As always, we will begin our visit to Tuscany with a local recipe to whet your appetite and inspire dreams of Bella Toscano.  For centuries, the farmers of Tuscany have raised rabbits, and Tuscan hunters have long sought the succulent wild hares as prizes for the dinner table.  Thus, Coniglio is a popular dish in Tuscany.  With the advent of supermarkets,  rabbit is easy to purchase and prepare anywhere.  We present a recipe for Rabbit with Herbs.

Coniglio alla Herbe

Marinate one 3-4 lb. rabbit, cut into pieces, overnight in 1 cup white wine vinegar and enough cold water to cover.  Before cooking,  rinse and pat dry the pieces.

Heat 1/4 to 1/2 cup olive oil and 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat.  Place the pieces in the skillet and sprinkle with a generous amount of chopped fresh rosemary, sage, and garlic.  Brown the pieces of rabbit well on all sides.  Add a generous cup of white wine, and bring the pot to a slow boil, scrapping up any brown bits from the pan.  Simmer covered for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, and season with salt and freshly ground pepper, adding water if necessary.

Near the end of the cooking time, remove the lid and continue to simmer until nearly all the liquid is absorbed.  At this point, the meat should be fork tender.  Enjoy!

More Sights and Cities of the Val D'Orcia

A visit to the Parco Naturale Val D'Orcia will certainly conjure up pictures of hunters in search of rabbits,  scouted the rolling country and hillsides for their prey.  The protected park is just one of the many places to visit in the area. 

The Val D'Orcia includes some beautiful and rugged countryside, and some spectacular scenery.  Near Radicofani,  one can experience two of the legendary sights of the valley of the Orcia.  First,  there is the lofty tower that sits outside Radicofani, and the ruined fortress that surrounds it.  This fortress was once the headquarters of the bandit, Ghino di Tacco, featured in Dante's Inferno and also The Decameron. 

Another sight for the visitor to Val D'Orcia consists of the elegant loggias that line the highway just beyond the town.  These loggias were once a part of the Palazzo La Posta, built in the 17th Century, and a favorite stop of famous travelers on the Grand Tour in days gone by.  Outside the village of Radicofani, travelers can stop for a delicious and moderately priced meal at La Palazzina.

La Palazzina

Loc. Le Vigne

0578-55771

In our last two newsletters, we have mentioned two wines from Montalcino,  the very famous Brunello di Montalcino, and the dessert wine, Moscadello di Montalcino.  Before we leave the Val D'Orcia behind today, we will pay a visit to the town.

Montalcino

The small hillside town of Montalcino, 24 km. west of Pienza, is the site of an ancient fortezza.  This magnificent fort, built in 1361 served as the refuge and home of the government of Siena when, in 1555, the city was captured by the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. 

The picturesque medieval streets of Montalcino are filled with wine shops, enoteche, cafes and other shops to serve the visitors that come to seek the wonderful Brunello and Rosso di Montalcino, as well as the sweet Moscadello that we described in our last newsletter.  The tourist office in Montalcino can provide visitors with a list of vineyards that allow visitors, as well as the times and phone numbers to schedule visits.   

Pro Loco Tourist Office

Costa Municipio 8

10am-1pm and 2-6pm

Tuesday-Sunday

Visitors come to Montalcino for the Museo Civico e Diocesano d'Arte Sacra, as well as to see the Fortezza and taste the wines.  The museum contains a fine small collection of sacred art from Montalcino and the surrounding area.  Especially notable works are a Madonna and Child by Simone Martini and a triptych by Duccio di Buoninsegna.

Abbazia di Sant'Antimo

The Abbey of Saint Antimo lies 35km to the southwest of Pienza, and a visit to Montalcino can easily be combined with a trip to the Abbazia.  The Abbey commands an isolated hilltop site,  where it stands alone amid cypress and olive groves.  Sant'Antimo was founded in the 9th century, and its church was added in the 12th century.  The small monastic community still occupies the Abbey and it is possible to attend Mass, where the monks sing Gregorian chants, after visiting the remaining and architecturally outstanding buildings of the Abbazia di Sant'Antimo.

Montepulciano

Montepulciano was long a site of contention between the rulers of Florence and Siena, and when the Florentines finally gained complete supremacy in 1404,  they called upon some of their favorite architects to enliven Montepulciano, thus giving the Gothic town a Renaissance flavor. This mixture of styles, the ancient and the Renaissance, provides visual delight and architectural interest for today's visitors to Montepulciano.

Although the medieval streets of Montepulciano hold surprises for the visitor in the form of scattered splendid palazzos, most of the town's main sights are clustered around the Piazza Grande, the highest point in the city.  On one side of the Piazza is the Palazzo Comunale, and on the other is the Palazzo Contucci.  These Renaissance Palazzos will be of interest to lovers of Italian art and architecture. 

Not far from the Piazza Grande are the Museo Civico with della Robbia terracottas and a few other interesting works, and the church of Santa Lucia with a lovely Madonna by Signorelli. 

The medieval streets of Montepulciano are much like those of Montalcino in that many of shops are devoted to wine lovers.  Wine, art and architecture are complemented by two August festivals in Montepulciano that are quite interesting for travelers.  The first and largest is the Bruscello, a play in song and verse acted out by the townspeople in Piazza Grande.  Also in August is the Bravio delle Botti, in which local teams race up the steep main street pushing huge barrels. 

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

The Nobile di Montepulciano has been justly famous for centuries.  In his "Bacchus in Tuscany,"  Francesco Redi wrote in 1685 that "Montepulciano is the King of all wines." To this day, the Nobile di Montepulciano continues to be a favorite of wine lovers around the world, and is indeed one of the most prized Italian red wines.  

Nobile di Montepulciano is made from selected Prugnolo (Sangiovese Grosso) grapes cultivated on hilly ground at an altitude of 250 to 600 meters above sea level, which are harvested in October.  It has a deep ruby red color and its bouquet is rounded, complete, and elegant.  The taste is dry, full and smooth.

The Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is best served at a temperature of 18° to 20° C, and should be allowed to breath before being poured into a large red wine glass with a wide base and tall stem.  The wine is delicious with red meats and is also excellent with mature cheeses.

Hotel Express International

We have recently become affiliated with Hotel Express International,  offering discount accommodations in over 3300 hotels in 90 countries. Hotel Express International is an exclusive travelers 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 categories.

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 web site at:

http://www.hot-ex.com/index.asp?a=itmax