L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2023 www.italoamericano.org 10 L'Italo-Americano B efore we moved to Italy, it was not uncommon for us to land at Rome's airport, get our rental car, make a beeline for southern Tus- cany, and weave our way up t h e m o u n t a i n r o a d s o f M o n t e A m i a t a – a l l f o r a lunch at one of our favorite restaurants in all of Italy. Little Piancastagnaio is a medieval hill town on the shoulders of the mountain, rich in history and food tra- ditions. Amiata is famous for mushrooms, cinghiale (wild boar), and particularly chestnuts – in fact it's an IGP (Indicazione Geografi- ca Protetta) zone for the lat- ter. These are key elements in the cuisine of the region – as we'll soon see. At the top of Piancastag- naio's hill sits the 13th-cen- t u r y R o c c a A l d o b r a n - d e s c a , n a m e d f o r t h e powerful family that con- t r o l l e d m u c h o f t h e l a n d around Monte Amiata at the t i m e . T h i s f o r t r e s s c o m - mands a 360-degree view of the countryside – the loom- ing mountains in one direc- tion, the vast Val d'Orcia in the other. Today the Rocca is free to enter, and visitors can climb to the top of its t o w e r . T h e q u i e t , n a r r o w cobbled streets of the village below wind up and down the hillside like a maze – it's easy to get lost, but just as easy to find oneself again. A ten-minute drive to the north is another small town, Abbadia San Salvatore. The abbey here used to con- t r o l t h e f o r t r e s s i n Piancastagnaio until they were forced to surrender it to the Aldobrandeschi. The main attraction here is its ancient abbey church – a fresco-filled sanctuary and a m y s t e r i o u s s u b t e r r a n e a n crypt. A museum next door provides a bit of historical context to the abbey and the town; it includes a monastic shop, selling foodstuffs and other goods produced by the monks. The site is a way- point for religious pilgrims on the Via Francigena, the fabled pilgrimage trail that stretches from France at the English Channel all the way to Rome. S a n S a l v a t o r e i s a l s o h o m e t o t h e l a b o r a t o r i o liquorificio of Aurelio Vis- c o n t i , to which we occa- sionally make our own pil- grimage of sorts. The distill- ing masters here create all manner of interesting con- coctions, from herbal diges- t i v e l i q u e u r s t o f o r t i f i e d wine infusions to various sauces– like pears marinat- ed in grappa, or mosto cotto, a marinade cooked with the remnants of wine-making. Back to Piancastagnaio: f o r o u r r e c e n t o v e r n i g h t there, we chose the Con- vento San Bartolomeo, a converted 13th-century con- vent. In the early 1800s, the R i c c i - B a r b i n i f a m i l y restored this monastic prop- erty; their descendants still own and operate it to this day. Sharp-eyed guests will notice a particular decora- t i v e m o t i f – d o z e n s o f hedgehogs adorn the rooms and hallways. This comes from the Ricci family name, as "riccio" means hedgehog. Stepping through the big wooden doors into the clois- ter feels like a step back sev- eral centuries in time. Up a flight of ancient stone steps a n d i n t o a l o n g , f r e s c o e d corridor, a series of doors l e a d t o s p o t l e s s r o o m s – presumably updated consid- erably from when the friars o f t h e m o n a s t e r y l o d g e d here. A tiny, almost secret door at one end of the hall- way leads up a short, narrow s t a i r w a y t o t h e i r n i c e s t room: this is the honeymoon s u i t e , e q u i p p e d w i t h a jacuzzi tub and a compli- mentary bottle of sparkling wine to get a visiting couple started on a lovely evening. Downstairs, a little canti- n a o f f e r s g u e s t s a p i c - turesque spot for an aperiti- vo. From here a set of steep stairs delves down into a cel- lar cave, which maintains a steady year-round tempera- ture for the many wine bot- tles stored there. Outside, a few chairs and tables line the cloisters, and one pas- s a g e w a y l e a d s o u t i n t o a beautiful garden. From the convent, it's just a short walk to one of our favorite restaurants in the country, Ristorante Anna. S i t u a t e d o n a l i t t l e s i d e s t r e e t o u t s i d e o f t h e medieval borgo, Ristorante Anna has been run by the s a m e f a m i l y f o r o v e r 6 0 years, well-known and high- ly regarded by generations of locals. The owners are fans of American jazz and blues; a steady flow of music from their record collection plays in the background. A large mural inside depicts the family matriarch as a young woman: sùhe casually s i p s a g l a s s o f w i n e a n d w a t c h e s a s M i l e s D a v i s , S o n n y R o l l i n s , a n d B . B . King play in a garden. The place is warm, friend- ly, lively – full of local fami- lies enjoying a nice night o u t . T h e m u s t a c h i o e d , b e s p e c t a c l e d p a t r i a r c h , P i n o , c h a t s a m i a b l y w i t h each table, describing what dishes are available. There are some standards: hand- m a d e p a s t a s , l i k e p i c i ( a hand-rolled noodle typical to southern Tuscany) with ragù di cinghiale, or a large t o r t e l l o n i s e a s o n e d w i t h lemon ricotta and artichoke c r e a m . M e a t p l a t e s a r e offered according to the sea- s o n a n d t h e m a r k e t , l i k e their peposo (a peppery beef stew) or maialino arrosto, baby pork with a deliciously c r i s p y s k i n . O u r f a v o r i t e dessert is a crema catalana in flames to the table. But in our opinion, the star dish comes at the beginning of the meal: Anna's signature chestnut and porcini mush- room soup. This is gener- ously ladled from a big cop- per tureen – Pino carries it around the room, refilling the bowls of the hungrier diners. This is the dish for which we used to drive with such determination after a flight. Everything is relaxed, fun, and delicious – again and again we're astounded at the consistent quality of the food, produced in such g e n e r o u s q u a n t i t i e s a n d over the course of so many years. This town, lodging, and r e s t a u r a n t a r e e x c e l l e n t examples of the kind of fan- tastic and memorable expe- rience visitors can find, if they know where to look. If you go: www.annaristorante.com / (Reservations are highly recommended!) https://conventosanbar- tolomeo.com/en/ http://www.aureliovis- conti.com/ h t t p : / / w w w . a b b a z i - asansalvatore.it/ About the authors: Zene- ba & Matt moved from the U.S. to Italy in 2019, where they live and work as per- forming musicians. They a r e a l s o a u t h o r s o f f o u r a w a r d w i n n i n g t r a v e l guidebooks, and as Little R o a d s E u r o p e t h e y c r a f t i t i n e r a r i e s f o r t r a v e l e r s w h o w a n t t o v i s i t s m a l l towns and enjoy authentic experiences in Italy and Ire- land. www.littleroadseu- rope.com Piancastagnaio: a four-star hotel and a five-star meal, hidden in the mountains of southern Tuscany ZENEBA BOWERS & MATT WALKER The crypt and a fresco in San Salvatore Church (Photos: Zeneba Bowers and Matt Walker) ALL AROUND ITALY TRAVEL TIPS DESTINATIONS ACTIVITIES

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