Italia Magazine - July 2014 UK

ITALIA!

Issue 116 July 2014 £4.40

THE UK’S AWARD-WINNING MAGAZINE ABOUT ITALY

9 771744 796054

0 7

Issue 116 July 2014 £4.40

NEW WEBSITE!

www.italytravelandlife.com

ore yourself with a visit to the spectacular

landscapes of rural Tuscany

PERFECT TUSCANY

HOLIDAYS PROPERTY FOOD WINE CULTURE PEOPLE

Venice in a weekend

Discover the best of La Serenissima

SICILY’S HIDDEN HILL TOWNS
Explore the island shaped by Etna

LAKE GARDA’S BEST
SWIMMING SPOTS

WIN!

A family holi

day

to Sardinia

worth

£2000

COOKING

WITH GINO

Quick Italian dishes

to cook at home

Property ideas to maximise your budget

SUBSCRIBE TO ITALIA!

UK or

ers only

Subscribe to Italia! and save 25 per cent on
the usual price* plus recieve a free book*!
Turn to page 44 for more information.

W E L C O M E T O I T A L I A !

July 2014

ITALIA! 3

Welcome!

THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTORS

Carnival in Venice

SEBASTIAN
CRESSWELL-TURNER
is a writer, translator
and Italia!’s bilingual
correspondent.
But this month he
is taking a break
from Gazzetta and
indulging his love

of walking – and where better than in
Tuscany? He reports from the picturesque
Chianti Hills, which he explored on a trip
with Hedonistic Hiking, on page 55.

LAURA SANTTINI is
a cook, author and
restaurateur. Her
family established
Belgravia’s Santini
restaurant, a
favourite of Frank
Sinatra, which
Laura now oversees

alongside her work as a food developer
with her range of ﬂ avour enhancing
powders and pastes. See the range at www.
laurasanttini.com or ﬁ nd them in Waitrose.

GINO D’ACAMPO has
been busy in the
kitchen researching
his new book, Pronto!
Showcasing some
simple and tasty
recipes, as well as
shortcuts for big
ﬂ avour in quick

Italian meals, you can get a taste of the
new collection with four of his recipes
beginning on page 80. Leave it to Gino to
make his food look just as good as he does.

Cover im

e © iStock ph

oto. This im

e © M

arin

a Spir

etti

AWARD WINNER!
The Italian Tourist
Board voted Italia!
the ‘Best Overall
Publication 2011’

Catholicism is such a driving force
across Italy it is hard to visit the
country and not experience it. It is
there in the Madonna shrines set into
the street, the epic religious buildings
and in the large Italian families that
give the country such a sense of
community. But what about other
beautiful religious buildings and

communities? I had a letter from a reader this week about
the many vibrant Jewish buildings of Italy and the trip she
spent exploring them. I’ve also just returned from Ischia,
where the town of Forio has a distinctly mosque-like
quality to its buildings due to the number of pirates who
settled here. This had me thinking beyond Catholicism.
Do any other readers have different experiences?
Of course history brings the gods of the Romans to
Italy. Turn to page 48 to discover the ancient city of
Syracuse in Sicily and its historical delights. We’re also in
Sicily for Jane Gifford’s tour of the island dominated by
Etna, on page 38. And if you want to tour south Italy’s
island wines, join me on page 89 for some great whites.
If your spiritual ideal is bathing in the clear waters of
Italy, turn to page 64 for a guide of the wild swimming
spots around Lake Garda. Partnered with a picnic of some
good Italian cheese and salumi, and a chilled glass of
something, it certainly sounds like my idea of heaven.

Hannah Bellis Editor

PS Italia!’s new guide to the Tuscany
region is on sale now (£7.99). Visit
www.italytravelandlife.com/italiaguides

IN THI

PROPERTY

20 HOMES IN UMBRIA

The Green Heart of Italy is much adored by
discerning visitors and foreign homebuyers,
says Fleur Kinson.

60 PROPERTY FOCUS: LE MARCHE

That perfect combination of mountain and
sea is easy to find in Le Marche, Italy’s most
up-and-coming region.

HOLIDAYS

30 48 HOURS IN VENICE

Marina Spironetti discovers the authentic
pleasures of Italy’s most fairy-tale city.

38 IN THE SHADOW OF MOUNT ETNA

Jane Gifford explores one of the world’s
largest and most active volcanoes.

48 DISCOVER SYRACUSE

Gretta Schifano found an abundance of
archaeological sites to explore.

55 HIKING IN TUSCANY

Sebastian Cresswell-Turner joins Hedonistic
Hiking for a taste of their walking tours.

64 WILD SWIMMING

Michele Tameni highlights the best spots to
take a dip on and around Lake Garda.

July 2014

71 SPECIAL PLACES TO STAY IN ITALY

Alastair Sawday selects six Italian homestays
where you really feel part of the family.

CULTURE

29 SPEAK ITALIA!

Tamsin Smith examines the effects of Ethical
Purchasing Groups on how Italians buy food.

70 FERRAGAMO

Freya Middleton charts the rise of Salvatore
Ferragamo and his luxury goods company.

FOOD & DRINK

75 4 TAKES ON COFFEE

We’ve got some great coffee-based recipes for
you – all luxurious, yet so simple to make.

78 CHEF’S NOTES

Laura Santtini explains how slow cooking is
central to the Italian kitchen.

80 PRONTO!

Gino D’Acampo reveals some simple shortcuts
for cooking quick Italian meals.

84 BUY ITALIA!

We taste the best Italian dried pasta.

89 DRINK ITALIA!

Hannah Bellis tries some island whites.

ITALIA! July 2014

MORE ITALIA!

7 PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Enter your photographs for your chance
to win a bottle of Nino Franco Prosecco!

LETTERS
Readers share their stories and pictures
from their experiences in Italy.

10 VIEWPOINT

San Nicola, in Puglia’s Tremiti
Archipelago.

12 NEWS

All the headline stories from
Italy this month.

16 TOP PICKS

Picnics, sunglasses and special
reader offers.

18 EVENTS IN JULY

Highlights from across Italy for
your forthcoming visit.

36 COMPETITION

Win a £2,000 family holiday to Sardinia.

I N T H I S I S S U E

44 SUBSCRIBE TO ITALIA!

Save 25 per cent off the shop price when
you subscribe to Italia!

46 PAST ITALIA!

The golden mosaic ceiling of Rome’s Santa

Maria in Trastevere.
86 ASK THE EXPERTS

Insider knowledge on living,
working and travelling in Italy.

92 BOOK REVIEWS

This month’s new releases.

94 GETTING THERE

Plan your ﬂ ights to Italy from
the UK and Ireland.

98 MY ITALIA!

Charlotte Jaconelli and partner
Jonathan Antoine ﬁ nished as
runners-up in Britain’s Got
Talent in 2012. What is she up
to now?

p55

ON THE COVER

p80

p30

p64

p38

p36

p20 p60

TUSCANY

p55

ASCOLI PICENZA

ROME

p46

LE MARCHE

p60

SYRACUSE

p48

UMBRIA

p20

VENICE

p30

PUGLIA

p10

LAKE GARDA

p64

SICILY

p38

ITALIA!

www.italytravelandlife.com

Anthem Publishing Ltd, Suite 6, Piccadilly House,

London Road, Bath BA1 6PL

+44 (0) 1225 489986 (editorial)

+44 (0) 1225 489989 (advertising)

Fax +44 (0) 1225 489980

italia@anthem-publishing.com

EDITOR Hannah Bellis

hannah.bellis@anthem-publishing.com

ART EDITOR Debra Barber

debra.barber@anthem-publishing.com

OPERATIONS EDITOR Jon Palmer

jon.palmer@anthem-publishing.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Rachel Beckwith, Louise Cassell, Sebastian Cresswell-Turner,

Gino D’Acampo, Dan Fox, Jane Gifford, Fleur Kinson, Freya Middleton,

Adam O’Neill, Laura Santtini, Alastair Sawday, Gretta Schifano, Chris Short,

Franz Sidney, Tamsin Smith, Marina Spironetti, Michele Tameni

ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Laura McLean

laura.mclean@anthem-publishing.com

MARKETING MANAGER Alex Godfrey

alex.godfrey@anthem-publishing.com

MARKETING ASSISTANT Kate Doyle

kate.doyle@anthem-publishing.com

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR Simon Lewis

simon.lewis@anthem-publishing.com

EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Paul Pettengale

paul.pettengale@anthem-publishing.com

MANAGING DIRECTOR Jon Bickley

jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS & BACK ISSUES

0844 322 1254/+44 (0) 1795 592848

italia@servicehelpline.co.uk

Price (12 issues) £42 UK basic annual rate

MAPS Netmaps www.digitalmaps.co.uk

PRINT Polestar UK Print Ltd

+44 (0) 1206 849500

DISTRIBUTION Marketforce (UK) Ltd,

Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark St, London SE1 0SU

+44 (0) 20 3148 3300

LICENSING ENQUIRIES Jon Bickley

jon.bickley@anthem-publishing.com

+44 (0) 1225 489984

While we make every effort to ensure that the factual content

of Italia! is correct we cannot take any responsibility nor be

held accountable for any factual errors printed.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

resold without the prior consent of Anthem Publishing Ltd.

Anthem Publishing recognises all copyrights contained within

this issue. Where possible we acknowledge the copyright holder.

TEXTING ITALIA! TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By texting Italia! magazine you are agreeing to receive details of future offers and promotions

from Anthem Publishing Ltd and related third parties. If you do not want to receive this

information please text the words ‘NO INFO’ at the end of your message. Texts will be charged

at the speciﬁed price plus one message at your standard network tariff rate.

COMPETITION TERMS AND CONDITIONS

By entering our competitions you are bound by these rules. The winners will be drawn at
random from all entries that answer correctly before the closing date. The prize draw will

take place after the closing date and the winners will be notiﬁed within 28 days of the

draw. Only UK residents aged 18 and over may enter. No employees of Anthem Publishing

Ltd or any company associated with this competition, or any member of their close family

may enter. Prizes are as stated and no alternatives, cash or otherwise are available. Anthem

Publishing Ltd accepts no liability for any loss, damage or injury caused by any prizes won.

The editor’s decision is ﬁnal and no correspondence will be entered into. Where prizes are

offered on behalf of an associated company these prizes are provided in their entirety by

these associated companies. Anthem Publishing Ltd cannot be held responsible for any

failure to provide prizes as speciﬁed and all enquiries relating to such prizes will be referred

to the associated companies. All entries must be received by the closing date. One entry per

person. No purchase necessary. Copies of winners’ list are available by written request from

Anthem Publishing, Suite 6, Piccadilly House, London Road, Bath BA1 6PL.

LEP Law provides comprehensive legal advice to

UK based clients with interests in Italy

Our legal services

Real Estate acquisitions in Italy

UK and Italian

inheritance rules, Italian and International wills,

inheritance disputes in Italy

Contractual law and

legal assistance with contractual disputes

Credit recovery

Translation of legal documents

LEP Law are experts in navigating the

complexities between the Italian

and English legal systems and guiding you

through it seamlessly

Victory House, 99-101 Regent Street, London W1B 4EZ

+44 (0)20 7193 0290

enquiries@leplaw.co.uk

www.leplaw.co.uk

Join a group of Australian private owners
sharing a set of recently constructed
apartments in the small town of
Mercatello sul Metauro in the mountains
of Marche, Italy.

For a surprisingly small sum, you’ll own
one of 13 shares, returning every year,
becoming a local in the town.
Shares also available in a 13th century
restored farmhouse in the town.

&$6$0(5&$7(//2

Own a piece of authentic, small-town Italy

Visit

www.casamercatello.com

Email us ciao@casamercatello.com

July 2014

ITALIA! 7

Send us your favourite photos from your Italian travels, and each month the
best photo will win a bottle of Nino Franco Rustico Prosecco and cooler*!

READERS’ PHOTO

COMPETITION!

WIN

NINO

CO RU

STIC

PRO

SECCO

& C

HIL

LER

HOW TO ENTER

Email high-resolution (300dpi) jpegs of

your photos of Italy to italia@anthem-publishing.com
or send prints to ‘Reader Photo Competition’ at the address
given on page 6. Please include a brief explanation of your
photo, plus your name, delivery address and a phone number
(for our couriers). You must be over 18 to enter.

READER OFFER

Italia! readers get a 10 per cent discount

off Nino Franco wines from www.sommeliers
choice.com until 1 December 2014 by
entering the code ‘italia10’ at checkout.

Please note: Any photos you submit must be
your own work and you must have the right to
send them for inclusion on this page. By sending
your entry, you are conﬁ rming that Italia!’s use
of your photo(s) will not constitute infringement
of any rights, and conﬁ rming that you are over 18.

THIS MONTH’S WINNER

Leslie Toth, Heidelberg,

Ontario, Canada

“We have many sweet memories

of Italy, from driving experiences

– noboody drives like the Italians

– to unforgettable restaurants and

fascinating accommodations.”

*Pr

osecco d

eliver

ed to m

ainlan

d UK ad

esses only

THIS MONTH’S
RUNNER UP
Rachel Markwick
“We recently spent a week in
Rome followed by a week in a
small town near Viterbo. On
the morning after our arrival
in the village of Bassano in
Teverina, we were suddenly
surrounded by Fiat 500s as
there was a rally of a local
owners’ club!”

Some of the challenging driving
conditions near Sorrento

3 FOR £3

THEN £11.20 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

3 FOR £3

THEN £9.90 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

3 FOR £3

THEN £11.20 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

3 FOR £3

THEN £13.40 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

3 FOR £3

THEN £11.20 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

3 FOR £3

THEN £8.95 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

Try

Summer

ONLINE AT

www.anthem-publishing.com/summersale

2 EASY WAYS TO ORDER

GREAT REASONS

TO SUBSCRIBE

Get 3 Issues for just £3!

Then save 25% every 3 issues

thereafter

FREE UK delivery direct to your door

Never miss an issue

3 FOR £3

THEN £11.20 EVERY 3 ISSUES

STILL SAVING 25%

FOOD HEAVEN SERIES

on this fantastic range of magazines!

issues
for £3

*Offer available to UK Direct Debit orders only. Your subscription will start with the next available issue.

After your ﬁ rst 3 issues, your subscription will continue at the listed prices every 3 issues thereafter still saving 25%.

Offer ends 30th September 2014.

CALL US ON

0844 322 1256

or 0333 777 3347

QUOTE

CODE

SSHA14

BLOGGING IN UMBRIA

I am a regular reader of Italia magazine and
enjoy the mix of features, gossip and travel
articles. Just a year ago my partner and I bought
an apartment in Umbria and I have been blogging
about our Italian experiences since January this
year – there are 12 postings to date. In many ways Umbria is at the
heart of all that my partner and I love about Italy. It has an attractive
landscape, a great climate, terriﬁ c traditions in food and wine and
endless opportunities to indulge our art historical and cultural
interests. Not only all of that – we can easily travel by road or rail to
Rome, Florence or indeed any other part of the country. Perfect.
A friend suggested you might be interested in having a look at it.
You can see it at umbriaandtuscanyunravelled.blogspot.co.uk

Ian Cox, email

Umbria is a beautiful region, Ian, that doesn’t receive nearly as

much coverage as its more well-known neighbour Tuscany. I’m

glad you found it and you’re enjoying being part of the life there

– we look forward to following your progress!

Share all your Italian experiences with us by sending your photos
and letters to italia@anthem-publishing.com – you’ll receive
a gourmet gift set if you’re chosen as our Letter of the Month winner…

LETTERS TO ITALIA!

IT’S A DOG’S LIFE

A friend of mine lived on the
Amalﬁ coast for 30 years. She
moved back to the UK 18 months
ago, with her canine pal Luigi.
After being used to sunning himself
in the Med, Luigi has adapted to
the UK climate and is happily
frolicking in the woods now – great
to know that it is possible to make
these journeys with our dear pets!

Mary Samson, email

So happy to hear Luigi is enjoying life in the

UK! Indeed it is possible to travel with a pet.

But do check with a vet what arrangements

must be made – vaccinations, pet passports

and so on – before you set off.

ALL MAPPED OUT

I’ve been meaning to ask for ages
whether the map of Italy you
use in each issue, highlighting
the locations of topics covered, is
available to buy as a poster?

Tess Lesley, email

Sorry, Tess, that map is our own creation but

we don’t have it available in poster format. We

can only wish you luck in ﬁ nding another one.

GOOD TIMES IN
ABRUZZO?

I have just visited Abruzzo with
the dream of ﬁ nding a house and
moving to Italy. I ventured out with
three estate agents and was shown
properties near the Italian national
park ‘needing work’, but which can
only can be described as ruins. The
next agent took me to habitable
houses just beneath the mountains,

Our letter of the month (when based in the UK) will win a £25
voucher to spend at www.delicibo.com, recently launched to
complement the Chesterﬁ eld-based Calabria Cucina & Delicibo Deli.

delicibo.com
provides a
wide range of
artisan Italian
food and drink
items for your
enjoyment at
home.

Umbria is at the heart of all

that I love about Italy

TTER

F T

E M

JULY

2014

but they were isolated and barren.
Next I went to Penne, which has
a marvellous medieval feel. I was
shown ﬂ ats of two English couples
but while both were stylish, both
also had old roofs, all leaking and
falling in. They advised me not to
bother and I was inclined to agree.
What should I do?

Chris Gray, email

Don’t give up, Chris. Try different estate agents,

ask to see references from past clients about

their selling experiences. And do more research

on the internet, read about those who have

found rewarding properties – it is certainly

possible as the stories on our pages testify.

Check out this blog about Umbria for some
great stories about the region

YOU TELL US!

We love receiving your
letters, photos, questions
and recommendations!
Write to us today...

HOW TO GET IN TOUCH

TEXT

Text your thoughts about Italy and Italia!
magazine to us. Text the word ITALIA plus
your message to 87474. (Texts cost 25p plus
your standard network rate. For full terms
and conditions see page 6.)

WRITE

Send post to us at Italia! magazine,
Anthem Publishing, Suite 6, Piccadilly House,
London Road, Bath BA1 6PL

EMAIL

Write to us at italia@anthem-publishing.com

FACEBOOK

Keep up with Italia! on Facebook. Go to
www.facebook.com then search for ‘Italia
magazine’ and click on ‘Like’ to join us.

TWITTER

Go to www.italytravelandlife.com and follow
the Twitter link to keep up with tweets from
‘Italiamag’. See you there!

July 2014

ITALIA! 9

ITALIA! July 2014

VIEWPOINT

100,000 visitors come to San Nicola in the Tremiti Archipelago
in Puglia in the summer season. Ferry services from the mainland
operate from Termoli, Foggia, Vieste, Rodi Garganico and Capoiale…

The Isole Tremiti are an archipelago in the
Adriatic Sea, and their name relates to
their seismic hazard – tremiti translates to
tremors. The area is known for its crystal-
clear waters and pleasantly mild climate.
Of the five small islands, San Nicola is
the smallest but also where most of the
area’s population resides as a small tourist
centre that is home to only a small handful

of restaurants, but surrounded by 30km
of stunning sea. The island was used as
a penal colony during Benito Mussolini’s
Fascist regime and also boasts a fortress
that was built to protect against pirates
and invaders. Don’t let this small island’s
size fool you though, because there is so
much to do here that you’ll find yourself
spending more than a day exploring it.

July 2014

ITALIA! 11

AN ARBOREAL

RENAISSANCE

Italy is experiencing sustained reforestation,
according to a recently published inventory.
The Inventario Nazionale Forestale reports
the most pronounced new growth since 2005
in agricultural regions such as Molise and Sicily,
which have seen areas of woodland increase by 17
and 16 per cent respectively. Presenting the ﬁ ndings, Dr Enrico
Pompei identiﬁ ed old farmland, especially in hilly, southern
areas, as the new territory trees are colonizing. “CO2 absorbed
by forests in Italy is equivalent to half the emissions from the
transport sector,” claimed Dr Pompei, though he warned of
the risk of forest ﬁ res from densely-packed young trees.
Bristly Italy is now 35 per cent forest, roughly three times
the proportion of balding Britain, but some way behind
hirsute Sweden, Europe’s woodiest nation, at 75 per cent.

otogr

aph

y © iStock Ph

oto an

d P

A Ph

otos unless oth

erwise stated

July 2014

In Italian news this month, the reforestation of the peninsula,
David’s failing ankles, the lack of maintenance of the nation’s
artistic heritage, and – is red wine really good for you?

THIS MONTH

N E W S

EERIE ISLAND AUCTIONED

Poveglia in the Venice Lagoon has become
the creepiest state-owned property yet
sold. The island, believed to be haunted by
the spirits of plague victims and asylum
inmates, is set to be possessed by an Italian
businessman. Luigi Brugnaro secured a
99-year lease with a bid of €513,000,
seeing off the local Poveglia Association,
who are spooked at the prospect of private
ownership. Brugnaro has vowed to restore
the deserted island to “public use”,
committing €20 million in investment.

WORLD CUP WILL BE A FAMILY
AFFAIR FOR PRANDELLI’S TEAM

Cesare Prandelli, head coach of the Italian
national football team, has welcomed
players’ families into their training camp
in Brazil. While acknowledging the novelty
of the decision, he hopes that the presence
of children will bring “harmony” and
“happy moments”. Italy always enters the
World Cup under intense scrutiny and high
expectations, though they are considered
outsiders this time around. The Azzurri last
won the tournament in 2006.

ITALIA! July 2014

SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS

DAVID STILL STANDING ON

FRACTURED ANKLES

Bad posture can lead to joint problems in

the ﬁ ttest of us, and standing slouched
against a tree stump for over half a

millennium seems to have caught up with

Michelangelo’s statue of David.

Scientists have discovered “micro-

fractures on the lower part of

both legs”, likely caused by

vibrations from visitors and

passing trafﬁ c, and the poor

quality marble from which

David is sculpted.

However, calls to

move his ﬁ ve and a

half tonne frame

from the Galleria

dell’Accademia

to a dedicated,

earthquake-
proof home
have been

rejected

by Florence’s

museum authority. Spokesman Marco
Ferri asserted that “even if there

is an earthquake of 5.0 or 5.5 on

the Richter scale, Florence will stay

in one piece. And David would be

the last to fall,” simultaneously

reassuring art lovers while also

tempting fate.

Bristly Italy is now 35 per cent forest, roughly three times the proportion of
balding Britain, but some way behind hirsute Sweden, Europe’s woodiest
nation, at 75 per cent

ART’S SWELTERING SPRING

Rome’s Borghesi Gallery has become a hothouse threatening to wilt the works of Raphael,
Rubens, Titian and other artists. Air conditioning failing during the spring heatwave, which
director Anna Coliva blames on a “chronic lack of maintenance... due to a lack of resources”
has left the gallery with little option but to open the windows. Yet this risks exposing the
paintings to the capital’s unﬁ ltered trafﬁ c fumes, and diesel particulates will only dull the
stark, baroque contrasts of Caravaggio’s Madonna of the Palafrenieri. It’s not the ﬁ rst time
heat has caused such problems – part of Florence’s Ufﬁ zi Gallery was closed in 2012 because
of high temperatures, and the Sistine Chapel has new aircon to protect Michelangelo’s
exquisite frescoes from the heat rising up from 20,000 visitors per day. But funding cuts
are increasingly blamed for putting Italy’s artistic heritage in as precarious a position as its
economy.

MEDITERRANEAN DIET JUNKED?

Southern Italians are choosing junk food
over their traditional menu of ﬁ sh, olive
oil and plenty of fruit and vegetables,
according to Italy’s state broadcaster, RAI.
An advert promoting the World Expo in
2015 cited statistics claiming that half
the population of Campania is overweight.
It ended with the provocative question,
“When will the Mediterranean diet come
home?” Stefano Pisani, the trim mayor of
Pollica, branded the advert “an offence to
the dignity of the people”.

ACTOR’S SWEARING PRIMER

Better known for delivering Jane Austen’s verbose

dialogue or playing a stuttering king, Colin Firth has

professed his love of punchy Italian insults. In an
interview promoting his new ﬁ lm, The Railway Man, the

actor used a word perhaps too rude, even in Italian, to

be repeated in a magazine with a bilingual readership.

But the actor and his Italian wife have won praise for

his pronunciation of terms like ﬁ guraccio (inelegantly

translating as ‘poor ﬁ gure’). The ﬁ lm star says his ﬂ uency

with the romance language would be good enough for an

Italian movie, “as long as I’m playing an Englishman”.

July 2014

ITALIA! 13

S...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPETS...SNIPPE

GIRO D’ITALIA GOES TO IRELAND

The Giro d’Italia, Italy’s premier cycle
race event, had its most successful Big
Start ever last month in Northern Ireland.
Stage 1 involved a team time trial around
Belfast, Stage 2 saw the opening road
stage, again around Belfast, and Stage 3
took the riders from Armagh to Dublin.
Hundreds of thousands of spectators lined
the route and everything imaginable had
turned pink to welcome this famous event.
The ﬁ nal stages took place in Veneto, the
home of Italian cycling.

LONDON ART WEEK

London Art Week, launched last year,
is the platform that unites Master
Drawings and Sculpture Week and Master
Paintings Week. This collaboration brings
together some 50 specialist dealers
from across the ﬁ ne art disciplines and
three major London auction houses.
Special exhibitions and other events will
be staged by all the participants. The
2014 event will be held from 4 to 11
July – a date for collectors, curators and
enthusiasts from all over the world.

ESS...

STOP PRESS...

STOP PR

HARRY HONOURS THE FALLEN

18 May marked the 70th anniversary of the capture of Monte Cassino,
a crucial objective in the Italian Campaign during the Second World
War. Prince Harry paid his respects with other dignitaries, including the
Prime Minister of Poland, as well as 50 veterans of the Polish II Corps,
who ﬁ nally secured the summit after multiple assaults by the Allies.
Standing 81 miles south-east of Rome, Monte Cassino dominated one of
the few viable routes to the capital. Atop sat the historic abbey, established
by Benedict of Nursia in 529 AD. Despite the Germans’ declaring the
building would not be occupied, the Allies suspected it was being used as
an artillery observation post and obliterated it with heavy bombing during
February 1944. However, the rubble was occupied by German paratroopers
and provided excellent cover for the defenders to hold out for nearly three
months. In all, an estimated 250,000 died during the battle.

ITALIA! July 2014

RED WINE NO ELIXIR

AFTER ALL

The beneﬁ cial effects of
resveratrol, the supposed
miracle compound found in
chocolate, peanuts, berries
and red wine, have been

debunked, at least as part of

the Tuscan diet. Researchers

led by Dr Richard Semba of

Johns Hopkins University,

Baltimore, found no positive

correlation between high levels

of resveratrol intake and longevity,

in a study of 783 over-65-year-olds

in Tuscany, between 1998 and 2009. The

ﬁ ndings have quashed the excitement over

recently published results of the remarkable effects

of the antioxidant on mice. Although the rodents
enjoyed a host of health beneﬁ ts on a proportionally
far larger dose, Dr Semba found nothing to suggest
that humans would too. But oenophiles can still take
heart in wine’s other polyphenols. Flavonols derived
from the grapes’ pips, rather than the skin, are still
thought to moderate blood pressure and counter
damaging free-radicals. Reds rich in tannins are the
best source, for those who have the palate.

N E W S

Researchers led by Dr Richard Semba of Johns Hopkins University,
Baltimore, found no positive correlation between high levels of resveratrol
intake and longevity, in a study of 783 over-65-year-olds in Tuscany

KIM AND KANYE’S FORTE AMORE

“Marriage is like a fortress besieged,”

wrote Léon de Tinseau, perhaps

predicting the paparazzi

encirclement of the Forte di

Belvedere in Florence on

24 May. The wedding of

Kimberly Noel Kardashian

and Kanye Omari West
took place amid lavish
celebrations, but also

condemnation from local

politicians. The happy

couple paid €300,000

to hire the venue, which

mayoral candidate Achille

Totaro sees as part of a

wider “sell-off of Florence’s

monuments”. The Palace of

Versailles was ﬁ rst choice
but the seat of French kings
refused permission. Although
smaller, the Belvedere is an
opulent expression of status
and wealth. It was built in the
16th century by Grand Duke

Ferdinando I de’Medici, to
be a secure refuge in case of

civil unrest. It is unclear what
attracted Mr West to the bulging

and heavily buttressed star fort.

The lavish wedding of Kim
Kardashian and Kanye West
took place amid condemnation
from local politicians

July 2014

ITALIA! 15

RESS...

STOP PRESS...

STO

TOP

INAMORADA.COM
If you’re looking for
some ﬁ ne Italian
tailoring for your dogs,
then look no further.
Inamorada’s philosophy
is to create an exclusive
line of canine haute
couture, and one look
at their website tells

you they’ve achieved exactly that. All dogs, big and small, will
look their Sunday best in one of these stunning outﬁ ts that look
like they’ve come straight off the runway.

EN.ESCAPIO.COM/PET-FRIENDLY-HOTELS/ITALY
It can be tricky to ﬁ nd a pet-friendly place to stay in Italy,
but this fantastically useful website resolves those problems
completely. With easily
navigable menus and
a visually appealing
homepage, this should
be anybody’s go-to
for the best hotels
that Italy has to offer
people and their
faithful companions.

PETSINITALY.LAVIGNAALPACAS.COM
Have you ever wondered about the legal practicalities of taking
your pet to Italy? Do you need some advice on your pet’s health?
Or perhaps you want to ﬁ nd out how to adopt a dog or cat in
Italy? This website offers everything you need, as animal lover
Fiona Tankard uses her decades of experience to advise you on
everything you could possibly want to know.

WEB WATCH

Pets on Holiday

CARLUCCIO’S PASTA FESTIVAL

Carluccio’s restaurants are currently
hosting a Pasta Festival that runs until
20 July, celebrating all things pasta!
There are limited edition pasta varieties
available in all stores, as well as
appearances by Antonio Carluccio himself
to do signings of his new book, Pasta – as
featured in the May issue of Italia! We had
the opportunity this month to pop down
to our local Carluccio’s for an informative
evening learning how to make pasta from
scratch – more of which later…

MORE MIGRANTS DROWN EN ROUTE TO ITALY

Tragedy has struck yet again in the Mediterranean with the deaths of at least 17 people
after their boat sank. The vessel was thought to be carrying approximately 400 hopeful
migrants when it sank in May, between Libya and Sicily. The Italian coastguard was able
to rescue at least 200, but the number missing remains unknown. In a separate incident,
the Libyan Navy rescued 340 migrants when their boat got into difﬁ culties not far off
Tripoli. Libya is struggling to cope with the ﬂ ow of migrants from all over Africa passing
through its porous borders, and thousands are said to be massed on its coast, awaiting a
chance to sail to Europe. Both the Italian and Libyan governments see this as a problem
Europe must tackle collectively, as many migrants seek a new life in the north of the

continent, merely passing through Italy, should

they make the perilous crossing.

ITALIA!

BIRRA MORETTI
Like so many brands, Birra Moretti
is now owned by Heineken. The

company was founded in Udine in 1859

by Luigi Moretti, but was acquired by
Heineken in 1996 and the brewing plant

in Udine was sold to the newly formed
Birra Castello SpA. Birra Moretti is the

main brand, a 4.6% ABV pale lager

launched in 1859; followed by La Rossa,
a 7.2% strong dark lager. Other brands
include Doppio Malto, Baffo d’Oro, and

Sans Souci. www.birramoretti.com

F O O D & P R O D U C T S

ITALIA! July 2014

Top 3 Italian

LAGER BEERS

Italy is more famed for its wines than its
beers, but they do have a proud brewing
tradition none the less… Ocado kindly sent
us samples of their Italian best sellers…

WELCOME ITALIA

Discover the ﬂ avours of Italy! The
Welcome Italia show takes place at the
Royal Horticultural Halls, London SW1,
on 26-28 September 2014. The UK’s best
Italian chefs, led by Francesco Mazzei,
will cook delicious signature dishes that
will transport your taste buds to Italy.
As well as cookery demonstrations,
there will be seminars and wine-tasting
events to introduce you to the origins of
Italian products. Bookings are open now.
Admission to the show is £10, but you
can get in for £5 by quoting the exclusive
code ’Italia’. www.welcome-italia.co.uk

It’s the season for al frecso eating and
sunglasses… And special reader offers…

ITALIA!’S

Top picks

CARLUCCIO'S PICNIC HAMPERS

This summer, make your al fresco escape in
true Italian style with a delicious Carluccio’s
picnic hamper. Simply collect on the day and
enjoy the true taste of Italy in your chosen
patch of green. Priced at £45, each picnic
hamper serves two and contains generous
portions of delicious regional Italian dishes,
made fresh on the day and presented
in a smart and reusable cool-bag. www.
carluccios.com/picnics @CarlucciosCaffe
www.facebook.com/carluccioscaffe

MONDELLIANI

The Eolie eyewear collection from Mondelliani is

inspired by the seducing beauty and colours of the

Aeolian Islands. The frames are inﬂ uenced by the styles

of the 1960s and 1970s; the lenses are designed with either

a tone on tone colour combination, or colour contrast, to give a sense of personalisation to the
glasses and their shape. Mondelliani sunglasses are priced at £185 and sold at Wolf & Badger
(Notting Hill and Mayfair), Auerbach & Steele (King’s Rd) and Kirsten Goss (Holland St, W8).

TUSCANY AL FRESCO
BOARD WITH
VINTAGE PRINT

An acacia food board,

perfect for this summer’s

picnics, barbecues and

al fresco eating. 400

x 300 x 20mm. See

stockists for prices.

www.tg-woodware.com

WEAR THESE!

VISIT THIS!

EAT THIS!

TRY THIS!

TOP 3...

THIS MONTH’S TOP 3...

THIS MONTH’S

TOP 3...

THIS MONT

es © Ocad

o www

.ocad

o.com

ITALIA! 17

PERONI NASTRO AZZURRO
The Peroni Brewery was founded
by Francesco Peroni in Vigevano,

Lombardy, in 1846. It has been based
in Rome since 1864 (six years before
Rome became the capital of Italy) and is
now owned by the SABMiller group. Its
premium lager, Nastro Azzurro, which is
5.1% ABV, was launched in 1963 and is
now the company’s most successful brand,
both in Italy and the UK. Crafted with the
Mediterranean palate in mind, it’s perfect
for summer. www.peroniitaly.com

PERONI GRAN RISERVA
DOPPIO MALTO
Created in 1996 to celebrate the

150th anniversary of the foundation of the
Peroni brewery, the Gran Riserva Doppio
Malto is one of the highest quality beers
in the Peroni portfolio. It has an intense
gold colour and, being a double malt lager,
a much fuller ﬂ avour than you’d expect.
It is also deceptively strong – 6.6% ABV
– so don't be fooled by the smaller 330ml
bottles, this one packs quite a punch.
www.peroniitaly.com

PARMESAN CHEESE LAMP GRATE

Grate news for cheese lovers, design admirers – and readers
of Italia! magazine. The Parmesan Cheese Lamp family from
www.parmesancheeselamp.com has a new member – the
Parmesan Cheese Lamp Grate. And we have two of them to
give away free to Italia! readers.

Priced at €245, with its stylized stainless steel interior and

retro iron wire, this is the most stylish variant of the Parmesan
Cheese Lamps. Like all other Parmesan Cheese Lamps, the
Grate has the same proportions and details as a Parmesan
cheese. So, does it smell? Does it melt? Is it heavy? Three times
‘no’. The lamp shade is made of plastic and only the size and
details are identical to a real Parmesan cheese.

To be in with a chance of winning one, simply email us at

italia@anthem-publishing.com with the subject Parmesan
Cheese Lamp. The winner will be drawn at random on 10 July
2014. For full terms and conditions, please see page 6.
www.qucina.nl
www.parmesancheeselamp.com
www.facebook.com/ParmesanCheeseLamp
@ParmesanLamp

WIN!

NTH’S TOP 3...

THIS MONTH’S

TOP 3...

THIS MONTH’S TOP 3...

THIS

July 2014

ITALIA! 17

N E W S

ITALIA! July 2014

Summer celebrations at the Festa della Madonna, the Notte Rosa and the Festa del
Cristo degli Abissi… Music at the Umbria Jazz Festival, the Vasto Siren Festival – and
the chance to see Nile Rodgers play in Lucca. It’s all going on in Italy this July…

EVENTS IN JULY 2014

ALTA MODA ALTA ROMA
7-11 July
Rome
One of the major events
in the fashion industry,
this sees designers
from all over the
globe gathered in one
place with celebrities,
journalists and socialites
all paying witness to the
latest winter collections.
A central courtyard
hosts a series of catwalk
shows and displays,
making this a must for
anybody interested in
the fashion world.

FESTA DELLA MADONNA
BRUNA
2 July
Matera, Basilicata
You might want to wear
some ear plugs if you
plan to attend this
annual celebration,
which is in honour of
the town’s patron saint,
Maria Santissima della
Bruna, with a procession
beginning at dawn that
slowly meanders through
the town. The display
features ﬂ oats, street
parties and an evening
ﬁ reworks display, said to
be one of the loudest in
Europe!

U FISTINU SANTA
ROSALIA
15 July
Palermo
This is one of the most
famous and popular
festivals in Sicily, in
honour of patron Saint
Rosalia whose miracle
rid the town of plague
in the 17th century.
The week leading up to
15 July sees Palermo
become a natural open-
air theatre, featuring
musical bands, Cuban
dancers, parades and
ﬁ reworks, as well as
a cultural feast that
includes tiny snails and
ice-cream puddings.

DISFIDA DEGLI ARCIERI
DI TERRA E DI CORTE
13 July
Fivizzano, Tuscany
This event harks back
to medieval days, as
a procession marches
through the streets of
Fivizzano with many
people dressed in
medieval attire. Later
on, ﬁ ve archers (one
from each of the town’s
ﬁ ve zones) line up to
sling their arrows at ﬁ ve
targets. In the week
before the festival, each
zone holds a dinner for
its members and puts on
a show for visitors and
townspeople.

NOTTE ROSA
4 July
Adriatic Coast,
Emilia-Romagna
Think pink! Pink Night
in Emilia-Romagna is
seen as the Italian
summer’s New Year’s
Eve, with a ﬂ amboyant
summer carnival in
celebration of nothing
more than the colour
pink. Attracting more
than 50,000 visitors
for a huge party and
pink ﬁ reworks display,
many buildings and
monuments are bathed
in pink ﬂ oodlighting
while the streets are
lined with pink street-
lamps. We’ll leave you to
work the dress code out
for yourselves...

UMBRIA JAZZ FESTIVAL
11-20 July
Perugia
Attracting more than
200,000 people each
year, the Umbria Jazz
Festival is a ten-day
event steeped in live
jazz music performed
by artists from all over
the world. Now in its
41st year, many of the
performances are done
outdoors and will also
include elements of
rock and roll, Cuban and
world music, so fans of
any music genre are sure
to ﬁ nd something to
enjoy here!

July 2014

ITALIA! 19

Please note that the dates of all events are subject to change. If you plan to attend, check events are going ahead before you travel. All attempts are made to present the correct details.

© Guillem Lopez/Alam

Festa del Redentore, Venice

FESTA DEL CRISTO
DEGLI ABISSI
26 July
San Fruttuoso, Liguria
During the ceremony
for this traditional
religious festival, the
town’s bells will switch
off all electric lighting,
leaving the village lit
only by eerie candlelight.
A procession then leads
to the sea, where the
priest, accompanied by
boats, throws a laurel
wreath into the sea to
the underwater statue of
Christ. In the evening, a
mass takes place on the
beach in dedication to all
those who have lost their
lives at sea.

SERATA DI SUONI E
SAPORI NELL’ULIVETO
28 July
Limone, Lake Garda
The picture-postcard
town of Limone is well-
known in Italy for its
lemon gardens and olive
groves. On this evening
of ‘sounds and ﬂ avours’,
a food fair takes place
amongst the olive groves,
combined with the
music of various local
ensembles, making this
a truly authentic Italian
experience. During the
holiday season, the
Tourist Board offers free
guided walks of the area.

PALIO DELLE BARCHE
27 July
Lake Trasimeno, Umbria
An exhilarating event to
witness, this one! The
historical re-enactment
tells the story of rivalry
between two historic
Perugian families. On
the last Sunday of the
month, a race takes
place involving 160
contestants on four
teams, who must race in
water, then on land, and
back in the water again!
It includes a gruelling
run up the steep steps
to the fortress that
overlooks Passignano,
carrying an extremely
heavy boat. Spectators
are guaranteed a great
atmosphere.

FESTA DEL REDENTORE
20-21 July
Venice
The Festa del Redentore
is an annual festival
that was started in
1577 to thank Jesus for
answering the prayers
of the plague-infested
city. A favourite among
Venetians, hundreds
of people load into
gondolas and illuminated
boats decorated with
ﬂ owers and balloons to
enjoy a dinner of local
cuisine and wine. Then
at 11.30pm, the ﬁ reworks
display begins.

CHIC FEATURING
NILE RODGERS
15 July
Piazza Napoleone, Lucca
It’s time to get your freak
on! For one night only, as
part of Lucca’s Summer
Festival, Nile Rodgers,
disco genius and founder
of Chic, is performing
a show to thousands of
spectators who want
to re-live the disco era
of years ago. With the
perfect setting in Lucca’s
bustling town square,
the warm summer night
makes this a concert you
won’t want to miss.

VASTO SIREN FESTIVAL
24-27 July
Vasto, Abruzzo
This music and arts
festival is host to
intimate concert
experiences within
historic venues such as
the Palazzo D’Avalos, a
15th-century palace on
a hill overlooking the
Adriatic Sea. Visitors can
experience local culture,
food and wine as they
enjoy performances of
alternative rock and indie
pop music by performers
from Italy, the United
States and Europe.

ITALIA! July 2014

A tranquil paradise of undulating countryside crowned with perfect medieval hill towns,

Umbria is much adored by discerning visitors and foreign homebuyers. Property prices are on

your side at the moment and it’s a great time to buy, says Fleur Kinson…

Umbria

All ph

otogr

aph

s © iStock Ph

oto unless oth

erwise stated

nug in the very centre of the Italian peninsula,
with Tuscany and Le Marche as bedfellows,
Umbria is an enchantingly serene region of
expansive rural vistas and captivating ancient
hill towns. Spacious and leafy, Umbria promotes

itself as ‘the green heart of Italy’. But more than a heart,
it seems to be the country’s spiritual soul. Many of Italy’s
most revered saints and mystics came from Umbria (St
Francis, St Clare, St Benedict, etc.), and the region is home
to some of the nation’s most gorgeous religious buildings
(Assisi’s radiant basilica, Orvieto’s
show-stopping cathedral, etc).

Confronted with a landscape like

Umbria’s, who wouldn’t feel a sense of
divine inspiration? The dreamy lie of
the land here seems naturally to incline
the mind to higher things. With softly
undulating mountains lining the
distance and smoothly rounded hills
nearby, your eye is continually drawn to
the upward-climbing land and the sky
beyond it. Umbria is a bucolic vision
of heaven, prettily cloaked in olive
groves and vineyards, in open ﬁ elds and
woodlands. And perched atop its hills
are its exquisite medieval hill towns,
appearing like pale-coloured fairytales
in the distance.

LOOKING UP AND OUT
Umbria arguably has a greater
abundance of perfect ancient hill
towns than any other region of Italy.

Unchanged for centuries, and offering a very high quality
of life, these skyward-reaching settlements are treasure
troves of art and architecture where pedestrian-friendly
old alleys and cobbled streets open onto perfect piazzas
lined with beautiful buildings. Meanwhile, the wide vistas
seen from balconies, roof terraces and ramparts provide a
pleasing counterpoint to the snug intimacy of the resident
community. Thinly populated, with fewer than a million
inhabitants, Umbria easily absorbs its many annual visitors
from afar without feeling overcrowded. It somehow pulls

off the impossible trick of being
adored by tourists yet remaining
unspoilt. Deep tranquillity and a sense
of space are its abiding features.

Like every Italian region, Umbria

sees a fair bit of internal geographic
variety. In its central stretches, fertile
valleys unfurl between rounded
elevations, but the region’s northern,
eastern and southern extremes climb
higher, fracturing into crags that
can be bald or thickly covered in
forest. Umbria is one of the very
few landlocked Italian regions,
but it makes up for this with some
splendid lakes – chief of these being
Lake Trasimeno, a warm, shallow
playground ringed by pretty ﬁ elds and
appealing little towns.

But the sea is never too far away,

at only about 90 minutes to the
Mediterranean in the west and the
Adriatic in the east, and road and

Delightful Todi, with its rich heritage,
offers choice properties to buy

Homes in

L I V I N G I T A L I A !

July 2014

ITALIA! 21

Assisi

Orvieto can be found to the west of the region

ITALIA! July 2014

rail connections are surprisingly

good, given the region’s relatively
sparse population.

MARKET PAST AND PRESENT
The earliest foreign buyers started
trickling into Umbria about 30 years
ago, many of them simply seeking

lower property prices than those in
Umbria’s increasingly fashionable
neighbour Tuscany. What many
discovered as a bonus to the lower
prices was that they found Umbria
even more enchanting than its better-
known neighbour. Prices in both
regions rose steadily for a long time

afterwards – soon establishing near-
parity.

The onset of international

economic woes in 2008 saw a sharp
decline in foreign buyers in Umbria
and the market remained slow
throughout the ensuing recession.
But economic difﬁ culties haven’t hit

Italian property markets as hard as
you might expect. This is not a nation
prone to boom-and-bust dynamics
when it comes to property. Italians
tend not to over-build, thus they
protect the value of existing homes,
and unlike the British they tend
not to view properties primarily as

It’s not unreasonable to expect prices in

Umbria to begin a very gentle climb upward

L I V I N G I T A L I A !

LAKE BOLSENA

Type of property Country House
Number of bedrooms 5
Price €900,000 ono
Location Orvieto, Terni
Contact www.homesitalia.co.uk homesitalia@yahoo.co.uk

Set in the hills above Lake Bolsena, in the beautiful Orvietano
countryside. Renovated about 15 years ago, it has a full-sized
swimming pool, mature garden and nine acres of land, with
the possibility of buying another nine acres with stables. The
main house is approx. 550m² and there also two grain silos to
be renovated. The house also incorporates two independent
apartments. On the ground ﬂ oor there is an entrance hall,
three reception rooms, a kitchen, storeroom, bathroom, and an
independent apartment off the entrance hall. On the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor
there are ﬁ ve bedrooms – three with mezzanine ﬂ oors – four
bathrooms, and an independent apartment made up of living
room, kitchenette, bathroom and bedroom with mezzanine ﬂ oor.

CASALE LE ROSE

Type of property Farmhouse
Number of bedrooms 3
Price €550,000
Location Paciano, Perugia
Contact www.ilcastelloditara.com info@ilcastelloditara.com

Casale Le Rose is a charming 19th century farmhouse of
approximately 200m² on two ﬂ oors with garden and pool. The
garden, which is over half an acre, has vines and olives as well as
a little orchard and pool area. Everything is easily manageable.
The house was beautifully restored, underﬂ oor heating put in and
all the original features maintained, including the old terracotta
tiles. There are three bedrooms, two bathrooms, living room and
kitchen on the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor. The ground ﬂ oor was converted into
a little guest ﬂ at, an art studio and a laundry room with cellar.
There is also an out building full of potential and even the option
of purchasing an adjacent plot of land with building permission
for a one bedroom apartment.

Stunning landscapes abound around Spoleto

July 2014

ITALIA! 23

irabel and Bertie Capstick from Warwickshire bought a two-bedroom
house overlooking Lake Trasimeno in 2012. They spend three months
there every summer, and enjoy several two-week visits at other times

of the year. “Before we discovered Italy, we spent many years holidaying in
France,” Mirabel says. “We almost regret doing that now, because as soon as
we made our ﬁrst trip to Italy we realized that this was the place we would
always love most and we never wanted to go anywhere else! The landscapes, the
architecture, the food, and the happy, friendly Italian people enchanted us. At
ﬁrst we made lots of trips to Lake Como and Lake Garda. We’ve both always
preferred the calm of lakes to the wildness of the sea. Then we discovered the
smaller and sleepier central Italian lakes – places like Bracciano, Bolsena and
Trasimeno – and we decided to start looking for a house to buy.

“A friend advised us to put in an offer below our vendor’s asking price and

see what happened. What happened was that we ended up with a lovely house
for a very good price! We knew that Umbria was one of the more popular parts
of Italy for overseas buyers like ourselves, and we hadn’t been certain whether
we would be able to afford to buy in the region. But we were. In fact, we found
quite a few properties that seemed very reasonably-priced indeed.

“Our house is in a village less than a mile from the lake. We have a beautiful

tree-dappled walk down to the water. Lake Trasimeno is quite shallow, which
means the water gets lovely and warm during the summer, and it’s a delight
to loll about in it. The house was habitable when we bought it, and fully
functional, which was great because we didn’t really want to get bogged down
in a restoration project. Some friends of ours have restored a house in Italy, and
while they had a very good experience of doing it, we knew that all the waiting
and mess wasn’t for us!

“The best thing is our terrace. It’s huge, and very private. We can gaze

down to the lake from it, and even watch the sunset over the water from
there at certain times of the year. The lakeside towns and villages are really
charming, and there are some wonderful restaurants. There’s a sort of ‘Trasimeno
community’ among all the people who live round the lake. It’s really lovely how
that body of water unites us all. We have lots of friends across the area – fellow
inglesi like ourselves, but also plenty of local Italians. We’re picking up the
language fast! Which is great, because we’re thinking about maybe retiring out
here eventually.

OUR LIFE IN UMBRIA

cash cows to be milked as much and
as often as possible. Stability, with
gentle rises and sinks, typiﬁes the
Italian market.

Property prices in Umbria have

certainly drifted down since 2008,
but not by a disastrous amount. With
improved economic times apparently
happening around us now, it’s not
unreasonable to expect prices in
Umbria and elsewhere in Italy to
begin a very gentle climb upward
again in the not-too-distant future. So
now is a very good time to look for a
home in Umbria. Your money will go
further than it would have done a few
years ago and also than it might do in
a few years’ time.

NUMBERS AND ADVICE
So what exactly might you expect
to spend? Surprisingly, it’s not
impossible to get yourself a home
in Umbria for less than €100,000.
Small, restored apartments in quite
desirable places can certainly be
had for this amount. For around
€150,000, there are small two-
bedroom houses to consider, and
three-bedroom apartments in some
charming medieval towns. Small
country houses get going at around
€200,000, and larger farmhouses
at around €300,000. Large, fully-
restored farmhouses with pools
generally ask from €700,000 to €1
million or more.

And if you’re lucky enough to

have several millions to spend, you
might pick up a luxury country estate
with dozens of bedrooms.

Continued on
page 26

UMBRIA REGIONAL GUIDE

Umbria is known as the ‘green heart
of Italy’, thanks to the fact that more
than 30 per cent of the region is made
up of woodland. This is a tranquil and
historically rich region, landlocked
on all sides by Tuscany, Lazio and
Le Marche, and situated right in
the middle of Italy – although the
Mediterranean and Adriatic coasts
are both only around 90 minutes’
drive away for those who just can’t
keep away from the seaside. It is
pleasantly uncrowded: Umbria’s
population density stands at half the
national average. Yet although it has
a low permanent population, visitor
numbers here are high – tourists ﬂ ock
to Umbria each year, but magically,

seem to be easily absorbed without
creating the hustle and bustle found
in other regions. The region remains
a peaceful, spiritual place, and plays
host to a wealth of ﬁ ne historic
buildings, among them Assisi’s basilica
and Orvieto’s cathedral. The region’s
peace is further enhanced by the
fact that Umbria is not criss-crossed
by major roads, although the A1
motorway glides past its western edge.
Rail and bus links are good, but a
car is essential if you want to get off
the beaten track. Umbria is also well
served by airports – in both nearby
regions as well as ﬂ ights to Umbria’s
capital, Perugia. Politically, Umbria
is divided into two main provinces:
Perugia in the north and Terni in
the south, and geographically by the

valley of the River Tiber and the Valle
Umbria. Geologically, Europe’s main
faultline runs through Umbria, as
evidenced in the earthquake of 1997,
which destroyed frescoes in Assisi and
affected other towns in the region.

Umbria’s capital, Perugia, has a

signiﬁ cant historical heritage as well
as being a vibrant university city with
two academic establishments. It’s an
attractive medieval hill town, with a
3,000-year history that has witnessed
occupations by the Etruscans and
the Romans, among others. Perugia
also boasts some of Europe’s best-
maintained medieval streets, with a
host of superb palaces and piazze too.
A stylish and vibrant city, Perugia

INTRODUCTION

PERUGIA

ITALIA! July 2014

L I V I N G I T A L I A !

The charms of Assisi attract religious tourists

and those after good rental returns

– understandably – among the region’s
pricier towns for properties.

The area to the south and

southeast of the region around the
town of Terni is the least populated
part of quiet Umbria. Terni itself is
the area’s major city, but is largely
industrial, as the majority of its
medieval architecture was destroyed
during World War II. It has two
interesting claims to fame: as the
geographical centre of Italy there
was a plan in 1867 to make Terni the
country’s capital, which, as history
shows, was unsuccessful. Also, the
city’s ﬁrst bishop was the martyred
St Valentine who became the
patron saint of lovers worldwide.
The surrounding area is largely
mountainous offering up unspoilt
valleys, rivers and meadows, and this
area is a prime location for trufﬂe
hunters, a much-loved ingredient of
the local cuisine. A must-visit nearby
town in the area is Narni, another hill
town with a very ancient and
rich history.

is the venue for a variety of lively
festivals, especially during the summer
– you won’t want to miss the famous
chocolate festival! It is the ‘gateway’
to Umbria for most UK visitors arriving
by air since the advent of budget
Ryanair ﬂights to its airport a few
years ago. While properties here can
be on the pricey side, holiday rental
returns can be great, and bountiful
with students and businessmen eager
for lodgings on a regular basis.

Just half an hour’s drive from

Perugia and visible for miles around
is the pink and cream hilltop town
of Assisi, an iconic vision known
throughout the world. It’s another
medieval jewel and a designated World
Heritage Site, where you will ﬁnd the
Basilica of Saint Francis and other
Franciscan sites. It’s a beautiful, must-
visit destination with year-round rental
potential and it offers a fantastic range
of property, although its prices reﬂect
its desirability. It attracts streams
of pilgrims in search of religious
‘experiences’, but there’s so much more
to see in this cultural haven.

Head west and you’ll ﬁnd the

Umbrian ‘Riviera’, Lake Trasimeno, with
its mild microclimate, delightful islands
and imperious castles. It’s the fourth
largest lake in Italy and a magnet for
watersports enthusiasts, ﬁshermen
and cyclists. The views are serene and
this is a popular spot for a second
home and a great location for getting
welcome holiday rental returns.

The tiny medieval town of Orvieto

is south of Perugia, high on the
remains of an ancient volcano. The
Etruscans were the original settlers,
but it is the medieval architecture
that deﬁnes the town. Todi is halfway
between Perugia and Terni – another
small but beautiful ancient town,
famous for its historic heritage,
architecture, good food and wine.
The surrounding area is dotted with
interesting places to visit and lovely
countryside. Both Todi and Orvieto are

ASSISI

LAKE TRASIMENO

TERNI & THE SOUTH

ORVIETO & TODI

July 2014

ITALIA! 25

Perugia, Umbria’s capital city and a place
where great holiday rentals can be enjoyed

LA COLONNA

Type of property Apartment
Number of bedrooms 1
Price €230,000, negotiable
Location Todi, Perugia
Contact Welcome Service
www.welcomeservice.it
info@welcomeservice.it
Mrs Paola

+39 339 653 1677

Beautiful, antique, fully restored apartment with panoramic
terrace in the historical centre of Todi. The apartment shows
the original wooden beams and terracotta tiles and measures
approximately 100m² on two levels. It features a large living room
with ﬁ replace and kitchenette, one and a half bathrooms, one
large bedroom, and one study/bedroom with direct access into the
roof terrace. Furniture included.

NARNI

Type of property Country House
Number of bedrooms 5
Price €800,000
Location Narni, Terni
Contact www.homesitalia.co.uk homesitalia@yahoo.co.uk

This 16th century country house (approx. 300m²) is surrounded
by about three and a half acres of garden with olive trees and a
small vineyard. The view from the house is magniﬁ cent. The house
is on three levels, but since it was built on a hill, the lower level
still opens out onto the garden, allowing for a large amount of
light. On the lower ﬂ oor the house has a spacious living room
with large French windows leading out onto the garden; on each
side of this room is a double bedroom with en-suite bathroom.
On the ground ﬂ oor there is the main entrance hall, a large
reception/dining room with ﬁ replace leading onto a large patio, a
kitchen and a bathroom. The ﬁ rst ﬂ oor is made up of two double
bedrooms, a single bedroom and a bathroom with shower.

ITALIA! July 2014

Marc Wisbey of Itili.com advises

that “Prices are as much as 25 per
cent lower in Umbria now than they
were in 2008. Most in demand are
family homes of €400,000 and under.
Buyers should not be shy of asking
for discounts on properties they think
they can’t afford; Italians aren’t. One
property in our area that came onto
the market for €1.4 million a few
years ago ﬁ nally sold for €450,000
recently – to an Italian! Builders and
geometras are keen for work, so a
restoration project could be a good
idea. Better still, there are lots of
semi-completed restoration projects,
that need relatively little to complete
to the buyer’s speciﬁ cations.”

Adriana Benedetti of Umbrian

Property points out that not every

part of Umbria has been affected
equally by the slump in foreign
buyers. “Prices have dropped quite
signiﬁ cantly in the northern areas of
Umbria,” she says, “where there has
been a well-established presence of
ex-pats for a long time now. In the
south, prices have kept more stable,
only dropping when owners need to
repay a mortgage, for instance.” So
like everywhere else, it pays to look
around to ﬁ nd the best savings.

TOWN AND COUNTRY
On the subject of location, let’s take a
look at what tend to be the pricier and

cheaper parts of Umbria. For the very
lowest prices, you should generally
look to the region’s eastern and
southern edges, where higher, wilder
elevations see the least expensive
properties. Consider a handsome town
such as Gubbio or Narni and their
surrounding areas, or go for Umbria’s
high, wild southeast corner with its
proximity to lovely little Norcia and
the nearby Sibillini Mountains. Note
that there’s excellent value-for-money
to be had in some of Umbria’s more
popular localities. Lake Trasimeno
near the Tuscan border, for example,
often has some surprisingly modest-
priced homes in its vicinity.

Perhaps Umbria’s two most

attractive areas are the Vale of
Spoleto in the central south and the

Upper Tiber Valley in the far north.
Both contain extremely beautiful
landscapes of green and gold hills
ceding to fertile valleys, and both
have particularly enticing little towns
scattered around. The Vale of Spoleto
area gives access to many of Umbria’s
most exquisite ancient hill towns –
places like Assisi, Montefalco and
Spoleto, as well as lower-elevation
gems such as little Bevagna. The
Upper Tiber Valley, meanwhile, is
well-situated for Perugia, Città di
Castello, and delights such as Arezzo
and Sansepolcro across the border
with Tuscany.

There’s excellent value-for-money to be had

in some of Umbria’s more popular localities

L I V I N G I T A L I A !

Assisi is a magnet for religious tourists and
one of the most popular towns in the region

Floral delights in Spello, a hill town
where bargains can be found

Perhaps, like many buyers, you

want a property actually inside one
of Umbria’s perfect medieval hill
towns rather than in the surrounding
countryside. Homes in these gem-
like places are not as expensive as you
might expect. Well-known hill towns
such as Orvieto, Assisi, Todi, Spoleto
and Perugia offer a superb quality of
life, with a warm local community
and a lively calendar of public events.
But there is also a ‘second league’ of

fabulous hill towns which haven’t
yet become quite as well-known
and where prices are slightly lower
– places such as Montefalco, Spello,
Trevi, Montone and so on. The only
way to choose among them is to visit
Umbria and explore as many of its
wonderful hill towns as you can.

HOLIDAY RENTALS
Most of Umbria’s ancient hill towns
offer excellent rental prospects. Assisi
is one of the world’s great religious
pilgrimage sites, with Christians
coming here at all times of the year
and needing somewhere to stay.
Umbria’s capital Perugia also offers
especially rich rental pickings, both in
the short and medium term. Tourists,
students and visiting businesspeople
are all potential rental clients here.

Buyers in the countryside should

note that Umbria is one of Italy’s
best regions for rural holiday rentals.

During the summer months, you
could expect to get at least €1,000
per week for rental of a country
house with a pool – and considerably
more if it’s a very large property.
The rural rentals season runs from
May to October, with spring and
autumn weeks more difﬁ cult to
ﬁ ll. Umbria’s prized hill towns,
meanwhile, have the advantage of a
longer rentals calendar, with more
visitors throughout the non-summer

months. A two-bedroom apartment
in an Umbrian hill town might get
you €300-€500 per week – more if
it’s large or luxurious.

Umbria shows no sign of losing

popularity. Throughout the recession,
numbers of foreign buyers might have
been down, but visitor numbers never
were. The charms of Umbria – peace,
space, beauty, history, quality of life –
are unlikely to become less desirable.
And Umbria wisely safeguards those
charms, restricting building and so
on. This is an utterly enchanting
and unspoilt corner of the world that
looks set to remain so.

CASA AMATA

Type of property Village House
Number of bedrooms 4
Price €180,000
Location Sant’Arcangelo, Magione, Perugia
Contact www.ilcastelloditara.com info@ilcastelloditara.com

This property was selected and ﬁ lmed to appear in the new
BBC series Escape to the Continent – perhaps you saw it on the
Umbria edition in April as the surprise property. It is certainly a
surprising property, as it has lots of potential with its total area
of 230m², part of which is to be restored. It is situated in a little
characteristic hamlet right near the lake and two steps away
from the town of Sant’Arcangelo, where all services are available.
Divided into three ﬂ oors it is made up as follows: cellars and store
rooms on the ground ﬂ oor; living room, kitchen, bathroom and
two bedrooms on the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor; two bedrooms and bathroom on
the second ﬂ oor. Private garden and well.

CASALE DEL CARDINALE

Type of property Luxury Countryside House (rental)
Number of bedrooms 6
Price from €3,100 per week / from €3,500 per month
Location Acquasparta, Terni
Contact Welcome Service
www.welcomeservice.it
info@welcomeservice.it
Mrs Paola

+39 339 653 1677

A 13th century renovated castle surrounded by 11 hectares and
a one hectare fenced garden, provided with pergolas and porch,
inﬁ nity pool, spa, gym, soccer ﬁ eld, BBQ, wiﬁ , cellar and parking.

For the very lowest prices, you should look to

the region’s eastern and southern edges

www.homesitalia.co.uk
www.ilcastelloditara.com
www.itili.com
www.umbrianproperty.com
www.welcomeservice.it

USEFUL CONTACTS

July 2014

ITALIA! 27

Umbria, my birthplace! I am a licensed real

estate agent that acts as a mediator and does not

surcharge the owners’ rental prices. No fee for you

on holiday rentals

It is not only a job, but rather a deep passion!

6)28%07

Villas, Houses, Farmhouses.

Daily, weekly, monthly rentals

'90896%0

%'8-:-8-)7

cooking,

Italian language, car rentals, excursions

7%0)7

Farmhouses, Villas,

Apartments, Plots of land

4634)68=

1%2%+)1)28

%*8)6

7%0)

7)6:-')7

;;;;)0'31)7)6:-')-8

-2*3$;)0'31)7)6:-')-8

Mrs Paola

Are you planning your
Italian holiday?

Take a look at our new
website and choose
from our many beautiful
holiday homes.

Get 5% discount by
mentioning Italia! when
you book.

homesitalia@yahoo.co.uk

ZZZ RPHV W

D\VFRP

Italy has a green heart: Umbria being its centre with an abundance

of historical medieval hamlets, hills dotted with olive groves and

grape vines divided by stunning lines of ancient Cyprus trees

with ﬁ elds of bright yellow sunﬂ owers. The birth place of the

Renaissance art movement, home to Saint Francis the patron

saint of Italy, stunning walled cities not to mention the

delicious home-made food which is ‘Tipico’ of the region

and of course excellent wine…

Truly the ideal location for your new home.

Fall under the Umbrian spell and buy the house of your dreams!

We will assist you right from your initial property search

through to completion (and after too!).

Visit our website or come and say hello; we are based in the

beautiful hilltop village of Panicale.

www.ilcastelloditara.com

0039 0758378011

Il Castello di Tara

“For a man’s home is his castle”

Painting In Puglia

Capture the beauty of Italy with Tuscan Secrets’ painting holidays.

The love of art ﬂ ows through every Italian’s blood, and you too can be

inspired by the great Giotto, Michaelangelo, Rafael, Caravaggio, and Da

Vinci. Stay in a quaint, family-owned hotel to fully absorb Italian culture,

food and wine to really get your creative juices ﬂ owing.

Visit the Cinque Terre, Puglia and Umbria -

7 nights from £1499.00 per person plus ﬂ ights.

Forte Village – Ideal for Families

Sitting on long stretch of golden sands surrounded by lush gardens,

Forte Village provides intimacy for those looking for privacy.

Families are well catered for with Forte Village’s nine sporting

academies, a Barbie™ Activity Centre as well as 21 different

restaurants, some run by Michelin starred chefs.

www.tuscansecrets.com

01344 627586 sales@tuscansecrets.com

July 2014

ITALIA! 29

S P E A K I T A L I A !

Ethical purchasing groups – Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale (GAS) – are an
Italian-based system of purchasing goods collectively. Tamsin Smith
examines their effects on the ways in which Italians buy food…

GAZZETTA ITALIA!

Sustainable shopping

The GAS phenomenon spreading throughout Italy essentially
combines two of the nation’s favourite pastimes: food and
socialising, with the additional bonuses of saving money,
rescuing the planet and improving health and wellbeing.
What’s not to love and why aren’t we all doing it?

GAS – Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale – began in Reggio

Emilia in 1994 and has rapidly spread across the country, with
an estimated total of 100,000 members in 900 groups from
Valle d’Aosta to Sicily. It began as a reaction to the unethical,
unhealthy trends in global economy and consumerism, and
by bringing together consumers and producers it advocates
solidarity in food production and acquisition.

The idea is that like-minded family, friends and

neighbours club together to seek out local farmers and growers
who produce healthy, organic, ethical food. Together the group
can buy in bulk and place regular orders, thereby negotiating
better prices, enjoying better food and making new friends
along the way. Meanwhile the producer is encouraged to
continue his ethical ways, growing organic vegetables and
keeping his hens ethically, knowing he has regular clients who
appreciate him and will be back for more next week.

GAS-approved food must be sourced from small,

local, organic producers who respect the environment,
their workforce and livestock. Trust and solidarity between
neighbours, farmers and the environment are the core ethics
on which the system is based: an admirable concept when one
considers the extent to which this phenomenon has taken off
and how many people adhere to and beneﬁ t from it on a daily
basis. As the organisation explains, “food stops being a product
and becomes a tool for building relationships”.

Even before you reach the table the whole process of

shopping becomes a sociable activity to be enjoyed with
friends, with increased joy and satisfaction gained also from
being able to watch your produce being planted, baked or
reared. Far from the dreaded supermarket aisles and cash tills
you have the pleasure of collecting your weekly orders of bread,
veg, meat and dairy from a nearby farm, inevitably having a
chat and sharing a glass of wine with the farmer before heading
home with fresh, hearty, affordable fayre, to be enjoyed – no
doubt – with friends.

Pesa meno la
spesa GAS

Il fenomeno dei GAS che sta crescendo in l’Italia unisce
due delle passioni più intense della nazione: il cibo e la
compagnia, con i bonus extra di risparmiare soldi, salvare
il pianeta e migliorare la salute e il benessere. Come non
provare ammirazione e perché non lo stiamo facendo tutti?

GAS – i Gruppi di Acquisto Solidale – sono nati a

Reggio Emilia nel 1994 e ormai si sono sparpagliati per
tutto il paese, con un totale di circa 100,000 membri
e 900 gruppi dalla Valle d’Aosta ﬁ no a Sicilia. Tutto è
iniziato come reazione alla situazione non etica e insana
dell’economia globale e del consumismo, poi la felice
unione di consumatori e produttori è proseguita portando
solidarietà nella produzione e nell’acquisto del cibo.

L’idea è che familiari, amici e vicini di casa si mettono

insieme per creare un gruppo e cercare contadini locali che
producano cibo genuino e bio in un modo etico. Insieme il
gruppo può comprare in grosse quantità, permettendosi di
acquistare a prezzi più economici e di mangiare meglio, via
via facendo nuove amicizie. Nel frattempo il contadino è
stimolato a continuare a coltivare verdure e allevare animali
in un modo bio e etico, sapendo di poter contare su clienti
regolari che lo apprezzano e che torneranno per rifornirsi la
settimana successiva.

GAS necessita che il cibo provenga da piccoli

produttori locali e bio che rispettano l’ambiente, gli animali
e i lavoratori. La fede e la solidarietà fra gruppo, contadini
e ambiente sono i valori etici principali sui quali il sistema
si basa: un concetto ammirevole se si pensa al livello
di popolarità raggiunta dal sistema e la partecipazione
enorme di persone che ne usufruiscono quotidianamente.
Come spiega l’organizzazione, “La merce cessa di essere
solo prodotto e diventa anche strumento di relazione tra
soggetti”.

Anche prima di sedersi a tavola tutto il processo di

fare la spesa diventa un momento sociale, da godere con
gli amici, e pure il cibo dona più soddisfazione e felicità
quando si e’ stati presenti alla sua nascita, crescita e
preparazione. Invece di dover subire i corridoi e casse di
un supermercato ostile si va in campagna per recuperare il
pane, verdura, carne e formaggio da una fattoria locale; si
ﬁ nisce sempre per chiacchierare con il contadino davanti ad
un bicchiere di vino poi si torna a casa con un bel cestino di
roba fresca, economica e buona, da godere – senza dubbio –
in compagnia.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TAMSIN SMITH read Italian at Oxford and lived in
Tuscany from 2002 to 2005. For 11 years she has
worked organising music tours in Italy and visits
frequently, both for work and pleasure. She also
works as a translator and copy editor.

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

Clockwise from
top left: Most
people arrive
during Carnival
season or in the
summer; your
preconceptions
about what
Venice is will be
realised; but the
Grand Canal is
not always so
busy; sunset over
Venice; gondolas
sans tourists;
back street;
lantern

e all seem to have some idea of Venice in our mind even
before visiting. Once you arrive, you are able to ﬁ nd what
you thought would be there – the streets are indeed full
of water and the gondolas ﬂ oat elegantly along the canals.
She is little changed from the times when Goethe called

her “the market-place of the Morning and the Evening lands” and, should
Marco Polo come back from his journeys today, he would be surprised only by
the motor boats and a few other signs of modernity.

Still, it can sometimes seem as if the place exists only for tourists, offering

very little of that “authenticity” that can be sampled in other Italian cities.
When one is pushed bemused into gondolas and launched directly into the
Grand Canal together with thousands of other visitors, one almost feels like
the unaware ﬁ gurant of an enormous theatre performance. Still, the real city is
there, beneath the surface, and it’s well worth seeking out.

A QUESTION OF PERSPECTIVES
First of all, make sure you choose wisely when to go. Most people show up
either during Carnival or in the summer, but Venice is one of those places that
is best to be discovered in winter. It has fewer tourists and that melancholic
atmosphere that has enchanted poets and artists. It is a seasonal city, and in the
coldest months she lays bare, without her make-up on.

Follow regular contributor Marina Spironetti as she heads off
to the Lagoon and discovers the authentic pleasures of Italy’s

most fairy-tale city…

Venice

48 HOURS IN…

otogr

aph

y © M

arin

a Spir

etti

July 2014

ITALIA! 31

CAFFÈ FLORIAN
The legendary
Caffè Florian, in
Piazza San Marco,
is Venice’s most
famous, and
oldest, café. First
opening its doors
in 1720 and
once the haunt
of Lord Byron,
it never fails to
attract a crowd.
Do go inside to
see the opulent
interior.

DON’T MISS

WHAT TO SEE AND DO

The most evocative way to get

into the city is by train: when the
uninspiring ﬂatland of the Pianura
Padana suddenly gives way to water,
you know you are in for something
absolutely unique. Water on both
sides; water everywhere. You are
crossing the bridge that links Venice
to the mainland – 3,000 yards long
and supported upon 222 arches. Once
you arrive at Santa Lucia station, you
must proceed by water or by foot.

If you are a ﬁrst-time visitor,

you’ll probably head to San Marco
ﬁrst. Napoleon called it “Europe’s
ﬁnest drawing room”, and rightly so.
The Basilica di San Marco and the
Palazzo Ducale are at the eastern end

of the square, while the campanile,
the city’s tallest building, stands in
the centre of the piazza.

Make sure you go all the way

to the top of the bell tower – it’s
probably the nicest way to understand
the modern topography of the city.

Up there, far away from the hordes
of photographers and all the souvenir
sellers, you will be able to see just
how compact the shape of Venice is.
To the north of you is the majestic
backdrop of the Alps, right beyond
the Treviso plain; down to the south
is the Adriatic Sea; all around you is
the Venetian lagoon, sprinkled with
little islands.

By an interesting paradox of

perspectives, you won’t be able to spot
a single canal from the campanile –
only a horizon of red-tiled rooftops,
chimneys, towers, TV aerials, roof
gardens… It is not a large city. You
can see it all easily, from one end
to the other. From up there, all the

overwhelming grandeur is gone.
What is left is rather a sense of
medieval intimacy.

AWAKEN THE SENSES
As touristy as it might be, a trip to
the Canal Grande, Venice’s central

BEST COFFEE IN TOWN

Torrefazione Marchi,
Rio Tera’ San Leonardo 1337
+39 041 716371
www.torrefazionemarchi.it
One of two coffee roasters left in town
(and the only one that still sells directly
to the public). Real coffee lovers should
try the caffè della sposa, made with eight
Arabica blends, or the Veneziano (made
with coffee, cocoa and milk foam). Also at
Cafè della Sposa, Fondamenta Ormesini.

PRECIOUS VENETIAN FABRICS

Antica Tessitura Bevilacqua
Santa Croce 1320
+39 041 721566
www.luigi-bevilacqua.com
In the times when the city called herself
the Most Serene Republic and ruled over “a
quarter and a half” of the ancient Roman
Empire, this was also the place where the
Orient began – a land of silk, brocades,
exotic spices and scents. To catch a glimpse
of those long-gone times, marvel at the
workshop of the Antica Tessitura Luigi
Bevilacqua, where gorgeous brocades,
velvets and damasks are still handmade on
original 17th century looms. The tools and
the techniques have been handed down
from one generation to the other for 300
years and the quality is still the same as
was required by the Doges. So close is the
similarity to the past that it is very difﬁcult
to tell a modern product from one made
centuries ago.

SHOP FOR UNIQUE SOUVENIRS

Franco Furlanetto Remi e Forcole
San Polo 2768/B
+39 041 520 9544
www.ffurlanetto.com
Oars and oar-rests for the traditional
Venetian boats, as well as scale models to
bring back home. Take a walk to San Polo
to see how Signor Franco Furlanetto creates
these very special objects. He is one of few
remer left – skilled craftsmen specialised
in oars and oar-rests – a profession unique
to Venice.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

Tragicomica
San Polo 2800
+39 041 721102
www.tragicomica.it
Venice is the city of Carnival. Regardless
of what time of the year you come to visit,
you can still bring a piece of this magic
event back home. Tragicomica is one of the
city’s bigger mask and costume merchants.
Faces stare at you from all directions as
you enter the shop and the feeling is
almost overwhelming. All the masks are
painted by an artist trained at the local
Accademia di Belle Arti.

By an interesting paradox of perspectives, you

won’t spot a single canal from the campanile

The view across the lagoon

ITALIA! June 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

GILBERTO PENZO
This is your
chance to
pick up that
miniature
gondola you’ve
always wanted.
Gilberto Penzo
is a maker and
restorer of
wooden model
boats. You’ll
ﬁnd him hard
at work at Calle
Seconda dei
Saoneri. www.
veniceboats.com

DON’T MISS

artery, is something you cannot
omit. Most of the gorgeous palazzi
facing the canal were built between
the 12th and the 18th centuries.
You can either do it on a gondola (as
long as you realize it’s going to be
budget-breaking), or on a vaporetto,

a rounded 230-passenger boat, which
in a place like Venice is the equivalent
of a public bus.

From the moment you board,

you realize how the senses seem to
be much more alert in this city – the
sense of touch, in particular. Few
other cities in the world can offer
you the same tactile experience.
You instinctively hold onto those
mushroom-shaped metal things
on the boat’s side to balance when
the boat abruptly draws alongside
the quay. You lean on its bridges,
you stroke them. The marble of the
bridge of Rialto has been polished
by centuries of hands. You have to
bend in order to walk through a

sottoportico (an alley that passes under a
building), you stretch your arms and
you can touch both sides of a calle (a
Venetian street). Robert Browning
was delighted to ﬁnd one so narrow
that he could not open his umbrella.
The tiniest is supposed to be the Calle

Stretta, behind Campo San Polo,
which, as its name (Narrow Street)
implies, is only 65cm wide.

And then, again: you grab the

gondolier’s arm, you clutch the bricole,
the wooden poles the gondolas are
moored to. Your ﬁngers stroke the
beautifully sculpted forcole, the oar-
rests, similar to works of art. They
have to be sharpened according to the
gondolier’s height and weight – and
also by taking into account the way
he rows. Being in Venice is a constant
tactile experience.

SCENT OF A CITY
“Like the tide – six hours up and six
hours down” is how a Venetian

Few other cities in the world can offer you

the same tactile experience as Venice

A ﬁsh market

Discover some secrets

WHERE TO STAY

CIPRIANI

Giudecca 10
Fondamenta San Giovanni
+39 041 520 7744
info.cip@belmond.com
www.hotelcipriani.com
On the tip of the Giudecca island, the
Cipriani is the address to go to do Venice
in style: a harbour for your yacht, a private
boat, a swimming pool and a personal
trainer at your disposal are just a few of
the facilities available. Needless to say,
this is where you have a higher-than-
average chance of rubbing shoulders with a
ﬁlm star, especially during the ﬁlm festival.

PALAZZO ABADESSA

Calle Priuli
Cannareggio 4011
+39 041 241 3784
info@abadessa.com
www.abadessa.com
Another luxurious address in a historical
palazzo in one of the most charming
districts of Venice. 12 impressive rooms,
some of which are extremely spacious.
Perfect for a romantic getaway.

BOSCOLO BELLINI

Lista di Spagna 116
+39 041 524 2488
customer.service@hotelinvenice.com
www.boscolobellini.hotelinvenice.com
Just a stone’s throw from the Santa Lucia
train station, this elegant hotel is ideally
located for your Venetian stay – and it
won’t break the bank. Recently renovated,
it offers classical Venetian-style rooms
with a very welcome modern twist. The
extremely friendly and helpful staff is the
icing on the cake.

HOTEL MORESCO

Sestriere Dorsoduro
+39 041 244 0202
info@hotelmorescovenice.com
www.hotelmorescovenice.com
Just a short walk from the train station,
it offers a quiet but central location.
Rooms are well equipped and beautifully
decorated. Excellent breakfast.

LA VILLEGGIATURA

Calle dei Botteri
San Polo 1569
+39 041 524 4673
info@lavilleggiatura.it
www.lavilleggiatura.it
A private house turned into an elegant
maison de charme. Six rooms individually
furnished with precious textiles and
vintage furniture. The rooms on the third
ﬂoor are pleasantly spacious – a bonus in
a city where extra space is a luxury. The
two attic-rooms are cosier and perfect for a
romantic getaway.

Always take time to look up

June 2014

ITALIA! 33

SKYLINE BAR
If you are
looking to
splurge on an
aperitivo in the
city that made
elegance an art
form, head over
to the Skyline
Bar in the
Hilton Molino
Stucky Venice,
at Giudecca
810. The feel
is casual, the
décor stylish,
and the view
from the ninth
ﬂoor terrace,
overlooking the
Grand Canal all
the way to Piazza
San Marco, is far
from ordinary.

DON’T MISS

saying describes the allegedly

volatile personality of its people. The
ﬂuctuations of the tide dramatically
change the aspect of the city – from
the acqua alta (high water) when a
couple of inches of water laps into
the lowest parts of the city for a
few hours, to the pitiless low tide,
revealing all the green, slimy secrets
of the canals. For the 1997 Venice
Biennale American artist Mark Dion
looked into the canals of the city and
catalogued his ﬁnds, ﬁnding anything
from light bulbs and used appliances
to historically signiﬁcant fragments of
stoneware with Islamic designs.

Low tide is occasionally associated

with that infamous smell. It might
worry the queasy tourist, but it
gives the Venetian amateur a sort of
reluctant pleasure. Locals have never
been particularly bothered. Back in
the days of the Republic, they used to
burn incense sticks to take away the
whiff, but up until the early 1900s
even the well-to-do families were
reported to regularly bathe in the
Canal Grande.

VENETIAN-STYLE TAPAS
After getting lost in the ﬁligree of the

city’s small canals, look out for one
of those yellow signs pointing you to
Rialto and head to the food market
there – ideally from Campo San
Giacometo to Campiello de le Becarie.
The mercato has been a permanent
feature since the 11th century. Head
there early in the morning, observe
the hustle and bustle of vendors and
locals, stare at the ﬁshermen running
around in their Wellington boots.
Start with the vegetables, fruit and
herbs stalls, and end with the buzzing
ﬁsh section.

When it comes to food, Venice

stands out from the rest of the
country with a cuisine that is
essentially unique. Together with
polenta and rice, ﬁsh is one of the
basic ingredients of the Venetian
diet - particularly baccalà (stockﬁsh)
and sarde (sardines). Other local
delicacies include oca in onto (goose in
its own fat), raw seafood and polpette
(meatballs).

The different ﬂavours of the

city can be sampled in a bacaro,
Venice’s answer to a tapas bar. Very
few are left – most of those that
remain are in the Rialto area. They
offer an array of cicchetti, small bites,

WHERE TO EAT

AL VECIO FRITOLIN

Calle della Regina, Santa Croce 2262
+39 041 522 2881
www.veciofritolin.it
It used to be an ancient fritolini, a sort of
Venetian-style ﬁsh and chips place where
people could buy a portion of fried ﬁsh.
Even nowadays the spotlight is on ﬁsh
– which comes fresh every day from the
Rialto market.
Price range

€

CASA BONITA

Cannareggio 492
+39 041 524 6164
This family-run, no-frills place is ﬁlled with
Venetians on any given day of the week.
The perfect address to sample some of the
best specialities of the Lagoon. Another
excellent place for ﬁsh lovers.
Price range

€

OSTERIA BANCOGIRO

Campo San Giacometto, San Polo 122
+39 041 523 2061
www.osteriabancogiro.it
Perfect to drink an ombra at very fair
prices. You can stay longer for dinner;
the menu changes regularly, according to
the season and the freshest ingredients
available – try bigoli – local fat spaghetti –
with calamari, cardoons and dry tuna eggs
or the very traditional fegato alla veneziana
– Venetian-style liver with onions.
Price range

€

TAVERNA DEL CAMPIELLO REMER

Campiello del Remer, Cannareggio 5701
+39 041 522 8789
www.alremer.com
This one is little complicated to ﬁnd –
you have to locate the Church of San
Grisostomo ﬁrst, then take the little alley
almost opposite it, which will lead you to
the hidden square right where the Canal
Grande bends. The atmosphere is pleasantly
old-style with vintage chandeliers, musical
instruments hung on the brick walls and
old copper pots hanging down from the
wooden beams. Between 5.30 and 7.30pm
if you buy a glass of wine you can help
yourself to the free buffet as well (anything
from bruschetta to big bowls of pasta and
risotto). After happy hour, an excellent a la
carte restaurant with live music.
Price range

€

PIZZERIA AI BARI

Santa Croce 1175
+39 041 718900
A place that will not leave you
disappointed. Perfect to have a tasty,
inexpensive pizza or to sample some of the
Venetian specialities. Very friendly service.
Price range

€

Always agree a price before embarking

The gateway to the Orient

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

THE CAMPANILE
No trip to Venice
is complete
without an
elevator ride
to the top of
the San Marco
bell tower –
the mighty
campanile. At
just under 100
metres high,
on a clear day
its majestic
position offers
breathtaking
views of the city
and lagoon.

DON’T MISS

BY PLANE

Marco Polo airport is 13km from the
city. EasyJet ﬂ ies there from Gatwick,
Luton, Southend and Manchester. From
there you can either take a motoscafo
(expensive: calculate some €100) or
a shuttle bus to Piazzale Roma, which
takes about 30 minutes. Alternatively,
ﬂ y to Treviso with Ryanair (www.ryanair.
com), which is 30km away. There is a
regular bus service linking the airport
to Venice. Buses from Marco Polo and
from Treviso are operated by ATVO –
downloadable timetables at www.atvo.it

GETTING THERE

July 2014

ITALIA! 35

Laundry hanging
between houses

KEY TO RESTAURANT PRICES

(full meal per person, not including wine)

€

Up to €25

€

€26-€50

€

More than €50

usually displayed on the counter in
a tempting way. They can consist
of just about anything: boiled eggs,
anchovy rolls, crab claws, grilled
vegetables, sundried tomatoes, squares
of fried polenta and the unmissable
sarde in saor (sweet and sour sardines
in marinated onions, garnished with
pine nuts and raisins). Wine usually
comes by the glass – Venetians call
it un’ombra – a shadow. Drinking
places come in all shapes and sizes,
from holes in the wall with standing
room only to the new and trendier
lounge bars. The wine-growing area
that stretches from Veneto to Friuli
is – after Piedmont and Tuscany –
one of Italy’s strongest, with good
whites like Tocai and Soave backed
up by solid reds such as Valpolicella.
Even in the humbler establishments,
the house wine is often surprisingly
reﬁ ned – and the Venetians have
the reputation of being among the
heaviest drinkers of the country!

Once your stomach is full, treat

yourself to a night-time walk, for
that’s the best time of the day to
discover Venice. The day-trippers
have all left and you will have the city
to yourself.

BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT

Public transport in the city means by
water, by the canal-cutting vaporetto.
The only canals served by this waterbus
are the Canal Grande, the Rio Nuovo and
the Canale di Cannaregio – for everything
else you will have to walk. Gondolas
were once used by everybody – now they
operate for tourists (and weddings).
Before getting on board make sure you
agree with the gondolier on where you
want to go and how long you expect it to
take, in order to avoid arguments at the
end of your ride. Ofﬁ cial rates start at
€80 for a daytime 40-minute tour.

GETTING AROUND

Forte Village, winner of the prestigious title of World’s

Leading Resort on sixteen consecutive occasions, is a luxury

resort immersed into nature, where ﬁ ne dining, sport and

wellness meet, creating an unforgettable experience

WIN!

C O M P E T I T I O N

A family holiday

to Sardinia

ITALIA! July 2014

Prize

worth

at least

£2,000!

HOW TO ENTER

For your chance to win the prize, simply answer the
following question:

Q What is the capital of Sardinia?
A) Sassari B) Olbia C) Cagliari

To enter, answer this question and email your response to
italia@anthem-publishing.com with the word ‘FORTE’ in the
subject line, followed by your answer: A, B or C.

The closing date is 1 July 2014. Please note that the prize is
non-refundable and there is no cash alternative.

TERMS & CONDITIONS

There is no cash alternative and the cost of a single

supplement, if applicable, will be added. The prize is non-transferable and non-
refundable. Insurance, spending money and extra meals other than the ones stated
are not included in prize. Email addresses will be passed on to Sunninghill Travel and
Tuscan Secrets for future correspondence; if you prefer not to receive these emails
please enter ‘OPT OUT’ into the subject line. The winner will be chosen at random after
the closing date of 30 June 2014. Entries received after that date will not be included
in the draw. The judges’ decision is ﬁ nal and no correspondence will be entered into.
Only one entry per person will be accepted. Entrants must be over 18 years old.
Employees of Italia! Magazine, Anthem Publishing and any agencies connected with
this competition are not eligible to enter. Neither Italia! nor any agencies connected
with this competition accept liability for entries that have been lost or stolen.
For full Italia! competition rules, see page 6.

ardinia is known for its
beaches, and the long-
established Forte Village
sits on a long stretch of
golden sands surrounded by

lush gardens, providing intimacy for
those looking for privacy.

Families are especially well

catered for at Forte Village, where
there are nine sporting academies:
Chelsea Football Club, Wentworth
golf, CSKA basketball, rugby,
cricket, boxing, tennis, cycling and
swimming, all run by famous sport
legends like Will Greenwood and
Austin Healey.

The Barbie™ VIP Package, an

optional extra, includes a Barbie-
themed room and fun activities
hosted at the resort’s Barbie™
Activity Centre, where the girls
have the opportunity to enjoy the
unforgettable Barbie™ experiences at
Forte Village.

Forte Village is also a source

of complete wellness, with other
optional extras including its Thalasso
del Forte, housing six pools of
varying salt density – the perfect
place to relax, and restore balance to
body and mind.

Food is a passion here too in

Sardinia, and Forte Village offers 21
restaurants, some run by Michelin
starred chefs such as Gordon Ramsay,
Rocco Iannone, Giancarlo Perbellini
and Antonello Arrus.

The prize is four nights at the

Forte Village for two adults and two
children aged under twelve years
old on the date of return from the
holiday. The prize includes breakfast
and dinner in the hotel every day.

The holiday must be taken no

later than 22 July 2014, or after 24
August 2014 but before the end
of September 2014. The prize can
also be taken from the opening of
the Forte Village in May 2015 but
no later than 19 July 2015. There
are no ﬂ ights or transfers included.
The prize is offered in partnership
with Sunninghill Travel and Tuscan
Secrets. The draw will take place on
Tuesday 1 July.

July 2014

ITALIA! 37

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

THE

Shadow

of Mount Etna

ITALIA! July 2014

On a clear day, the snow-clad peaks of Mount Etna dominate the landscape. Jane Gifford sets

out from Taormina to explore some of the lesser known places in the shadow of one of the

world’s largest and most active volcanoes…

es © J

e Giff

d 2014

Clockwise from
left: Northeast
coast of Sicily
from Taormina;
ﬁ shing boat in
Santa Maria La
Scala; Novara di
Sicilia – Judas
tree blossom;
Riposto; Novara
di Sicilia War
Memorial

places in the shadow of one of the world’s most active volcanoes

Etna’s snow-clad peaks dominate the landscape. I set out to explore some of the lesser known

mid the designer shops
and swanky hotels of
the afﬂ uent Sicilian
resort of Taormina,
palaces with jasmine-

scented gardens are perched high
above the sparkling blue Ionian Sea.
A Greco-Roman amphitheatre dating
back to 4th century BC looks out
over the town along the north-eastern
coast of Sicily.

I head inland, through fragrant

citrus groves, where blood oranges
are the local speciality, mindful of a
taxi-driver’s advice on how to drive
in Sicily.

“The key to successful driving in

Sicily is sempre diretto. Keep straight
on and don’t hesitate. To Sicilians,
stop means go. Above all, relax,
relax, relax!”

The Peloritan Mountains rise

steeply to the north and Etna’s lofty
slopes are to the south. I climb
Etna through a blaze of wildﬂ owers
until the atmospheric little town of
Castiglione di Sicilia appears above
me on a craggy ridge. Like many
other towns in Sic y, Casti ione was
founded by survivors of the sacking
of the Greek island of Naxos.

A maze of narrow medieval

streets leads to Chiesa Sant’Antonio,
a black and white lava-built church
adorned with white lava angels.
Etna overlooks me from
the end of via Regina
Margherita. I climb

the stairs to 12th century Chiesa San
Pietro and the Basilica Maria Catena,
to be astounded by spectacular Rocca
del Leone, a huge rocky crag with a
massive Norman castle built into it,
topped with the ancient remains of
Castel Leone, a fortress dating way
back to 750BC which gives the town
its name.

I drive higher still through

vineyards and orchards, following
signs to Etna Nord. Eventually
cultivated land gives way to black
volcanic ash and outlandish waves
and peaks of solidiﬁ ed lava. Recent
ﬂ ows are bare of vegetation.

Birch trees are the ﬁ rst colonisers.

Their white trunks look fabulous
against the black lava. Etna’s snowy
craters loom ever closer. Up here
there is only bird song, the sound of
wind in the trees and distant volcanic
rumblings. New fumaroles open
up regularly, releasing plumes of
sulphurous gas.

At Rifugio Cirelli, I park up and

go walking through this strange

landscape of cinder

cones a

ava with

far-reaching

views to
the coast.

Further

July 2014

ITALIA! 39

round the volcano, at Rifugio

Sapienza, you can take the chairlift
even higher up Etna Sud, but it’s far
busier. I prefer the silence and the
mystery here.

It’s a good idea to come off the

mountain via Sant’Alﬁ o, where many
vineyards and small-holdings offer
‘agriturismo’. At a tiny church in
the middle of nowhere, a moving
bronze statue gives thanks for sparing
Sant’Alﬁ o from destruction in the
eruption of 1928, which consumed
the neighbouring town of Masoali.

Back on the coast, you can take

a short trip south to Santa Maria La
Scala, a tiny ﬁ shing village with a
beach of black volcanic sand. The
little wooden ﬁ shing boats have eyes
painted on them to ward off evil.
I eat grilled freshly caught ﬁ sh on
the narrow quayside at La Grotta,
while watching two men putting out
nets close to the harbour. Both are
standing. The younger man throwing
out the ﬂ oats; the old boy rowing.

There are many freshwater

springs here which washerwomen
once used to scrape a living. The
name ‘La Scala’ is derived from
the stairs they would climb to the
town of Acireale above. I return via

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

though their iron balconies are still adorned with flowers

Randazzo’s economy is in the grips of hard times. Many buildings are in need of repair,

Riposto, which is famous for its
marina and ﬁ sh market, then follow
the ‘Lemon Riviera’ along the coast.
This is a very long beach of pale
grey volcanic sand popular with
line-ﬁ shermen. It is hedged in with
mimosa and has excellent views along
the shore to Taormina.

Around the opposite side of

Etna, medieval Randazzo, enclosed
by 14th century city walls, has also
miraculously survived destruction
by Etna, only to be badly damaged
during WWII. Nearly three quarters
of the buildings were destroyed or
damaged in the war.

Once a prosperous place full of

baroque and medieval palaces, it
is clear that Randazzo’s economy
is in the grips of hard times. Many
buildings are in bad need of repair,
although many wrought iron
balconies are still lovingly adorned
with ﬂ owers.

The dark black interior of the

current cathedral, 13th century Santa
Maria, with its vast lava-stone pillars,
is sombre in the extreme. When
interspersed with white and the
occasional red, as in nearby Chiesa di
San Martino, lava makes an attractive
building material. Inside Santa
Maria, however, the impression is
overwhelmingly gloomy.

Clockwise
from top left:
Sant’Alﬁ o, wild
orchids in thanks
for saving village;
Sant’Alﬁ o, cherry
blossom & vines;
Santa Maria La
Scala; Randazzo,
Chiesa Santa
Maria; descent
into Novara di
Sicilia

KEY TO

RESTAURANT PRICES
(full meal per person,
not including wine)

€

Up to €25

€

€26-€50

€

€50 +

ITALIA! July 2014

July 2014

ITALIA! 41

WHERE TO EAT

CASTIGLIONE DI SICILIA

Piazza Antonio
La Dispensa dell’ Etna

€

+39 094 284258
Mob +39 339 806 7303
www.ladispensadelletna.eu
Great home-cooked traditional food and
local wines by the little lava-stone church
on Piazza Antonio.

SANTA MARIA LA SCALA

La Grotta, below Acireale

€

Very basic but totally authentic – just turn
up for the freshest of ﬁ sh and seafood
traditionally caught in the bay only hours
before you eat it.

NEAR RANDAZZO

Etna Quota Mille Restaurant
Etna Quota Mille, Contrada da Marzarola

€

www.etnaquotamille.it
info@etnaquotamille.it
+39 095 518 7293
Mob +39 328 428 3799
Agriturismo with a great local reputation
for food. Views of Etna and Randazzo.
Accommodation in a traditional farmhouse.
Plus swimming pool.

WHERE TO STAY

CASTIGLIONE DI SICILIA

Hotel Federico II
Via Maggiore. Baracca 2
Castiglione di Sicilia
www.hotelfedericosecondo.com
info@hotelfedericosecondo.com
+ 39 094 298 0368
Nine well-equipped rooms in a medieval
building right in the heart of the old town.

SANT’ALFIO

Agriturismo Case Perrotta
Via Andronica 2, Sant’Alﬁ o
www.caseperrotta.it
casaperotta@casaperotta.it
+39 095 968928
Accommodation and popular food in
traditional farmhouse with views of the
coast and Etna. Sicilian home-cooking.
Cherries and wine produced on the farm.

NEAR RANDAZZO

Hotel Feudo Vagliasindi, Contrada Feudo S.
Anastasia Strada provinciale 89
Randazzo
+39 095 799 1823 / +39 338 835
7266 / +39 392 554 1470
www.feudovagliasindi.it
info@feudovagliasindi.it
Accommodation and food in a grand villa
on an estate producing premier wine and
olives amongst vineyards facing Etna.

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

ITALIA! July 2014

Clockwise from
left: Novara di
Sicilia; Castiglione
di Sicilia –
Rocca Leone;
Lemon Riviera;
Castiglione di
Sicilia; Lava ﬂ ows
and Etna

volcanic Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea

As you begin your descent to the town you can see across to the opposite coast and to the

Nearby Bronte specialises in

pistachios. Like the local vines, the
small grey pistachio trees are kept
low, their twisted branches hanging
down to the soil around them. Some
90 per cent of the pistachios used in
Italy are grown here, with a festival
during the ﬁ rst ten days of October.
Situated 2,500 feet up Etna’s ﬂ ank,
Bronte has been devastated by
eruptions three times so far, but each
time it has been rebuilt. It remains
hemmed in by lava ﬂ ows.

Today it is an unassuming little

town full of exceptionally steep one-
way streets. The Duchy of Bronte
was gifted to Admiral Nelson in
1799 by King Ferdinand IV, who
was rescued from Naples on Nelson’s
ﬂ agship ahead of the Napoleonic
invasion. It remained in Nelson’s
family until 1981, when it was sold
to Bronte town council. Apparently
Nelson never visited Bronte but
he had a great admirer in Patrick
Bunty, a Yorkshire pastor, formerly
from Ulster, who, in honour of his
hero’s success, changed his name to
Brontë and whose daughters went
on to become the celebrated authors
Charlotte, Emily and Anne.

The volcanic slopes between

Radazzo and Bronte are dotted with
black lava-stone farm houses,

where cattle graze on pasture hedged
with prickly-pear cacti. Yellow
broom and cherry trees add a dash
of welcome colour in spring. There
are stunning views of snow-capped
Etna soaring above it all. Delicious
strawberries grown in the fertile
volcanic soil are a speciality and the
vineyards produce excellent red and
white wines.

My ﬁ nal mountain drive crosses

the Peloritan Mountains on a switch-
back ride through glorious scenery
to the little baroque town of Novara
di Sicilia. As you begin your descent
to the town you can see across to the
opposite coast and to the volcanic
Aeolian Islands in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Novara is another town of ancient
origins that was repopulated by
the Normans. There is a ﬁ ne 19th
century bronze of David clutching
Goliath’s head on Largo Bertolomi
and, to my surprise, a lovely little
opera house from the same era on
via Bellini. Wild cyclamen and the
carmine-pink blossom of Judas trees
brighten the hillsides in spring and
the town is overlooked by Rocca
Novara, a striking bare white rock
that stands sentinel at the end of the
Peloritan range.

July 2014

ITALIA! 43

COMPLETE THE

ORDER FORM

OPPOSITE

}

Yes! I would like to subscribe to Italia!

UK Direct Debit – Just £19.50 every 6 issues

– saving 25%* Receive your free book

(Please complete the form below)

I wish to purchase a gift subscription

(please ﬁ ll out recipient’s details on a separate sheet of paper)

YOUR DETAILS

Title Forename Surname

Email address**

Address

Postcode Country

Daytime tel

Mobile**

OTHER PAYMENT METHODS

UK credit/debit card or cheque - £68.60 for 24 issues – saving 35%

UK credit/debit card or cheque - £39.60 for 12 issues – saving 25%

Europe credit/debit card - £46.50 for 12 issues

Rest of world credit/debit card - £55.50 for 12 issues

USA/Canada credit/debit card - $75 for 12 issues – saving 43%

USA/Canada call toll free on

☎ 800 428 3003 or subscribe online at

www.imsnews.com/italia using code ITLP112
Please debit my card

Visa

Mastercard

Maestro

American Express

Card no

Valid from

Expiry date

Issue no

Signature(s) Date

I enclose a cheque made payable to Anthem Publishing Ltd for £

Send your completed form to

Anthem Publishing Ltd,

Freepost RRBS-LRRG-CTBJ, 800 Guillat Avenue,
Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne ME9 8GU

Code ITLP116 Offer ends 31 July 2014

*Free gift and 25% saving is available to UK Direct Debit orders only. Free gifts are subject to availability; we
reserve the right to substitute this gift with an alternative of similar value. Your subscription will start with the next
available issue.

**Please enter this information so that Anthem Publishing Ltd can keep you informed of newsletters, special
offers and promotions via email or free text messages. You may unsubscribe from these messages at any time.

Anthem Publishing Ltd, publisher of

Italia!, may contact you with details of our products and services or to

undertake research. Please tick here if you prefer not to receive such information by post

phone

. We

occasionally pass your details on to carefully selected companies whose products and services we feel may
be of interest to you. Please tick here if you prefer not to receive such information by post

phone

DIRECT DEBIT GUARANTEE

Direct Debit is only available in the UK. If you’re not entirely satisﬁ ed with Italia! at any
time during your subscription, you can cancel it and receive a refund for any unmailed copies

1 Name of your Bank or Building Society

2 Name of account holder(s)

3 Branch sort code

4 Account number

5 Instruction to your Bank/Building Society

Please pay Anthem Publishing Direct Debits

from the account detailed in this instruction subject to the safeguards assured by the Direct
Debit Guarantee. I understand that this instruction may remain with Anthem Publishing and if
so, details will be passed electronically to my Bank or Building Society.

Signature(s) Date

INSTRUCTION TO YOUR BANK OR BUILDING SOCIETY TO PAY DIRECT DEBIT

Originator’s Identiﬁ cation Number

8 3 7 1 8 1

SUBSCRIBE TO

ITALIA!

ITLP116

0844 322 1254

(Overseas readers please call +44(0) 1795 592 848)
Mon-Fri 8am-8pm, Sat 9am-1pm

QUOTE CODE ITLP116

ANTHEM.SUBSCRIBEONLINE.

CO.UK/SUBSCRIPTIONS/ITALIA

3 EAS

TO SUBSCRIBE

BEST

BUY!

ENTER CODE ITLP116

Subsc

ribe

ITAL

IA!

FREE BOOK

Plus save 25% when
you subscribe to Italia

The ultimate book on pasta from
the master of Italian cookery
– his ﬁ rst dedicated to the subject
in 20 years. Antonio Carluccio’s
Pasta will teach you everything
you need to know about the many
different types of pasta and how
to cook it, including step-by-step
instructions for making it at home.
In his new book, Antonio Carluccio
shares his love of Italy’s favourite
food, providing innovative and
exciting recipes for soups,
main courses, salads and
even desserts.

Subscribe to Italia! today
and we’ll send you a copy
absolutely FREE!

FREE book, worth £20

Save 25% on the shop price

Just £19.50 every 6 issues by Direct Debit

Never miss an issue

FREE UK delivery direct to your door

YOUR FANTASTIC SUBSCRIPTION OFFER

YOUR

FREE GIFT

WORTH

£20

P A S T I T A L I A !

ITALIA! July 2014

This ceiling detail in Rome’s Basilica of Our Lady in Trastevere

– perhaps the ﬁ rst church in which Mass was openly celebrated

– would appear painted, such is its intricacy, yet it is not…

SANTA MARIA,

TRASTEVERE

he Basilica di Santa Maria in Travestere was the ﬁ rst church in
Rome to be dedicated to the Madonna and has a rich history that
dates back to the 4th century. One of the most notable aspects of
this feat of architecture is the gilded wooden ceiling covered in
glowing golden mosaics that are so intricately detailed you would

think they were paintings rather than perfect assemblages of tiny pieces of gold,
glass and stone. Visitors can witness the Assumption of the Virgin, created in
1616 by Domenichino and a 12th-century mosaic of Jesus and the Virgin Mary.
This ceiling is such a work of art that many visitors have reported making more
than one trip to the basilica just to view it in all its splendour again.

© iStock ph

oto

July 2014

ITALIA! 47

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

es © Gr

etta Schif

A city that was once famed and feared throughout the Mediterranean,

Syracuse offers an abundance of archaeological sites to explore.

Gretta Schifano ﬂ ew down to Comiso to discover them…

Syracuse

The façade of the
Duomo at Ortygia

July 2014

ITALIA! 49

yracuse was one of the most powerful cities
in the ancient world and at one point even
rivalled Athens. Syracuse is in the southeast of
Sicily and was founded on the island of Ortygia
by Corinthian settlers in 734 BC. By the 5th

century BC it had an empire stretching around the
Mediterranean and was a thriving artistic and cultural
centre. The Roman philosopher Cicero said it was the
most beautiful city in the world.

Syracuse’s most famous citizen is probably the

great Greek scientist and mathematician Archimedes,
who was born here in 287 BC. Archimedes worked
for Hieron II, tyrant ruler of the city from 270-216
BC. One of Archimedes’ best-known inventions is the
Archimedes screw, which is still used today for pumping
liquids. He also invented war machines which helped to
defend the city when it was besieged by the Romans for
three years.

Despite Archimedes’ inventions the Greek

domination of Sicily ended in 211 BC when the
Romans defeated Syracuse. The city was then ruled by
a succession of powers over subsequent centuries: the

Byzantines, Arabs, Normans and Spanish have all left
their mark. In 1693 a huge earthquake destroyed around
50 towns in the area and killed half of the population.
This disaster was the catalyst for the regeneration
of many of the affected towns and cities, including
Syracuse. In the years that followed the earthquake many
structures were rebuilt with limestone in the Sicilian
baroque style.

Syracuse today is a UNESCO World Heritage Site

and a fascinating place to visit. The city is served by
both Catania airport and the new airport at Comiso,
which offers direct ﬂ ights to London with Ryanair.
I travelled to Comiso with Ryanair when I went to
Syracuse in April and I was pleased to see that the
budget airline now gives every passenger an allocated
seat. Ryanair now also allows passengers a small handbag
as well as a cabin bag. These new ﬂ ights and the
popularity of the Inspector Montalbano TV series, which
is ﬁ lmed in the area, have led to an increased interest in
this part of Sicily.

ORTYGIA
The main historical sites of Syracuse are concentrated on
the island of Ortygia and the Neapolis Archaeological
Park. The original city of Syracuse was founded on the
island of Ortygia and this is the heart of the city today.
Ortygia juts out into the Ionian Sea and is linked to
the mainland by a couple of bridges. The island still
has the ancient Greek street layout and is partly

The main historical sites of Syracuse

are concentrated on the island

of Ortygia and the Neapolis

Archaeological Park

Gretta at the Greek
amphitheatre

The Roman amphitheatre,
Neapolis Archaeological Park

The market at
Ortygia

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

pedestrianised. Its interesting architecture, narrow

streets and elegant squares make it a great place to
explore. The locals go about their everyday business here
against a background of ancient ruins, baroque palaces
and places where legends began.

The Temple of Apollo covers a large, fenced-in area

of Piazza Pancali as you enter Ortygia. Built in 565 BC
it’s the oldest Doric temple in Western Europe. The
temple has been used as both a mosque and a church,
and its ruins were discovered in 1860 inside an old
Spanish barracks. The barracks and other later structures
have now been removed to reveal the remains of the
original temple. There’s a colourful fresh food market in
the streets around the temple from Monday to Saturday
starting at 7.30am. It’s an interesting and friendly place
to wander around and some of the stalls have cookery
demonstrations.

At the centre of Ortygia is Piazza del Duomo, an

expansive, rectangular piazza surrounded by elegant
baroque palazzi, which were rebuilt after the 1693
earthquake. The piazza sits on the site of the ancient
acropolis, the heart of the city, and has been used as

a location for the Inspector Montalbano TV series. My
guide, Lucia Iacono, tells me that the cathedral on this
square is the best place in Sicily to see the story of the
island. When I go into the cathedral I understand what
she means. The building is like an encyclopaedia of
the city’s history, from its baroque façade to its Spanish
ﬂ oor, Renaissance ceiling, Norman font and, encased
in the walls, Doric columns dating from a 5th century
BC temple to Athena and then Minerva. I’m amazed to
learn that the cathedral has been in continuous use as a
religious place since 480 BC.

The city’s main water supply in ancient times came

from the Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring next to the
sea. There’s a legend that the Fonte Aretusa was created
by the Greek goddess Artemis when she changed the
nymph Arethusa into the spring. Today the spring
bubbles up through the surface of a pond where papyrus
plants grow. The pond is enclosed by a wall and is a
popular meeting place on summer evenings.

NEAPOLIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK
The Neapolis Archaeological Park was set up in 1955 to
preserve some of the ancient sites of Syracuse including
the Greek and Roman amphitheatres, the Greek stone
quarries and the Altar of Hieron II. The Spanish took
many of the stones from these ancient monuments
to build defensive walls in the 16th century but the
remains are still impressive.

The Greek amphitheatre was at the centre of

A hole from a wooden
scaffolding pole

Looking out to
sea from Ortygia
harbour

The Temple of
Apollo, Ortygia

The city’s main water supply in

ancient times came from the

Fonte Aretusa, a freshwater spring

next to the sea

July 2014

ITALIA! 51

STAY ON ORTYGIA

If you’re staying in Syracuse it’s best to
book somewhere on or very near Ortygia.
I stayed a couple of minutes’ walk from
the bridge to Ortygia at the comfortable
Grande Albergo Alfeo, which has free
wiﬁ and good breakfasts.

GO THIS YEAR

This year is the centenary of the annual
Greek theatre festival, which takes
place in the ancient amphitheatre every
May and June. The productions are
organised by the Istituto Nazionale del
Dramma Antico who will be staging the
Oresteia by Aeschylus and The Wasps
by Aristophanes this year from May
9th to June 22nd. You can book tickets
through the INDA website at www.
indafondazione.org

HIRE A GUIDE

If you go to the Neapolis Archaeological
Park it’s a good idea to book an ofﬁ cial
guide as the ruins are quite spread out
and explanatory signs are thin on the
ground. The website for the ofﬁ cial
Syracuse tour guides association is www.
guidesiracusa.tk. Rates start from around
€130 for two hours. Entrance to the park
costs €10 but EU residents who are under
18 or over 65 get in free so take your
passport or some form of ID with you if
you qualify for a free ticket.

BE AN EARLY RISER

It gets very hot in Syracuse in the
summer months so the best time for
sightseeing is ﬁ rst thing in the morning.
Make sure you take water, sunscreen and
a hat with you, especially when visiting
the archaeological park where most of the
ruins are in full sun.

GO TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY

It costs €2 to visit Syracuse Cathedral but
it’s free to go in on Sundays. If you’d like
to go inside the cathedral, or any church
in Italy, you need to be careful about
what you’re wearing. There are often
rules forbidding vest tops or shorts in
churches and it’s best to have shoulders
and legs covered.

HOW TO GET THE MOST FROM
YOUR VISIT TO SYRACUSE

A supporting pillar
at the quarry

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

Syracusan life for centuries and is still used today.

Also built in the 5th century BC, the theatre could seat
up to 16,000 people. Today 7,000 seats remain but it’s
still the third largest ancient Greek theatre in the world.
The theatre was created by carving stone tiers out of
the hillside in a horseshoe shape. The tiers are divided
into ten named sections and some of the original Greek
section names can still be seen, carved into the stone
tiers. In ancient times those sitting in the auditorium
would have been able to see the Temple of Athena in
Ortygia below. Some of the greatest Greek playwrights
staged their works in this theatre: Aeschylus premiered
some of his tragedies here and it was the birthplace of
comic Greek theatre. This year is the centenary of the
annual Greek theatre festival which takes place here
every May and June.

The Roman amphitheatre was built after Syracuse

fell to the Romans. It feels more compact than its Greek
counterpart and it seated around 18,000 people and was
30 metres high. In contrast to the horseshoe layout of
the Greek amphitheatre the seating here encircles the
stage. This is because the Roman performances here

were ﬁ ghts and battles which could be watched from
any angle.

The Greeks quarried extensively here for the white

limestone they used for their monuments. Incredibly,
they quarried around ﬁ ve million cubic metres of
limestone around Syracuse using only hand tools
and wooden scaffolding. The remains of the ancient
limestone quarry (Latomie) today are bursting with
olive and fruit trees. The caves created by quarrying
were used by the Greeks as prisons. One of the caves
is known as the Ear of Dionysius (l’orecchio di Dionisos).
This 23m-high cave takes the form of a giant ’S’ shape
and any sounds made within it are ampliﬁ ed around
the gardens outside. Legend has it that Syracuse’s tyrant
ruler Dionysius used the cave to imprison his enemies
and listen in to what they were saying. You can actually
go inside this cave and I found it incredible to see the
marks of the tools on the cave walls and to think of this
huge space being chipped out by hand.

The vast Altar of Hieron II was built in the 3rd

century BC and was used for public sacriﬁ ces to Zeus.
At 198 metres long it’s the biggest Greek sacriﬁ cial altar
known today, although only the base remains. The altar
was used once a year at a festival to sacriﬁ ce hundreds of
oxen. The animals were killed one at a time, the meat
cooked on a sacriﬁ cial ﬁ re and then eaten. Our guide
Lucia says it was a kind of ‘sacred barbecue’.

Gretta travelled with Ryanair from Stansted to Comiso.

GROTTA DEI CORDARI / ROPE-MAKERS’ CAVE

Local rope-makers worked in this cave from ancient times until recently. The cave was
good for rope-making because of its humidity. Winston Churchill came to paint here
every morning when he came to Syracuse on holiday in 1955.

VOTIVE NICHES

At the top of the Greek amphitheatre are votive niches carved into the rock. These
would have contained statues, images and offerings to the gods.

GREEK INSCRIPTION

The different sections of the Greek amphitheatre were designated by the names of gods
and well-known people of the time such as Queen Philistis, wife of Hieron II.

SUPPORTING PILLAR

A 40 metre-high stone pillar once supported the quarry roof and now towers over fruit
trees, caves and other, fallen pillars in the Latomie quarry.

HOLE FOR WOODEN SCAFFOLDING POLE

A hole left by a wooden scaffolding pole used by the Greeks in their quarrying of the
Ear of Dionysius cave.

DETAILS FROM THE NEAPOLIS ARCHAEOLOGICAL PARK

Greek inscription at
the amphitheatre

The ropemakers’ cave

Legend has it that Syracuse’s

tyrant ruler Dionysius used the cave

to imprison his enemies and listen in

to what they were saying

A luxury lifestyle investment with Appassionata

www.appassionata.com

Offering affordable shares in unique

properties in the quintessentially

Italian region of Le Marche.

The smart way to own a luxury

home and vineyard in Italy for

a fraction of the cost.

Please visit our website or

call for more information

0039 3315413225

Something

Italian…

Treat someone to something special. Register

with us and receive 5% off on your purchase
every time you log in at Something-Italian.

Free samples with every order

www.something-italian.com

Call us: +44 (0) 1865 682655

We bring the best of

Italy to your door

SUMMER SALE - 15% of

f everything

Enter code

ITALIA

in the voucher box at checko

ber

TUSCAN SECRETS

The ﬂ y and ﬂ op holidays
become less appealing, instead
we are now looking for more
mental stimulus.

Italy offers a wide range of

special interest holidays from
language lessons, to cookery,
hiking to music, photography
and painting.

With its picturesque

landscape and unique history,
Italy provides an ideal location
for painting holidays. Italy has
held a long tradition with art,

the home of the Renaissance
and of course the birthplace of
Giotto, Michelangelo, Raphael
and Caravaggio, to say nothing
of Leonardo. In fact, art and the
love of art ﬂ ows through every
Italian’s blood – it has to be
contagious.

Tuscan Secrets customers

can visit the Cinque Terre,
Puglia and Umbria. We build
small groups of 8 to 14 people.
Using family owned, local
hotels where food and wine are
a cornerstone of hospitality.
Non-painting partners can also
enjoy these holidays and for
single travellers, there is often
no supplement.

Chairs and boards are of

TUSCAN SECRETS

www.tuscansecrets.com
sales@tuscansecrets.com
01344 627586

CONTACT DETAILS

Art, and the love of art, flows through

every Italian’s blood

Creative

holidays

With an artistic heritage second to none in the western

world, a painting holiday in Italy with specialists

Tuscan Secrets is not to be missed…

ITALIA! July 2014

I T A L I A ! P R O M O T I O N

course provided as well as some
local excursions.

Our tutors will call and

speak with every customer
before they travel and in fact
they can be called for advice
during your enquiry stages.

July 2014

ITALIA! 55

Good food and wine, and just enough exercise to counter the effects…

What better way to enjoy Tuscany? Sebastian Cresswell-Turner joins

Hedonistic Hiking for a taste of their upmarket walking tours…

All ph

otos © Sebasti

an Cr

esswell-T

urn

er unless oth

erwise stated

Main image: Gardens
of Villa Bichi Borghesi
Above left to right:
Sebastian makes
pasta; octagonal
Oratoria della
Madonna delle Nevi;
into the hills of the
Montagnola; picnic
lunch in courtyard of
Villa Bichi Borghesi;
happy hikers relaxing
over lunch

A Hedonistic

HIKING TOUR IN

Tuscany

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

uestion: what do you
do if you wish to
take a holiday during
which you will be
spoilt rotten

by a series of
delicious meals, but from which
you nevertheless wish to return
home leaner, stronger, healthier and
happier than before?

Answer: you go on a gastronomic

walking tour in Italy.

It was to cater for just such

demands that Jackie and Mick
Parsons set up Hedonistic Hiking
seven years ago. As I discovered,
their guided tours involve so much
enjoyable exercise in the fresh air
that you can eat and drink what you
like without feeling guilty; and,
furthermore, you sleep like a log
afterwards. It is a magic formula,
and although my own experience
with them was a tailor-made affair
with a small group that lasted just a
few days rather than the usual week

or so, I wished it could have gone on
for ever.

Only minutes after landing in

the highly civilised small airport
at Pisa, we were welcomed by
Jackie, the co-founder of Hedonistic
Hiking, and her colleague Annabel,
and our luggage was loaded into
their minibus, from the back of
which a bowl of ripe strawberries
and various other delicacies were
produced; and after a two-hour drive
south-eastwards into the hills of
Chianti, we arrived at the Palazzo
Leopoldo, a grand medieval hotel in
the small Tuscan centre of Radda.
My own room had a view over the
old town walls to the countryside
beyond, all glowing green after
recent rainfalls.

Shortly afterwards we assembled

in the lobby for an early-evening
welcome drink of prosecco. As
Jackie now explained, half the point
of these holidays is that you have
no decisions to make. Everything is

arranged for you; the walks are all
accompanied; picnics are waiting
at specially selected panoramic
spots; the menus for the meals in
restaurants are chosen in advance
… oh, and wine is included in the
price.

All of which was promptly

demonstrated at dinner that ﬁ rst
evening, in an excellent local
restaurant called La Botte di
Bacco (meaning ‘the Winecask
of Bacchus’). As each of the four
courses appeared, Annabel talked us
through them and the wine-waiter
was on hand to discuss the two high-
quality Tuscan wines he produced.
After the end of the meal, it was a
happy group that made the short
walk back to our hotel.

Breakfast the next morning was

the only time we had to decide what
to eat, and already I found myself
dithering over the huge spread laid
out in the hotel’s dining room. But
these holidays involve sticking to

Setting off from Nevi

Time for a pit stop?

July 2014

ITALIA! 57

a timetable, and by nine o’clock
we were in the minibus, driving
down into the Elsa valley, where
the day’s walking started with
a visit to the early Romanesque
church at Badia a Isola. From here,
leaving the turreted medieval walls
of Monteriggioni outlined behind
us, we walked up into the wooded
hills of the Montagnola region to
the west of Siena, following an old
strada bianca (‘white road’).

Having packed in a hurry before

leaving London, I had failed to bring
the small rucksack which Hedonistic
Hiking rightly advise is essential.
After only a few minutes walking
uphill in the sun, I had taken off
my waterproof top and was annoyed
at having nowhere to put it. I was
also thirsty, but – my fault again
– having had nowhere to put the
waterﬂ ask that had been offered to
me back in the hotel, I had turned
it down. I also wished that I was
wearing shorts, as the other walkers

were. So I learnt the hard way that it
is essential to have the right kit.

As the road continued up into

hills thickly wooded with holm
oaks, conversation tended to ﬂ ag,
and we appreciated the wisdom of
taking things slowly and gently;
because even if you are ﬁ t, uphill
walking is tiring; and most of the
people in these groups tend to
be aged forty-plus. Every once in
a while our guide Jackie, who is
herself as ﬁ t as a ﬁ ddle, tactfully
paused to let us reassemble.

Soon, however, we reached

the top of Monte Maggio, below
which the Tuscan landscape spread
out majestically. Then the descent
towards lunch; back into the woods,
past farmhouses surrounded by
poppies and irises, and past shaded
glades thickly carpeted in late-
spring ﬂ owers; until, hungry and
thirsty, we arrived at the imposing
Villa Bichi Borghesi, where Annabel
had laid out a picnic on a table

I had failed to bring the small rucksack which

Hedonistic Hiking rightly advise is essential

Main image: A
downhill walk
towards lunch
Above left to right:
Church at Badia a
Isola; ﬂ owers at
Villa Bichi Borghesi;
friendly resident;
rural delights
abound; enjoying the
ﬂ at; lunch at Ristoro
di Làmole; Tuscany
in bloom; use your
boots!

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

in a courtyard of one of the

stable blocks.

We had left London barely 24

hours before, but already friendships
had formed. This, indeed, is one of
the best aspects of walking holidays,
namely that the shared adventure
brings you together. And now we
had earned our lunch. Two types of
pecorino; Tuscan ham; wild boar
sausages; artichoke hearts in olive
oil; asparagus; unsalted Tuscan
bread; all washed down by wine,
both red and white.

Lunch over, there was time to

relax or dream while Jackie read an
excerpt from A Day in Tuscany, an
account of life in wartime Italy, after
which Valentina Bichi Borghesi,
the wife of the owner of the villa,
showed us round its formal gardens
before she and her husband gave us a
tasting session of their own estate-
bottled wines. It was then off to look
round La Suvera, a nearby castle,
part-medieval and part-Renaissance,

which is one of the two hotels
where Jackie’s guests stay on the
longer version of the Tuscan tour,
and where the outrageously grand
rooms are stuffed with innumerable
precious artifacts.

These tours being as much about

food and culture as walking, it was
now time for a cookery lesson; and
so back into the minibus and off to
the Borgo San Chimento, just round
the corner from La Suvera. Here,
in the old kitchens of the Villa San
Chimento, untouched for a hundred
years, a charming Italian cook called
Orietta taught us how to make
ravioli and tagliatelle, and it did not
matter that she spoke hardly a word
of English. Suddenly an element of
competition set in, and witty quips
aside, we were all very keen to prove
our worth.

Later, while Orietta turned our

creations into a proper meal, and
while swallows ﬂ itted about above
the villa, we consumed prosecco and

We had left London barely 24 hours before,

but already friendships had formed

The Palazzo
Leopoldo Hotel

All ph

otos this pag

e © P

alazzo Leopold

o H

otel

chuckling over it, we carried on
downhill to a last lunch.

Like many of the best

establishments in Italy, the Ristoro
di Lamole looks entirely anonymous
from the outside. But from our table
on the covered veranda, we had one
of the most impressive views from
any restaurant in Italy. As for the
food … the bruschetta al pomodoro
was perfect; the burrata was soft,
runny and creamy, just as it should
be; the risotto made with a naturally
black rice called riso di Venere (‘rice
of Venus’) was a revelation.

Then, all too soon, it was back

to Pisa. Here, sitting on solid
marble benches in the garden
outside the entrance to the airport,
and regretting that we had to leave
newly-made friends so soon, we
killed the two-hour wait for our
ﬂ ight with the help of a couple of
bottles of excellent Chianti, courtesy
of Hedonistic Hiking.

That, surely, is the way to go.

bruschetta al pomodoro outside, before
returning to the kitchen for a feast
that would not have been out of
place on Masterchef.

And later still, after another

minibus ride back to our hotel
in Radda, some of us had an
amaretto or two in the Bottega di
Giovannino, the only place that was
still open in this quiet town after
ten o’clock on a Saturday night.

The next morning we were

back in the minibus at nine o’clock,
heading north for a serious walk in
the Monti del Chianti, with views
over the Apennines which form the
spine of Italy. Walking uphill on the
rough tracks here, we heard cuckoos
and skylarks, and by the wayside
I found whole clusters of the rare
‘early purple orchid’ growing wild.
During a pause in a pine forest on
the Monte San Michele, Jackie read
a story about bawdy nuns from The
Decameron by Boccaccio, a rough
contemporary of Chaucer, and, still

PRICES AND BOOKING

Hedonistic Hiking offers a variety of
tours in Italy from about £2,000 for
7-8 days, all costs included except air
fares. For prices and availability go to
www.hedonistichiking.com.

WHAT TO TAKE

qª&NNCªV@KJHMFªANNSR

qª6@SDQOQNNEªSNOªNQªI@BJDS

qªª2L@KKªQTBJR@BJªHMªVGHBGªSNªB@QQXªV@SDQª

bottle, waterproof top, etc.

qª2GNQSR

qª'D@CFD@QªRTMFK@RRDRªRTMBQD@L

MORE INFORMATION

July 2014

ITALIA! 59

The turreted walls
of Monteriggioni

Chapel at La Suvera
prepared for wedding

ITALIA! July 2014

P R O P E R T Y F O C U S

LE MARCHE

PROPERTY FOCUS

That perfect Mediterranean combination of mountain

and sea is easy to ﬁ nd in Le Marche, Italy’s top

up-and-coming region for property investment…

€50,000-€250,000

APARTMENTS

The recently completed Casa Mercatello apartments are to be found in the historical centre of Mercatello
sul Metauro, a 13th century medieval village of some 1,500 people who live life simply, and in an
authentically Italian manner. Steps from the apartments lead to the town’s piazza, where you will ﬁ nd
delis, a supermarket, bars, restaurants and friendly locals. Further aﬁ eld, you can explore Le Marche’s
charming hilltop villages and the rest of Italy from this central base. Overlooking a park and picturesque
valleys, the apartments effortlessly blend the traditional Italian stone structure with modern interiors
and appliances. Own a share in either a set of three ﬂ exible one-bedroom apartments or one large, two-
storey, four-bedroom apartment.
Price 1 month’s share in every 13 months for €29,500
Contact ciao@casamercatello.com
www.casamercatello.com

€500,000-€750,000

FARMHOUSE

A substantial four-bedroom, fully-restored farmhouse with panoramic
views. This three-storey house, dating from 1864, was recently
renovated and refurbished by local artisans using quality Italian
materials throughout, from tile ﬂ ooring to massive ceiling beams that
give the house a sense of style. The house also boasts a 12.5 metre long
lap pool.
House Code: 570
Price €675,000 (£562,000)
Contact www.magicmarche.com
info@magicmarche.com
+39 331 381 9509

KEVIN GIBNEY

WWW.PROPERTYFORSALEMARCHE.COM

Isn’t it time you got
to really know Le
Marche? You know,
that undiscovered
region in central
Italy with the
famous neighbours.
Sure, we’ve got

majestic mountains and great beaches,
ﬁ elds teeming with sunﬂ owers, exciting
wines and a cucina that’s even slower
than Slow Food. But we also deliver
the things that make investing in Le
Marche a smart move: more Bandiera Blu
beaches than all but one other region in
Italy; three provinces in the top 25 of
an annual national newspaper ranking
for Quality of Life – one of which, the
Macerata, came in an amazing No 8!

Le Marche is a great place for

property buyers, with great solutions
from dream restorations to ﬁ nished,
ready-to-enjoy villas at prices that are
still below those famous neighbours –
at least for now… If you want the real
Italy, with the chance to live and feel
like a real Italian, look no further than
Le Marche, where you’ll ﬁ nd the best of
Italy in just one region!

€250,000-€500,000

STONE HOUSE

A truly lovely three-storey stone property on the outskirts of Gualdo
which has been fully restored, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms.
The property has been very tastefully decorated throughout and makes
a very warm and comfortable home, for immediate use. Many of the
original authentic features have been retained which gives it both charm
and character. The property is arranged over three ﬂoors and has two
bathrooms and four double bedrooms, plus a storage room. Code: 571
Price €299,000 (£248,000)
Contact www.magicmarche.com
info@magicmarche.com
+39 331 381 9509

€250,000-€500,000

MEDIEVAL FARMHOUSE

A 13th century, three-storey restored farmhouse in Mercatello sul
Metauro, located minutes from the central piazza of this medieval
village. Lovingly renovated with exposed stone walls inside and out, the
house includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms with traditional décor.
The main event in spring and summer is the sprawling front garden
where you’ll enjoy meals al fresco underneath a ripening ﬁg tree. A
short walk takes you to the town’s central piazza, church, delis, bars and
restaurants, or hop in the car and explore the surrounding villages and
hilltop towns or the rest of Italy.
Price 1 month’s share in every 14 months for €21,900
Contact ciao@casamercatello.com

July 2014

ITALIA! 61

€50,000-€250,000

UNIQUE HOME

A great opportunity to purchase a share in this unique home, adjoining the magniﬁcent
Three Arches in the medieval town of Petritoli. Relax and enjoy ﬁve weeks’ exclusive
annual ownership in this spacious three bedroom, three bathroom property. Dine al fresco
on the wonderful 50m roof terrace with spectacular views across the rolling hills down
to the sea. Petritoli is a lively, friendly town, with excellent cafés and restaurants within
walking distance – it even has its own theatre.
Price £65,000 for 5 weeks’ annual ownership
(only one share remaining at this special price)
Contact www.appassionata.com
ifh@appassionata.com
+39 331 541 3225

CASA SORPRESA

Just on the market, this is probably the best value on the market today
for a carefully restored, ready-to-enjoy Marche farmhouse. It’s big and
spacious: open plan living room, snug, 4-5 bedrooms (most en suite), all
open and airy. There are all the modern conveniences, from underﬂoor
heating to double-glazed windows and broadband access. The ﬂat plot
is sun-drenched and there are two outbuildings to restore. Spectacular
views of rolling hills, ﬁelds of sunﬂowers and mountains. Plus, within
just 5-10 minutes you’re in four lively hilltop towns. All sterling
transactions welcome.
Price €399,000 Contact Property for Sale Marche
info@propertyforsalemarche.com

+39 347 538 6668

€250,000-€500,000

CASA CERCATA

New to the market, this is the house everyone is looking for. It’s got
all of the most sought after characteristics buyers look for in a Marche
property – rustic restored farmhouse, lots of architectural touches,
original materials throughout, open plan living spaces, a sizeable plot,
great views, a pool, an olive grove, two pergolas, four bedrooms (two en
suite), walking distance to a great town, 30 minutes to the beach, 30
to the mountains. All this at a down-to-earth price of just €499,000. All
sterling transaction welcome.
Price €499,000
Contact Property for Sale Marche
info@propertyforsalemarche.com

+39 347 538 6668

€100,000-€250,000

CASA LEOPARDI

Have you ever dreamt of owning a luxury villa, set within beautiful grounds, and complete
with a swimming pool, tennis court and vineyard, but you don’t want the hassle, cost and
work that goes with whole ownership? Fractional ownership may be the answer you have
been looking for. Casa Leopardi is an exquisitely designed and furnished ﬁve bedroom, ﬁve
bathroom property sitting in ﬁve acres of rolling countryside, and within walking distance
of the medieval town of Monteﬁore dell’Aso. Owners also have a share in the wine, olive
oil, lavender and trufﬂes produced on the estate.
Price £195,000 for 5 weeks annual ownership (just one share remaining)
Contact www.appassionata.com
ifh@appassionata.com
+39 331 541 3225

ITALIA! July 2014

P R O P E R T Y F O C U S

€250,000-€500,000

Y All Property Types, All Budget Ranges

- Habitable / Partially Restored - Ruins to Custom Restore

- Fully Restored / Finished

- Apartments / Townhouses

Y Guaranteed Fixed Price Contracts

for Restoration Works

Y Detailed & Accurate Property

Descriptions

Y Superior, Professional Service

www.propertyforsalemarche.com + 39.347.5386668

P.IVA 01534470438

The new Tuscany
More affordable
Just as beautiful

Le Marche:

Le Marche Property Sales & Restoration Management

Restored

€629.000 (£524,000)

Code: 345

Restored

€299.000 (£247,000)

Code: 571

With over 40 years of property experience, Magic Marche has built a

reputation for integrity and professionalism.

We sell restored, unrestored and partly restored properties including:

farmhouses, townhouses, apartments, grand palazzos,

B&Bs and rental businesses.

We are at your side from your first viewing, until the keys are in your hand.

Magic Marche

www.magicmarche.com

Tel: +39 331 381 9509

Email: info@magicmarche.com

ITALIA! July 2014

n the centre of Lombardy are
hills covered with prestigious
vineyards and picturesque
villages, but best of all are the
wonderful chain of sparkling

lakes that run through the valleys and
landscape. The stunning blue Lago
di Garda is the most beautiful among
them. Its open southern shore lies
between gentle morainic hills planted
with vines and olive trees. From the
mid-point onwards the lake narrows
quickly; the hills become mountains
and there are dramatic vistas from the
sometimes precarious lakeshore road.

In spring and summer, the coastal

roads become increasingly congested,
and the beautiful villages on its banks
are crowded with tourists, but there

are still hidden beaches where you
will ﬁ nd the authentic ﬂ avours of this
Italian lake.

The picturesque village of

Sirmione, for example, is famous for
its Roman and medieval remains,
with the striking Scaliger castle as a
popular tourist destination, but it also
hides a very special beach just below
the remains of the fascinating Grotte
di Catullo. The swim at Giamaica has
smooth rock slabs, and further round
you will ﬁ nd the Lido di Bionde with
crystal-clear waters, a pontoon and
magniﬁ cent views.

Below the ruins of a fortress, you

will ﬁ nd the white rocky spurs of
Manerba and the Spiaggia della Rocca
di Manerba: a fantastic beach,

The swim at Giamaica has smooth rock slabs, and further round you will find

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

Spiaggia della
Rocca di Manerba

Spiaggia Giamaica

Wild Swimming

Where better than Italy to enjoy swimming in the pure clean
water? Michele Tameni highlights the best spots, including
these recommendations for the waters of Lake Garda…

July 2014

ITALIA! 65

the Lido di Bionde, with crystal-clear waters

Valle delle Cartiere

Rocca di Sirmione

LAKE GARDA – SOUTH WEST

SPIAGGIA GIAMAICA/LIDO DELLE BIONDE

When the lake level is lower in the summer,
large slabs of sandstone emerge from the
lake, creating a beautiful smooth white
rock beach surrounded by crystal-clear
waters. Behind is the famous Roman villa
Grotte di Catullo. If the lake level allows
you can walk around to Lido delle Bionde:
a beach with a pier, a small bar and a
magniﬁ cent lawn shaded by olive trees.

qª

+D@UDªSGDª ª@SªSGDª2HQLHNMDªDWHSª@MCª

ENKKNVªRHFMRªENQª2HQLHNMDª@MCªSGDMª3DQLDªCHª
"@STKKN ªJLª@ESDQªKD@UHMFªUH@ª!QDRBH@ªO@QJª
@MCªV@KJªNUDQªSGDªAQHCFDªAXªSGDªB@RSKD ª&Nª
RSQ@HFGSª@GD@CªENKKNVHMFªRHFMRªENQªSGDªRO@ª
BDMSQDª PT@QH@ ª/@RRªSGDª'NSDKª"NMSHMDMS@Kª
CNªMNSªS@JDªSGDªQN@CªTOªSGDªGHKKªSNªSGDªDMCª
NEª/TMS@ª2S@EE@KNªQD@BGHMFªSGDªBN@RS ª%NKKNVª
SGDªRGNQDKHMDª@RªE@Qª@RªXNTªB@MªSNªSGDª- ª+HCNª
CHª!HNMCHªHRªSNªSGDªQHFGSª@ANTSªLª@KNMFª
SGDªRGNQD ª3GDª+HCNªB@MªADªQD@BGDCªLNQDª
D@RHKXªAXªSTQMHMFªQHFGSªADENQDª PT@QH@ ª

SPIAGGIA DELLA ROCCA DI MANERBA

Beautiful pebble beach under a white cliff,
above which stands a fortress. The walk is
interesting: you enter a forest and then go
up a charming hillside with stunning views
of the lake. The water is a magniﬁ cent
green-blue colour and the forest provides
shelter from the sun. It is also common to
see hawks soaring near the cliffs.

qª

%QNLª,@MDQA@ªNEEª2/ªSNª2@KÙª

ENKKNVªRHFMRªSNV@QCRªSGDªG@QANTQªNEª/NQSNªCHª
#TR@MNªUH@ª,NMSHMDKKD ª!DENQDªCDRBDMCHMFª
HMSNªSGDªONQSª@MCª@Sª@ªQHFGSªADMCªRDDªRHFM
AN@QCª?"NLTMDª,@MDQA@ª@MCªSTQMªKDESªHMSNª
UH@ª2@Mª&HNQFHN ª"NMSHMTDªNMªUH@ª FDKKNªSNª
SGDªB@QªO@QJª@SªSGDªDMC ª6@KJªCNVMªSGDªCHQSª
QN@Cª@MCªENKKNVªRHFMRªSNªSGDªAD@BG ª3GDQDª@QDª
LNQDªRL@KKªBNUDRª@MCªAD@BGDRªMD@QAXª@LNMFª
NKHUDªFQNUDR ª-D@QAXªHRª@ªM@STQHRSªAD@BGªlªRNª
ADªOQDO@QDCªENQªONRRHAKDªMTCHSXæª

VALLE DELLE CARTIERE

A magniﬁ cent series of natural pools
situated in a small canyon with warm-
coloured rocks: not easy to access.
Upstream, near the ruins of a paper mill,
other quieter pools are easily accessible.
It is a great place to explore – follow the
paths downstream for more pools.

qª

%QNLª,@MDQA@ªENKKNVªRHFMRªENQª2@KÙª@MCª

SGDMªS@JDªSGDª&@QCDR@M@ªSGDªVDRSªBN@RS@Kª
QN@Cª22AHR ª$MSDQª3NRBNK@MN,@CDQMNª
@MCªSTQMªKDESª@ESDQªSGDªAQHCFDªNUDQªSGDªQHUDQª
CHQDBSHNMª&@HMN ª ESDQªLª@RªSGDªQN@Cª
@RBDMCRªENKKNVªRHFMªENQª5@KKDªCDKKDª"@QSHDQDª
NMªSGDªKDES ª"NMSHMTDªSNªO@QJHMFªLª@MCª
ENKKNVªSGDªO@SGªTOªQHUDQªLªSNªSGDªRDBNMCª
AQHCFD ª!DXNMCª@QDªL@MXªONNKRª@MCªADENQDª@ª
GNTRDªXNTªVHKKªjªMCª@ªO@SGªSG@SªKD@CRªCNVMª
SNª@MªNKCªBNMBQDSDªAQHCFDªVHSGªONNK ª3GDQDª
HRª@KRNª@ªRL@KKªAD@BGªA@BJªCNVMªNMªSGDªK@JDª
RGNQDªHMªSGDªRG@CDªNEª@MBHDMSªNKHUDªSQDDR

ITALIA! July 2014

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

Gargnano

Campione

LAKE GARDA – WEST

BOGLIACO

A narrow shingle beach with an impressive
hidden entrance. Beautiful hotel terrace.

qª

%QNLª3NRBNK@MNªFNªMNQSGªSNª!NFKH@BNª

@MCªSTQMªQHFGSª@SªSGDª"@R@ª"@MSNMHDQ@ªHMª
UH@ª!DSSNMH ª"QNRRªSGDªG@QANTQª@MCªO@QJªNMª
SGDªKDES ª6@KJªSNªSGDªDMSQ@MBDªNEªSGDªAD@BGª
ADSVDDMªSVNªM@QQNVªRSNMDªV@KKRªNMªXNTQª
QHFGSªITRSªADENQDªSGDªF@SDªNEªSGDªQDRS@TQ@MS ª
3GDª'NSDKª!NFKH@BNªG@Rª@ªSDQQ@BDªNUDQKNNJHMFª
SGDªK@JD ª3QXªSGDHQªCDKHBHNTRª"NQDFNMDª@ª
SXOHB@KªEQDRGV@SDQªjRGªEQNLªSGDªK@JD ª

LE FONTANELLE, GARGNANO

Le Fontanelle is a supervised lido beach
with free access in the middle of an olive
grove with lawns and benches. The beach
is pebbly, but the view from the park is
particularly pleasant.

qª

QQHUDªHMª&@QFM@MNª@MCªSTQMªQHFGSªADENQDª

SGDª'NSDKª,D@MCQN ª/@QJª@MCªV@KJªSNªSGDª
UHKK@FDª@KNMFªSGDªQN@CªCNVMªSNªSGDªK@JD ª8NTª
VHKKªRDDªSGDªNKHUDªFQNUDª@MCªAD@BG ª

LA PIAZZETTA, GARGNANO

A picturesque beach in the historic centre
of the village, overlooking a small square.

qª

%QNLª+Dª%NMS@MDKKDª@ANUDªFNªRNTSGª@KNMFª

UH@ª1HLDLAQ@MY@ª@MCªSTQMªKDESªHMSNª@ªRL@KKª
K@MDª@ESDQªSGDªB@QªO@QJ ª

TORRENTE SAN MICHELE

Gorges with small pools, waterfalls
and large boulders from which to dive.
Upstream, part of a high waterfall ﬂows
into a funnel of rock. Below, a beautiful
blue pool and a small channel glistens in
the warm sun.

qª

%NKKNVªSGDª&@QCDR@M@ª2ªAHRª@MCªS@JDª

SGDªDWHSªENQª"@LOHNMDªCDKª&@QC@ªSTQMHMFª
QHFGSªEQNLª@ªSTMMDKªlªO@Xª@SSDMSHNMª@RªSGDª
RHFMªHRªMNSªUDQXªUHRHAKD ª8NTªB@MªO@Xª@MCªO@QJª
HMªNMDªNEªSGDªMDVªO@QJHMFª@QD@Rª@MCªV@KJªSNª
SGDªRPT@QD ª"QNRRªSGDªAQHCFDªNUDQªSGDªRSQD@Lª
@MCªS@JDªSGDªO@SGªNMªSGDªQHFGS ª ESDQªSGDª
AQHCFDªNMªSGDªNKCªQN@CªJDDOªQHFGSª@MCªV@KJª
@KNMFª@ªRSNMDªV@KKªSNV@QCRªSGDªQHUDQªADC ª

LE SPIAGGE DI CAMPIONE DEL GARDA

Explore the village too; it is in a stunning
location, on a small strip of land topped by
huge walls of rock. Good beaches hidden
among olive trees.

qª

KRNªENKKNVªSGDªBN@RSªMNQSGªNMªSGDªNKCª

BN@RSªQN@Cª@MCªXNTªVHKKªjMCªRSTMMHMFªOK@BDRª
EQNLªVGHBGªSNªCHUD ª

PORTO DI TIGNALE

A narrow beach slightly hidden and
therefore usually not too crowded. Walk a
little way along the shore south to ﬁnd a
fun tree to dive from.

qª

 JLªA@BJªRNTSGªNMªSGDª2AHRª@MCª

JLªADENQDªSGDªSTQMHMFªENQª3HFM@KDªSTQMª
KDESª@SªSGDªDMSQ@MBDªSNªSGDªSTMMDKª@MCªXNTª
VHKKªjMCªSGDªB@QªO@QJª@MCªAD@BG

Bogliaco

The wind increases and picturesque villages such as

The beach at Gargnano

surrounded by an evergreen forest

and ﬂowering meadows.

The ancient villas on the west

coast, including the eccentric hillside
estate of Il Vittoriale degli Italiani,
lead us to the town of Toscolano in
the Valle delle Cartiere, along old
industrial areas now taken over by
nature. Here, the river glides through
orange coloured rocks creating pools
interspersed with waterfalls.

Continuing north, the lake

narrows, mountains become taller,
the wind increases and picturesque
villages such as Bogliaco and Gargnano
seem squeezed between the mountains
and the water. The old town with its
narrow streets is charming and runs
downhill towards the harbour where

there is an attractive, pebbly lido,
Le Fontanelle.

The western coastal road (S45

bis) provides beautiful views with
mountains overlooking the calm
waters. Visit Campione del Garda,
a small town situated in the Alto
Garda Bresciano Park. Campione is
a favourite spot for wind and kite-
surfers, though recent redevelopments
have blurred its charm. However, you
will ﬁnd beaches and rock ledges for
jumping and diving. Turning your
back to the beach, head for the river
gorge of San Michele, where deep
pools, waterfalls and narrow channels
form an aquatic playground.

It is worth taking the SP38

(signed Tignale) that leads from

July 2014

ITALIA! 67

Spiaggia della Rocca di Manerba

Bogliaco and Gargnano seem squeezed between mountains and water

Punta San Vigilio

ITALIA! July 2014

Porto di Tignale

Visit the village of Limone and swim within sight of this picturesque town or relax

the lake to the green highlands

of Tremosine, where the views are
absolutely spectacular. The road
follows the back of the mountain, and
then along a narrow and impressive
gorge carved by the River Brasa.
Churchill called it the Eighth Wonder
of the World and it featured in scenes
from the James Bond movie Quantum
of Solace.

Next head towards Trentino on the

north side of the lake. Visit the village
of Limone and swim within sight of
this picturesque town or relax among
the green meadows of Riva del Garda.

Continuing around the top and

down the eastern shore, stop at the
Spiaggia delle Lucertole near Torbole,
before getting to the well-known

D I S C O V E R I T A L I A !

historic town of Malcesine on the
north-eastern side of the lake, in the
region of Veneto. Enjoy the sunset
from the Baia delle Sirene park and
then have a drink at the harbour-side
Taverna Punta San Vigilio.

WILD SWIMMING ITALY

Discover the rivers, lakes, waterfalls
and hot springs of Italy. Wild Swimming
Italy by Michele Tameni charts more
than 200 amazing places to explore. RRP
£16.99 from Wild Things Publishing www.

wildthingspublishing.com/
product/wild-swimming-
italy. Available for only
£11.90, including P&P, with
promo code ‘Italia’.

READER OFFER

Limone sul Garda

among the green meadows of Riva del Garda

Limone sul Garda

LAKE GARDA – NORTH & EAST

LIMONE SUL GARDA

A large, well-looked after beach near the
centre of this pretty village, lined with
restaurants and hotels. There aren’t many
trees, and it can get busy, but the water is
a gorgeous colour.
Once in Limone, coming from the south, turn
right before the pizzeria Torcol and follow the
road to the harbour car park and park. Turn
back slightly and to the left you will see the
entrance to the beach. Another narrow beach
is located further south, and is accessible
from a small street next to the football pitch
– just follow the signs.

RIVA DEL GARDA

Relaxing area with an immaculate beach
full of greenery and trees and equipped for
all sorts of activities. Magniﬁcent view.
From Limone, head north on the SS45 bis
lake road about 10km and park on the road
shortly after the entrance to the village.
Explore the streets of this pretty town
and visit the Museo Civico, which is well-
signposted. Go eastwards along the shore of
the lake until you cross a bridge over a canal
and there you will ﬁnd the beach.

SPIAGGIA DELLE LUCERTOLE

A fantastic rocky beach hidden under an
enormous cliff overlooking the lake.
From Riva del Garda head to Torbole and
continue on the eastern Gardesana (SR249)
south towards Malcesine. After 2km, and the
second tunnel, there is a small car park. Park
and walk back along the tunnel to ﬁnd a
path down to the beach.

LAGO DI TOBLINO

About 15 minutes north of Garda this lake
is enchanting. Surrounded by reeds and
hills there is also a fairy tale castle that
rises from the mists.
From Riva del Garda continue for about
20km on the SS45bis heading to Trento,
until you reach the lake. Pass the castle and
park at the next turn.

PUNTA SAN VIGILIO

A picturesque harbour with shoreside
taverna, a long public beach and the
beautiful olive-grove Baia delle Sirene park
with pay beach and picnic areas. There
is a romantic, relaxing atmosphere and
unforgettable sunsets.
Head south towards Garda along the eastern
Gardesana (SR249). About 2km before
Garda, at the left bend, Punta San Vigilio
is signed on the right. Park and walk down
the beautiful tree-lined avenue. On the right
you will ﬁnd Baia delle Sirene and its beach
(payment before 6pm, free afterwards) and
at the bottom to the left the harbour with
Taverna San Vigilio. Reach the free public
beach by going down the stairs on the left
and along the stone wall.

July 2014

ITALIA! 69

F A S T F A S H I O N

ITALIA! July 2014

MY MOTHER IN LAW REMEMBERS shopping for
shoes at Ferragamo in Florence many moons ago and
Salvatore Ferragamo would be there with his leather apron
around his waist. The shop is still the same, located in
the magniﬁcent Palazzo Spini Feroni, built in the 13th
century by Geri Spini, in the most elegant area of the
city. It is today the ﬂagship store for their international
fashion brand. Ferragamo is still family-run by Salvatore’s
children and some of the grandchildren. After Salvatore’s

death in 1960, at the age of 62, his wife Wanda, who had never worked in her
life, and their youngest child was only two years old, immediately took over
the company’s reins and has never looked back. She expanded the brand to
clothing and other accessories, and it has gone from strength to strength.

The Ferragamos are considered to be one of the leading Florentine families,

but neither Salvatore nor Wanda were native Tuscans. Salvatore hails from a

small village called Bonito in the Campania region in Southern Italy and was
the eleventh of fourteen children. He made his ﬁrst pair of shoes for his sister at
nine years old, for her to wear to communion. At eleven he was apprenticed to
a shoemaker in Naples and later opened a small shop in his parents’ house.

At fourteen he went to America, following two of his brothers who were in

Boston working in a cowboy boot making factory. He convinced them to go to
California and they opened a shop in Hollywood doing shoe repairs and later
making custom made shoes. Thirteen years later, in 1927, Salvatore returned
to Italy having made his name among the stars and the rich and famous. His
shoes were renowned for creativity in design and innovation, but he was always
interested in the engineering of the shoe for comfort, to the point of enrolling
in anatomy classes at the university of California. One of his inventions was the
steel arch lifting the weight from the ball of the foot to the arch.

He chose Florence as his home due to the long standing excellence in

leather craftsmanship in the city. During the war years, due to the lack of
leather and steel, he used cork and rafﬁa and hemp. He invented the wedge
heel in the 1930s for greater comfort
and increased elegance. His clientele
included Greta Garbo, Audrey
Hepburn and Ingrid Bergman, to
name a few. In 1936 he rented two
shops on the ground ﬂoor of the
Palazzo Spini Feroni; two years later
he bought the whole building.

Wanda, his wife, was 20 years

younger than Salvatore. She too
was from Campania and was a great
partner and support to him when
he was alive and a born matriarch
for the family and company after his
death. Their eldest daughter, Fiamma
(1941-1998), followed in her father’s
creative footsteps and designed the
Vara grossgrain ribbon ﬂat shoe in
1978, which is an icon in the Ferragamo
history and a staple in the stores today.

Salvatore Ferragamo

His shoes were renowned for creativity in design and innovation, but

he was always interested in the engineering of the shoe for comfort

ABOUT THE WRITER

FREYA MIDDLETON is a private tour guide and writer who lives in Florence, Tuscany.
You can read her blog online or learn more about her tours at www.freyasﬂorence.com

Above: Ferragamo boutique
Here: creativity in design

otos © Fr

eya Mi

dleton

SPECIAL PLACES

TO STAY IN ITALY

Alastair Sawday selects six Italian homestays, B&Bs where

you really feel part of the family, from his new book,

Sawday’s Special Places to Stay: Italy – on sale now…

July 2014

ITALIA! 71

eniamino, a talented architect, and Maria, who has a profound
interest in local tradition, have together restored their 17th-
century trulli with the sort of sensitivity that would make the

most exacting restorer proud. Four guest suites, housed under four
conical roofs, are fresh, cool and stylish with whitewashed walls, pretty
blue shutters and an elegant mix of antiques and funky modern pieces.
Outside, mulberries, olives, prickly pears and lavenders have been
newly planted, and a jasmine-shaded pergola with a vast stone slab
of a table has views over the Murgia Plateau to the shimmering sea
– the spot for a sunset aperitivo!

MASSERIA

SERRALTA

OTHER INFORMATION

PRICE From €90 per night

WEBSITE
www.masseria-serralta.it

ADDRESS SC 86,
Contrada Serralta 39,
70010 Locorotondo, Bari

TEL

+39 0804 431193

OTHER INFORMATION

PRICE From €120 per night

WEBSITE www.villaannamaria.com

ADDRESS SS dell’Abetone 146,
56010 Molina di Quosa, Pisa

TEL

+39 3282 334450

repare to escape to an unusual and atmospheric haven. Step
into the entrance hall, decked in marble and graced with
columns and chandeliers, and ﬁnd bedrooms, each themed, the

most curious being the Persian and Egyptian, and some seemingly
untouched since the 17th century. Claudio and his wife’s collection
of treasures adorn every room; nothing is done by halves. These hosts
care more about people than money, welcoming guests to truly share
their home. Play billiards or table tennis in the games room and
explore the woodland paths that snake through the garden.

VILLA ANNA MARIA

ITALIA! July 2014

July 2014

ITALIA! 73

his 18th century village house is thoughtfully ﬁlled with Erica
and Massimo’s cherished items, from a 10th-century portrait
in the dining room to St Francis in the hallway, each piece ﬁts

perfectly. Find a book-ﬁlled ﬁrst-ﬂoor sitting room, before beamed
bedrooms, both comfortable and elegant – some with masterfully
restored frescoes and one with a roll-top bath. Spend a lazy morning
eating a home-made breakfast in the shade of the pergola, then later
slip into the sauna or jacuzzi, an oasis of calm. Sculptors can use the
studio, while sandy beaches are a 15-minute drive and Pisa is just
30 minutes away.

LEMONS GUEST HOUSE

elaxation reigns supreme here with shady terraces, cats dozing
on windowsills and roses gently slinking up the walls. There’s
more than a touch of The Secret Garden about the half-hidden

doors, enticing steps and 230 different varieties of plants. The house
and farm have been in Rosanna’s family for nearly 300 years, and for
Rosanna, creating this paradise was a labour of love that she gave up
her career as an architect for. A real home from home, bedrooms come
with baskets of goodies, and in the evenings everyone eats home-
grown food together.

LA TRAVERSINA AGRITURISMO

OTHER INFORMATION

PRICE From €95 per night

WEBSITE www.latraversina.com

ADDRESS Cascina La Traversina
109, 15060 Stazzano, Alessandria

TEL

+39 0143 61377

July 2014

ITALIA! 73

OTHER INFORMATION

PRICE From €120 per night

WEBSITE
www.lemonsguesthouse.com

ADDRESS Via del Pizzetto 1,
55045 Pietrasanta, Lucca

TEL

+39 0584 772402

his beautifully restored 17th century stone house exudes
warmth and character. Inside, rooms are pristine, from exposed
walls, to reclaimed shutters and a wrought iron four poster

bed. Marco and Daniela have an infectious enthusiasm for their new
life in the countryside. A chance to get to know the hosts and chat to
other guests, dinners are social occasions, with Slow Food and olive oil
from the estate’s 300 ancient trees, and organic veg from a synergistic
garden. Views are stunning over the countryside of Umbria and
Tuscany, hike, ride, or try something different – oil or cheese tasting, a
pottery class, or a massage in the olive groves.

ANTICA OLIVAIA

own in the valley below is Delo di Mizzole, taking its name
from the Greek delos, meaning luminous... an entirely apt
description for the 14th century farmhouse that’s been in

Mariantonia’s family since 1894 and is caressed by the sun all day
long. Surrounded by hills and mountains, the silence here is supreme,
and relaxing bedrooms have spectacular views of terraced olive groves.
Ettore and Mariantonia are warm and hard-working hosts; her loves
include dancing tango and cooking – and she is happy to offer classes
in either! Go for a walk or a swim before dropping down for the high
cultural delights of Verona, just 5 miles away.

AGRITURISMO DELO

OTHER INFORMATION

PRICE From €135 per night

WEBSITE
www.agriturismodelo.it

ADDRESS SC 86,
Via del Torresin, Novaglie,
37141 Verona

TEL

+39 0454 858380

OTHER INFORMATION

PRICE From €110 per night

WEBSITE www.anticaolivaia.com

ADDRESS Località San Bartolomeo
17, 05018 Orvieto, Terni

TEL

+39 0763 215262

FIND OUT MORE

For more information and

booking details for all properties go
to www.sawdays.co.uk

Sawday’s new Special Places to

Stay Italy is on sale now, priced at
£15.99. To buy a copy and for more
information go to the website at
www.sawdays.co.uk

ITALIA! July 2014

© iStock ph

oto

We’ve got some great coffee-based recipes for you this month – all luxurious, and yet oh so
simple to make. Try these, then visit www.seriousaboutcoffee.com/recipes to ﬁ nd more, and
learn how to make the perfect biscotti and desserts to complement your creations…

takes on

COFFEE

July 2014

ITALIA! 75

4 T A K E S O N C O F F E E

SERVES 1

Preparation

15 minutes

ITALIA! July 2014

4 T A K E S O N C O F F E E

SERVES 1

Preparation

5 minutes

Superfoodie Iced Coffee

Caffè superfood con ghiaccio

You can detect blackcurrant notes in many
coffees, so it makes sense to pair the two.
We’ve used a blackcurrant tea that also
contains blueberry and acai berry to really
ramp up the goodness in your glass (available
in supermarkets). Note: Matcha is a powdered
green tea that is absolutely packed with
antioxidants. However, if you ﬁ nd you don’t like
the earthy taste of it on its own, this recipe is
the perfect drink for you.

100ml strong brewed blackcurrant tea

1 shot of espresso

ice

tsp Matcha tea powder

1 tsp agave syrup

Let the blackcurrant tea brew for at least 10 minutes.

Add the espresso to the tea and then, along with a scoop
of ice, add it and the rest of the ingredients to a cocktail
shaker (or large kilner jar with a well-ﬁ tting lid and seal)
and shake hard but brieﬂ y, to chill.

Strain into a tall glass over good quality cubed ice to
serve and drink straight away. (Don’t allow the ice to
dilute the drink.)

Sweet and Salty

Hangover Cure

Rimedio dolce-salato per

il dopo-sbronza

Getting lost salts and sugars back into the
body when you’ve overdone it will help you
feel better straight away, and this drink also
contains a little protein alongside the caffeine
to help you back on your feet – without
making anyone drink a raw egg! If you like salt
caramels, then you will love this.

1 shot of espresso

240ml ice cold milk
(you could use almond milk to make this dairy free)

½ to 1 tbsp smooth peanut butter

½ tsp agave syrup or 1 tsp sugar syrup

coarse sea salt, to taste

Blitz everything together in a blender and strain to serve
in a tall or hurricane glass. Can be served over cubed ice.

Garnish with a sprinkling of coarse sea salt.

Recipes an

d im

es © De’Lon

ghi www

.seri

ousaboutco

ffee

.com

July 2014

ITALIA! 77

SERVES 1

Preparation

5 minutes

SERVES 1

Preparation

5 minutes

Decadent Iced Coffee

Decadente caffè con ghiaccio

This is also dangerously good with 30ml of
bourbon added to it, a great way to ﬁ nish a
long, lazy brunch.

200ml almond milk

2 scoops quality vanilla ice cream,
made with real vanilla

2 shots of espresso

Blitz all in a blender, serve over ice as desired. Garnish
with a couple of whole coffee beans.

If you use normal milk then you might want to add a little
honey, say ½ a teaspoon or so.

Cherry Espresso Martini

Caffè espresso con vodka

alla ciliegia

Cherry vodka is perfect with coffee, bringing
out the red fruit notes in many coffees. Kahlua
coffee liqueur is a classic match for coffee in
cocktails. If you can’t ﬁ nd cherry vodka, try this
with cherry liqueur instead.

1 shot of espresso

30ml cherry vodka (we use Davna Czeri, a Polish
cherry vodka, but you could also use Cherry Heering or
Adnams cherry liqueur)

20ml Kahlua

Shake all ingredients hard over cubed ice. Strain into a
coupe or martini glass.

C H E F ' S N O T E S

At 60°C the proteins in

the meat, such as collagen,

start to melt

he popularity of slow cooking
is mainly down to the fact
that such meals are generally
easier to make and are very cost
effective because they use cheap

cuts of meat. The cuts best suited to slow
cooking are the harder working muscles and
meat with a high fat content, such as shin
of beef, pork belly and lamb shoulder. Such
cuts improve in texture and flavour when
they are cooked for long periods of time at a
low temperature, because they contain a large
amount of connective tissue and at 60°C the
proteins in the meat, such as collagen, start to
melt, turning the meat rich and gelatinous,
adding superb flavour.

There are lots of examples of Italian

slow cooked dishes. There is cacciucco, a
slow-cooked fish stew from Tuscany and
Liguria; ciambotta, a vegetable-based stew
from southern Italy; ollito misto, a mixture
of slow cooked meats in a meat broth from
northern Italy; and brasato al barolo, the
Piemontese dish of beef braised in Barolo
wine. All of these dishes, and Italian
cuisine in general, are characterised by their
simplicity, with many dishes only having a
handful of ingredients. Italian cooks like to
let the quality of the ingredients shine rather

than hide them behind elaborate cooking
techniques and fussy flavours. So when
making a traditional It lian stew or casserole,
apart from the meat, the other ingredients
can be as simple as a basic soffritto base of
onion, carrot a

c ery, tomato paste, r

wine, herbs and seasoning. Oh, and

crucial ingredient – cooking time and lots of
it. But nothing else;

t let the ingredients

sing for themselves.

The idea of slow cooking is all well and

good but sometimes in our hectic, modern-
day lives there is not even enough time to
throw ingredients in a slow cooker before
we rush off to work. That is why I created
Bomba! XXX tomato purée. It combines
tomatoes with a soffritto base and rich Italian
red wine and is triple concentrated for an
intense, rich flavour you can add to soups,
stews and sauces to get that authentic slow
cooked flavour in a fraction of the time.

The first recipe here is leg over lamb,

which cooks slowly for up to six hours, if y

have the time. The other is my chicken and
orzo stew, where slow-cooked flavours are
delivered fast. And if you really don’t have
any time to cook at all, try frying up the
leftovers of a roast dinner – just add a good
squeeze of Bomba and a splash of hot water!

ITALIA! July 2014

Laura Santtini describes the time-honoured tradition of slow cooking, and

how it is central to the philosophy of the Italian kitchen…

July 2014

ITALIA! 79

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

”If I were to be so frank I would print the words
Cognitive Cook, because my work is all about
exploring the inextricable link between ﬂ avours
and feelings. For me it is about learning to

taste what you feel and feel what you taste, it is a desire to
understand and recognize the ingredients that affect the ﬂ avour
of your life both in and out of the kitchen.”
Laura Santtini, author and restaurateur www.laurasanttini.com

2 tbsp olive oil

6-8 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

2 onions, sliced

2 garlic cloves, sliced

125ml white wine

400ml chicken stock

400g tin chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp Bomba! XXX tomato purée,
or another tomato purée

2-3 sprigs thyme

2-3 sprigs rosemary

1 bay leaf

the juice and zest of 1 lemon

salt and freshly ground pepper

175g orzo pasta

250g kalamata olives

1 tsp honey (optional)

flat leaf parsley, chopped (to serve)

Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based pan
and fry the chicken in two batches, on
both sides, until golden, adding extra oil if
needed. Remove and set aside.

In the same pan, fry the onions until
softened, then add the garlic and cook for a
further minute. Pour in the wine, stirring to
deglaze the pan. Add the stock, tomoatoes,
tomato purée, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and
lemon juice and give it a good stir.

Return the chicken to the pan, season with
salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Cover
and cook for 45 minutes.

Now add the orzo, olives and lemon zest
and simmer again for around 15-20 minutes
until the pasta is cooked to al dente, stirring
regularly to prevent sticking.

Before serving, check the seasoning and stir
through the honey if you need to balance
the acidity of the tomatoes. Serve sprinkled
with the ﬂ at leaf parsley.

2kg leg of lamb

4 garlic cloves, each cut into 3

3 anchovies (optional), each cut into 4 pieces

2 sprigs of rosemary, cut into 2.5cm lengths

3 tbsp olive oil

salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

4 red onions, cut into quarters

350ml red wine

125ml port (if you don’t have any, increase the wine to 475ml)

1-2 tbsp herb or berry jelly (mint, rosemary, redcurrant, sage)

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar (thick type)

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbsp chopped fresh sage

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

Preheat the oven to 120°C/Gas Mark ½. Make slits in the lamb and
stuff each hole with a piece of garlic, a piece of anchovy, if using,
and some rosemary, using your ﬁ nger to push them right in.

Heat the olive oil in a large casserole, add the lamb and brown it
well on all sides. Season with salt and pepper, and add the onions,
red wine and port, if using. Mix the herb jelly, balsamic vinegar
and fresh herbs together, and spoon over the lamb. Cover with a
tight-ﬁ tting lid and cook for around 5-6 hours, until the meat is
falling off the bone.

Leg-over Lamb

Cosciotto di agnello

SERVES 4-6

PREPARATION 15 minutes

COOKING 6 hours

Chicken and Orzo Stew

Spezzatino di pollo con orzo

SERVES 4-6

PREPARATION 15 minutes

COOKING 90 minutes

ITALIA! July 2014

Best-selling TV chef Gino D’Acampo reveals some simple
shortcuts for cooking quick Italian meals with all the ﬂavour
and just a pinch of effort…

Pronto!

to!

by Gin

o D’

campo, ph

otogr

aph

y by M

att Russell, publish

ed by K

yle Books

, £19.99 (har

dback)

E A T I T A L I A !

Cod ﬁllets with
salami, cherry
tomatoes and
rosemary

Merluzzo alla
napoletana

I like this recipe as the ingredients
remind me of my home in Naples.
You can substitute the salami with
chorizo or pancetta if you prefer.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 5 minutes

COOKING 15 minutes

500g baby potatoes, skin on

30g salted butter

3 tbsp olive oil

100g salami Napoli, skin removed, cut
into 1cm cubes

4 cod fillets, each about 150g, skin on

100ml white wine

300g cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tbsp fresh rosemary leaves,
finely chopped

salt and black pepper, to taste

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover
with boiling water from the kettle, add 1 tsp
salt and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, cut the
potatoes in half and set aside.

Heat the butter and oil in a large pan over a
medium heat and fry the salami for 2 minutes.
Stir occasionally with a wooden spoon.

Add the cod, skin-side down ﬁrst, and cook
for 4 minutes. Gently turn the ﬁllets and cook
for a further minute. Lift the ﬁsh out and onto
a warm plate, cover with foil and set aside.

Add the wine, tomatoes and rosemary to
the pan and let everything bubble away for
2 minutes. Add in the cooked potatoes and
continue to cook for a further minute to heat
through. Season with salt and pepper.

Spoon the potatoes and sauce into the centre
of each serving plate and gently place the cod
ﬁllets on top. Serve immediately.

July 2014

ITALIA! 81

Fresh lobster
with chilli, garlic
and olive oil

Aragosta aglio, olio
e peperoncino

This recipe is a bit more
extravagant, not in terms of
preparation but in terms of cost.
There aren’t many ingredients here
as I want to keep things quick
and simple and not take attention
away from the lobster – that has
to be the star of the show.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 20 minutes

COOKING 1 minute

2 large whole live lobsters
(approximately 1.5kg each)

the juice of 2 lemons

8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

½ tsp dried chilli flakes

salt, to taste

Fill a very large pot with boiling water from
the kettle. Add 1 tbsp salt and bring to the
boil. Plunge the live lobsters into the boiling
water and cook for 10 minutes exactly.

Meanwhile, prepare a very large bowl of cold
water, adding in a few ice cubes if necessary.
Remove the lobsters from the boiling water
and drop immediately into the cold water for
3 minutes. Remove and drain.

Preheat the grill to the highest setting.

Place the lobsters on their backs on a large
chopping board and, holding them steady with
your free hand, use a large, heavy knife to cut
from the top of the head straight down to the
end of the tail. Turn them over and use the
same technique to cut through the shell on
the back. By now you should have each lobster
separated in two halves.

Twist the claws away from the body and use
a large knife to cut the shells by holding the
knife in place and banging the top of it down
with the other hand. Pick out the ﬂesh and
place on top of the lobster halves.

Squeeze the lemon juice all over the ﬂesh and
drizzle over the oil. Spread the crushed garlic
over the lobster ﬂesh and sprinkle over the
chilli ﬂakes. Season with salt.

Place the prepared halves, ﬂesh-side up, under
the hot grill for 1 minute. Don’t overcook
the lobster otherwise it will be chewy. Serve
immediately accompanied with a fresh salad.

ITALIA! July 2014

E A T I T A L I A !

Pork chops
with sage and
cannellini beans

Maiale burro e salvia

Italians love to cook with canned
beans and will always have a good
stock of them in their cupboards.
They are so versatile and there
is no need for long soaking and
cooking; it’s all done for you.
White cannellini beans are a
staple: their mealy texture and
nutty ﬂavour is great with pork.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 10 minutes

COOKING 15 minutes

4 tbsp olive oil

4 x 200-250g pork loin chops

4 sprigs of thyme

2 garlic cloves, peeled

2 x 400g cans of cannellini beans,
drained

50ml white wine

1 tsp vegetable stock powder

100ml water

100ml double cream

50g unsalted butter

16 small sage leaves

salt and white pepper, to taste

Heat half the olive oil in a large frying pan
and cook the chops with the thyme for
4 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, pour the remaining oil into a
medium frying pan. Grate in the garlic and add
the beans. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Pour
the wine over the beans and cook for a further
2 minutes. Stir occasionally.

Sprinkle the stock powder over the beans, pour
in the water and gently cook for 1 minute.
Pour in the cream and continue to simmer for
3 minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer the pork chops to a plate.
Season with salt and pepper, cover with foil
and set aside.

Melt the butter in the pan used to cook the
chops. Add 12 of the sage leaves and fry for
1 minute until crisp. Set aside.

Shred the remaining sage leaves and stir into
the beans. Season well with salt and pepper
and divide between 4 serving plates.

Place the pork chops on top of the beans and
drizzle over the sage butter. Top with the
crispy sage leaves.

July 2014

ITALIA! 83

Rare roast beef
with minty potato
salad

Insalata di manzo
e patate

This is a delicious salad. I love the
combination of the cold dressing
and salad with the warm beef and
potatoes. If you have any leftover
beef from your Sunday roast this is
a great way to use it up.

SERVES 4

PREPARATION 20 minutes

COOKING 30 minutes

300g small waxy new potatoes

8 mint leaves

400g beef fillet

2 tbsp olive oil

8 tbsp mayonnaise

1 small garlic clove, peeled

1 avocado

10 radishes, quartered

175g chargrilled artichokes in oil,
drained and quartered

6 spring onions, finely chopped

salt and white pepper, to taste

Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Put
the potatoes and half of the mint in a medium
saucepan, cover with boiling water from the
kettle, add 1 tsp salt and cook for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, put a frying pan with an ovenproof
handle over a high heat.

Rub the beef with the oil and put in the hot
pan. Sear on all sides until browned, and then
transfer to the oven to cook for 8 minutes.

Put the mayonnaise in a bowl and ﬁnely grate
in the garlic clove. Chop the remaining mint
leaves and add to the mayo. Add a little water
to create a runny dressing and season with salt
and pepper. Set aside.

Drain the potatoes and leave to cool.

Transfer the beef from the oven to a plate and
season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil
and set aside to rest at room temperature.

Meanwhile, halve the avocado and remove the
stone. Peel off the skin and cut the ﬂesh into
rough chunks. Halve the cooled potatoes.

Use a long sharp knife to cut the beef into
thin slices. Arrange them over a platter and
scatter the prepared radishes, artichokes
and avocado on top. Drizzle over the mayo
dressing and sprinkle over the spring onions.

INFORMATION

Pronto! By Gino D’Acampo,

photography by Matt Russell, is
published by Kyle Books. Price: £19.99

ITALIA! July 2014

B U Y I T A L I A !

There are more varieties of dried pasta available than there
are days of the year… So what we’ve tried to do this month
is provide something for everybody…

DRIED PASTA

ou don’t have to go to too many lunch parties where pasta is being
served before you hear the old one about how it was in fact the
Chinese who invented pasta and the Italians who stole the idea

a few thousand years later. Marco Polo then turns up in the explanation,
the idea being that he was the ﬁ rst person to bring back a bag from his
holidays… This just isn’t true. For one thing, we don’t even know if Marco
Polo ever actually went to China. It has been suggested that he never
ventured farther than Persia, and that the stories he told Rustichello da Pisa
(who wrote The Travels of Marco Polo) about the Orient were collected from
people he had met there. And for another thing, the Italians (or at least the
Sicilians) were making pasta a long time before Marco Polo – certainly for a
century before his time and maybe even for 500 years, or more. It’s possible
that the recipe arrived in Sicily with the Arab conquests of the 9th century,
though the Sicilians were already cultivating wheat – and in quantity – in
ancient times, so it may be even older than that. It may have been invented
by the Etruscans… But it certainly wasn’t the Chinese.

VERDICT

+++

An ﬁ ne contribution to
our table from the online
supermarket.

VERDICT

+++++

The best ingredients in good
quantity. Ideal with veg but
also very nice on their own.

RUMMO ORGANIC

WHOLE WHEAT

FUSILLI NO. 48

From Ocado
www.ocado.com
Price £1.85/500g

Whole wheat pasta, while
rich in dietary ﬁ bre and
a good source of complex
carbohydrates, is not to
everyone’s taste, but if it is
to yours, Ocado is the place to
go for the imported Rummo
brand. If it isn’t, why not
give it another try? Pasta
makers have come a long way
in recent years in improving
the taste and texture of their
whole grain products.

CARLUCCIO’S

GARGANELLI

PRIMAVERA

From Carluccio’s
www.carluccios.com
Price £3.95/500g

Garganelli are egg-based
pastas made by rolling a
square noodle into a tube.
Representing the colours of
the Italian ﬂ ag, these from
Carluccio’s include a plain egg
pasta alongside tomato and
spinach ﬂ avoured pastas. They
would work well with a grilled
vegetable sauce but are plenty
ﬂ avoursome enough to stand
on their own, with a drizzle of
oil and a little hard cheese.

VERDICT

+++++

A voluminous pasta best suited to a rich sauce. Just
right for Sunday lunch, with a bottle of robust red wine.

TENUTA MARMORELLE

PACCHERI

From Puglia Shop Online
www.pugliashoponline.com
Price £3.75/500g

Paccheri are a typically
Neapolitan pasta. The name
apparently derives from the
Ancient Greek and the word
still exists in the local dialect,
where it translates as ‘open-
handed slaps’. The idea of that
is supposed to be that paccheri
tubes are so large that they
‘slap’ around the sauce. They
have excellent colour and a good,
rough texture to pick up the
sauce. We felt they warranted a
rich and thick meat-based coating,
and we happened to have some of
the ‘nduja we featured last month
still in the fridge, so we used that
in an absolutely fuss-free sauce
(fry off some onions, maybe a
little sage, no salt – there’s plenty
in the ‘nduja).

R’S

JULY

2014

July 2014

ITALIA! 85

VERDICT

+++++

A superior, highly consistent
texture that will bring out
the best in all your sauces.

VERDICT

++++

The choice for vegans, and
anyone who is egg- or lactose-
intolerant.

VERDICT

+++

A versatile pasta often used
with mushroom and root-
vegetable based sauces.

VERDICT

++++

To say you wouldn’t know
it’s not wheat is a bold
claim, but it’s not far off.

GERARDO DI NOLA

PASTA RANGE

From Something Italian
www.something-italian.com
Price £3.50/500g each

The Gerardo di Nola range is
now available via Something
Italian. Buy individually or
take the whole hamper –
containing one paccheri, one
half paccheri, two spaghetti,
two linguine (all 500g), and
three 400g tins of tomato
ﬁ llets, for £39.50. We tried
the mezzi paccheri with
a jar of Seggiano tomato
pasta sauce from the same
supplier. Quick, simple and
very tasty.

SUMA ITALIAN

ORGANIC WHITE

MACARONI

From Suma
www.suma.coop
Price around £1/500g

Italian organic pasta made
by Iris Bio in Lombardy, a
workers’ cooperative since
1978. The pasta is produced
just 10km from the farm
where the wheat is grown,
using bronze ‘dies’ (pasta
shaping tools) which help
to create a texture that
holds a sauce better than
conventional methods. Add to
hearty winter soups or light
summer salads.

SAINSBURY’S

TASTE THE

DIFFERENCE

MILLERIGHE

From Sainsbury’s
www.sainsburys.co.uk
Price £1.25/500g

Millerighe can translate as
‘a thousand lines’ and this
is the difference between
this pasta and the paccheri:
it has lots of little lines. We
tried this one with an ‘nduja
based sauce too – in fact,
this was the prototype for
the recipe we now believe we
have perfected! Being lined,
though, means it will take a
lighter sauce too.

DOVES FARM

GLUTEN-FREE

ORGANIC PASTA

From Doves Farm
www.dovesfarm.co.uk
Price £2.49/500g

We’ve already provided
something for the whole
wheat fans, something
for the vegans and dairy-
intolerant… Now here’s our
choice for the gluten-free
brigade. Gluten-free pasta
is usually either horrid or
horridly expensive, so this
Doves Farm product is quite
a ﬁ nd. Made with maize
and rice, and suitable for
vegetarians and vegans.

ITALIA! July 2014

Q U E S T I O N S & A N S W E R S

Our experts are here to help with all your questions about Italy.
Email your questions to italia@anthem-publishing.com, or write to us
at our usual address, as given on page 6

QUESTIONS

& ANSWERS

THIS MONTH’S

EXPERTS

ANDREA REDIVO ZAGLIA is
the manager of Properties
in Italy, an Italian-based
estate agency specialising
in properties in the
Veneto region, Venice and
Euganean Hills. For more
information call him on
+39 349 452 0481 or

visit his website at www.propertiesinitaly.net

JIM AND LEA MCKNOULTY
run Casa Mercatello, a
service that helps people
ﬁ nd property to own or
rent in the Apennine town
of Mercatello sul Metauro.
As well as ﬁ nding property
they can also assist you in
all aspects of your visit or

relocation. www.casamercatello.com

LONG TERM RENTS

We are interested in moving to Le Marche, but
would ﬁ rst like to experience what it is like to

live there. Could you recommend a small townhouse
or apartment that we could rent on a long term
basis, to get a real feel for the region?
Joanna Chisholm, by email

Le Marche is a beautiful region! Often
referred to as the undiscovered version of

Tuscany, it’s full of authentic hilltop towns,
medieval villages, beautiful countryside and
family-run trattorias, all relatively untouched
by tourism.

A great base to explore the region is

a small, authentic medieval village called
Mercatello sul Metauro, where we’ve happily
owned our property for a number of years. The
town is historic, unspoilt and quaint, with
several bars, restaurants, churches and delis,
and yet central enough to be a great base for
travelling around Italy.

The local community of 1,500 are very

friendly, and although little English is spoken,
it’s easy to com municate – and it’s a great way
to ensure you improve your Italian! Visiting
the neighbouring towns and villages is just a
short, scenic drive away, whilst Italy’s major
cities and airports are within driving distance
as well.

There are several local rental options

in the area, please email us direct at ciao@
casamercatello.com for more details.

Jim & Lea McKnoulty, Casa Mercatello

LAURA PROTTI is dual
qualiﬁ ed as an Italian
avvocato and English
solicitor. She has extensive
experience in Italian
property law, international
private law, contract
law, succession law, and
taxation, and has assisted

with the drafting and updating of books and
articles on Italian Law. www.leplaw.co.uk

MARK SWIFT
is Marketing Manager
at De’Longhi UK and
has a wealth of knowledge
about coffee. De’Longhi
make some of the best
coffee machines on the
market today – to see
the full range of options

for home coffee machines see their website at
www.seriousaboutcoffee.com

Buying in Venice

oto

BUYING IN VENICE

We are frequent visitors to Venice for Carnival
and would like to buy a small place there

where we could stay in the winter and rent out for
the rest of the year. But we’re told that property in
Venice is prohibitively expensive. Is this really so?
Louise Chapman, by email

Venice is indeed one of the most popular
tourist destinations in the world, and as

such, property prices have not seen the decline
that has been experienced in other parts of
Italy and Europe as a whole.

This has proven La Serenissima to be a

very wise investment location. Properties are
still affordable for the discerning buyer, and
with holiday home occupancy rates that can
reach 80 per cent or higher annually, the rental
return on your investment can prove to be
more than fruitful.

Be open to options in your search as

well. A property in need of some updating
and renovation may be more negotiable than
one that is showroom ready. Also take into
consideration the proximity to amenities
which your potential guests will desire – ie.
restaurants and cafés, grocers, the main tourist
sites, and public transportation.

With so many properties in Venice being

used as holiday homes, the tourist has a vast
selection to choose from. While you may fall
in love with a particular property because it
has a canal view, it is a good idea to bear in
mind your potential guests’ experience and
seek to strike a happy balance between what
you love and what they will enjoy.

How accessible is your property? Is it on

the ﬁ fth ﬂ oor without a lift, which would
require your guests to carry their luggage up
numerous ﬂ ights of stairs? Is it located in one
of the more remote areas of the city, which
may offer a lower selling price, but will be less
attractive to your guests because of the effort it
would take to reach it?

A knowledgeable and successful estate

agent will be your best ally in the successful
search for your holiday property. A good estate
agent will know which areas of the city are

TONY BASSETT is the
manager of Tuscan Secrets,
a UK-based agency whose
services includes ﬁ nding
and booking independent
hotels, villas, farmhouses
and special interest
holidays. Email tony@
sunninghilltravel.co.uk

01344 627586 www.sunninghilltravel.co.uk

NESPRESSO®
PODS

I see that even Café
Direct are now selling

coffee pods. Is the Nespresso®
pod the coffee of the future?
Andrew Johnson, Winchester

Why Nespresso? Each single-use Nespresso
capsule is guaranteed to keep the coffee fresh
for up to 12 months. All the coffee grounds
remain in the capsule even after use, making
it simple, clean and fuss-free to use. You don’t
need a course as a barista in coffee making
to enjoy the highest barista-quality coffee at
home. With more than 20 varieties, including
speciality promotions and limited edition
ﬂ avours, you have plenty to choose from. With
its distinctive coloured aluminium packaging,
this can be a great way to offer personalised
coffees at dinner parties.

You can only buy Nespresso capsules

from Nespresso Boutique shops, or from the
Nespresso website. This is to ensure that
Nespresso maintain the strictest and highest
quality control and maintain exclusivity by
becoming a member of the Nespresso club.

If you prefer to choose speciﬁ c coffee

varieties and control the coffee making process,
you may prefer another product, such as a
traditional Italian coffee machine, or a Bean to
Cup machine where you can prepare all your
favourite coffee shop drinks using fresh beans
and fresh milk all at the touch of a button.

Why not visit our coffee website www.

seriousaboutcoffee.com and click on the
Products – Find your
machine. You just
need to answer a
few questions and it
will automatically
by analysing your
answers will determine
what your ideal coffee
machine would be.

Mark Swift,
De’Longhi

offee

Corner

July 2014

ITALIA! 87

more popular with tourists, and will also be
able to help you ﬁ nd those which will suit
your needs, as well as holding appeal to a
potential holiday guest.

Andrea Redivo Zaglia, Properties in Italy

DEEPER INTO TUSCANY

We have been to Florence and Pisa but would
like to see more of Tuscany. Can you suggest

some good places to go?
Mark Whitehead, by email

There is an important east-west road
between Florence and Pisa – you may

have used it to get to the airport. This marks
an interesting geographical boundary too. To
the north you have very rugged, mountainous
land; to the south, rolling hills.

Between Pisa and Florence is one of my

favourite small cites in Tuscany. Yet despite
being a small city, Lucca has a big history that
comfortably predates Roman times. Traces of
the Roman amphitheatre can still be clearly
seen. It still has its medieval walls, upon which
today people run, jog and even cycle. The city
is just full of wonderful palazzo buildings that
reﬂ ect its rich history, a history in which its
wealth was created primarily by the silk trade
and banking.

Directly north of Lucca is the Serchio

Valley, nestled between the rugged Apuan
Alps and the Apennines. This was a ﬁ erce
battle ground during World War Two, when
guns were placed in the hilltop villages to slow
the Allied troops who were advancing north.
Thankfully, today we can enjoy these historical
medieval hilltop villages and discover
traditional food served, at traditional prices for
the locals rather than for the tourist trade. I
should also include Ponte del Diavolo, which
has a most wonderful legend as to where its
shape comes from… The bar just opposite the
car park here serves wonderful pasta.

If we travel south from Florence we have

to include the iconic Siena, home of the Palio
as well as Montepulciano and San Gimignano,
Arezzo and Cortona – the latter dating back
prior to the Etruscans. Cortona overlooks Lake
Trasimeno where Hannibal ambushed the
Roman army.

Although Tuscany today is seen as a

single state, its history is still evident from
the time when it was made up of individual
republics, each with its own dialect and each
using different ingredients to create differing
food styles and tastes. Despite having visited
Tuscany innumerable times, each time I go, I
still discover more of its secrets – and I know
it still hides many more.

Tony Bassett, Tuscan Secrets

Laura Protti is the founder of LEP Law.
She is dual-qualiﬁ ed as an Italian avvocato
and English solicitor, and specialises in
assisting British and Italian clients with
matters relating to Italian law. Visit her
website at www.leplaw.co.uk for more.

LETTING
OUT RENTAL
ACCOMMODATION

We have read in Italia! that
setting up a B&B involves much

bureaucracy; does this also apply to
letting out rental accommodation?
Barbara Briers, Munich

Any rental agreement,
including tourist ones, must

be formalised in writing, even if it
is going to last for a few days only.

The rent can be freely

determined by the parties and
therefore it is only subject to
market rules.

A deposit and security are

not mandatory, but it is standard
practice to request them.

If the duration of the contract

exceeds one month it must be
registered with the relevant tax
authorities. The registration
costs must be divided 50 per
cent between the tenant and the
landlord.

It is also important to bear

in mind that the owner must
regularly declare the rental income
to the Italian tax authorities even
when the owner is not permanently
resident in Italy.

The taxes paid on rental income

may be deducted from those due
in the United Kingdom by taking
advantage of the double taxation
treaty between Italy and the UK.

Laura Protti, LEP Law

ITALIA!

legal

expert

oto

NEXT MONTH IN

ITALIA!

Con

ten

ts m

ay be subject to chan

e. M

ain im

e ©H

ann

ah Bellis

Subscribe & save money! Turn to page 44 to ensure you never miss an issue!

DON’T MISS ITALIA! ISSUE 117 ON SALE 10 JULY

PLUS Cycling in the Dolomites, best wines
from Valpolicella, secrets of Italian vegetables
from the kitchens of Rome and more!

AMALFI VIEWS

Take in the coastal vistas, exquisite food and crystal waters on

a gourmet road trip along the Amalﬁ Coast

Hidden trails of Sardinia –
Self-guided walks to discover

Enjoy the thermal water of Ischia,
healing pools & garden delights

Spend 48 hours around Lake Orta,
northern Italy’s tranquil lakeside

Piedmont property secrets – an
Italian home amid the mountains

PICNIC TIME

Mario shares recipes

for the ultimate

Italian hamper

ISLAND

WHITES

D R I N K I T A L I A !

July 2014

ITALIA! 89

More land is dedicated to growing vines

on Sicily than in any other region

icily is a region composed entirely of islands, from giant Sicily itself to
the smallest of the satellite Aeolian Islands that make up the region.
Sardinia is the same. Isolated from the mainland, and exposed to the
gastronomic inﬂ uences of the Arabs, it’s no surprise that these islands
have their own wine identities too. The most notable is Sicily’s history

with Marsala. More land is dedicated to vines on Sicily than in any other region,
and more than half of that is Catarratto, a key blending wine in Marsala, as well
as the base of several of Sicily’s DOC wines, and only grown in Sicily. When

treated well it has a rich and spicy personality not too different from a Viognier,
but that is not why it is so prevalent here – it’s exceptionally stable and can resist
the stresses of the strong sun of the south. The popular vines of Sicily have been
chosen for their stability rather than their ﬂ avour, and are often deﬁ cient in some
way so they need to be blended to create character. As well as Catarretto, Inzolia
and Grecanico are the key native grapes, and increasingly Chardonnay is grown as
it balances blends so well, and is a very successful vine to grow here!
It’s quite a different story on Sardinia. Here they have a DOCG wine –
Vermentino di Gallura, and Vermentino is certainly the island’s star grape. I’ve
always been more familiar with this variety from its Ligurian plantings, and
was happy to address that with the tastings for this month’s column. Ligurian
Vermentino is more delicate than its full-bodied Sardinian counterpart – the
strength of the southern sun intensiﬁ es the grape, and the granite soils make
the vines struggle for roots that concentrate the aromas even further. If, like me,
you’ve not tried the Sardinian variety, summer is the best time to correct that.

Match the sunny weather with wines grown on Italy’s
southern islands. Hannah Bellis investigates the
under-appreciated wines of Sicily and Sardinia…

oto

REGALEALI BIANCO

SICILIA 2013

From Berkmann Wines
www.allaboutwine.com
Price £12
This aromatic wine is
composed of three local
grapes – Grecanico, Catarratto
and Inzolia – with 12 per
cent Chardonnay by venerable
Tasca d’Almerita. In the
hands of skilled winemakers
like the Tasca family,
blending can produce a well
balanced wine, and that is
what you ﬁ nd here. Aromas
of citrus and green orchard
fruits are balanced on the
palate by a light acidity and
lingering mineral ﬁ nish with
touches of sharp grapefruit.
It’s a wonderfully youthful,
fresh, summer wine.

AVITO GRILLO

2012

From Marks and Spencer
www.marksandspencer.com
Price £65.94 for a case of 6
There’s no blend here – this
is 100 per cent Grillo, a really
classic Sicilian grape, often
used in Marsala, but fallen
out of favour in recent years.
You can taste a little of the
Marsala element here too –
aromas of honeysuckle and
pear expand to ripe peach
on the palate and a touch
of sweet citrus. It’s a dry
wine but these aromas bring
a lovely sweet ﬁ nish on the
palate. Deliciously different,
and this would also help it
partner with strong spicy
ﬂ avours like ‘nduja or spiced
Italian salami.

CALA SILENTE

VERMENTINO DI

SARDEGNA 2013

From Great Western Wine
www.greatwesternwine.co.uk
Price £13.95
I’ve enjoyed this in the 2012
vintage and the 2013 is even
better. It’s a lovely golden
green in the glass, with
aromas of stone fruit and
even a little tropical lychee
and lime. It is more subtly
fruit on the palate, which
stops the tropical notes from
overpowering. Instead you
get sweet lemon with hints
of almond and pine nut, with
tropical fruits coming in the
ﬁ nish. A very enjoyable and
balanced white, but perhaps
a tad expensive unless you
buy a case – so do that!

ERUZIONE 1614

CARRICANTE 2012

From Great Western Wine
www.greatwesternwine.co.uk
Price £18.50
Carricante is grown around
Mount Etna, and tasting this
I wish it was more prevalent.
On the nose there is less fruit
than in others here, just a
little green apple with lime
and a hint of honey. The
palate is unusual too, with
a non-salty minerality that
comes from the complexity of
volcanic soil. There are also
herbal complexities that the
strong sun usually knocks out
of Sicilian wines – rosemary
and mint that linger with
the minerality. A very stylish
wine, that could develop even
further if you want to keep it.

GREAT WITH…

Seared octopus on white
beans dressed with lemon
juice and good olive oil

GREAT WITH…

Summer picnics – the
screw top makes it perfect
for impromptu drinking

GREAT WITH…

Partner this with roast
tomato crostini drizzled
with oil-heavy pesto

GREAT WITH…

Serve with lobster in a
lemon and herb butter –
match quality with quality!

ITALIA! DISCOVERY OF THE MONTH

Villa Solais Vermentino di Sardegna 2013

From Great Western Wine
www.greatwesternwine.co.uk

Price £10.95

It’s been a hard month to choose our discovery of
the month, because there are different wines on offer
within the island white bracket. And I did hesitate
at selecting the Villa Solais Vermentino di Sardegna
because it is (heavens!) a screw cap, and I still have a
few old prejudices about these. But there is no denying
that at £10.95 it does offer exceptional value for
money, and I suspect that in the summer, when we are
more inclined to open a few bottles, price is more of a
consideration – and with a price like this, and a screw
cap, Villa Solais is extremely easy to open! And there
are some sophisticated nuances here when you do.
The aromas are, as you’d expect for a Vermentino, all
pear, apple and citrus, but these expand on the palate
with almond, and hints of sage and even mint, with
a salty minerality to refresh in the long ﬁ nish. Some
of these subtleties must come from the 30 per cent
Nuragus blend, a less respected Sardinian grape, as this
shows more character than most other Vermentinos.
Perfect with shellﬁ sh – I’d serve it with pasta vongole.

The aromas are all pear, apple and citrus,

but these expand on the palate

POLENA

DONNAFUGATA

2013

From Liberty Wines
www.libertywines.co.uk
Price £12.99
Here is a wine showing off
Sicily’s Catarratto grape in a
good light, blended half and
half with Viognier, which
helps bring out its best
characteristics. With aromas
of tropical fruit and a little
spice, it is very rich in the
mouth, with tropical fruit
– pineapple, orange, melon
and papaya – but balanced
by a freshness that stops it
becoming too fruit-cocktaily.
You need to serve this nice
and chilled, but it will enliven
and refresh your palate after
a hot day in the sun.

D R I N K I T A L I A !

GREAT WITH…

Enjoy with a lightly spiced
crab and mango salad –
summer in a glass

GREAT WITH…

Mussels cooked with pesto
and tomato, and fresh
crusty bread for the juices

July 2014

ITALIA! 91

VERMENTINO DI

SARDEGNA 2012

From Liberty Wines
www.libertywines.co.uk
Price £11.99
You’ll ﬁ nd Vermentino wines
across the south, but a cooler
summer meant than 2012
was a good year for Sardinia
growers, so you’d expect a
2012 Sardinian wine to be
good. True to form, this one
is a great example of this
grape, expressed creatively
by relatively new winemaker
Gavino Sanna. On the nose
you ﬁ nd aromatic jasmine,
sweet basil and ripe pear
expanding with pineapple in
the mouth, balanced with a
fresh acidity and a long ﬁ nish
of orchard fruit. Gavino Sanna
is clearly one to watch.

oto

QUALITY OVER QUANTITY

Wine labels in both Sardinia and Sicily are almost entirely made up of
cooperatives, due to land distribution systems of the past. Cooperatives used to
sell their produce to be used as cheap blending wines for noble French varieties.
Vines were selected for yield not ﬂ avour, and it was only when the market
started to collapse when France found new cheaper sources for blending wine in
the 1980s that the focus began to shift to expressing their native vines in their
own right, and a growing expertise in viniculture has been developing. Thirty
years later we are starting to see some exciting wines, but they are still pretty
unknown, which means that prices are competitive. Explore these regional wines
and you can ﬁ nd some great bargains!

ISC

OVER

F T

HE M

JULY

2014

WILD SWIMMING: ITALY

Michele Tameni, Wild Things Publishing, £16.99 (paperback)

Italy has an abundance of stunning waterfalls, lakes and hot
springs that just beg to be explored. There are hundreds of
beautifully scenic areas where people go to cool off in the Italian
sun, or just make new adventures. With this new guide, seasoned
traveller and waterhole-explorer Michele Tameni offers his advice
on the best places to visit on those days when city life just isn’t
doing it for you. You can go to the well-known areas popular
with Italian locals, such as the Fiume Savio in Central Romagna,
or you can venture off the beaten track and ﬁ nd those more
secluded spots to give yourself ultimate privacy. What’s more,
many of these areas offer spectacular views over the surrounding
Italian countryside and mountains, including tiny villages such
as Bogliaco, which seems “squeezed between the mountains and
the water”. With dozens of colour images, this book is enough
to make anybody jealous of those lucky Italians who call these
areas their homes, but you know what they say: if you can’t beat
them, join them!

In this month’s selection of books we ﬁ nd some special places to stay
in Italy, some out of the way places to swim, and a phrase book like no
other to help you ﬁ nd your way around…

IN PRINT

JUDGES

Andrea Camilleri, Carlo Lucarelli and
Giancarlo de Cataldo, Maclehose Press,
£12.99 (hardback)
Three short crime stories on offer here
from three of Italy’s most respected
and proliﬁ c writers of crime ﬁ ction,
including tales of assassinations and
the questionable motives of a small
Sicilian town. Don’t let the small
size of the stories fool you though,
because each one will reel you in, and
packs a bigger punch than the last.

KS...BOOKS...BOOKS...BOOKS...BOOKS...BOOKS...BOOKS...BOOKS..

ITALIA! July 2014

OLIVE ODYSSEY

Julie Angus, Greystone Books,
£15.43 (hardback)
Olives are so Italian, but they did not
originate there. Canadian-born author
Julie Angus ventures to Syria, making
various stops along the way, to trace
her Syrian family’s roots in olive oil.
With her husband at her side, she
begins in Spain and covers a vast
amount of territory as she sets out to
prove the healthy beneﬁ ts of olive oil
in our diets.

B O O K R E V I E W S

MARCO POLO ITALIAN PHRASEBOOK

Marco Polo, £6.99 (paperback)

When we venture to lands unknown, the last thing we want is to be lost in
translation. But fear not, because this Marco Polo phrasebook will have you
covered for everything you could possibly need, from asking people to take your
photo to enquiring about pharmaceutical items. Hopefully you’ll never have
to use the phrase La mia valigia è stata danneggiata (my suitcase has been
damaged) but just in case, Marco Polo has got your back. And if you like to
express your frustration verbally, there is even a handy guide on curse words for
you to really get your point across! The cheat sheet at the front of the book can
be cut out and tucked into your pocket, ready to be pulled out at a moment’s
notice when you need to ask for the bill or ﬁ nd out if anybody speaks English.
As far as translation guides go, you can’t do much better than this. It’s small,
but compact and won’t leave you stranded on your next trip to Italy.

AL DENTE: A HISTORY OF FOOD IN ITALY

Fabio Parasecoli, Reaktion Books, £25 (hardback)
In this fascinating guide, Fabio Parasecoli takes us through the history
of Italy’s relationship with food, right back to the Romans, discussing
the origins of olive oil and the importance of sun-ripened tomatoes.
He even looks at men and women’s relationships with Italian food,
discussing their roles in its production and consumption, which may
raise a few eyebrows among modern readers. By no means is this the
sort of book that you can pick up and glance at when you get the
chance, but the stories that are interwoven into the pages are essential
reads for any budding connoisseur or general foodie.

ALASTAIR SAWDAY’S SPECIAL
PLACES TO STAY IN ITALY

Alastair Sawday, £15.99 (paperback)
Throughout Alastair Sawday’s portfolio
of properties to stay in Italy, not
one has been included that he hasn’t
personally inspected and stayed in
himself, giving you only the best
places to choose from. With budgets
to suit every person, this fantastic
guide will guarantee you ﬁ nd that
special somewhere to call home, even
if only for a few nights.

G E T T I N G T H E R E

ITALIA! July 2014

Every effort is made to ensure that the above information about ﬂ ights between the UK, Ireland and Italy is correct at the time of going to press, but do check before you plan your trip

ITALY FLIGHT GUIDE

Let Italia!’s ﬂ ight guide take the hard work out of planning your trip. Just pick your ideal
destination from our handy map of Italy and locate the corresponding number from the list

Milan (continued) LDN City

Air France, Alitalia

LDN

Gatwick

easyJet

LDN Heathrow

Alitalia, BA

LDN

Luton

easyJet

Manchester BA,

Flybe

Naples

Birmingham Thomson

Bristol

easyJet

Dublin

Aer

Lingus

East

Midlands

Thomson

Edinburgh

easyJet

Glasgow

Thomson

Liverpool

easyJet

LDN Gatwick

BA, easyJet, Meridiana,

Thomson

LDN

Luton

Monarch

LDN

Stansted

easyJet

Manchester

Thomson,

Monarch

Newcastle

Thomson

Olbia

Bristol easyJet

Leeds Bradford

Jet2

LDN Gatwick

easyJet, Meridiana

LDN Luton

easyJet

Palermo

Dublin Ryanair

LDN Gatwick

AirOne, easyJet

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Parma

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Perugia

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Pescara

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Pisa

Belfast Jet2

Bournemouth

Ryanair

Bristol

easyJet

Cork

Ryanair

Dublin

Ryanair

East Midlands

Jet2, Ryanair

Edinburgh

Ryanair

Glasgow

Prestwick

Ryanair

Leeds Bradford

Ryanair, Jet2

Liverpool

Ryanair

LDN Gatwick

BA, easyJet

LDN

Heathrow

LDN

Luton

easyJet

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Manchester

Jet2

Newcastle

Jet2

Alghero

Dublin Ryanair

LDN Gatwick

Thomson

LDN Luton

Ryanair

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Ancona

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Bari

Dublin Ryanair

LDN Gatwick

BA, easyJet

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Bergamo

Birmingham Ryanair

Bristol Ryanair

Cork Ryanair

Dublin Ryanair

East

Midlands

Ryanair

Knock Ireland West

Ryanair

Leeds

Bradford

Ryanair

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Manchester

Ryanair

Bologna

Bristol

Ryanair

Dublin

Aer Lingus, Ryanair

Edinburgh

Ryanair

LDN

Gatwick

easyJet

LDN

Heathrow

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Manchester Ryanair

Brindisi

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Cagliari

LDN Gatwick

Meridiana, Ryanair

LDN Stansted

easyJet

Catania

Birmingham Thomson

Dublin

Aer

Lingus

LDN Gatwick

AirOne BA, easyJet,

Thomson,

Norwegian

LDN

Luton

easyJet

Manchester

easyJet, Thomson

Comiso Dublin

Ryanair

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Florence

Birmingham Flybe

LDN Gatwick

Vueling

LDN City

BA, CityJet

Genoa

LDN Gatwick

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Lamezia

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

Milan

Birmingham BA,

Flybe

Dublin

Aer

Lingus

Edinburgh

easyJet

DESTINATION

ORIGIN

OPERATOR

DESTINATION

ORIGIN

OPERATOR

AIRLINES

qª DQª+HMFTRªVVV @DQKHMFTR BNL

0870 876 5000

qª HQ.MDªVVV kªX@HQNMD BNLªª

+39 091 255 1047

qª KHS@KH@ªVVV @KHS@KH@ BNLªª

0870 225 5000

qªALHA@AXªVVV ALHA@AX BNL

0905 828 2828

qª!QHSHRGª HQV@XRªVVV A@ BNLª

0844 493 0787

qªª"HSX)DSªVVV BHSXIDS BNL

0871 666 5050

qªªD@RX)DSªVVV D@RXIDS BN TJ

0905 821 0905

qªª%KXADªVVV kªXAD BNLª

0871 700 2000

qªª)DSªVVV IDS BNLª

0871 226 1737

qªª+TESG@MR@ªVVV KTESG@MR@ BNL

0871 945 9747

qªª,NM@QBGª HQKHMDR

VVV LNM@QBG BN TJ
0871 940 5040

qª,DQHCH@M@ª HQKHMDRª
ª VVV LDQHCH@M@ HS

0871 222 9319

qª-NQVDFH@Mª HQKHMDRª
ª VVV MNQVDFH@M BNL

0843 378 0888

qªª1X@M@HQªVVV QX@M@HQ BNL

0871 246 0000

qªª3GNLRNMª HQKHMDRª

VVV SGNLRNMkªX BNL
0871 231 4787

qªª5TDKHMFªVVV UTDKHMF BNL

0906 754 7541

(1/.132

qª!DKE@RSª028 9448 4848

qª!HQLHMFG@Lª0844 576 6000

qª!NTQMDLNTSGª01202 364000

qª!QHRSNKª0871 334 4444

qª"NQJª+353 21 431 3131

qª#TAKHMª+353 1 814 1111

qª$@RSª,HCK@MCRª0871 919 9000

qª$CHMATQFGª0844 481 8989

qª&K@RFNVª0844 481 5555

qª&K@RFNVª/QDRSVHBJª0871 223 0700

qª*MNBJª+353 94 936 8100

qª+DDCRª!Q@CENQCª0871 288 2288

qª+HUDQONNKª0871 521 8484

qª+#-ª"HSXª020 7646 0088

qª+#-ª&@SVHBJª0844 335 1802

qª+#-ª'D@SGQNVª0844 335 1801

qª+#-ª+TSNMª01582 405100

qª+#-ª2NTSGDMCª01702 538500

qª+#-ª2S@MRSDCª0844 335 1803

qª,@MBGDRSDQª0871 271 0711

qª-DVB@RSKDª0871 882 1121

qª2NTSG@LOSNMª0844 481 7777

Always check with your airline

before planning your ﬂ ight.

July 2014

ITALIA! 95

£ªH2SNBJªOG

NSN

1NLDª

Birmingham Monarch

Bristol easyJet

Dublin

Aer Lingus, Ryanair

East Midlands

Ryanair

Edinburgh Ryanair

Glasgow

Jet2

Glasgow

Prestwick

Ryanair

Leeds

Bradford

Jet2

LDN

City

Alitalia

LDN

Gatwick

BA,

easyJet, Norwegian

LDN Heathrow

BA, Alitalia

LDN

Luton

Monarch

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Manchester

Jet2,

Ryanair

Newcastle

Jet2

3Q@O@MHªª

Manchester Ryanair

3QHDRSDª

Birmingham Ryanair

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

3TQHM Dublin Ryanair

LDN Gatwick

BA, easyJet

LDN Stansted

Ryanair

5DMHBD3QDUHRNª

Birmingham Monarch

Bristol

Ryanair

Dublin

Aer Lingus, Ryanair

East

Midlands

Ryanair

Edinburgh

Jet2

Leeds Bradford

Jet2, Ryanair

LDN

City

LDN

Gatwick

BA, easyJet, Monarch,

Thomson

LDN

Heathrow

LDN

Luton

easyJet

LDN

Southend

easyJet

LDN

Stansted

Ryanair

Manchester

easyJet, Jet2, Monarch,

Thomson

Newcastle

Jet2

5DQNM@ª

Dublin Aer

Lingus

Edinburgh

Jet2

Leeds

Bradford

Jet2

LDN

Gatwick

BA,

easyJet, Monarch

Manchester

Monarch

Southampton

Flybe

Some of these operators may charge a premium rate for phone bookings. Check before you call.

ª#$23(- 3(.-ª

.1(&(-ª

./$1 3.1

M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E

MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE MARKETPPLACE MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE

PROPERTY

SERVICES

Venice

the

Veneto

www.propertiesinitaly.net

Properties in

Find your dream home with

Full assistance with legal advice & restoration

English speaking staff

email:

Properties in Italy

info@propertiesinitaly.net

FOR SALE

Lovely village house in Piedmont,

Italy. Fully renovated character

property on edge of village, walking

distance village cafe and shop.

Four/ﬁve bedrooms,

three bathrooms, walled garden,

covered terraces, views, central

heating, woodburners.

Perfect family or holiday house.

Full information

www.fontanilehouse.com

or carriejordan1@me.com

De Benetti & Co.

italian

international

lawyers

www.debenettilaw.com

email: info@debenettilaw.com

Tel: +39 049 7994547 / 349 7150314

Via del Santo 41 - Padova - Italy

Studio legale Avvocato De Benetti

professional legal advice in :

Property Acquisitions & Resales

Wills & Inheritance

Company & Commercial Law

International Private Law

Litigation & Dispute resolution

Criminal Law

Please contact us for a no obligation site visit

tel: +39 338 420 4787 email: simoncorkhill

yahoo.com

www.gardensandpoolsitalia.com P.IVA: 02414920427

8m x 4m

reinforced

concrete, lined

pool from:

€22,000

+ IVA.

g a r d e n s

&
p o o l s

Garden and Swimming Pool
Design, Construction and
Maintenance in Le Marche
and Umbria

Dulux

Weathershield

white masonry

paint available

in Italy

Please email for

prices & delivery

weathershieldtoyou@gmail.com

Or fi nd me on eBay

Dulux

Weathershield

white masonry

paint available

in Italy

Please email for

prices & delivery

weathershieldtoyou@gmail.com

Or fi nd me on eBay

Firefly

Properties
& holidays
in Le Marche

www.ﬁ reﬂ yitaly.co.uk

Gravedona

New residence with swimming pool.

Only 400 metres from lake, 1-2 bedrooms.

Sunny private garden and terrace.

Great investment.
PRICE €160,000.00

Immobiliare Porticciolo Domaso

info@immobiliareporticciolo.com

44(0)7837509292 / 0039 320 691 5809

Complete pool and garden maintenance services.

Property Maintenance and Management.

Advertising and booking services.

All your property needs in one place.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

www.pugliapoolsandgardens.com

or call Chris on

0039 393 215 8114

www.seriousaboutcoffee.com

Owning a property in Puglia?

We give you the freedom when

you’re away and look after your

property as if it was our own.

info@casapuglia.com

0039 0831 854601

English speaking agency based in Fasano

Buying a property in Puglia?

Visit us as casapuglia.com. We act

as your agent to help you ﬁnd the right

property and secure it at the best price.

M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E

M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E M A R K E T P L A C E

MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE MARKETPPLACE MARKETPLACE MARKETPLACE

REMOVALS TO ITALY

Quality weekly service to all areas

Fully insured

Storage available UK/Italy

Highly recomended

(0044) 0 7803 014955 andrewwiffen@btinternet.com

Visit our new website!

www.italytravelandlife.com

REMOVALS

To advertise

please contact Laura on

01225 489989

Outstanding personal service,

unique trails, boutique

accommodation, small groups and

exceptional local food and wine.

www.hedonistichiking.com

Tel

(UK)

: 01858 565 148

Gourmet walking holidays in Italy and Slovenia

HOLIDAYS

/DNH&RPR

$ZDUPIULHQGO\ZHOFRPHDZDLWV\RXDW9LOOD7UqV-ROLHDOX[XU\EHG

DQGEUHDNIDVWRQWKHVKRUHVRI/DNH&RPR0DNHWKHPRVWRI\RXU

KROLGD\KHUHZLWKIULHQGO\DGYLFHZHOOQHVVOLEUDU\VXQWHUUDFHDQG

ZKLUOSRROEDWKZDONVZLQHFHOODUDQGDSHULWLYRWLPH

ZZZYLOODWUHVMROLHFRPLQIR#YLOODWUHVMROLHFRP

My Italia!

T H E F I N A L W O R D

DO YOU EVER WAKE UP THINKING IT MUST ALL BE A DREAM?

Oh deﬁ nitely, that’s the only way you can describe it. No
matter how much experience you have and how much work
you put into it you can never get used to what you’re doing.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER YOU COULD SING LIKE THAT?

I’ve always gone to theatre school on a Saturday since I was
four years old, but I didn’t really start to sing until I was 12
years old when I took singing lessons, which was when I ﬁ rst
realised that I wanted to concentrate on my singing. Then
about a year later I started performing in my local area.

YOUR SOLO ALBUM IS OUT IN JUNE, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT WHAT TO EXPECT?

It’s an eclectic sort of grouping. I wanted to keep hold of what I did with Johnny
and still have that classical crossover. I’ve also included some bigger pop ballads.

HAS GOING SOLO ENABLED YOU TO PUT YOUR OWN STAMP ON THIS ALBUM?

It’s enabled me to pick songs that mean something to me and are my
favourite kind of songs to sing, so I have been able to put more of an
emotional connection with the songs.

WHICH PART OF ITALY IS YOUR ITALIAN SIDE OF THE FAMILY FROM?

I am Italian on my Dad’s side, who is from Cambiago, a tiny little village in
northern Italy, northeast of Milan. I can’t speak ﬂ uent Italian but I can get by,
and it’s a perfect excuse to always eat pizza and pasta!

DO YOU VISIT ITALY OFTEN? WHICH ARE YOUR FAVOURITE AREAS?

I went to Italy every year on holiday until I was 14 and after that I’ve been
more or less most years but not so much recently because of work. But it was
nice that when I ﬁ nished Britain’s Got Talent, me and Johnny got to ﬁ lm a
documentary in Italy and I went to places that I haven’t been to before. But I did
go on holiday there with my family last year in the summer, which was the ﬁ rst
family holiday I’ve had since the show ﬁ nished. My favourite areas are Rimini,
because it’s where my family have always gone on holidays, and Milan.

OUR READERS ARE OBVIOUSLY BIG FANS OF ITALY. WHAT IS IT ABOUT ITALY
THAT APPEALS TO YOU AND WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE LIKE IT SO MUCH?

You can go somewhere and you always guarantee you’re going to bump into a
nice person. It’s a good atmosphere wherever you go and it’s very open, so you
can always have a friendly conversation, which I don’t think you get in England
because it’s very populated and there are so many different people. But Italy has
a relaxed environment and I love it. Plus, you can always guarantee great food!

DO YOU HAVE ANY PLANS TO VISIT ITALY IN THE NEAR FUTURE?

I have no plans yet but I would love to go back to Italy later this year,
hopefully for a holiday later in the summer.

Charlotte’s debut solo album Solitaire is released on 9 June 2014
through Sony Classical

ITALIA! July 2014

Charlotte Jaconelli and partner Jonathan
Antoine ﬁ nished as runners-up in Britain’s Got
Talent in 2012. What is she up to now?

WHAT’S

YOUR

STORY?

If you want to
tell the story
of your
relationship
with Italy –
whatever it
is – get in
touch with us!
Send emails to
italia@anthem-
publishing.
com with the
subject line ‘My
Italia’ and a brief
description of
your story.

Since becoming
runner-up on
Britain’s Got Talent
in series 6, Charlotte
has been busy, and
has now gone solo,
with her ﬁ rst album
coming out in June

Arrive, feel well, enjoy

On the banks of a lake, high up in the mountains, on the shores of the sea, near the bustling village square, in the
middle of the green woods… The location of the more than 200 privately-run, historical Romantik Hotels & Restaurants
in 10 European countries – 22 of them in Italy – is always something extraordinary. Regional specialities, typical local
architecture, as well as a distinctive climate and unique qualities of the people shape the character of each hotel
and restaurant just as the individuality of the hosts. Spa hotels in 5 countries and numerous restaurants awarded
with a Michelin star are the epitome of well-being and indulgence on the highest level.

Romantik Hotel T

urm, Völs am Schlern

2014

WELLNESS

SPA

RO M A N T I K

2014

Get your Romantik
Hotel Guide 2014
online now!