Giorgio tells me that when he was a child and it was the San Giuseppe period (that is march), he used to go every morning in Piazza del Campo by a wooden hut to buy a carton of frittelle di San Giuseppe. They were served only in march and there was always the queue … [...]
If you are looking for a perfect location for a photo service or a movie, the Siena territory is ideal: so, if you’re planning a holiday in the Siena territory, do not forget your photo camera and your video camera! I copy from a new website for film makers: «Those colours, that light…» as the [...]
When people ask me, if they can do some horse riding I always suggest to call Giorgio, wherever he is at the moment (and at the moment I think he should always be by Fattoria Casa Bianca…) but it is not necessary the accomodation at the Fattoria for horse riding with him. He is a [...]
Recently I have discovered a nice web site about the siennese Palio: its name is IlPalio.org It is in many languages (this is not so frequent ..) and it is really detailed: you will understand a little more this magic mad world in which the siennese people are submerged for most of the year. Because [...]
If you love basket, maybe you already know, that in Siena there is a wonderful basket team: the Mens Sana Basket! at the moment, I think it is the strongest italian basket team. It is sponsored by the siennese bank, Monte dei Paschi di Siena. In the past, I had the opportunity of knowing the [...]
We discovered the Osteria Doccino when we used to work in Siena and then we went there a pair of times with my father-in-law. It is a very simple place where young boys and girls will serve you very very good plates of the siennese tradition. Do not loose the opportunity of tasting the siennese [...]
This restaurant has been suggested by many of our guests! Unfortunately we have not yet been there but every spring we plan to go:-)) … maybe this year?! Trattoria Latte di Luna Via San Carlo n. 2/4 Ph: 0578 748606 Handy: 338 3266791 Closed on Tuesday
This is really typical of Tuscany.. to begin the meal with mixed Crostini some with spleen paste, some others with mushrooms, and some others with lever. Here is my father-in-law recipe (who, in any case, says that he always changes receipe, depending on what he has in the fridge:-)) Ingredients: chicken lever, onion, celery, 1 [...]
Before coming to Tuscany, I only new the famous song “Viva la Pappa col Pomodoro” sung by Rita Pavone.. in Piedmont isn’t a tradition. When I discovered it (Giorgio made me taste it), I found it really special.. and asked Giorgio to do it so many times! It is a very simple plate, a traditional [...]
Ingredients: a calf spleen, extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper, bread slices, chili, fresh sausage, 1 carrot, some celer, some parsley, some basil, onion, leek Procedure (This recipe has been given by my father-in-law): The spleen is a slice with a sort of peel from both sides. Remove it and then scrape the flesh with [...]
Trattoria Il Pozzo, Sant’Angelo in Colle, Montalcino (Siena) We went to Trattoria Il Pozzo because some friends suggested us this place. It was late spring and it was for lunch time. We were really surprised by the beauty of the place, which is a medieval very little village perched on a hill. We parked the [...]
When autumn arrives, the Siena territory becomes really magnetic for people loving open air life, and living in the countryside becomes truly fascinating. I love this period! After hot summer months, it is quite wonderful to light the fireplace, to put on the first pullovers and look at the woods changing colours into the warmer [...]
I suggest you also to stop for luch in the village of Radicofani in the restaurant La Grotta (better to book, specially on sunday and week-ends: it is always full). It is a great restaurant, where siennese people enjoy to go, as it is not expensive at all and the food is great. When I [...]
I appreciated very much the visit of Radicofani Fortress! The fortress is located on the top of an high hill, a very panoramic place that you reach after walking ca. 20 minutes up to the fortress. The fortress is very fascinating and its long history too as it is also famous because it was occupied [...]
If you make a walk in the ancient town of Montalcino, homeland of the famous wine Brunello di Montalcino, I suggest you to stop for a glas of Brunello or a less expensive Cappuccino in the dehors of the Antica Fiaschetteria Italiana, an historical café and wine shop in the main square of town, Piazza [...]
The first time I went to San Gimignano it was december and very cold.. my first impression was very strong: I was simply astonished, I had really never seen such a magical place (one more!:-)) I had never seen such an ancient place, so perfectly preserved, surrounded by a landscape so perfect, magical, untouched! I [...]
Semi-autobiographical tale from the early life of director Franco Zeffirelli looks at the illegitimate son of an Italian businessman. The boy’s mother has died, and he is raised by an Englishwoman in pre world war II Fascist Italy. Living to each other in Florence, and presided over by an ambassador’s widow, a group of Englishwomen [...]
Bernardo Bertolucci filmed the scenes of Stealing Beauty (Io ballo da sola) in the summer of 2005 between Florence and Siena, in splendid unforgettable locations. Some of the scenes were filmed in Villa di Geggiano, in the Chianti territory (Siena) Today the Villa the proprietors produce a very appreciated Chianti and offer their spaces for [...]
Much Ado About Nothing is a comedy of 1993 written and filmed by Kenneth Branagh. The comedy is freely inspired by the omonimous Shakespearian piece and mantain its location in Messina (Sicily, Italy) but was interely filmed in Greve in Chianti by the beautiful Villa Vignamaggio, in the Siena territory. Villa vignamaggio produces extra virgin [...]
At Sant’Anna in Camprena, a former Olivetan Benedictine monastery from the 15th century – only 6 kilometers away from Pienza, the Italian-American director Anthony Minghella shot some of the most famous scenes of his movie The English patient, nominated for 9 academy awards. Now the monastery is an agriturismo: in the monastery’s refectory the visitors [...]