A Taste of Tuscany & Umbria

It is hard to imagine a place where life’s pleasures can be more easily or consummately gratified than Tuscany, a region in central Italy. What other region can boast Europe’s greatest art, its loveliest countryside, some of its best food and wine and its idyllic hilltop villages and historic medieval towns, writing the history of a people and its culture. We have combined the two regions, Tuscany and Umbria, during a recent visit: to a certain extent they are very similar, but still so different and special!

When visiting the Tuscan region, Firenzi is obviously the capitol and starting point. As we had been to Florence and Pisa on various previous occasions, we decided to focus more on the countryside and its distinctive personalised little villages.

We started our Tuscan experience in Lucca, the most intimate and charming of Tuscany’s towns: a civilised and untroubled backwater where neither the pace of life, nor the appearance of the medieval narrow streets and intimate oval square, (piazza San Michele) seems to have changed over the centuries. Preserved within a redoubtable oval of walls, the town is full of exquisite churches, fascinating museums and galleries and plenty of quiet corners and flower-hung lanes.

Lucca rivals any town in Italy for fascination and beauty. One century flows into the next - and right up to the present - as you walk past shops with medieval and art nouveau facades, cross the Roman amphitheatre turned piazza and stroll along the magnificent 16^th-century ramparts that are now a pleasure garden lined with oak trees, full of character.
 

Our favourite has always been San Gimignano, the fortified hilltop village, often referred to as the Manhattan of Tuscany, due to the numerous towers originally, of which only a few remained presently.

Situated some hour’s drive south-west of Florence, San Gimignano has much to offer: pedestrianised cobbled narrow streets, quite little shops selling everything including some of the best Chianti wines, olives and a variety of local cheeses, original forms of art objects, leather shops. and special personalised triattorias (restaurants) serving typical local cuisine. Our favourite is still the Dorandò, a small restaurant (only 36 people can be served in the three small dining rooms), recreating recipes from Tuscany’s Etruscan and medieval past, which may sound pretentious, but the results are usually first rate, und unfortunately a bit expensive!

The region between Florence and Siena is Chianti - or Chianti Classico as it is now called. The Chianti hills form the spine supporting a succession of steep valleys of vineyards and orchards of olive trees. Areas such as Castellina, Greve and Radda are the source of heady red wines, based on the traditional Sangiovese grape and a special fermentation process to give it more depth.

Tiny, picture-perfect Radda, straddling a ridge between the Pesa and Arbia valleys in the wooded Monti del Chianti, was once the capital of the Chianti-region. You will pass numerous estates in the region selling wine directly to the public. For a good one-stop selection of the Chianti-region, visit Enoteca de Gallo Nero in Greve.

For the fun of it, I and Monique decided to spend a weekend and attend the hands-on cooking class of Tuscan Culinary Delight, presented by the resident chef Titi Richard. After preparing a five-course meal in the kitchen, we took off our aprons and were served our experiments - luckily with complimenting wines of the region! To be quite honest, the meal that we have prepared was really delicious, the atmosphere at candle-light superb, and the treatment afterwards at the spa relaxing!

Montepulciano is one of Tuscany’s most perfect hill towns: its high, breezy position commands sweeping views and it has art and architecture far beyond its small size, including San Biagio, one of Italy’s foremost Renaissance churches. Despite the importance, this little town lies off the normal tourist route and it is only the really dedicated traveller that discovers the marvels of this gem!

The birthplace of St Francis, Assisi, is one of the world’s most important pilgrimage destinations. Even without the churches, extraordinary frescoes and associations with the Saint, it would be worth coming to Assisi, simply to witness a sunset! As the sun set on yet another memorable day in Umbria, the medieval centre of this town is bathed in a warm glow of colours.

Our accommodation was at the Hotel Umbria, a well-equipped small family-run pension, located just off Piazza del Comune, in a room with a view of the Umbria valley. The entrance, off a tiny alley, is through wrought-iron gates: this opens onto a tiny patio where you are treated to an idyllic oasis with tables under a trellis covered by vines creating a lacy pattern of shadows.

The view from this intimate terrace is great! The Laudenzi family oversees every detail of this small inn and makes you feel totally at home.

A medieval Pope predicted that Orvieto would float up to heaven on Judgement Day; it seems to already be on its way - thrust up into the Umbrean sky by a plateau of extinct volcanoes: at the foot of its sheer cliffs, vineyards have been grown for centuries. The volcanic soil gives the town’s white wine its distinct crispness.

The last destination of our ten day excursion was the Orbetello Peninsula. Standing proudly on the cliffs overlooking one of Italy’s most spectacular coastlines, are the remains of the Spanish watchtower that has been cleverly incorporated into the Hotel Torre di Calla Piccola. High cliffs drop precipitously down to the sea, forming a series of coves where the waters of the Mediterranean dance in the moonlight.