A Fall Festival in Tuscany

November 19, 2018 by Joanne Bartram

When you think of fall in Tuscany, what are the first things that come to mind?

My list would include porcini mushrooms, the harvest of grapes and olives, and chestnuts. No surprise that I associate fall with food because in Italy, the seasonal influence on food is fundamental. And, for me, food and travel are always woven together.

Fall is also a season of sagras, community festivals celebrating local foods. One is the Festa della Castagna (Chestnut Festival) in the Tuscan hamlet of Colognora di Pescaglia. Colognora is a small hilltown with about 70 year-round inhabitants. It has a film-set quality about it with its uneven cobbled streets winding uphill, beautiful stone houses, and small lanes leading to beautiful vistas (in fact, this town was used as the set for Spike Lee’s film “Miracle at St. Anna”). It’s hard to believe that villages like this still exist; what a joy that they do!

A vicolo (small lane) in Colognora di Pescaglia ends with a stunning view.

A few more pictures of Colognora:

Chestnuts are an important aspect of the culture in this part of northern Tuscany. The hilly terrain around Colognora - lying between plains and mountains - is perfect for growing chestnut trees. The many uses of the chestnut, as food, lumber, raw material for baskets and other household goods, and fuel are demonstrated in a small but interesting museum, the Museo di Castagna. It provides a peek into the past, when the chestnut was essential to life in this area. History comes alive with displays of the many ways the chestnuts were used, the tools used in processing (to shell, dry, grind, weigh, store, saw, and smoke the wood), along with displays of the many implements made using the wood.

Scales in the Chestnut Museum

Stone plates used for cooking neck (a chestnut flour crepe)

Chestnut wood was used to make carbone (charcoal)

In times of hardship, chestnuts were a life-sustaining food source, an element of “cucina povera.” Flour made from dried chestnuts is still uses to produce breads, cakes, cookies, pasta, and (my personal favorite) necci - a thick crepe often served filled with sweetened ricotta. But at the Festa della Castagna, the real star is the flame-roasted chestnut with charred skin bursting open to reveal a soft, tasty middle.

Perhaps the only thing better than the taste is the fragrant scent of roasting chestnuts filling the air and drawing visitors to the site of the roasters. Here, in the center of the village, music played, children and couples danced, a group of men did the roasting and women handed out small bags of hot, freshly roasted chestnuts.

The only scent that could compete with the chestnuts was the perfume of frying frittelle dolce (loose translation, sweet fritters). These doughnut-style sweets were fried outdoors, rolled in sugar, and served hot. The smell was tantalizing, as evidenced by the lines of people patiently waiting for their turn to taste one.

The fall festa is a big event - visitors fill the narrow streets, visit the chestnut museum, and browse the many artisans who demonstrate working with chestnut wood to produce baskets, brooms, foods, and even iron implements (using charcoal made from chestnut wood to fire their stoves). Other artisans sell a variety of handmade crafts, art, and food along the streets.

Visiting this festival on a Sunday afternoon in fall was my idea of a perfect day. Gentle weather, a beautiful off-the-beaten-track Italian village, a unique sagra celebrating local customs, and a chance to try new food with a cultural connection. What could be better!

A big thanks to Angelo Giannini at Lucca Italian School for accompanying our group to this festa, sharing the unique local history and customs, and serenading us too! -Post by JMB

The Church of Santa Caterina - A Small Jewel in Lucca

November 12, 2018 by Joanne Bartram

Lucca has an abundance of beautiful churches. The small historic center of town was once known as the city of 100 churches. Not all 100 remain today and yet I could write a blog post about a different church every month and it would take years to tell the story of each of them.

Some of the churches are large, still active, and well known for both their architecture and the art they contain. Chief among these are the basilicas: San Michele, San Frediano, and San Martino. Others are small and hidden away on back streets where tourists rarely venture. Some are completely abandoned but others are active churches or have been converted into event / performance spaces.

One such church is the small Chiesa di Santa Caterina, which lies in the western part of the historic center of Lucca, at the corner of Via Vittorio Emanuele and Via del Crocifisso, right across from the old tobacco factory. In fact, the church of Santa Caterina has also been called the “Chiesa delle Sigaraie” (Church of the Cigar Makers) for the tobacco workers who once came here for a prayer before beginning their work day.

A bit of history: Santa Caterina was constructed in the later part of the 16th century, one component of the monastery that used to exist on this site. The original church was renovated around 1748. Over time, it stopped serving as a church and was used for a variety of non-religious purposes. Later still the building was abandoned entirely and stripped of much of its art. It had been closed for more than 40 years when the Fondo Ambiente Italiano (FAI) undertook its restoration in 2013. Today it is a little jewel, hiding a spectacular baroque interior behind its plain exterior. It is only sporadically open, often for a special event, such as a concert. In October, it was opened for a fall season FAI event in which historic properties all across Italy were open to the public for one weekend. I was excited to have the chance to visit, as this is one of my favorite churches in Lucca.

Santa Caterina is unusual for several reasons. First, for its unique size and shape. The angled entrance opens into a small but quite tall oval shaped chapel. There is a small main altar and two even smaller side altars. No grand cathedral this; the small size feels intimate and personal.

Also unique is the baroque interior, full of ornate decoration. Though tiny, the space is filled with visual delights - statues, marble carvings that circle the room at the top of the walls, ornate iron grates, cherubs atop altars, and captivating frescoes.

one of the ornate iron grates

Detail from ceiling fresco

marble ornament

The structure of the painted ceiling is the most fascinating part of the church. The ceiling consists of a painted dome with an oculus at the center. Above the oculus lies a second frescoed ceiling, giving depth and a soft light to the ceiling.

The painted dome, seen from the chapel below

But it isn’t enough to just look up at the ceiling. Behind the main altar is a narrow, winding stairway that climbs up above the dome. From there the rough stone top of the dome with its central opening is visible as is the thin frescoed ceiling that floats above it.

The oculus and top of the dome, viewed from above

The frescoed ceiling seen above the edge of the oculus

The original structure of wooden beams and bricks is now reinforced with steel cables - but I still marvel at the master architects who created this special place and the artists who filled it with such beauty. -post by JMB

Turtle Woman (Silent Shell, Chaotic Shell). Eu Taze’

An International Fesival of Paper Art in Lucca

November 05, 2018 by Joanne Bartram

Did you know that Italy is one of the world’s leading producers of paper? This is especially true in the area of Tuscany surrounding Lucca. Paper mills have existed in this region since the 16th century, thriving because of the abundance of water and raw material needed for paper production. Today the vast majority of tissue paper for Italy is produced just outside of Lucca. This history makes Lucca the perfect setting for a biennial international exhibition of paper art and design.

Detail from an intricate paper cut design, China Academy of Fine Art

The festival began in 2004 as Cartasia, with the goal of promoting the tradition of papermaking using artistic creations related to an annual theme.

The event has grown, and this year the name was changed to Lucca Biennale Paper, Art, Design.

Also for the first time this year a guest country was featured in the exhibit; this year China was chosen and collaborated with the local committee on the exhibits. The Chinese influence can be seen in many of the art works displayed.

Prior to each festival, there is a competition to select the pieces to be displayed. Artists from around the world submit art (sculptures, paintings, installations, videos, architecture) based around a chosen theme. This year the theme was Chaos and Silence, described in the exhibit materials as the “search for silence, clarity, peace among chaos.” Each selected piece relates to this theme, as interpreted by the individual artist. The chosen pieces, representing Italy, Germany, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Korea, Venezuela, the United States, and China, were displayed throughout Lucca throughout August and September. Pictured in this post are just a sampling of the displayed pieces, my favorites.

I Don’t Know Who I Am Anymore, Michele Landel

I Don’t Want to Have Another Kid, Michele Landel

I’m Exhausted All the Time, Michele Landel

Many of the larger sculptures were displayed outdoors in public places - making the art easily accessible to everyone. The pieces themselves were fantastic, and watching as people walked by and discovered them was part of the fun.

Liminal Space. Manuela Granziol

Paperman. James Lake

Other pieces were displayed indoors in the Palazzo Ducale and the Mercato del Carmine (the admission fee to the indoor exhibit included a color brochure describing each piece). These included more delicate sculptural pieces, framed art, diverse art installations). The architecture of the historic buildings added to the drama of the art.

Radiate Eternal, Marie Schirrmacher-Metz, displayed in the old Mercato building

In past years, once the exhibit ended, the larger sculptures were move to protected areas in the passageways underneath the walls surrounding the city, where they remained for the two years between festivals. I’m hoping that will also be the case this year, as the festival included some exceptional pieces. If you are coming to Lucca, you’ll want to look for these. -post by JMB

The Sights and Sounds of the Cosmos. Anton Mitra

A group of happy diners on the patio at restaurant Cucina allo Scompiglio

Lunch in the Vorno Hills of Italy

October 29, 2018 by Joanne Bartram

I was recently invited to a lunch in Vorno with a small group of students from Lucca Italian School. Vorno is a small village in the commune of Capannori, reached from Lucca via a pleasant 7-kilometer bike ride, which travels along the path of Nottolini’s aqueduct. It’s about 15 minutes by car - efficient but less scenic. I knew the lunch would be fun, a sociable afternoon with new friends and a chance to try a new restaurant - the Cucina dello Scompiglio. It turned out to be much more, because this is a place with a story to tell.

The Nottolini aqueduct stretches from Lucca to Vorno and is a favorite path for hikers and bicyclists. Photo by K. Chung, used with permission.

The story is about the old Tenuta Estate, which once upon a time included a beautiful villa surrounded by terraced plantings, olive groves, orchards, vineyards, smaller farmhouses, a large barn, and wooded areas. The estate had been abandoned for decades; lying untended and overgrown until a major project was undertaken to reclaim and restore the estate.

The vineyard of Tenuta allo Scompiglio, Vorno

Ristorante Cucina allo Scompiglio (photo from restaurant web site)

Today, Tenuta dello Scompiglio is again productive agricultural land and a center for culture, art, performance, and a variety of workshops. It is also home to the wonderful restaurant, Cucina allo Scompiglio, which is housed in what once was the vecchio fienile (old barn, hayloft) on the Tenuta estate. It is also a pastoral and peaceful setting, perfect for a walk through the gardens and vineyards after a meal

Tenuta dello Scompiglio is a biodynamic farm, using agricultural methods that minimize disruption to the land and soil, employing organic strategies for plant nourishment and pest control. The project is slowly restoring long-abandoned olive groves and has revitalized the vineyards that now produce a red estate wine called Lavandaia. They have also reclaimed the orchards, which produce pears, plums, cherries and apples, all typical varieties from this region of Italy. And the gardens! The garden was full of deep red tomatoes, slender zucchini with blossoms, peppers, and a variety of greens. All are used in the restaurant, along with the estate-produced wine. You can’t get more farm to table than that.

Zucchini in flower in the large garden

a hillside olive grove on the estate

fresh herbs for the restaurant

In the end, it was a special lunch with like-minded travelers, all here as students of the Italian language. The food was delicious and the outdoor patio offered fabulous views of the estate and distant mountains. After lunch we enjoyed exploring the estate and soaking in the scenery. A perfect Italian afternoon!

Of course I have to include some photos of the food. The pasta and salad on the left, as well as all the pictured desserts below, were from out weekday lunch; the pasta and ribs on the right were from brunch the previous Sunday (thanks to Kim Chung for those!).

A big thanks to new friends Kim and John for discovering this lovely spot and arranging lunch for our group. -post by JMB

Photo by Kim and John - who spotted this lovely place on their Sunday bike ride.

A Taste of Chianti

October 22, 2018 by Joanne Bartram in Restaurants Italy, Italy, Tuscany, Chianti Region, Italian restaurants, Wine, Travel, Italy travel

Chianti. Ask someone to name an Italian wine and this is often the first wine they will think of. Chianti is a wonderful wine, a blend containing mostly Sangiovese grapes. Chianti is also the name of the region in southern Tuscany where the grapes are grown and the wine produced. The Chianti region stretches south from Firenze (Florence) toward Siena and includes some of the most beautiful landscapes in Italy. Exploring the Chianti region is best done by car, driving slowly along the narrow, winding roads and stopping whenever the road widens enough to pull over to enjoy the view and snap a few photos. I recently had the chance to do just that, spending a perfect autumn day driving the back roads of Chianti with a trio of friends. And since I wasn’t doing the driving (lucky for me!) I had plenty of opportunity to watch the passing scenery.

On the Via Molino Nuovo, between Castellina in Chianti and Greve

And there was so much to see - vineyards, olive groves, stone villages, farmhouses. The hill crests provided spectacular wide views over the valleys, and the valleys provided views along creeks and wooded areas, of vines just beginning to wear their early fall color, and of entrances to gravel roads leading uphill to stone farmhouses. With our time limited to a day, we focused on visiting two of the many villages and towns in the region. Our first stop was Castellina in Chianti, one of the three original Chianti villages (along with the villages of Gaiole and Radda, the only ones allowed to use the “Chianti Classico” appellation and the famous Gallo Nero or black rooster on the seal).

The word charming isn’t sufficient, so I will just say that this village is truly incantevole (enchanting) with its cobbled streets, central piazza strung with overhead lights, beautiful small church and bell tower, remains of a fortress, and many shops, cafes, and restaurants. Add to that the views of the surrounding valley that peek out from alleyways and streets and the opportunities to sample good wine produced in these old vineyards and you will see why I found this town so appealing

After spending most of the morning in Castellina, we were off toward Greve. The road between these two towns offers more stunning landscapes and some good scenic view points with space to pull over, explore, and take photos.

A most appealing spot was just around a bend in the road. It looked at first glance to be a stone farmhouse across from a smaller stone building with a sign saying molino nuovo (new mill), situated next to a small creek. A closer look revealed the “farmhouse” to be a beautiful B&B with a large terrace, pots of flowers, and a very peaceful vibe. I would love to book a future stay here at the B&B La Fiaba - it looks like the perfect place to spend a few days exploring this area.

Crisp flat bread piled high in La Cantina, Greve

We arrived in Greve ready for lunch. We had done little advance planning for this day, preferring just to choose a restaurant by look (crowded with locals) and aroma. The restaurant La Cantina hit both of these and we happily waited for a table. It’s hard to mind a long wait when you are greeted warmly and with a complimentary glass of prosecco! The staff was great - friendly, fun, quick to laugh and the outdoor setting was pleasant and the food delicious. Placed on the table was a basket of a unique crisp flatbread (a change from the more commonly served basket of bread). It was baked in-house and there were stacks of this simple yet delicious bread piled on the counter inside the restaurant.

Our shared appetizer was a mixed plate of crostini - slices of toasted bread, with pate, mushroom, melted gorgonzola, and tomato. Delicious! Between the four of us, we tried two pasta dishes - a pici with tomato, onion, and cinghiale along with a pacchetti (wide tubular pasta) with ricotta and pancetta. Very different flavors, but both were delicious. Also delicious was the wine, a Chianti Riserva (aged longer than other Chiantis, at least two years). Lunch finished with an apple cake topped with gelato and caffè macchiato. This was one of those classic two-hour Italian lunches full of good company, good conversation, and plans for future days exploring this region.

Heading home we drove through another lovely village, San Casciano in Val di Pesa, but we left exploration here for another day. This day of exploring the Chianti region was perfect - but provided just a taste of what the area has to offer, both scenically and gastronomically. I am already looking forward to a return visit. -post by JMB