Zurers in Italy 2017

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Tuesday, May 9: Day 8: Spoleto-Panzano in Chianti

Today we leave Spoleto for Chianti....we have enjoyed our stay here (in spite of my 24 hour "flu"). The town is lovely and we have had a good time with Pauline and Steve.

We are headed for Assisi to have lunch with Letizia Mattiaci ( @Madonna del Piatto ) at her agriturismo above Assisi .... she is a Slow Travel contact and a Facebook friend. We spent an afternoon with her recently in Washington when she was on a cooking and book tour of the US.

On the way, we make a stop in Spello, another beautiful Umbrian hill town. We had stayed here in 1995 and I wanted to see the Pinturicchio frescoes in the Baglioni Chapel of the Santa Maria Maggiore church. Spello is definitely a hill town ... we find a parking space at the bottom of the town and start walking up. We are "befriended" by an "old" woman (most likely not much older than us) who tells us to follow her and she will lead us to the church.

We find Santa Maria Maggiore on the very pretty main street of Spello but when we go inside, the chapel is locked and there is no one in sight ... not an unusual occurrence while traveling in Italy. But after five minutes, the ticket seller appears, we pay our two euros, he unlocks the gate and turns on the lights. Pinturicchio is best known for the fresco cycle in Siena but the scenes he painted in this church in Spello are wonderful. You are right up close to them and have the added benefit of the lighting. There are three frescoes -- the Annunciation, the Nativity and the Dispute with the Doctors -- and they are bright and vivid, crammed with details.

Photo from https://i.ytimg.com/

Photo from https://upload.wikimedia.org/

Photo from https://www.wunderlist.com/

Definitely worth a detour ... we walk next door and walk through the town picture gallery which has some very nice portraits and old Sienese altar pieces and then Diana does some shopping in a nearby linens store.

Photos by Jim Zurer

We walk up the main street and then take the elevator down to the parking lot. Before leaving we drive up to the top of town for the view over the countryside and then we head off for Assisi.

Letizia's place (Alla Madonna del Piatto) is located high over Assisi on a narrow dirt road ... we had been there before but I still feel like we are lost as we approach. We have a happy reunion with Letizia (the family had taken a cooking class with her when we were staying in Cannara several years ago). Her husband Ruud is also there as well a guest, Susan Van Allen, who writes about Italy, and knew about my posts about Italy on Slow Travel.

Photo by Jim Zurer

The weather is threatening so we move back and forth from inside to outside ... but lunch is very pleasant--marinated vegetables, farinata, lasagne and pear tiramisu. We're the beneficiaries of the cooking class Letizia had conducted the day before. We have a long discussion about the deleterious effects of AirBnB on the old model of the lodging industry but mostly enjoy the company and admire the view.

Photo from http://incampagna.com

We get back on the road for our drive to our next destination ... Panzano in Chianti. The road to Siena has been improved and it is a fast drive to Siena where we leave the highway for the very scenic SR 222, the Via Chiantigiana, a beautiful road up and down the hills through the vineyards, olive groves and small villages. We are staying at the Villa Le Barone, a country hotel just outside the village of Panzano. Though it is minutes from town, it feels very remote on small country roads with spectacular vistas over the Chianti countryside.

Photo by Jim Zurer

We settle in and take our bottle of prosecco (gift of the management) and sit by the swimming pool. The other guests are very friendly and we meet two couples from the Isle of Jersey who are careful to explain that they are not English.

Photo from https://t-ec.bstatic.com/

The hotel had told us to park in the covered shed just across from our room but while we were sitting outside our room, a man with a red Ferrari drives up and asks if we were parked in the shed. He explains that he had arranged to park his car there and would go the desk to see what had happened. In the meantime, the charming owner of the hotel (a count and descendant of the family who built the estate) comes to apologize for the mix-up, explaining that the Ferrari owner is a frequent guest and had reserved the space and asks whether we would mind moving our car to the regular parking area - which we do.

Photo by Jim Zurer

We have dinner at the Villa's dining room ... it is a full house. The room is pleasant ... high, timbered ceilings and well lit. The food is just okay -- Diana enjoys her unusual risotto with radishes and the antipasto buffet is fine but my tagliatelle ragu and the peposo (a peppery beef stew) are ordinary.

It's a short walk back to our room ...

Tomorrow, we may relax and do a little exploring.

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Wednesday, May 10: Day 9: Panzano in Chianti

A bit overcast as we walk over to breakfast, enjoying the view of the grounds, the valley and the hills in the distance.

The Count and Countess are at their table and greet guests as they arrive. After breakfast, we dawdle a bit waiting for the weather to improve. Later in the morning, we get in the car and drive the short distance along the back road to the village. There is now a pretty large parking lot just off the main piazza, undoubtedly built due to the surge in popularity of Panzano in Chianti because of the "mad butcher of Chianti" Dario Cecchini. He started out as a artisan butcher but, over the years, he has built a small empire of restaurants in town which are extremely popular tourist destinations.

We first have a light lunch at the wine bar on the main piazza -- prosciutto and fittole (a kind of fried dough) for me and a pasta for Diana, then we stroll around the village for a bit, admire the view over the countryside in the opposite direction from the hotel and get back in the car to do some exploring.

Photo from http://static.bakeca.it/

We drive north to Greve and then take the narrow and somewhat hair raising (for Diana) road up to the small village of Montefioralle ... now mostly a destination for the restaurants that are located there.

Photo from https://travellingcorkscrew.com.au/

We then continue on back roads and meander around a bit ... ending up on a narrow dirt track that leads to a restaurant where we have eaten in the past. There is not much there and the road appears to end a short way further on so we turn around and drive through the woods until we get to the imposing abbey ... the Badia di Passignano. I have always wanted to get inside the abbey to see the Ghirlandaio Last Supper but it is only rarely open to visitors. Today is no exception and it is locked up tight. A few other tourists drive up, wander around the courtyard, take a few pictures and leave.

Photos by Jim Zurer

On the way back, we want to get a gelato at a favorite gelateria in Castellina in Chianti but we are shocked to find that it is no longer in business. As a consolation, we drive to Radda in Chianti for a gelato ... not as good but we have to make do.

We arrive back at the Villa Le Barone in the late afternoon but it is too cool to sit at the pool so we just relax until dinner. We have made reservations at an osteria just down the road from our hotel ... Le Panzanelle.

Photo from http://www.lepanzanelle.it/

I had made reservations by email earlier in the day and the woman recognized me. We are taken upstairs to a nice room which is almost empty — perhaps the room for non-Italians. The room does fill up and there are even a few Italians seated there.

Dinner is mixed ... I really like my osso buco but Diana's tagliata is a bit disappointing. We drink a very nice Chianti from just over the next hill ... and finish it easily.

It is fortunately a short drive back to the hotel ...

Tomorrow, we plan to re-visit the Chianti Sculpture Garden, where we had been in 2006.

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Thursday, May 11: Day 10: Panzano in Chianti

The weather in the morning is again uncertain but by the time we finish breakfast the sun comes out and it looks like it will be a beautiful day. Diana brings her quilting out to a table near the pool

Photo by Jim Zurer

and I take a walk over to the old church, the Pieve di San Leolino, which is right next door.

Photo by Jim Zurer

Photo by Jim Zurer

About 11 am, we get in the car and drive through the back roads of Chianti to the Chianti Sculpture Garden located in a remote section of Chianti near Pievasciata. We had visited the garden in 2006 and have very good memories. For years, I have been saying that the countryside in southern Tuscany (the Val d'Orcia) is more pleasing than the scenery in Chianti but I may have to reconsider my opinion. There is less of the broad vistas of southern Tuscany but the hills, the trees, the vineyards and olive trees of Chianti are quite beautiful.

Photo from http://lovefromtuscany.com/

Photo from http://www.italyexplore.com/

We get to the Sculpture garden and decide to eat lunch before going in. The young woman at the office recommends the village of Pianella about 7 kilometers away ... she says that there are a couple of restaurants and bars to choose from. The scenery on the drive to Pianella is more reminiscent of southern Tuscany - we are not far from there.

We scope out the eating options in Pianella and choose one ... which has La Fonte painted on the wall but turns out to be called Peposo. From the outside, it somewhat nondescript but when we walk in, we are greeted warmly and showed outside to the attractive terrace in the back. The lunch turns out to be one of those perfect Italian experiences... the food, the setting, the service - all are great. We share a (large) antipasto Toscano and Diana has an excellent plate of lamb chops while I have a very good pici cacio pepe. We manage a quarto of red wine and they bring some house made crostata for dessert - on the house.

After lunch, we head back to the Sculpture Garden and take a relaxed stroll around the grounds. The path through the woods is only about a kilometer but there are a couple of dozen modern art installations by international artists displayed throughout. We like some more than others but on the whole, the experience is very pleasant. Some of our favorite pieces are

Photo by Jim Zurer

Photo by Jim Zurer

Photo by Jim Zurer

Photo by Jim Zurer

There is also an amphitheater and picnic tables that show a sense of humor.

Photo by Jim Zurer

Photo by Jim Zurer

The neighboring village of Pievasciata has also begun to install modern sculptures in town and on the roads ... which make for surprises while driving in the area.

Photo from http://www.ecomuseochianti.org/

Photo from http://www.siena-agriturismo.it/

Photo from http://www.miprendoemiportovia.it/

We enjoy the drive back to Panzano and relax in the room until dinner. We're not up for another big meal so we head for the local pizza place in Panzano. I snag a parking place right in front — putting the car halfway up on the sidewalk like an Italian.

The pizza is pretty good. Diana's has sausage and I have one with spicy 'nduja (Calabrian sausage) and we drink a little more wine. Just what the doctor ordered.

The almost full moon casts a glow on the dark valley as we drive the short distance back to the hotel.

Tomorrow we will drive into Florence to meet our frend Jane Nyahan for lunch and then a visit to the newly remodeled Duomo museum.

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Friday, May 12: Day 11: Panzano in Chianti

This morning, we take it easy after breakfast because we plan to drive to Florence in the late morning to meet our good friend Jane Nyhan (an American who is an art historian and does guide jobs for me sometimes and is married to an Italian). We want to go to Florence (which is not my favorite destination) to see the recently renovated Duomo museum where many of the treasures from Duomo and Baptistery are kept.

We arrange to meet outside the parking lot of the Fortezza and walk to a restaurant for lunch. The drive into Florence is pretty easy (I enjoy the challenge of city driving in Italy) and we find the parking lot entrance with only a few wrong turns. Once out of the underground lot, we don't see Jane but soon we get a text from her that she is walking toward us. The restaurant she has chosen is near the museum and was recommended by her daughter. It is a pretty good hike from the Fortezza through the busy commercial section of Florence and there are lots of cars, buses, scooters and people ... a big contrast to the tranquillity of the Villa Le Barone.

Jane's husband, Carlo, meets us at the restaurant, the Osteria Zio Gigi.

Photo from https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/

The place is mobbed ... they feature a lunch memo for Euro 10.00 per person. We are shown to a table in the back, get menus and try to adjust to the noise. Zio Gigi is quite a presence ... flirting with women, bursting into song while taking orders ... but we are not that charmed.

Photo from https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/

We make the best of it ... trying to carry on a conversation. The food is average but the other customers are part of the show ... when we are seated we witness a shouting match between a woman (with blue hair) and the rest of her group. It appears that the group left her behind and she was quite incensed. Zio Gigi actually calms her down and has her laughing by end of her meal.

Carlo says goodbye after lunch and the three of us continue on to the museum. We walk through the Piazza Duomo past the massive cathedral, Baptistery and bell tower.

Photos by Jim Zurer

The museum's renovation is quite striking...everything is beautifully displayed with excellent lighting. The written explanations (in Italian and English) are informative and are in understandable English. Jane gives us some background and we enjoy just rambling around stopping at pieces that attract us. The most famous pieces are the original doors from Baptistery....

Photos by Jim Zurer

a late Pieta by Michelangelo

Photo by Jim Zurer

and Donatello's wooden sculpture of Mary Magdalene

Photo from http://www.artrotter.com/

but there was much more. I have always strongly recommended that clients visit the museum when in Florence and the newly renovated place just reinforces that recommendation.

We start the long walk back to the parking lot ... Jane stops in a bookstore and we say goodbye. Part of the route passes through the railroad station and Diana notes the lack of a single bench along our path. She's quite proud (if a bit achy) that we seem to have walked seven miles today.

We get stuck in rush hour traffic on the Via Chiantigiana as we leave Florence but soon we are gliding along through the beautiful countryside.

After our less than successful lunch today, we are ready for dinner and we go to a very attractive place in Panzano in Chianti, Oltre Il Giardino. We had made reservations but, in spite of it being a Friday night, there is only one other couple seated in the "foreigners room" ... a English couple from Cambridge.

Dinner is very good ... the room is attractive, the waitress is agreeable, the conversation with our fellow diners is pleasant and the food is excellent.

We start with an order of fettunta -- toasted Tuscan bread covered with delicious olive oil and rubbed with garlic. My ribollita -- a bread based vegetable soup -- is one of the best I have had and Diana enjoyed her ravioli. We then split a plate of grilled ribs and sausage (excellent). A local Chianti is finished without a problem and dessert is a panna cotta for me and some biscotti with vin santo for Diana. We would be happy to return here on our next trip and eat in the garden.

Photo from https://www.overplace.com/

Tomorrow we leave for Diana's birthday surprise weekend.

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Saturday, May 13: Day 12: Panzano in Chianti-Sinalunga

We have to get up early today on our get away day from the lovely Villa Le Barone. It's time to reveal Diana's birthday surprise. We drive over to Sinalunga (about a hour away) where we check in to the Locanda dell'Amorosa, a very stylish hotel complex located in an old 15th century borgo.

Photo from http://www.robertshawintuscany.com/

We had lunch here 11 years ago to the day on Diana's birthday and this time we will also stay - I have booked us into a junior suite for the weekend. To complete the surprise and the reason we had to get started early this morning, we drop off our luggage at the hotel office and drive to the train station in Chiusi (about 30 minutes south) to pick up our friends Maureen and Franco from Rome. They had celebrated Diana's birthday with us at the Locanda in 2006 and they are coming from Rome to join us again this year.

Back at the Locanda, we check in and we are both upgraded ... we are put in a two story suite with private terrace looking over the countryside; Maureen and Franco to a superior double. (I had been communicating with one of the staff for months so they were aware of the special circumstances.)

Our rooms are quite spectacular...maybe a bit more spectacular than we wanted. We got a flight of stairs and a large jacuzzi bath instead of our preferred stall shower--but it would have been hard to complain.

Photo from https://www.filfranck.com/

Photo by Jim Zurer

We agree to meet Maureen and Franco at the pool ... it is too cold for us but they are inveterate swimmers.

Photo by Jim Zurer

Next on the agenda is lunch ... we wander over to the Osteria/Wine Bar run by the Locanda. There are tables set in the garden under some vines ... a perfect setting for what turns out to be a perfect lunch. After extensive negotiations between Franco and the waitress, the food starts coming ... melon and prosciutto, mozzarella di bufala, marinated vegetables, olives and a delicious frittata. A bottle of a local red completes the meal ... wonderful.

Photo from https://s-ec.bstatic.com/

After a much needed rest, we set out for a bit of sightseeing (to fill up the time between meals.) We drive over to the nearby town of Lucignano, a typically attractive Tuscan town. However, Lucignano also has a unique town plan -- within the walls the streets run in a circular pattern all the way to the top.

Photo from http://www.centroguidearezzo.it/

We start our tour of the town ... Franco as usual in the lead.

Photos by Jim Zurer

When we reach the top of the town, we find the civic museum and are quite impressed with some of the holdings. We like a painting by Luca Signorelli.

Photo by Jim Zurer

We're also struck by this reliquary as described on the museum's web page ...

"The museum’s most important piece though is the large silver, gilded copper reliquary of San Francesco. This reliquary also goes by the name of ‘Albero di Lucignano’ (‘Tree of Lucignano’), thanks to its six arms. It was made between 1350 and 1476 by goldsmiths from Arezzo and Siena and is one of the masterpieces of Italian gold and silversmith work."

Photo by Jim Zurer

In the same room, we admire the impressive fresco cycle painted on the walls and ceiling with images of famous historical and literary figures ... ranging from Judah Maccabee to Virgil to Judith (complete with the head of Holofernes) ... a really unexpected display.

Photos by Jim Zurer

Before leaving Lucignano, we take a picture of us and Maureen outside the main gate.

We only have time for a quick aperitivo (of the complimentary prosecco the hotel gave us) and few taralli before heading off to dinner in the nearby town of Trequanda. We have been to Conte Matto once before and it has been a popular place for as long as we have been coming to Tuscany. It is a pretty drive to town; we have a little difficulty actually locating the restaurant but we park in a large lot and climb the hill to the entrance.

Dinner is not a great success ... the service is quite slow and there are long pauses between courses. The food is mixed -- a fine salumi platter to share was a promising beginning. Diana has a strange asparagus flan, pici cacio pepe which is light on the pepe, and duck, which is hard to handle. Franco enjoys his snails but the cinghale stew that Maureen and Franco have is a bit odd. My steak tartare is quite good and the wine -- a local Foglia Tondo -- is fine.

It becomes an overlong evening and compares unfavorably to our idyllic lunch.

Franco takes a quick look at the castello and we head back to the Locanda.

Tomorrow the big birthday lunch ...

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Sunday, May 14: Day 13: Sinalunga

Today is the big day ... here is Diana with her birthday flowers from the family.

Photo by Jim Zurer

They have gotten very adept at sending flowers to Italy on her birthday since we are there every year.

After breakfast, the group decides that another short exploration of the area is in order. We end up in the very beautiful small town of Castelmuzio (not far from Pienza). We had once stayed in a villa in the middle of the village and have visited there many times. I park on the main street ... with my wheels on the sidewalk, Italian style. There are groups of people hanging out and a number of vintage cars parked on the street. We have just missed a parade of old cars ... a sort of mini Mille Miglia.

We take a leisurely stroll around the center ... it is much smaller than Lucignano but extremely sweet and scenic.

Photos by Jim Zurer

Before the big birthday lunch, Maureen and Franco take another swim ... still too cold for us.

Lunch is as successful as it was 11 years ago ... even though the restaurant management has changed. The staff has been alerted of the occasion so they are extra attentive. We start with a prosecco toast ... tanti auguri.

Since Diana never gets the chance to have bistecca fiorentina with me (I don't like steak), Franco volunteers to share a steak with her. Diana starts with gnudi made of spinach and ricotta. The Romans start with a modern take on panzanella (bread salad with tomatoes) which turns out to be sort of a quenelle. I have a dish made with polenta discs flavored with squid ink and bacala mantecato -- a spread of dried codfish. Maureen points out that they have made it with potatoes which makes it more like a French brandade ... but it is still pretty good followed by an unmemorable pasta dish. We drink a very good Chianti Classico riserva. Desserts were all good ... a chocolate cake with a candle for the birthday girl, a trio of creme brulees and a blood orange semi-freddo. A very splendid celebratory meal ... one that we should repeat before another eleven years.

We hang out for a while after lunch and then take Maureen and Franco to the train in Chiusi ... we will see them in Rome at the end of our trip.

No room for dinner but we stop for a gelato in Sinalunga. It turns out that we are so full we can't finish them.

Back in our luxurious suite, we watch an episode of the British series Line of Duty before bed.

Tomorrow we are off to Ancona on the Adriatic Coast ...

Jim and Diana

 

[Pauline]

Why have I never been to Lucignano? I've been in the area! Those frescoes look fantastic!

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Monday, May 15: Day 14: Sinalunga-Ancona

Time to leave our idyllic retreat in Tuscany and head east for Ancona, a port city on the Adriatic. We are going to break the drive with a stop in Umbria to have lunch with friends from Virginia -- Linda and Martin Reck -- who are renting a villa near Lake Trasimeno for a couple of weeks. We have a bit of an adventure finding the house off a twisting, curving road but finally -- with the aid of texting and Linda walking out to the main road to flag us down -- we arrive. They show us around the house -- very large with a couple of outbuildings, a swimming pool and a beautiful view over the countryside. They suggest a place for lunch on the lake ... a huge "trattoria", where you can get almost anything you could ever think of. You take a number and wait ... then order from the counter which displays all the options, get served and pay.

Photo from https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/

They also feature a local flat bread called torta al testo -- baked in their ovens -- which makes great sandwiches.

Photo from http://www.cibodistrada.it/

It takes a while for us to figure out the system but once we do, everything everyone has is delicious ... a big plate of fritto misto, a lasagne and a sausage and spinach sandwich.

We say our goodbyes and head east. There is a new road which even the GPS doesn't know, that speeds us across Umbria and into the Sibillini Mountains. As we drive, the rain starts and becomes quite intense until we emerge on the eastern slopes and the weather clears.

As we approach Ancona, the view over the city and the port is quite striking.

Photo from https://upload.wikimedia.org/

We have been to Ancona once before, on a day trip ... here is a bit of my report from 2003.

"We are planning to head to Ancona, the major port city in the area. I seem to have an affinity for Italian port cities, which Diana doesn't altogether share so she is dubious about this expedition. As a sweetener, I plan to visit the Riviera del Conero after Ancona and have lunch at a seaside restaurant."

Not having re-read my report, Diana expresses similar thoughts this year and I hope that we can change her mind. We find our hotel after driving through the middle of town and along a very handsome boulevard, the Viale di Vittoria, which has a park right down the middle where many people are walking or sitting, enjoying the weather.

Photo from http://static.panoramio.com/

Our hotel -- the Grand Hotel Passeto -- is a modern building with views over the November 4th monument commemorating Italy's WW I armistice, and the sea.

Photo by Jim Zurer

Photo by Jim Zurer

Once we check in and get settled, our first task is to find a laundromat and do our laundry. The closest one is in the center about 1 mile away and the desk clerk convinces us to walk rather than to try and park. We have at nice stroll down the Viale, pulling our overnight suitcase filled with dirty clothes, and find the laundromat without a problem. While the laundry is in process, I take a short exploratory walk and find the covered market and a couple of the main piazzas within a few blocks.

Photos by Jim Zurer

While the the laundry is drying, I walk back to the hotel to get the car, taking another route. Driving back to the laundromat is pretty easy and I get there just as the laundry is done.

For dinner, we decide to stay close to the hotel and walk over to a local trattoria/pizzeria called Sassi Neri. We eat pretty well ... a bowl of mussels for me and we both have a grilled whole orata. Diana's risotto with shrimp is not as successful. We drink a half liter of ribolla gialla. All in all a pleasant meal ... we would definitely return.

Tomorrow we will explore Ancona.

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Tuesday, May 16: Day 15: Ancona

Our first order of business after breakfast is a short walk around the Passetto neighborhood ... around the monument and along the water. There is a long, intricate flight of stairs that descends to the water ...

Photo from https://upload.wikimedia.org/

where there are some restaurants, fishing "caves" and beach "establishments". Lots of people (mostly middle-aged and older men) are sunbathing and a few people are swimming.

Photo from https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/

The structure in the middle is an elevator which, at the time of our visit, is being renovated.

Photo by Jim Zurer

Next we get into the car and drive up to the 11th century cathedral which is situated on top of a hill overlooking the port ... we think we will avoid the narrow streets that we drove up on our last trip but instead, we follow the signs that take us through the heart of the old city and pops us out at the top. (We do have one mishap where we take a wrong turn into the Piazza del Plebiscito and have no choice but to turn around and continue our ascent. We are helped out by a local who takes pity on us and stops traffic as we maneuver back onto the right road.)

Photos by Jim Zurer

In addition to its prominent position, we like that the interior is mostly unspoiled by later alterations and has a impressive coffered wooden ceiling,

Photos by Jim Zurer

and is "guarded" by a couple of impressive lions

Photo by Jim Zurer

As I promised on our first visit, we leave the city and head for the Riveriera del Conero for lunch at the beach resort of Portonovo. On the way, we watch several paragliders at the road level probably 500 feet high over the water. Portonovo is a long strip of sand set below the Conero highlands and the beach is full of restaurants and beach clubs. The weather is warm and sunny so there are some people sunbathing and swimming but most are eating in restaurants. We eat at da Emilia, which we find in Osterie d'Italia. Diana's lunch is very good -- tagliatelle with sardines and cherry tomatoes and a grilled orata ... but I don't choose wisely and my pasta with clams and fritto misto are ordinary. We do drink a nice crisp Verdicchio.

After lunch we take a walk on the beach ...

Photos by Jim Zurer

and drive back to Ancona.

Late in the afternoon, we decide to drive downtown. We park in an underground parking garage convenient to the main square and, on our way to the Piazza Roma, we see this statue of two rhinoceri ...

Photo by Jim Zurer

Subsequent research indicates that it has something to do with a movie reference from the Fellini film "And the Ship Sailed On".

The pedestrian streets in the center are pretty lively and we don't think we will be eating dinner so we sit down at an outdoor table at the busiest bar on the piazza, order some prosecco and take advantage of the small snacks that come with the "apertivi".

Photo by Jim Zurer

For dessert, we have a gelato on the way back and watch some television back at the hotel.

Tomorrow, we will try to visit some of the Jewish sites in Ancona.

Jim and Diana

 

[PokeyMindy]

I'm thoroughly enjoying your posts. So sad about Norcia...it must've been very sad to see it in person.

Happy travels

Mindy

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Wednesday, May 17: Day 16: Ancona

Ancona had one of the largest Jewish communities in Italy ... at one time, second only to Rome in size. The old Jewish cemetery is featured prominently on all the tourist literature; it's located on the hill overlooking the Adriatic at the top of the town in the large park called Parco del Cardeto. According to the map, you can reach the cemetery by driving up the via del Cardeto which we do. The street turns out to be a narrow one lane steep hill through a residential area. We are happy not to meet any oncoming traffic on our way up.

We park near the top and walk into the park ... the entrance to the cemetery is right in front of us but the gate is locked. We walk around the walls but find no entrance anywhere. I take some pictures through the bars of the gate.

Photos by Jim Zurer

The field is extensive with headstones scattered over a wide area ... the cemetery dates back to the 15th century and is one of the largest in Europe. It is not in use today (there is new cemetery outside of the city). We decide to go to the tourist office located near the port to find out if there is a way that we can get inside.

We drive down the same narrow road breathing a sigh of relief at the bottom. We go to the harbor and try to drive to the road along the water but we are turned away by the harbor police ... you can only drive in if you have business in the port. We park on the street nearby and walk. We also want to visit the two Roman arches located in the port -- Arch of Trajan and the Arch of Constantine -- but it turns out that they are further than we want to walk so we turn around and find the tourist office.

The person we talk to is surprised that the gates are closed and calls a colleague to find out more. He says we should try again and if we still can't get in, they will investigate further. He also makes contact for us with the office of the Jewish community and arranges for us to see the synagogue on Friday evening and then attend Friday night services.

We then take a walk around the old city....checking out the apartment where our friends the Heilbrunns stayed when they spent a summer in Ancona a few years ago, strolling through the Piazza del Plebiscito where we had inadvertently driven yesterday and watching a crew setting up for a performance at the Teatro delle Muse.

Photos by Jim Zurer

We decide to take a drive to Jesi, a beautiful walled city about 20 miles from Ancona, but the excursion is a mixed experience. The "centro storico" is entirely surrounded by intact walls and makes a strong impression as you approach.

Photo from http://www.le-marche.com/

Photo from https://upload.wikimedia.org/

We enter through one of the gates and walk towards the center. Jesi is famous as a musical (Pergolesi is from here) and artistic center as well as the birthplace of Frederick II. It is a very handsome city but the effect is diminished for us because the weekly market is set up in all the squares. The goods being sold seem to be mostly clothing from China.

Photos by Jim Zurer

It is now time for lunch so I consult my "books" and find a trattoria that is recommended in the Osterie d'Italia. We double back, walking through town and find Trattoria Antonietta just outside the walls. Lunch is excellent ... the service is warm and the food is delicious. I have a plate of tagliatelle with a white sauce made with rabbit, and Diana's passatelli (thick pasta) with carciofi and guanciale is excellent. We share a plate of salumi, insalata caprese and pecorino and drink a half-liter of local white wine. While we are there, the place fills up with locals -- mostly regulars.

Lunch has tired us out so we go back to the hotel and hang out for the balance of the afternoon. We are uncertain about dinner so we decide that a gelato at the local shop will be sufficient. We walk down the Viale della Vittoria with all the locals enjoying the evening, have some excellent gelato and return to the hotel.

Tomorrow we will make another attempt at the Jewish cemetery and drive north to the seaside town of Senigallia.

Jim and Diana

 

[Jim Zurer]

Italy 2017: Thursday, May 18: Day 17: Ancona

After breakfast, we repeat our route from two days ago driving to the top of Via del Cardeto and parking in the same place outside the park entrance. However, the gate to the Jewish cemetery is still locked tight. I decide to climb the ramp and steep steps that go up the hill along the wall and at the top, to my surprise, there is a gate that is open.

The very old headstones are scattered around the vast field, some in clumps and some all by themselves. (We later learn that the Jewish community transferred responsibility for the cemetery to the city of Ancona with the proviso that it be kept closed on Saturdays.)

I walk down the hill and talk to Diana through the locked gate. She decides not to attempt the climb and waits for me as I walk around and take more pictures.

The inscriptions on the stones are all in Hebrew and many of them are cylindrical rather than the traditional tablet shape. I also learned that over the years, a number of the graves actually fell into the sea and the land eroded. Quite an unusual and emotional experience ...

We next return to as close to the harbor as we can get with the car trying to find a vantage point to see the two Roman arches but we have no luck. As a last resort, we drive back up to the Duomo and, from the top, are successful in getting a long distance view of them.

Photos by Jim Zurer

Flushed with success, we decide it is time to think about lunch so we head north to the beach resort of Senigallia. The drive along the sea was mostly notable for the cleanup going on getting ready for the season ... there are large piles of debris piles up all along the way. In Senigallia, we chose the busiest restaurant with outside seating ... it is so busy that we have to wait ten minutes for a table to become available.

(The photo from their website shows the location before the lunch crowd arrives.)

The setting is lovely, the weather is pleasant but the meal is just okay. The menu is a bit more creative than we usually like so there are limited choices. Diana orders gamberoni which are good but very expensive and I have a gnocchi dish with seafood. The wine is a pleasant local white ...

We make a quick stop for a gelato and a brief foray around the centro storico, which is hard to access with a car. So we drive back to Ancona and return to the hotel. For dinner, we want something simple so we walk back to the nearby pizzeria/trattoria Sassi Neri and order a couple of pizzas. Diana also has a terrific plate of prosciutto and melon and I try the mixed fried vegetables (traditionally served before pizza) ... served in a minature crate.

Tomorrow we will do some more exploring of Ancona on our last day and then visit the synagogue in the evening.

Jim and Diana

 

[Pauline]

I like those Roman arches! I can't find info on the second arch, but found a few things about the Arch of Trajan.

From Wikipedia - Arch of Trajan (Ancona): The Arch of Trajan in Ancona is a Roman Triumphal arch erected by the Senate and people of Rome in the reign of Emperor Trajan. It was built in honour of that Emperor after he expanded the port of the city out of his own pocket, improving the docks and the fortifications. It was from here that Trajan departed for the ultimately successful war against the Dacians, an episode which is commemorated in the bas relief of Trajan's column in Rome.

From Wikipedia - Ancona: The marble Arch of Trajan, 18 m high, erected in 114/115 as an entrance to the causeway atop the harbour wall in honour of the emperor who had made the harbour, is one of the finest Roman monuments in the Marche. Most of its original bronze enrichments have disappeared. It stands on a high podium approached by a wide flight of steps. The archway, only 3 m wide, is flanked by pairs of fluted Corinthian columns on pedestals. An attic bears inscriptions. The format is that of the Arch of Titus in Rome, but made taller, so that the bronze figures surmounting it, of Trajan, his wife Plotina and sister Marciana, would figure as a landmark for ships approaching Rome's greatest Adriatic port.

There is a very good arch in Fano, up the coast in Le Marche and part of the Via Flaminia. We saw that a couple of years ago - Day Trips - Via Flaminia - Fano Arch of Augustus.

 

[Jim Zurer]

Arco Clementino



The arc Clementino Ancona
L ' Clementino arc represents one of the testimonies of the great architect Luigi Vanvitelli to Ancona .

History and architecture
It was erected on the proposal of Vanvitelli, in honor of papa Clemente XII , by the will of Ancona Senate [ citation needed ] , grateful to the pope who, true patron of Ancona, granted the town the free port , giving new impetus to ancient vessel traffic, and commissioned the famous architect to redesign the harbor . So it was that arose the Lazaretto and the new Pier.

Clementino The arch is the entrance into the city from the sea; It located at the point where the new Pier engages in the ancient Roman pier, on which already stood the first century AD the ' Trajan's Arch . In the intentions of the promoters of the project, the Clementino Arco would have to pay obscure the view of the Arch of Trajan on his attic should have been placed in blessing the statue of Clement XII (as evidenced by the original designs of Vanvitelli [1] ) and minting an honorary medal made to realize from Ancona and donated to the pope [2] , thus representing, together with the Cathedral high on the Guasco hill, the first image that would be proposed to mariners upon entry into the Doric harbor.

It was then purchased [ citation needed ] in Rome a statue of the pope's blessing, a work of sculpture Agostino Cornacchini (1738), which was transported to Ancona. At that point it became clear that the arch structure, built of brick and with only the façade overlooking the sea travertine , could not withstand the heavy weight of the marble statue. Therefore, waiting to find the financial resources for the work of consolidation and strengthening of the structure of the Arch, Ancona, the Senate resolved to place the statue, "provisionally", in the center of Piazza Grande (also known as "the City") that , due to the presence of the sculpture, was immediately renamed by Ancona Piazza del Papa [3] . Needless to say that the statue of Clement XII remained where it stands today, either by the chronic lack of funds for the restructuring of the Arch Clementino, either by the disease that manifested Ancona for the new arrangement of the square, who bought a size monumental and spectacular than in the past was missing.

From the point of view are remarkable aesthetic effects especially on the side facing the sea, travertine. The choice, which may seem peculiar, leaving the facade toward the city in plain brickwork can be understood by recalling that the arch served as a port city and therefore its main front was, as usual, facing outward.

Because of the death of Vanvitelli the bow was left unfinished; then the work was taken at the behest of papa Benedetto XIV and was assigned to the architect Filippo Marchionni , who also completed the new pier.

Notes

1. ^ See the oval with the image of the Arch Clementino topped with the statue of papa Clemente XII in the press for copper engraving of Giuseppe Vasi (1738), by Luigi Vanvitelli design, published in Rome in intaglio RCA to Footer Marble, preserved in the archive of the History of the City of Ancona City, reproduced in Ancona and its cathedral, plotting over time , the catalog of the eponymous exhibition, Publisher New Searches, Ancona, 1999
2. ^ One of the two medals donated to papa Clemente XII from Ancona Senate is reproduced in the site of the Museum System of the Province of Ancona
3. ^ The name still endures in common, despite the new name of Piazza del Plebiscito, assigned to the site following the plebisciteof November 4, 1860 that took place there, formalizing the entry of Marche in the Kingdom of Sardinia , then the Kingdom of 'Italy .

 

[Pauline]

Thanks for the info, but I like Trajan's Arch better! Roman, more grand!

 

[Jim Zurer]

Friday, May 19: Day 18: Ancona

Our last day in Ancona was very special ... we had arranged to visit the synagogue and were invited to attend Friday night services with the small congregation. We got a tour of the synagogues and after services we were honored to share their Friday night meal. We learned about the history of the important Jewish presence in Ancona since the 14th century but which is now a very small community ... some of whom have emigrated from Aden, Russia and eastern Europe.

Photos by Jim Zurer

Here is a link to an article with more details about the Jewish community in Ancona.
http://www.bh.org.il/jewish-community-ancona-italy/
http://www.bh.org.il/jewish-community-ancona-italy/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Ancona, we went on to spend five days in Ferrara, a vibrant and historic city in the Po River Valley, three nights in our favorite town in southern Tuscany -- San Quirico d'Orcia -- and finished with three nights in Rome. In addition to enjoying being in these places, we also had the chance to visit with friends.

The flight home was uneventful and while we miss Italy, we are happy to be back home.

 

[Jim Zurer]

Diana's Book Reports

Giving Up The Ghost by Hilary Mantel. This 2003 memoir by the English novelist is brilliant, disturbing and fascinating. She grew up near Manchester in a poor Catholic family and her memories seem to go back to when she was an infant. School and the church were miserable affairs. Her home life was fraught - at one point her mother moves her lover Jack into the house and her husband is like a boarder. Mantel is ill, seemingly her whole life, but never properly diagnosed or treated until too late - too late to have children because of the treatment for her endometriosis and also too late to avoid the effects of all sorts of medication. This is an unusual memoir, brilliantly written, imho.

Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman. Having liked her first book of short stories I'd always meant to read this author's first novel. It's about some Orthodox Jewish families (not Chasidim) who spend the summer in a town called Kaaterskill Falls in the Catskills. Religion is taken very seriously and there are relatively minor tensions between some family members, families, and townspeople. The protagonist – a mother of five daughters – wants to open a store, so the husbands won't have to shop in the city and bring up the “approved” kosher items when they come on Friday night. The rabbi (a cultured, well-educated man) approves and some drama ensues. Goodman gets most things right as she provides a window into a world that may be of interest to some.
My Mother's Secret by J. L. Wetterick. For Book Group, though I missed the May discussion. A novel based on a true story about a mother and daughter in Sokal, Poland who shelter two Jewish families and a German soldier during WW II, at the same time, all unbeknownst to one another. I started thinking - why are we reading this “young adult” book - but ended up engrossed and moved by it. A fast read.

In The Neighborhood: The Search for Community on an American Street, One Sleepover at a Time by Peter Lovenheim. It was fascinating reading this book in Italy because of the contrasting cultures. The author lived in the house he grew up in in a Rochester, NY suburb, Brighton, and realized that despite the neighborhood's history and beautiful appearance there was no meaningful neighborhood there. That is, neighbors didn't know one another. It was made vivid because of a murder on the street and it became apparent that no-one knew the husband and wife were having problems and the wife had no-one nearby to call for help. The author is separated from his wife and particularly sensitive to issues of communication, loneliness, neighborly support, etc. He decides to try to get to know his neighbors, and ultimately asks if he can sleep over, to see first hand how they live. Relationships do develop. I enjoyed and recommend this book.

The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. The author's second novel which came out in 2013 which I finally, happily read. The title refers to a marshy piece of land where two brothers live in Calcutta. One becomes a revolutionary, one moves to America. The novel moves back and forth in time dealing with themes of love, betrayal, family, secrecy – I don't want to give away the plot. This is a beautifully written, fascinating novel, imo.

 

[ncp]

Friday, May 19: Day 18: Ancona

Our last day in Ancona was very special ... we had arranged to visit the synagogue and were invited to attend Friday night services with the small congregation. We got a tour of the synagogues and after services we were honored to share their Friday night meal. We learned about the history of the important Jewish presence in Ancona since the 14th century but which is now a very small community ... some of whom have emigrated from Aden, Russia and eastern Europe.

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Photos by Jim Zurer

Here is a link to an article with more details about the Jewish community in Ancona.
http://www.bh.org.il/jewish-community-ancona-italy/
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

After Ancona, we went on to spend five days in Ferrara, a vibrant and historic city in the Po River Valley, three nights in our favorite town in southern Tuscany -- San Quirico d'Orcia -- and finished with three nights in Rome. In addition to enjoying being in these places, we also had the chance to visit with friends.

The flight home was uneventful and while we miss Italy, we are happy to be back home.

You can't just breeze through the last 10 days after all the wonderful detail you've already given us! Please say you're readjusting to home and you'll fill in the last part soon. Thanks for all the work you've put into this.

Nancy

 

[Jim Zurer]

You can't just breeze through the last 10 days after all the wonderful detail you've already given us! Please say you're readjusting to home and you'll fill in the last part soon. Thanks for all the work you've put into this.

Nancy

My wife says the same thing....I will try.

 

[Fedina]

Thank you for all your efforts. I've enjoyed reading this. Would love to know where you stayed in San Quirico di Orcia. Some years ago we stayed for several days in Portonovo at the Hotel Internazionale and toured the area. Great fun. The views were spectacular as was the food at their restaurant served outside. Would love to return.