March 2003 Archives

The Chianina (pronounced kee-a-nee-na) may well be one of the oldest breeds of cattle in existence. They were praised by the Georgic poets, Columella and Vergil, and were the models for Roman sculptures.

The breed originated primarily in the west central part of Italy and was found in a wide variety of environmental conditions. Because of this, the cattle vary in size and type from region to
region. The largest representatives of the breed, from the plains of Arezzo and Siena, have supplied most of the foundation stock that has been used in the United States and Canada. The name comes from the Chiana Valley in the province of Tuscany in Central Italy.

Bright red crest, blue feet, and immacuately white plumage, it's impossible to mistake Bresse poultry for any other.

Massa Lubrense is an ideal place for a great holiday, 108 km of marked trails in the country side, gentle landscape, famous for its cuisine (seven restaurants in the Top 20 of Campania, one of the best three in Italy), a coastline almost 20 miles long in the middle of the Protected Marine Area of Punta Campanella.

This fascinating restaurant stands across the street from the old Roman slaughterhouse.

via travel design, today, added a new home to their growing collection of vacation rentals in France.

Paolo de Marchi ‘s father bought this property in the 1950’s and Paolo grew up here. At that time the property was an example of the medieval economy called mezzadria or sharecropping system.

At Casa d'Ambra, the steep terraces have been carved out of the rock of Monte Epomeo. A monorail had to be installed to harvest the grapes, much the same way as in Cinque Terre, in Valtellina and in Portugal’s Valle del Duoro.

On the last weekend of October, Montalcino is filled with pageantry, history, processions, rivalry and excitement. The four neighborhoods of Montalcino close ranks, wear their own colors, and, as the hours pass and festivities begin, the rivalry and passions of the citizens reach fever pitch, culminating in a hotly contested archery tournament on Sunday afternoon.

"The imagination is the spur of delights... all depends upon it, it is the mainspring of everything; now, is it not by means of the imagination one knows joy? Is it not of the imagination that the sharpest pleasures arise?"

Despite Tuscany’s evident beauty, its long history of art, and its current image as an chic destination, the region’s gastronomy is relatively simple and straightforward.

Valcamonica, in the Lombardy plain, has one of the greatest collection of prehistoric petroglyphs to be found anywhere.

Aristide Maillol, the French sculptor, draftsman and painter, was born in Banyuls-sur-Mer on December 8, 1861.

Italian architect Carlo Scarpa possessed an exceptional understanding of raw materials such as iron, marble, wood, copper and most especially, glass.

The best lentils in Italy come from Castelluccio. The town of Castelluccio has an elevation of 4,800 feet and is one of the highest in the Umbria region. It overlooks two broad plains where these special lentils grow.

Near the village of Monticiano in Tuscany, stands the dramatic ruins of the church of San Galgano, the remains of a Gothic Cistercian church and abbey built by monks between 1224-1288.

Norcia, a small medieval town tucked away in the mountains of Umbria, has many special culinary delights. The area may be little known to outsiders, but as far as Italians are concerned, Norcia is the gastronomic destination par excellence for Pecorino, pork products and truffles.

This wonderful kitchen supply shop owned by the Rocchi-Mignani family is located in front of the Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori in Florence.

A Bacaró is an osterie or small bar with food where most Venetians stop for a meal or snack. They are reasonably inexpensive and an excellent lunch spot or for early evening appetizers.

Bernard Loiseau took his life this past week. He will be missed by the legions of food lovers who made the pilgrimage to La Côte d'Or in Burgundy or Tante Jeanne and Tante Marguerite in Paris.

Proprietor and chef, Paola Di Mauro produces noteworthy Lazio wines with her son, Armando who also owns Il Sanpietrino Ristorante in Rome. Their enologist is Riccardo Cotarella.