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Il Pozzo “Tabacchi” Cortona

When you spend time in Italy, you quickly learn the value of a Tabacchi. It is a place to buy bus and train tickets, stamps, postcards, gum, candy, lozenges, etc.

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You can recharge a phone card, buy a lottery ticket, often send a fax, and at most tabacchis, sort through various dollar store types of souvenirs. And yes, the word Tabacchi means tobacco, so, that too.

But when is a tabacchi much more than a tabacchi? When you find this large “T” sign and awning on Via Nazionale in Cortona. Then it’s a destination.

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No matter how often I visit, there is always something new and creative to see. And the best news? Most items are actually Made in Italy, many from local and nearby artisans. Here are some examples.

These purses, ornaments and wallets are made from old sheet music, newsprint and/or comic pages, formed into shapes, laminated, and then woven together.

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There are numerous prints of familiar Tuscan scenes, towns, buildings and monuments, available in many shapes and sizes,

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as well as whimsical pieces of art.

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Sara Lovari©Blogginginitaly.com

As for me, I can never have enough kitchen towels, especially when they depict places I’ve visited or recipes I want to remember.

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Planning to attend Carnevale in Venice or a Mardi Gras party? They’ve got you covered.

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There is beautiful pastel stationery, as well as bound journals, all hand-made with 100% cotton paper, and each journal is individually embossed.

Traditional Florentine notecards and ornamental angels come in a rainbow of colors.

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Need a birthday or anniversary card? There’s an abundance to choose from.

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Italians love beautifully fragranced soaps, especially Campostrini soaps that have been produced in Firenze since 1894.

Like so many businesses in Cortona, Il Pozzo Artisan’s Gallery and Tabacchi is family owned and operated, and generally open daily. If you’ve been to Cortona, you probably recognize these faces.

(L-R) Marta, Ivan, Loriana, Thomas©Blogginginitaly.com

Ivan speaks English well and is an incredible resource for most questions, whether about an artist, a painting, the Etruscans, or local antiquities. It’s no wonder many of us consider him Cortona’s ambassador.

If you are heading to Cortona, be sure to add this wonderful place to your list. You’ll be so happy you did!

And one last note: At the back of the tabacchi, take the winding staircase down one flight to visit the beautiful Il Pozzo Galleria. In addition to seeing many more interesting and beautiful works of art, you will also see an ancient well, or pozzo, hence the name Il Pozzo. Ivan actually uncovered the well during excavation, but I’ll leave that story to him.

For more info and photos on Il Pozzo Galleria, please click below:

Il Pozzo

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Artigianato Italiano Cortona, Cortona, Il Pozzo Galleria, Il Pozzo Tabacchi, Via Nazionale Cortona

Comments 15 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Art, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

September Days in Cortona

18 Sep

Autunno, or autumn, is my favorite time of year in Cortona. The days are shorter, the winds are cooler, and the tide of tourism transforms. It is a calmer time of year that lends itself well to contemplating all that meets the senses.

Parterre Changing Colors©Blogginginitaly.com

Parterre©Blogginginitaly.com

Saturday Market©Blogginginitaly.com

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Porcini©Blogginginitaly.com

Lavender Festival©Blogginginitaly.com

Choco Festival©Blogginginitaly.com

Art Exhibits©Blogginginitaly.com

And endless antiquities:

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Autumn – The third season of the year, when crops and fruits are gathered and leaves begin to fall.

A good time to take time to ponder.

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Ciao,
Judy

Comments 10 Comments
Categories Cortona, Cortona Market, Etruscan Ruins, Italian Festival, Italian Food, Italian History, Italy, Market Day, Medieval, My Blog about Italy, Piazza Life, Piazza Signorelli and Piazza Republicca, Renting in Cortona, Tuscany

Award Winning Tomato!

6 Sep

Planting an orto or garden in Italy last spring was delightful; sampling the results was delicious; but having an award-winning tomato was divine. In fact, the neighboring farmers were scratching their heads.

Our prize tomato, a Cuor di Bue, weighed in at nearly 2.2 pounds or about 1 kilogram!

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It was so heavy it actually broke the branch during a storm, but fortunately, it had a soft landing and remained unbruised.

©Blogginginitaly.com Cuor di Bue

We let it ripen another two days out of the sun.

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You might recognize this tomato as a Beefsteak variety. Its name, Cuor di Bue, literally means heart of an ox because of its distinctive shape. It matures late and when ripe, has an orangey-red color.

Now for the tasting. The team consisted of Fernanda, who selected the plant from the nursery last April, Len and Carlo, who planted it, and yours truly, documenting everything.

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Since the normal weight for this tomato is about 7-8 ounces, and ours weighed 2.2 POUNDS, I was a bit concerned that such a large tomato might not taste great, but then this is Italy, the land that loves its tomatoes.

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And the result?…Perfect!

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It even had few seeds, which I have since learned can make a tomato more acidic.

Cuor di Bue are ideal for eating with fresh mozzarella and basil, as we did. Our tomato produced four extra-large steaks.

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Drizzle with a bit of olive oil, add a dash of salt and pepper, and enjoy!

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Divine!

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Beefsteak Tomatoes, Cuor di Bue

Comments 13 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italian Recipe, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

A Tuscan Sunset

4 Sep

Il Rifugio, (The Refuge), is a private Tuscan villa for rent by the owners. It is a lovingly restored seventeenth-century stone farmhouse that sits on a Tuscan hillside in the village of Montanare, community of Cortona.

Accepting an invitation to dinner from friends staying at Il Rifugio was easy. We knew the group would be fun, the conversations lively, and the food and wine, well, as we’ve come to expect in Italy, delicious.

What we didn’t anticipate, however, were the breathtaking views. Suffice it to say, one can easily understand the advice from their website: “Slow down, review your dreams, and rethink your life…”

Just yesterday, a friend was saying how relaxed and unstressed he is here. I believe it is a common sentiment for many of us fortunate enough to be part of this.

And if you can’t be in Tuscany…

when you have a moment to relax, fill your favorite glass, click on the photos to enlarge, and enjoy a view that only nature can paint.

©Blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Il Rifugio, Tuscan Sunsets

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Renting in Cortona, Tuscan hill views, Tuscany

Rilassamento = Relaxation

2 Sep

No better way to relax than to head to one of Lake Trasimeno’s islands in Umbria. Yesterday, we took the ferry to Maggiore, the only inhabited one.

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Some of our group chose to relax inside the ferry,

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while Fernanda and I enjoyed the breeze on our faces.

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The calm ride offered beautiful views, and we arrived eager to explore the island.

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Maggiore is a small fishing village which reached its height in the 14th century. Today, I am told, only 17 residents inhabit the island year round. Most of the buildings date from the 14th century. We climbed to the top and saw these historic buildings along the way.

©Blogginginitaly.com Villa Guglielmi

©Blogginginitaly.com Church of San Michele Arcangelo

It is on a path, beneath this Church, that St. Francis spent 40 days and nights in prayer.

©Blogginginitaly.comChurch of San Michele Arcangelo

The church sits at the top of the island, nestled in olive groves, and provides lovely panoramic views.

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Afterward, we worked our way down the hill to the main and only street in this car-less town and enjoyed lunch and the view.

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Who is this man in so many of my photos??? I’ll have to ask Carrol.

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My favorite part was this delicious dessert!

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Then off to the dock to return home.

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On the trip back, the sun gave us lovely shadows of the town’s reflection

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as well as clouds dancing on the lake.

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Half an hour later, and very, very relaxed, were arrived back in Castiglione del Lago for the ride home. All in a day’s work!

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Ciao,
Judy

Tags: Isola Maggiore, Lake Trasimeno, Umbria

Comments 8 Comments
Categories Cortona, Italian History, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Umbria

A Familiar Italian Gathering

31 Aug

Can we have too much of a good thing? Need you ask?

Last night, we held a long-planned “reunion” with the group who built the wood sheds last spring.

©Blogginginitaly.com (May ’16)

Loreno, a master griller, wanted to cook for us again and we were more than happy to accept.

Stormy weather couldn’t dampen our enthusiasm; we just made a slight adjustment and moved the tables inside at Fernanda’s house.

The apperitivi, created by Fernanda and Bruna, were delicious: an assortment of crostini including tuna, smoked salmon, sausage, mushroom, and chicken liver; prosciutto and melon; homemade pizza.

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In the meantime, while we were enjoying aperitivo, Loreno was working his magic outside. Fortunately, he had the grill undercover as the rain was relentless at times.

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As each plate was brought inside, a wonderful aroma filled the room. While I can give you the basic marinade for all of the meats: olive oil, lemon, rosemary, and salt, I can’t pass on Loreno’s patience and passion for grilling. After all, he built his own grill from steel.

First the chicken:

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Followed by boneless pork chops and sausages:

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Followed by steak:

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Then the salad and tomatoes picked from the garden.

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When Loreno finally joined us, he entered the room to a well-deserved standing ovation.

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When I asked if he had had anything to eat, he assured me that he is the primary tester/taster of all things on the grill. So I just filled his glass.

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Loreno sat next to Len and me, and we chatted non-stop for over an hour. He speaks not a word of English, yet we talked about life, the challenges and joys it can bring, and so much more. His family, many of whom were at the table, and Fernanda’s, are not actually related through blood, but there are no stronger ties. And now they too have wrapped their arms around us.

©Blogginginitaly.com Carlo and Cousin Giuliano

When I think about these gatherings, I am always reminded of how happy I am that my grandparents came from Italy. The love and friendship that I experience here is amazing, yet not surprising. Len and I are both fortunate to have grown up with similar Italian traditions: big family gatherings, always too much food, lots of stories and laughter, everyone talking and listening at the same time, and always room for guests, who just like here, often became extended family members. And fortunately, we continue to experience and pass on these wonderful traditions, both sides of the ocean.

After dinner, we enjoyed just picked fresh figs from the garden, another thing that my grandmother loved…

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Along with limoncello, although we had to wait for it to thaw a bit!

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Thanks to our hosts for an incredible dinner and evening, and most of all, for their friendship and love.

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Ciao,
Judy

Comments 5 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Food, Friends, Family

30 Aug

The greatest benefit we enjoy in returning to Cortona year after year is the friends we have made. Many are local and others are repeaters who love the town and its people as much as we do. Being small in size, it’s nearly impossible to walk down the street and not see familiar faces. Friends here become extended family, and spending time with them is a favorite pastime.

Last night, 25 of us gathered for a traditional Italian celebration of friendship. When we arrived, the setting welcomed us with open arms:

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As did three generations of the family:

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The beautiful table would soon be filled with food and lots of conversation, and the bbq in the back let us know that grilled meats were part of the dinner.

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The challenge, of course, is pacing oneself.

First up, Aperitivo, almost a meal in itself. Everything is freshly cut and sliced. I’ve yet to be in an Italian kitchen that doesn’t have a deli sized meat slicer! This course is generally served with Prosecco, and soon the corks were popping.

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For Primo, we enjoyed homemade lasagna, both meat and vegetarian styles,

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Followed by melanzana, (eggplant parmigiana).

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For someone like me, who generally feels that pasta è basta, (pasta is enough), sticking to smaller portions is essential.

Next up, time for grilling. First the steaks…

cooked to perfection.

followed by sausages…

and served with salad.

At this point, almost all are leaning back in their chairs, taking a deep breath, and thinking they have reached the end…until…

Time for dessert!

Fresh fig and fresh apple/pistachio tortes served with gelato, caramelized figs, and moscato, a sparkling white wine.

Una bellissima serrata, as we say here…a beautiful night… filled with great food, great friends, and lots of love. We also had a surprise visitor during Aperitivo. Our dear friend Ted (who is looking terrific!), joined us via FaceTime. After everyone said their hellos, we raised our glasses and saluted him and his health with a rowdy round of Brindisino!

To you, Ted, from your Cortona family, buona salute!

And many thanks to our hosts and dear friends for sharing their Italian traditions with us.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 22 Comments
Categories Cortona, Grilling in Italy, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Amatrice Donations and Recipes

28 Aug

As a follow-up to my last post, many have written asking me where they might donate and also for an Amatriciana recipe. Here are some thoughts on both.

Donations:
After the earthquake, I talked to some local friends about ways to contribute. Some suggested a few sites, and at the same time, urged a bit of cautious research. Unfortunately, we are all too aware of the scammers who pounce after tragic events and how challenging it can be to get funds to the intended. Because of this and especially being unfamiliar with Italian relief agencies, I’ll leave it to others to do their own research. As a starting point, however, many here suggest visiting the websites of Croce Rossa Italiana (Red Cross) and NIAF (National Italian American Relief).

Recipes:
Locals are never short on family recipes and were happy to share their own for Amatriciana. Being that they are Italian, and also the way I cook, there are no measurements included.

Recipe 1. Ingredients: Guanciale*, oil, garlic, salt, black or chili pepper, fresh or canned tomatoes (if fresh not in season), pecorino romano, parmigiano.

Recipe 2. Ingredients: Guanciale*, oil, chopped San Marzano tomatoes, pecorino romano, parmigiano.

*Guanciale is an Italian cured meat or salami product prepared from pork jowl or cheeks. If not available, use speck.

Directions: In both cases, dice and cook the meat in a frying pan until crisp, then set aside. Add the tomatoes (and spices if Recipe #1) and allow to saute in the fat from the meat for about 15 minutes, or until it thickens. In the meantime, cook pasta, often bucatini or spaghetti, until al dente. When the pasta is done, add it and the meat to the tomatoes and toss. Add the pecorino as you mix thoroughly, top with parmigiano and serve.

LPLT / Wikimedia Commons

You can find numerous variations online, all easily prepared in a short time.

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 3 Comments
Categories Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian History, Italy, My Blog about Italy

Just Picked

18 Aug

The time has finally come for our tasting – will the vegetables we planted in the spring taste as good as they look? Let’s start with the tomatoes.

And the verdict is?

Pop in my mouth delicious!

And the zucchini?

Affirmative again!

Our onions did well, and not so much the peppers, but those tomatoes – they just keep giving and giving! This was our pick for the day, not including those we ate as we picked.

Getting ready for dinner, Carlo cut some sunflowers for our table,

while Fernanda worked her magic in the kitchen. Appertivo included hot from the frying pan amazing zucchini flowers:

and stuffed zucchini flowers, before going in the oven.

We built our own caprese and enjoyed grilled zucchini, fresh pecorino with homemade plum and orange marmellata, and of course, prosecco.

Pasta was served with a light sugo (sauce) made from our fresh tomatoes and onions. The breeze was light, the temperature comfortable, and the proud smiles abundant.

Thinking back to last April, I can’t remember that we had grand expectations for our garden when it looked like this:

In fact, we felt we planted a bit too early as the garden had to endure several hail storms and lots of heavy rain. But neighboring farmers have commented that their tomatoes aren’t nearly as tall or productive as ours, and that we did well to get the plants in the ground when we did. As it turns out, some of them had to plant a bit later than planned due to the soaked soil.

And while planting a garden is certainly not an Olympic event, in keeping with the times, here’s to our gold medal zucchini and tomatoes,

And the sense of accomplishment it bought to a bunch of Italian and American city folks working together. Auguri!

Ciao,
Judy

Comments 22 Comments
Categories Cortona, Food, Italian Cooking with Friends, Italian countryside, Italian Food, Italian Hospitality, Italy, My Blog about Italy, Tuscany

Ferragosto

15 Aug

Ferragosto is an Italian holiday celebrated on August 15 and coincides with the major Catholic feast of the Assumption of Mary. For many Italians, it is their summer vacation period and a time when many places of business also close their doors for vacation.

The Feriae Augusti, from which Ferragosto takes its name, comes from the “Festivals or Holiday of the Emperor Augustus” which was introduced in 18 BC. The Feriae Augusti linked the various August festivals to provide a longer period of rest, called Augustali, which was felt necessary after the hard labour of the previous summer weeks.

Crowds flock to Cortona for this holiday, as they can enjoy live bands in the piazzas, various exhibits, and most of all, the Sagra della Bistecca held in the public gardens. This year numbers 57.

Large open grills, built for the occasion, become the center of attraction in the public gardens. Those tending to the grills are seasoned veterans, and know just when to turn the bistecca. Seared on the outside, very rare in the middle.