Christmas Windows

Christmas has arrived in Lucca.

Throughout the historic center there are signs of the holiday everywhere. Piazzas large and small are home to Christmas trees, oversized ornaments, and beautiful light displays. The streets glow with overhead sparkle. It is just cold enough to feel like winter, but not too cold to be out at night enjoying the festive atmosphere.

And the shops!

Shopping is all the more fun for the whimsically decorated windows and elegant indoor displays. One of my favorite window displays is in the historic shop Taddeucci (below).

Instead of words, today I will let the photos do the talking with pictures of Lucca’s wonderful shop windows.

Christmas for grownups at bar Des Artes !

Elegant Christmas decorations from Casantica, Lucca

Babbo Natale even paid a visit to this shop, delighting all the kids that passed by.

Traditional Christmas Panettone in tins designed by Dolce & Gabbana decorate the window of a local butcher.

Changing Seasons in Tuscany: Autumn into Winter

Sometimes the calendar plays tricks.  October, an autumn month, seemed more like late summer in Tuscany this year.  The temperatures were mild, there was plenty of sunshine, and outdoor cafes were still in full swing.  It was hard to even imagine cold weather.

Blue skies and fall color along Lucca’s walls.

Colorful umbrellas brighten dreary days.

But then the end of daylight savings time arrived, bringing shorter days and early nightfall. By mid-November temperatures were much cooler and the rains began.  This should not have been a surprise, November is typically a very wet month, but it still seemed to catch us all off guard.

Out came the colorful umbrellas, making the city cheerful despite some dark, drizzly days. It finally felt like fall. 

Now, just two weeks later, it is still officially autumn, at least until the winter solstice arrives on December 21. But it feels like winter.  The days just keep getting shorter and it is cold! Really cold. And though this transition happens every year, somehow this year it seems more of a shock.  

There is no room for complaint.  The fall color is gorgeous.  The fog and rain have a mysterious beauty.  Italy needs the rain. The umbrellas are colorful.  The cold air is invigorating and walking atop the walls of Lucca at dusk on a chilly evening is inspiring. Crisp late autumn beauty is everywhere.

Cranberries are nearly impossible to find in an Italian market. These were expensive, but worth it for a traditional apple cranberry Thanksgiving pie.

Late November brought “American-ish” Thanksgiving celebrations.  They began with a minor miracle - I actually found fresh cranberries in Italy! Hard to find here, they are an essential ingredient when I make an apple-cranberry pie and it just doesn’t feel like Thanksgiving without that pie!

On Thanksgiving day, a small gathering at the home of friends was a joy. There were prosecco filled glasses, a wonderful dinner with a not-quite-traditional (but very delicious) stuffed chicken breast, all the traditional trimmings, and lots of laughter. 

We were all reminded of the many blessings we have found here in Italy.  And while I always miss my family back in the US at this time of year, I appreciate that they remain with me in spirit and that modern technology helps keep us connected.  Not to mention that soon a big jet will whisk me off for a visit to NM where I can hug them in person!

 And now Lucca is gearing up for the winter holiday season.  Chestnuts are roasting and all around town Christmas decorations are going up.  This year it seems the city of Lucca is going all out, with some new and exciting displays filling the piazzas with Christmas spirit. 

 For the next few weeks I will happily don my winter clothing to go outdoors. I will spend time walking up on the walls and through town, crunching through the last of the fall leaves, enjoying the holiday lights and sparkle, watching the ice skaters in Piazza Napoleone, visiting churches with lovely Nativity displays, and enjoying the change of seasons from autumn to winter.    

A chilly autumn afternoon on the walls of Lucca.

Making Pici at Cretaiole

One of the highlights of any week spent at Agriturismo Cretaiole is the Pici class. Pici are strands of hand-rolled pasta, a sort of fat spaghetti, common in the part of Tuscany in and around the Val d’Orcia. At Cretaiole, be prepared to don an apron and participate! And bring an appetite for the big group dinner that takes place after the work of pici making is done.

Nicco teaching us how to make pici

Nicco Moricciani is the grandson of Luciano, Cretaiole’s founder, and the son of Carlo who tends the vines and olives. Nicco has recently taken over teaching the pici class from his mother Isabella. Isabella is quite proud of Nicco’s pici making skills and for good reason. Not only is Nicco an experienced pasta maker but he is also a fun and interactive teacher, sharing information and family stories throughout the class. Under Nicco’s guidance pici making is fun, rewarding, and occasionally hilarious. Let’s just say that there was a lot of laughter and good-natured teasing among the participants as we honed our skills (or lack thereof).

Class began with a demonstration of how to make the dough the way the family has done for generations.

Flour (type 00) is spread out on a big wooden board and then arranged volcano style in a circle with high sides to contain the wet ingredients. Some pici recipes add only water and a bit of extra virgin olive oil but at the Moricciani farm there are chickens and that means lots of fresh eggs. No surprise then that the Moricciani family recipe adds several eggs to the flour, water, and drizzle of oil. The wet ingredients are combined with a fork in the middle of the flour circle and then, little by little, the flour is coaxed from the sides of the ring into the egg mixture. It’s important not to break the flour ring lest the egg mixture leak out and dribble away. Nicco demonstrated this skill perfectly.

After the flour is incorporated, it is time for the guests to begin their work. Each gets their own wooden board and a portion of the dough to knead. When the dough is smooth and elastic it’s time for it to rest and for the guests to enjoy break time. A bit of Prosecco helped us get ready to the real fun - hand rolling the pici.

Rolling pici is an art and one that takes some practice. A bit of dough is rolled into a log and then the magic happens. One hand rolls the log while the other hand stretches the dough gently, eventually forming a long string of pasta. Not too fat and not too thin, all the pici should be about the same diameter. And with 20+ cooks each learning the process that was no easy feat!

The winner of the longest pici competition !

There was a friendly competition to see which guest could get the longest pici - and some gentle ribbing of those with the shortest pieces. All the laughter worked up an appetite!

Even those of us who managed fairly long and right-sized pici could not match the speed with which Nicco turned them out. We might have been there all night had not Cretaiole’s fabulous chief organizer, and really fast pici maker, Fernanda come along to help out. Our efforts were also bolstered by more wine and slices of toasted bread rubbed with garlic and generously topped with good Cretaiole Extra Virgin Olive Oil. It’s good to feed the pasta makers!

While we were making the pici the sun set, a fire was lit in the fire pit, more wine poured, and appetizers set out. Carlo also arrived to light the grill. He brought the farm’s meats to grill - sausage, pork ribs, and thick strips of pancetta. Can anything top the smell of a Tuscan barbecue on a mild fall evening? Carlo is the master of the grill!

Dinner started with our pici topped with Nicco’s ragu. We were pleased with our efforts as the pici was wonderful, though perhaps it was the delicious ragu that guaranteed great flavor. Cretaiole red wine was a perfect accompaniment. Later came salad and those tasty grilled meats. Just when we thought we couldn’t eat another bite, Fernanda brought out her homemade tiramisu. It’s a good thing Italian dinners are spread out over several hours.

So many things came together to make this a memorable evening. The setting was spectacular. The group of guests were a huge part of the fun - all were friendly, interesting, and enthusiastic about their time at Cretaiole. We shared stories and began friendships, with hopes to meet again.

The Moriccianis - Nicco, Carlo, and Luciano (who to everyone’s delight joined us for the evening) - are warm, welcoming, and fun. Fernanda (below, right) makes everything work, including this big event, and makes it look easy even though it certainly is not.

It was a perfect Tuscan evening full of friends, fun, good food, wine, and laughter. Who could ask for anything more?

From Villa Bertolli to Villa Santo Stefano: An Italian Story of Olives, Grapes, and Families

Most Italian fairytales begin with these words: C’era una volta (loosely translated as “once upon a time”). Today I have a bit of a true-life fairytale to tell, so I will start with those words.

C’era una volta, around 160 years ago, when Francesco and Caterina Bertolli tended to their olives, pressed them, and sold the olive oil out of a small shop in the San Donato neighborhood of Lucca in Tuscany. They also grew grapes on their land and made a little wine, though the oil was their main product.

In the late 1800’s, some Bertolli family members emigrated to the United States and began to import the family’s olive oil, making Bertolli the first Italian olive oil to establish as US presence. Eventually the business in Lucca passed down through the generations. The company was nationalized by Mussolini in the 1930’s and by 1972 the family no longer owned the company or the rights to the Bertolli name for their olive oil. Not all fairytales have happy endings! The family did still own a lovely piece of property in the hills above Lucca, the Villa Bertolli, which had olive trees and around 1 hectare (about 2.5 acres) of vineyard. The fairytale doesn’t end yet though, for there is another chapter yet to come.

A view of the valley from the former Villa Bertolli

The tale continues in 2001 when a German couple, Wolfgang Reitzle and Nina Ruge, purchased the historic property from the Bertolli family. Originally they thought of it as a vacation property, and the property certainly had fairytale-like qualities that would make it perfect as a vacation spot. But Mr. Reitzle soon became interested in both the olive oil and the small production of wine on the estate. Since purchasing the property he has expanded it to include 12 hectares of land, made a serious study of winemaking, hired some very talented winemakers, and become the proprietor of a thriving vineyard and winery, now renamed Villa Santo Stefano. The name comes from the historic church of Santo Stefano which is just up the road from the villa. Today the villa not only produces wonderful wines but also their own label of extra virgin olive oil, a nod to those long ago Bertollis. The winery also gives tours and tastings, by appointment, and also offers guest lodging.

Villa Santo Stefano is an elegant estate. And the views! The property overlooks vineyards and valleys, has graceful covered pergolas, fountains, and immaculate landscaping. I would happily do any job needed, from trimming the flowers to sweeping out the cellars, if only I could live on site!

One of the restored buildings, now home to guest suites, at Villa Santo Stefano

Petra, sharing information about the wines of Vila Santo Stefano (the old rattan wrapped bottles at the bottom are left over from the Bertolli’s)

On a recent Sunday, a small group of friends and I made a visit to the villa. We were escorted through the property by the very knowledgeable estate manager, Petra Pforr.

Petra shared the history of the estate, the grape varietals grown, the evolution of the wine production, along with the details of Villa Santo Stefano’s production philosophy and processes. The information she shared was fascinating!

Several of the estate buildings have been restored and include exquisite, luxurious guest spaces. The suites range from cozy yet upscale mini-apartments to a large villa in the former barn. The large villa has multiple bedrooms, an elegant living room, a spectacular kitchen, and a large outdoor space with a private pool. Oh to be a guest there!

The winery may be a relatively small operation, producing around 50,000 bottles per year, but it is an incredibly high-tech one. No dark cellars or dusty old bottles here. No seen-better-days barrels. Each part of the facilty is modern and spacious. Computers control the temperature and humidity to create optimum conditions for maturing wines. The steel tanks gleam and clear glass rods along the sides of the tanks give a sneak peak of the red and rosato wines fermenting inside. I’ve never thought of steel vats as beautiful before, but the ones as Villa Santo Stefano seem like works of art crossed with modern scientific instruments.

The cellar is large with vaulted brick ceilings and soft lighting. Lining the space are beautiful French oak barrels, about 1/3 of which are replaced each year. That is a costly undertaking but essential in maintaining the quality of the wines. And quality is key at Villa Santo Stefano.

Of course the most important part of a winery is the wines themselves - and Villa Santo Stefano did not disappoint. During the tasting, in the estates beautiful banquet room, Petra discussed each wine including the grapes used and its unique characteristics.

The wines we sampled included a delicate pale pink Rosato (Luna), a crisp Vermentino (Gioia), and 3 different reds (Volo, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot, and Alicante grapes), Sereno (an 80% Sangiovese blend, a Super Tuscan) and Loto (a Cabernet, Merlot, and Petit Verdot blend).

Loto is considered the Villa’s signature wine. It was the first one produced at Santo Stefano in 2006. Lots is a lovely wine, deep red in color with just the right fullness and dryness. I could tell you I tasted berries, smoke, and vanilla but that would only mean that I read the brochure! I just know that the first taste made me smile and want to sip some more. I liked all the wines we tasted, but this is the one I took home with me - though I may have to go back in summer for some of the Rosato, which would be the perfect crisp summer wine. Then again, the Vermentino and the other two reds were really good too. I think each of my friends had a different favorite. We definitely all carried some home with us.

A visit to Villa Santo Stefano is a treat. The setting is spectacular, the guest suites drool-worthy, the production areas high-tech yet with the personal touch of the winemakers. The vats and the barrel room are the stuff of fairytales for wine lovers. Thanks so much to Petra for sharing her knowledge and love of wine and of this very special property! Thanks also go to the long ago Bertolli family and the current Reitzle - Ruge family for sharing their property and their stories.

For more information: www.villa-santostefano.it or Petra.pforr@villa-santostefano.it

An Autumn Weekend in Pontremoli

For 5 days at the end of October and beginning of November my Italian hometown of Lucca hosts the huge Lucca Comics and Games event.   Picture 75,000+ people a day descending on the small, walled city and a series of white tents lining the historic walls and filling the piazzas.   It is an important economic event for the city and a big deal for afficionados of costumes, gaming, anime, superheroes and the like.  Lots of people love it, but for some of us it is simply crowds and chaos.  This year, after two pandemic years in which the festival was cancelled (2020) or scaled back (2021), the crowds were predicted to be bigger than ever.  That made it the perfect time to for me to plan an out-of-town escape. 

One of Pontremoli’s small alleyways - an invitation to explore!

 This year my “escape from comics” destination was suggested by Nancy, one of Two Parts Italy’s readers. Just as I was trying to decide where to go over comics, I received a lovely email from her asking if I’d ever been to Pontremoli.  She went on to say that she had just spent several days there and thought it was just the kind of place I would love.  She included photos and recommendations for things to do.  What serendipity!  I had never been to Pontremoli and receiving that email was all the inspiration I needed.  I quickly found that I could get to Pontremoli by train from Lucca in under 2 hours.  I found a lovely Airbnb apartment to rent and a friend who was ready to share the adventure.  The more I read about the town, the more excited I was to visit. I am so glad that Nancy took the time to write to me!

Pontremoli is a village in the Massa-Carrara Province of Tuscany, population around 7000.  The town lies in the historical region of the Lunigiana, which straddles the regions of Tuscany and Liguria.  It is a region of mountains, forests, rivers, old towers, castles, and small medieval hamlets.  The Via Francigena, the pilgrim’s route between Canterbury and Rome, crosses the area including right through Pontremoli. 

Pontremoli’s historic center as seen from one of the foot bridges over the Torrente Verde

 Like many of the medieval towns in the region, Pontremoli has a well-preserved centro storico (historic center) which feels a world apart from the more modern town beyond.  The centro storico is wedged between two rivers, the Torrente Verde and the Fiume Magra.  The rivers are crossed by a series of old stone bridges.  Ponte is the Italian word for bridge and Pontremoli means trembling bridge.  Perhaps the original, ancient wooden bridges trembled, but today the bridges are rock solid. 

Several of the bridges are for foot traffic only. Strolling across them gives views of the green riverbanks, parks, medieval buildings, and the Castello del Piagnaro which sits high above the village. 

My companion and I quickly settled into the habit of a daily walk across the Ponte della Cresa to the north, down the green space along the Torrente Verde, across the Ponte Stemma on the south, and to the tip of Pontremoli where the Torrente Verde joins the Fiume Magra, forming one larger river. A green and peaceful park sits at this spot, quiet other than the sound of the tumbling waters of the two rivers. 

During this October visit the trees where changing colors and the fallen leaves made for a special landscape during our walks.

The Torre del Cacciaguerra, Pontremoli

 The historic center stretches between two tower gates along what is basically one long street, although the street name changes several times from Via Cavour to Via Armani to Via Garibaldi. 

Along the way are two side-by-side piazzas, the Piazza della Repubblica and the Piazza del Duomo.  Long ago the two piazzas divided the town between two opposing groups, the Guelphs and Ghibellines, preventing all-out conflict. 

A very tall campanile (bell tower), built in 1322 as part of a city fortress, stands between the two piazzas and is known by two names – The Campanone (meaning really big bell tower) and the Torre del Cacciaguerra (Tower of the War Fighters). 

Today there are no warring factions and the two pretty squares are ringed with cafes and shops. The piazzas are also where the Saturday market is held. Visiting a local Saturday market is a great cultural experience in any small village and the one in Pontremoli was no exception. Local produce, especially from the fall harvest, made for a colorful market.

The route to the castle

 Off the main street are several alleys which climb up towards the castle.  The walk is uphill but not terribly steep and the experience of wandering through the medieval castle village is well worth the climb.  The castle also houses a museum with pre-historic rock carvings called Stele.  More on the castle and the Stele in a future post !

 Pontremoli was a perfect fall getaway and wonderful spot for a long weekend.  Views over the river, the sound of rushing water, green spaces, changing leaves, and stone bridges made for a perfect weekend escape.

Adding to the fun, we found some wonderful restaurants serving local dishes such as Testaroli (a type of large round crepe) with Pesto and Frittelle di Farina di Castagna (little fried chestnut flour cakes) con Ricotta. 

For morning coffee and a pastry, the Antica Pasticceria e Caffè degli Svizzeri with its scrumptious pastries and beautiful liberty-style café, can’t be beat. 

Where the Torrente Verde joins the Fiume Magra