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.

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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

Apple picking in Tuscany!

We awoke to yet another beautiful day in Tuscany and a couple of hours was spent apple picking with good friends. The month of July was unusually wet for this region, however it does seem to have boosted this years fruit crops....and there is nothing nicer than a slice of mature Pecorino cheese with a crisp juicy apple and a nice glass of red to wash it down with...Salute! 

Whilst writing we had another fabulous review from guests that stayed at the Chestnut Barn during August...

If you too would like to stay at the Chestnut Barn, please check out our website at www.achestnutbarnintuscany.com  where we are already taking bookings for next year!

Summer at the Chestnut Barn

The Chestnut Barn is available to rent on a weekly basis from May 2015 through until the beginning of October 2015. Bookings are already being taken, so for full information on the Chestnut Barn visit www.achestnutbarnintuscany.com 

Come and stay and follow in my footsteps, visit the beautiful cliff top towns and immerse yourself within the wonderful Italian countryside.....take a stroll through the ancient chestnut groves and enjoy the breathtaking views from the gazebo. 

Relax by the private pool that is surrounded by chestnut and oak forest and sits nestled on the hillside overlooking the mountain, Monte il Castello. The absence of ambient light is an astronomers dream and during the month of July is only rivaled by the natural spectacle created by the fireflies. 

We look forward to seeing you soon....

Ciao Catherine x

What a year!

WHAT A YEAR!!

So much has happened this year that I have unfortunately let my Blog suffer, but hopefully now that I am back on track,  I will be able to dedicate more time and provide you with regular updates from the Chestnut Barn.

Much of the beginning of this year was spent finishing the sequel to the book 'A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany' which over the last year became a Number One bestseller on Amazon. The story continues now in 'Back to Tuscany and the Barn' which was published in digital format on the 29th July by Autharium, and is now also available in paperback through Amazon. If you do get the chance to read it, a review would be much appreciated....Ciao Catherine x

News from the 'Chestnut Barn' - May 2013

It is now May and the last few weeks seem to have passed so quickly, my apologies for not writing sooner, however my time and efforts have been taken up with trying to promote my e-book 'A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany' which was published in March.

 

The e-book is now available for download in various formats from my publishers at 'Autharium.com' or alternatively from the following retailers:

Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Kobo
WHSmiths
Waterstones
Tesco Ebooks
iBooks

The e-book sales are doing very well and over the last week or so 'A Chestnut Barn in Tuscany' has been ranked within the top 10 best sellers on Amazon.com on books based about Tuscany (It's highest rank being No4) as you can imagine I am thrilled but could do with some more reviews. I have 10 on the Amazon.co.UK site but only 1 on the other.

 

There is also a feature soon to be published on the 'Italy Magazine' website together with a short story I have written called 'Stress, What stress? which is also based in Italy, this time in Orvieto in Umbria. I do hope you enjoy it if you get the chance to give it a read. Finally on the book front I am hoping to hear back from an American/Italian Publisher by the end of next week, hopefully they might agree to publish my ebook in print form, so if you are one of the few people that are yet to own an e-reader, or like me you still prefer the feel of a good old fashioned paperback book then watch this space.......

The view of the orchard/meadow at the 'Chestnut Barn'

On a lighter note Spring has definitely arrived at the 'Chestnut Barn' now and when not promoting my book or writing the next, I am busy working in the garden where there is much to be done. The shades of green on the trees and in the meadow grass at this time of year are amazing, it is wonderful to be immersed in such beauty and I think myself very privileged to be able to be part of it. The peace and tranquillity is only interrupted by the barks of a passing deer, which echoes through the wood together with the call of the cuckoo; a far cry from the hustle and bustle of our previous lives.

The weather is still a trifle unsettled, with short sharp and sometimes unpredictable showers of rain followed by prolonged and intense sunshine, the perfect growing weather! Unfortunately this years Mille Miglia car race was a bit of a wash out but that didn't stop us enjoying a fabulous lunch and gazing at all the vintage cars as well as the Ferrari's which came through our nearest town of Sansepolcro.

Well I best get back to work....next time I hope to have more news on life at the 'Chestnut Barn'.