Anghiari...a medieval jewel in the Tiber Valley...

Anghiari by night

Anghiari, a jewel in the Tiber Valley

Anghiari is a breathtakingly beautiful ancient fortified hilltop town which lies roughly 13 miles south of the Chestnut Barn. At night the town takes on an air of magic and you briefly feel like a time-traveler in a medieval time-warp. 

It's a town of stone buildings, terracotta tiles, rounded
Romanesque and square medieval towers and round

Anghiari by day

headed arched window recesses, supported by neatly carved pillars.

Coned and pyramid shaped roofs with intricately forged weather-vanes stretch towards the sky and you expect too see a damsel in distress and  long thin, brightly coloured silken flags curling in the breeze.

We had no idea that we were walking in the footsteps of one of the first Archbishops of Canterbury, the famous Saint, Thomas Becket who had been here in 1164.

Anghiari has much to offer with many museums and churches full of history and art. The narrow flagstone back streets have a charm all of their own and the views across the Tiber plain are stunning. There is a wide choice of restaurants to suit all budgets and there is a weekly market held on Wednesday morning.

To learn more about the beautiful town of Anghiari and its history read A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany or Back to Tuscany and the Barn or better still enjoy it first hand and come and stay at the Chestnut Barn and follow in my footsteps...for more info check out www.achestnutbarnintuscany.com 

Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera, Citta di Castello.......

Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera

The view from the palace loggia

Last week Nick and I spent a wonderful day with friends strolling around the narrow flagstone streets of Citta di Castello, a beautiful medieval town which lies 42 kilometres south of the Chestnut Barn...followed by a long delicious lunch at one of our favourite restaurants called Le Logge.

One of the highlights was a visit to the stunning Palazzo Vitelli alla Cannoniera which was originally built between 1521 and 1545 to celebrate the marriage of Alessandro Vitelli and Angela Rossi. The palace now plays host as the Municipal Art Gallery and houses paintings and sculptures by a variety of artists, including the world renowned 

Raphael, who worked in Citta di Castello during the late fifteenth and early sixteenth century. The banner of the Holy Trinity dates to 1499 and is the only remaining painting by Raphael that remains in Citta di Castello, it was one of the first works of art attributed to Raphael. The museum also houses a collection of bronzes by Bruno Bartoccini in the twenty one rooms dotted about the fresco covered ceilings and halls.

The rich black sgraffiti style decoration that is present on the facade is the collaboration of the famous Arezzo born artist Giorgio Vasari and Cristofano Gheradi. The embellished walls overlook the formal symmetrical gardens, which were once famous throughout Europe for their exotic plants....

Banner of the Trinity 

If you ever visit Citta di Castello there is lots to see and do, there are weekly markets and festivals, one of which includes the famous truffle festival which is held every October...For lunch or dinner I do recommend Le Logge which is located just off the main piazza, the food, wine list and service is first class, you will not be disappointed...to find out more you can read all about it in my second book...'Back to Tuscany and the Barn'... 

Ciao Catherine x

Villa La Ripa - Wine tasting...

Yesterday Nick and I, together with twelve other friends returned to Villa La Ripa, the vineyard located at Antria on the outskirts of Arezzo to spend a morning wine tasting. Our host Saverio Luzzi and his assistant Silvia were as welcoming as always and delighted us with yet more wonderful stories about the Villa and how it came to be, as well as answering all our questions about wine making and the fermentation process.

Here are a few pictures of the magnificent Villa which is home to Saverio, his wife and his daughter as well as his two new German Shepherd puppies Sherlock and Margo.

TI

Each room reveals something to delight, whether it be a statue, the stump of a sixty year old vine or a beautiful fresco.

It is hard not to be overwhelmed by the sheer scale and beauty of the Villa and for me the wine tasting is just an added bonus. Villa La Ripa produces between 6000 - 7000 bottles of wine per year, three of which are red and one rose. They are called Psyco, Tiratari, Peconio and the rose, Spaziolibero. My personal favourite being the Peconio.

You can read more about Villa La Ripa and its delicious wines in my book 'Back to Tuscany and the Barn' which is available at Amazon in both paperback and digital formats.

Ciao Catherine xx