ideas for Arezzo, Italy

kbecke.TakeThisOut@creighton.edu wrote in
@Bluejay.creighton.edu:

 >
 > We are interested in exploring an area we haven't visited
 > before and are thinking of Arezzo. Would like ideas for
 > interesting nearby towns, restaurants and also hotel options.
 > Will have a car. Interested in cooking and food, shopping,
 > not art or churches. Planning for November. Thanks for
 > your help.
 >

north of Arezzo, the Casentino Valley has beautiful landscape and
charming little towns ; near Arezzo you could also visit Chiusi,
Montepulciano, Pienza, Cortona, mount Amiata, the Trasimeno lake,
Perugia, or else go towards Siena.

As for the cooking, a rule of thumb is: the steepest the landscape, the
poorer the cooking, (and the worse the wine): Casentinese traditional
cooking is very simple, based on products such as corn, potatoes,
mushrooms and game (tortelli di patate, that is fresh pasta with a potato
filling), while going towards Arezzo and Siena you find somehow richer
cooking, pork and cattle meat (the Chianina steak is a must, as are the
Pici - a sort of very large spaghetti of egg pasta). Expect genuine
products and absolutely nothing very complex.

Cheeses are also very interesting, mostly from sheep milk from the fresh
Raveggiolo (must have been made the very same day) and Ricotta to
Pecorino cheese, ranging from fresh to extra-old - absolutely to try with
chestnut tree honey as a dessert.

November is the traditional time of the year when pork is slain, so you'd
expect fresh pork meat, often roasted, sausages and soppressata, while
for cured meat you should taste various types of hams, generally on the
salty side, much leaner and stronger than the Parma.

You could also find - depending on weather and vintage - the first 'vino
novello' - wine from the sept. and oct. vintages (accompanying roasted
chestnuts), and 'olio nuovo' (fresh extra virgin olive oil, to use with
roasted bread) and mushrooms.

Wines are often red and strong, Montepulciano is known worldwide for its
"Vino Nobile", while Chianti is more traditional around Florence.

Towards Umbria and southern tuscany truffles are also part of traditional
(albeit rather expensive) cooking.

hope this gives a taste
 >> Stay informed about: ideas for Arezzo, Italy 

In article ,
kbecke RemoveThis @creighton.edu () wrote:

 > We are interested in exploring an area we haven't visited
 > before and are thinking of Arezzo. Would like ideas for
 > interesting nearby towns, restaurants and also hotel options.

I was very pleased with the Cavaliere Palace hotel in Arezzo. The
restaurant right next door is said to be excellent BTW but was always full
whenever I looked in...probably a good sign.

The town is not all that interesting. Pleasant enough, but you will
exhaust its charms in a day.

It's a good base, though. As someone else said the Casentino is
breathtaking (my friend lives halfway up a mountain there - literally
- with the wolves and boar...) and as well as the other towns mentioned
you're not too far from Pisa.
 >> Stay informed about: ideas for Arezzo, Italy 

Katherine,


You should make a small 30 minutes exception to your rule about art.

You will be near to the most beautiful painting on earth:
"L'Annunciazione" del Beato Angelico in Cortona.

Arezzo is very close to Cortona. Cortona is a wonderful town. One of the
twelve cities of the Etruscan League 500 years b.C. . Splendid with
ancient, Medieval and Renaissance monuments. Hometown of famous painter
architect "Pietro da Cortona". Capital of Val di Chiana, where the
famous Chianina cows offer the best meat in Italy. Restaurant "Tonino"
in Cortona is a must...

I go there about once a year to admire "L'Annunciazione" by Fra
Angelico. It is a painting that make my heart tremble. Pure beauty. Mary
in that painting id the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. So pretty
fragile, humble, yet proud, happy, shaken, surprised, honored to be the
mother of our Lord. The Angel who is "Announcing" to her that she will
be the most honored woman of mankind is sending her the words trough
tiny gold letters. Well if you see that picture, you will feel a better
person. You will feel how vain is the image of commercial beauty offered
to our eyes by film stars or advertisers everyday, compared to pure
beauty of Mary.
I see Purity Innocence and Beauty in that picture. Today that we are
used to see Beauty provocative and connected with sex appeal, it is
striking to admire it in a different way.

<a rel="nofollow" style='text-decoration: none;' href="http://www.berrettini-pancrazi.com/fratta/fratta_e_dintorni/cortona/pag_e_immagini_grandi/annunciazione.htm" target="_blank">http://www.berrettini-pancrazi.com/fratta/fratta_e_dintorni/cortona/pa..._immagi</a>

I am not a painter nor a painting expert. I am just an ISP manager. What
I feel by looking at that painting is strong, hard to explain and to
communicate. All I can tell you is go see it.


Fra Angelico:

'' When I saw this work, I nearly fainted fead from shock and
love of it. I couldn't have done it alone. I sighed and wept. ''


Giacomo





kbecke.DeleteThis@creighton.edu wrote:
 > We are interested in exploring an area we haven't visited
 > before and are thinking of Arezzo. Would like ideas for
 > interesting nearby towns, restaurants and also hotel options.
 > Will have a car. Interested in cooking and food, shopping,
 > not art or churches. Planning for November. Thanks for
 > your help.
 >
 > ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
 > Katherine Becker "As god is my witness
   > I thought turkeys could fly"
 > NEVER SEND A FERRET TO DO A WEASEL's JOB --WKRP
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 >> Stay informed about: ideas for Arezzo, Italy