding where the bride and her father arrived at the church in a horse-drawn carriage and another, a military wedding at the Municipio. Lovely.
This past weekend, wedding planners hosted the first annual Fall in Love in Cortona weekend. Festivities included a broad display in the park of everything needed for a destination wedding including clothes for the bride, groom, attendees, and children; table settings; floral arrangements; make-up; honeymoon locations; food service; bar service, etc. On Saturday night, a speed dating event took place in the piazza. On Sunday night, a fashion show graced the steps of the municipal building. Wonder if any of the speed daters bought a dress on Sunday???
Not sure why the planners felt the need to make the steps of the Municipio look like the Arizona desert, but they did. They were filled with palms, sand, large pieces of drift wood, etc. It took several men all day. Oh, well, not my choice but the bridal dresses were beautiful.
In Italy, Father’s Day is celebrated on the feast of St. Joseph in March. In Italian, the term for dad is babbo or papa.
In the U.S., of course, we celebrate this special day today. In honor of my Dad (RIP), my husband Len, my brother, brothers-in law, uncle and nephew, and all the other wonderful fathers I know, a very Happy Father’s Day to you!
After seeing all the vintage cars here, I asked Len which of the cars he would pick to drive away. His choice, based on overall style and condition, was the…
It’s a BMW 327/28 from 1940, and it’s a beauty.
Len, unfortunately it wasn’t for sale, but nonetheless, here’s to you… Abbracci!
May your day be filled with sunshine and a top-down breeze!
reads the brochure. Hard not to be an enthusiast as cars from 1927-1965 paraded into Cortona, including various models of the following:
Jaguar, Rolls Royce, Lagonda, Invicta, Bentley, Hotchkiss, Alvis, Sunbeam, BMW
Jaguar SS 100 1939
Alvis Speed 20, 1934
Jaguar Xk 140 DHC 1956
Bentley 4 1/2 litre, 1928
Bentley 4 1/2 Le mans 1929
And a bit extra on the 1929 Bentley for you gear heads from Len…
So, you want Active Suspension? Well, just get out of the car, grab your Crescent wrench, and adjust the spring tension straps. Maybe active applies more to the driver than the suspension!
Wow, five levels of suspension! Maybe from hard to less hard?
There are four of these suspension straps to adjust (two on each side), so don’t plan on doing this in the rain.
Check out the emergency brake below. Keep in mind these babies had mechanical (cable) controlled brakes. No brake fluid required! And, the deluxe model included a cool running board!
So there you have it, an Etruscan piazza filled with vintage automobiles. Stay tuned tomorrow for Len’s best in class choice!
The Franciscan Hermitage of Le Celle, one of the most beautiful and spiritual places in Cortona, was built in the foothills of Monte S. Egidio in a natural gorge carved out by a stream.
This hill-top monastery, a few miles from the center of Cortona, was founded in 1211 by St. Francis of Assisi and some of his followers. It was then they built the original nine “cells” providing the Hermitage with the name Le Celle ever since.
When you enter the area, you are reminded of the nature of the holy space as well as encouraged to be open to all it has to offer.
Brothers and Sister, the presence of St. Francis of Assisi has sanctified this place…
In 1226, a few months before his death, St. Francis dictated his will here. Brother Elia is credited with carrying out the details of the will and ensured that the Hermitage reflected all aspects of Franciscan life. It is believed he created the chapel, shown below, in front of the small “cell” where St. Francis lived for a few years. (Friar Chuck, thinking of you as we walked the grounds.)
The door from the chapel to St. Francis’ cell is shown upper right. His small cell, shown below, is just large enough for a bed (wooden plank far wall), a table and a chair, as prescribed by St. Francis himself.
Over the years and after the death of Brother Elia, Le Celle had different religious occupants and was eventually abandoned. In 1537, however, the Capuchins, the Third Order of Franciscans, took over the facility. They enlarged the Hermitage and in 1634, erected a new chapel shown below, dedicated to St. Anthony of Padua. The simple architecture of the chapel reflects the unpretentiousness of the Capuchins. The altar is made of wood and there are no paintings or decorations.
Today, Le Celle is home to seven Capuchin Friars and offers lodging to those considering vocational life.
The amazing structure is as serene as it is beautiful, especially in the early evening as the sun is setting over the valley.
Because there has been so much rain this spring, this waterfall, usually dry in June, is running at full speed.
Hoping that I learned enough from my brief iMovie lessons, I leave you with a few sights and sounds of Le Celle.
Once again, and as repeated every year, the people of Cortona celebrate and reenact the 1397 wedding of Francesco Casali and Antonia Salimbeni. Over many days, and with great pomp and circumstance, they fill the piazzas with medieval markets, craft fairs, traditional food, medieval games, falconry, and various forms of entertainment including musicians, flag throwers, fire eaters and jesters. The more serious events include the celebration of Santa Margherita, Cortona’s patron saint; the wedding reenactment; and the crossbow competition. For the latter, five areas of Cortona, called quintiere, each have a team that competes. Last year, our neighbor Vincenzo and his team won. And this year, they repeated, so we were delighted.
Here are some of the sights and sounds of the weekend.
Flag throwers exhibition, one of many…
Participants…think Renaissance Fair, but serious!
Spectators: not so serious!
Best Hairdo!
The Victors:
The Victors’ Parade. (Note: as my neighbor Vincenzo approaches to give me a hug, video is affected!)
Another weekend in Cortona filled with history, passion and great fun!
Each year in Cortona, we are fortunate to befriend more and more locals, one of the reasons we return to Cortona. This year, two of those people are Luca Tiezzi and Simone Rossi, founders and publishers of Cortonaweb.net. Pictured below with Len, they introduced us to Le Celle, one of the most beautiful places in Cortona. (Le Celle to be covered in another post!) While we knew of the monastery’s existence, we thought the grounds were private, so we never entered the monastery of St. Francis of Assisi. But for now, back to Luca and Simone and Cortonaweb.
Len, being a business professor of Entrepreneurship, loves meeting with young entrepreneurs and discussing the challenges and opportunities they face. Here in Italy, there are many challenges for the young as unemployment is well above 20%. With Luca and Simone, our conversations dance between English and Italian, and include everything from local and national politics, their business goals and challenges, food, wine, historical sites, travel, and whatever is happening in town. Being natives of Cortona, their depth of knowledge and appreciation of the historical area is evident, not only in their conversation but also in the relevance and thoroughness of their work.
While Len and I have many books and maps on various parts of Italy, Cortonaweb is a Cortona tourist’s friend, offering a detailed website that includes local events, weather, local attractions and historical sites, and some recommendations for shopping, dining and accommodations. While not all-inclusive, it certainly is a great place to start. In addition, from the website, you can order a small but concise Town Guide and an interactive map with GPS coordinates and links to video guides and podcasts. The photo-filled small guide, available on Amazon through their website, is light and easy to carry, unlike so many others. If coming to Cortona, a must have!
Grazie to Luca and Simone for introducing us to one of Cortona’s best treasures, Le Celle, and sharing their knowledge and expertise with us.
New friends, new finds…we are always open for the unexpected as we experience all that Cortona has to offer!
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