Nocciolata
These
delicious bar cookies are easy to prepare and the
recipe comes to us from Montalcino. Montalcino
is famous for its wine and the town lies quite near
the Val D'Orcia, just minutes from San Quirico
and Bagno Vignoni.
Nocciolata
are bar cookies studded with hazelnuts. They
are perfect for holiday festivities, or to
savor with a cup of coffee on a winter afternoon.
Buono Appetito!
3 Cups
Hazelnuts
5 Cups
all-purpose flour
2 1/2
Cups Sugar
1 pound
unsalted butter, very soft
1 teaspoon
vanilla
To toast
hazelnuts: place the nuts on a baking sheet
and toast for about 8 minutes in a 350° (Fahrenheit)
oven. Watch the nuts carefully to prevent
burning. Cool the toasted hazelnuts and rub
then together in a clean towel to remove the skins.
Chop them coarsely.
Mix the
flour and sugar in a large bowl, and pour in the
butter and vanilla. Mix this well, then add
the nuts. The mixture will be quite stiff
and it is easiest to mix it by hand at this point.
Spread
and pat the mixture evenly onto a 17x111/2 inch
nonstick baking pan. Bake on the bottom shelf
of a preheated 350° oven for 25 minutes.
Cool for a few minutes and cut into squares while
still slightly warm.
Brunello
di Montalcino
Montalcino,
the town where our Nocciolata cookies originated,
is an exquisitely pretty little town. It is
famous for its wine, Brunello di Montalcino.
Brunello Di Montalcino is a visually brilliant wine
with an intense garnet color. Its bouquet
carries the scents of the earth and fruits of the
area, as well as a hint of vanilla. The Brunello
di Montalcino is dry and elegantly harmonic to taste.
It can withstand lengthy aging. Depending
on the vintage, the Brunello di Montalcino can be
kept from 10 to 30 years.
The Brunello
di Montalcino pairs well with red meats and game,
and especially those prepared with truffles or mushrooms.
It is excellent with full bodied cheeses and goes
perfectly with locally produced Tuscan pecorino.
For more information, visit the website of the Consortium
of Brunello di Montalcino producers at: www.consorziobrunellodimontalcino.com
The
Val D'Orcia
The Val
d'Orcia, situated south of Siena, boasts several
features that make touring the area a unique and
wonderful experience. There are rolling hills,
woodlands and brushlands to be viewed, as well as
some strikingly picturesque and interesting towns.
We invite you to explore an itinerary through some
of the area's highlights, beginning with two ancient
towns near the northern tip of the Val D'Orcia.
In our next newsletter, we will continue to explore
the Val D'Orcia with a visit to Pienza. Now,
let us begin with Bagno Vignoni, the town nearest
our lovely rental villa, Podere Santa Maria.
Bagno
Vignoni
One might
wonder what brings so many visitors to the tiny
village of Bagno Vignoni, especially during the
warmer months. It is the sulfurous hot springs
there that having been drawing visitors since Roman
times. Although it is no longer possible to
bathe in the public pool once used by Lorenzo the
Magnificent to ease the pains of rheumatism, visitors
are still drawn to the huge cistern of warm and
bubbling water at Bagno Vignoni. The arcaded
stone cistern is a startling sight and well worth
a visit to admire its architecture.
This
medieval spa village is quite unique. A few
houses are situated around a huge piazza, which
in turn surrounds a gigantic arcaded, stone-lined
pool. The pool is filled with hot sulfurous
waters that spring from volcanic rocks deep within
the earth. Legend says that St. Catherine
of Siena was also a visitor to the Bagno.
Today's would be bathers can still swim in the sulfur
pool on the grounds of the Posta Marucci hotel (open
to the public, except on Thursdays), as well as
where the waters emerge from the cliff below the
village.
The ruins
of the Rocca d'Orcia, and the charming hamlet of
Castiglione d'Orcia are both within a few minutes
car ride of Bagno di Vignoni. Bagno Vignoni
itself boasts an excellent restaurant, the
Osteria del Leone.
Osteria
del Leone
Via
del Mulini 4
887300
Closed
Monday
San
Quirico D'Orcia
San Quirico
is situated at a major junction of the S2 highway,
but in medieval times an important route to Rome
passed through the town. Leading pilgrims
to Rome, the Via Francigena established the importance
of San Quirico in the Orcia Valley. This pilgrim
route also passed through Bagno Vignoni.
The 15th
Century turreted walls of San Quirico enclose the
Collegiata church, which contains a well
known triptych by Sano di Pietro. The church
was built in the 12th Century from the remains of
an earlier 8th Century place of worship. The
Collegiata has a beautiful facade and three sculpted
portals from the 1200s. Next to the Collegiata
church is the 17th Century Palazzo Chigi, where
visitors can view the recently restored frescoed
interior.
Also
of interest to visitors is the Horti Leonini, which
is open from dawn to sunset and free to visitors.
The formal Italianate box hedges of this lovely
garden park declare its Renaissance beginnings;
in fact, it was established in the 16th Century.
Once meant as a refuge for pilgrims on the Via Francigena,
it is now a public sculpture garden in the summer
months.
The
Festival of Barbarossa
San Quirico
d'Orcia celebrates the Festival of Barbarossa on
the third Sunday of June. The colorful festa
should not be missed by visitors lucky enough to
be in the area at the time it is celebrated.
The festival
celebrates the visit and brief residence of Federico
the First, known as Barbarossa (the Red Beard) to
San Quirico in 1155. Barbarossa came to San
Quirico for a meeting with the ambassadors of Pope
Hadrian IV. He hoped to gain from them the
Pope's approval for his coronation of Emperor. The
meeting between Barbarossa and the Papal ambassadors
was interrupted by Arnaldo of Brescia, a monk accused
of heresy for questioning the authority of Pope
Hadrian. Barbarossa offered the head of Arnaldo
to the ambassadors in exchange for the Pope's blessing
and approval of his ambitions.
Members
of each of San Quirico's quartiere dress in exquisitely
constructed mediaeval costumes to commemorate this
historic meeting. The Festa continues throughout
the entire day, after beginning in the central piazza
where a costumed Consul reads a proclamation announcing
Barbarossa's meeting, and then reads the results
of a drawing which establishes the order of the
participants in the long bow and flag tossing competitions.
The four contrade of San Quirico then celebrate
with a flag waving and tossing demonstration.
At 4
PM, the meeting between Barbarossa and the
Papal ambassadors is recreated in the sandstone
courtyard of the Collegiata Church. This is
followed by a procession of page boys, ladies and
lords, cavaliers on horseback and local gentry dressed
in costumes. The procession then finds its way to
the upper part of the Horti Leonini for the long
bow and flag tossing competitions.
Hotel
Express International
We have
recently become affliated with Hotel Express International,
offering discount accomodations in over 3300 hotels
in 90 countries. Hotel Express International is
an exclusive travellers club, established in 1987.
It is a free booking service offering a 50% discount
off rack rate. Participating hotels range from 2
star to 5 star luxury catergories.
The Hotel
Express International membership entitles you to
a 50% discount at hotels worldwide subject to expected
availability. As a member you will also receive
a personal Hotel Express Gold card and a Hotel Directory
with all participating hotels listed. Amongst them
are hotels from well known chains such as: Sheraton,
Golden Tulip, Renaissance, Hilton and more.
To learn
more about this exciting company, visit their website
at:
Hotel
Express International |
