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August 21, 2010
August 9, 2010
I Love Touring Italy – Southern Veneto
If you are planning a European tour, why don’t you consider the Veneto region of northern Italy on the Gulf of Venice? Venice is its best-known city and one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. But the Veneto region has a lot more than this great city. There are excellent tourist attractions elsewhere, and you won’t have to fight the huge crowds. With a little luck you’ll avoid tourist traps, and come back home feeling that you have truly visited Italy. This article examines tourist attractions in southern Veneto. Be sure to read our companion articles on northern Veneto, on that Shakespearean city of Verona, and on the university city of Padua.
Our tour of southern Veneto resembles a circle; one that isn’t quite closed. We start our tour in the central Veneto city of Vicenza, one of the wealthiest cities in Italy. We bypass Padua and go southeast to the coastal town of Chioggia. Then we head back southwest to Rovigo, and then finish our tour by going northwest to Montagnana. We could continue north back to Vicenza. Or we could visit other parts of Veneto.
Vicenza, population one hundred twenty thousand, has had a checkered past. Over the centuries it passed from one occupier to another. Its heyday was in the Sixteenth Century as the home of Andrea Palladio, often said to be the most influential person in the history of Western architecture. He designed many of the city’s buildings and all over the Veneto region. About two dozen of his Veneto villas compose a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Palladio was a major influence on Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and probably on half of the state capitol buildings in the United States. Don’t even think about touring Vicenza without visiting several of his masterpieces.
The Teatro Olimpico (Olympic Theatre) is Palladio’s last work and one of his best. It is widely considered the first modern example of an enclosed theater. Actually he died six months into its construction but this magnificent building was completed from his sketches and drawings. The building includes five hallways designed to look like streets; each spectator has a view of at least one street. Unfortunately the theater was abandoned after a few performances. The Teatro Olimpico now hosts productions, but only in the summer because winter heating might damage its fragile wood structures.
Palazzo Chiericati is a Renaissance palace that took well over a century to complete. It was built in an area called Piazza dell’Isola (Island Square, now Piazza Matteotti), surrounded by two streams. It became the Museo Civico (Town Museum) in 1855 and, more recently, the City’s Art Gallery.
We have left arguably Palladio’s greatest work for last. Villa La Rotunda whose full name is Villa Almerico-Capra in honor of the Capra brothers who finished the building. This villa was inspired by the Pantheon in Rome and has been the inspiration for perhaps a thousand buildings across the globe. Strictly speaking Villa La Rotunda should not be called a rotunda; it isn’t circular but takes the shape of a cross grafted on a square. While the edifice appears completely symmetrical in fact it isn’t. No mistake here, it was designed to fit perfectly into its surroundings and the city of Vicenza on the horizon. Neither Palladio nor its owner lived to see it completed.
Chioggia whose population is some fifty thousand was once the center of local salt production. Perhaps that’s why Genoa destroyed it more than six hundred years ago. Chioggia returned as a fishing port and a tourist attraction. It’s on the Venetian Lagoon about an hour’s boat ride from Venice that it resembles with its canals and Venetian architecture. You’ll enjoy strolling on the Corso del Popolo (the People’s Thoroughfare) with its cafes, restaurants and shops. Chioggia’s Cathedral is old enough to have been restored in the Fourteenth Century. Other sites of interest include the Campanile (Bell Tower) about two hundred ten feet (sixty four meters) high and the Fourteenth Century Gothic church of San Martino.
The town of Rovigo, population about fifty thousand, is rich in history and culture. Its most famous cultural institution is the St. Stephen Cathedral built prior to the Eleventh Century and rebuilt in the Fifteenth and the Seventeenth Centuries. Be sure to see its interior artwork. Other churches worth visiting include the Thirteenth Century Immacolata Concezione (Immaculate Conception), and the Fourteenth-Fifteenth Century Gothic-Romanesque Church of St. Francis.
Several Rovigo Piazzas (Squares) have maintained their historic character. The largest is dedicated to Emperor Victor Emmanuel II and is the site of several palaces. Palazzo Nodari has become the city hall. Palazzo Roncale has become Pinacoteca dei Concordi (Concordi Gallery), one of the most important art galleries in Veneto. The building dates back to the end of the Sixteenth Century and many displayed paintings predate the building itself. The Fifteenth Century Gothic Duomo (Cathedral) faces this Piazza. Given its many restorations and renovations Romanesque and Renaissance period features abound. The Piazza has a statue to the emperor and a Saint Mark’s lion.
How can you tell if a Veneto town is peaceful or not? The answer is quite simple; go to its Leone di San Marco (Saint Mark’s Lion) statue. Take a close look at the tail. If the tail points down the town is peaceful. If it points up watch out; there may be trouble. The tail on Rovigo’s lion pointed down. This call for peace didn’t stop Napoleon’s soldiers from destroying the statue. The statue that you see today was erected in 1881, and its tail still points down.
Montagnana, population about nine thousand, is a medieval city surrounded by walls with four gates and twenty-four fortified towers resembling castles. This city is really unique and you should see it from outside the walls when the sun is setting. Montagnana dates back to the Thirteenth Century when the town was rebuilt. Its highlight is the Castello San Zeno (Saint Zeno Castle) built by the infamous Italian dictator Ezzelino da Romano, who previously ordered the city burnt to the ground. Mister da Romano actually merited mention in Dante’s Divine Comedy where his soul was consigned to you know where. In a sense one has to thank him for one majestic castle, originally set inside a dry moat and built around a center courtyard. The moat, crossed by a drawbridge, was filled in during the 19th century. The Castle’s highest tower, the mastio or donjon, is open to the public and provides fabulous views. Castle San Zeno also houses the Municipal Historical Archive, the town Library, a Theatre Company, and a Study Center devoted to the protection of the castle and its surroundings, with quite a collection of books, maps, artifacts, and other items of historical significance.
What about food? Despite the great variety of food in this once poor but now fairly well off part of Italy many people often ate foods that we might find strange. I’m not talking about lamb and sheep’s milk cheese from the Rovigo area. Pigeon is a specialty both in Padua and other localities. A Padua specialty that I haven’t tasted is made from salted, dried, and smoked horsemeat.
We’ll suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Risotto Nero (Risotto with Cuttlefish). If you don’t like Cuttlefish and its ink you won’t have trouble finding many other Risottos. Then try Baccal?antecato (Dried Cod with Nutmeg, Parsley, and Olive Oil). For dessert indulge yourself with Salame al Cioccolato (Chocolate Salami, Shortbread Biscuits, Figs, Butter, and Cocoa). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.
We’ll conclude with a quick look at Veneto wine. Veneto ranks 3rd among the 20 Italian regions both for the area planted in grape vines and for its total annual wine production. About 45% of Veneto wine is red or ros?leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, and Bardolino Superiore. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine. The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Almost 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.
Bardolino Superiore DOCG is produced west and northwest of Verona near Lake Garda from a variety of Italian and international red grapes. This wine is living proof that Garantita is no guarantee of high quality, some are and some are not.
Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would really rather just drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com.
July 28, 2010
I Love Touring Italy – Launching a Series
The U.S. Tour Operators Association annual survey shows that Italy is the world’s top vacation destination. This country really has something for everyone. Italy’s attractions include secular and religious sites spanning centuries if not millennia, isolated villages and dynamic cities, ski resorts, beaches, and world-class fashion. And you will love its outstanding cuisine, and their unique wines, what wines. Italy has an unmatched selection of local grape varieties. Should you prefer international grape varieties such as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, you won’t be disappointed.
Are you aware that Italy is subdivided into twenty regions? Each and every one is different, and well worth touring. Some such as Piedmont are world famous. Others such as Bascilicata are almost never visited by foreigners, or even by Italians themselves.
Italy can be divided into three major sections: Northern Italy, sharing a border with four European countries (France, Switzerland, Austria, and Slovenia), Central Italy, and the South, traditionally the poorest part of Italy.
Northern Italy is composed of eight regions: The Aosta Valley, Piedmont (whose capital is Turin), Lombardy (whose capital is Milan), Trentino-Alto Adige, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto (whose capital is Venice), Emilia-Romagna, and Liguria (whose capital is Genoa). Central Italy is composed of six regions: Tuscany (whose capital is Florence), Umbria, The Marches, Abruzzi, Molise, and Latium (whose capital is Rome). Southern Italy is composed of six regions: Apulia, Campania (whose capital is Naples), Basilicata, Calabria, and the islands of Sicily (whose capital is Palermo) and Sardinia.
Each article will present a region and several of its tourist attractions. We love Italian wine and food (as expressed in our series I Love Italian Wine and Food), so we’ll present regional wines and foods of special interest.
Because we’ll be discussing regional wines, let’s briefly look at the Italian wine classifications. These classifications will also come in handy if you’re an armchair tourist and want to enjoy Italian wine at home or in your favorite restaurant. Wine and Food Classification. In 1963 Italy legally defined four wine classifications that presumably help consumers choose their wine. While most wine producing countries have instituted official wine classifications, arguably the Italian system is the most controversial, possibly the most abused, and probably the most ignored by the wine producers themselves. Should you learn a bit about them anyway? We think so.
VdT stands for Vino da Tavola, translated as table wine. Table wines may be made from any grape, or mixture of grapes, anywhere within Italy. Usually they are quite ordinary, and in Italy are often served directly from the barrel. And yet on occasion VdT wines are excellent and priced accordingly.
IGT stands for Indicazione Geografica Tipica, which may be translated as Typical Geographic Indication, in other words a wine that typifies its specific location. This classification specifies the wine’s geography but is silent about its composition and production method. As for the previous category, sometimes IGT wines are excellent.
DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin. Each and every region has at least one DOC wine, but some have dozens. A given DOC defines the permissible grape or grape varieties as well as numerous details about the grape growing and wine making process. About one fifth of Italian wine is classified DOC or better. Such a statistic should warn you that a DOC on the label is no guarantee of quality.
DOCG stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Guarantita, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled and Guaranteed Origin. Please realize that this letter G on the label is no guarantee of quality. But you can expect to pay more for a DOCG wine than for its less prestigious DOC cousin.
Unlike most countries, Italy has gone to the trouble to set up an extensive classification system for food, all kinds of food including olive oil, cheese, and even fruit. Look for the term Denominazione d’Origine Protetta, abbreviated as DOP, which may be translated as Denomination of Protected Origin. You’ll have to decide on your own if it’s worth paying a bit more to buy a certified orange.
Have you had enough of the generalities? It is time to move on to the specific Italian regions.
Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would really rather just drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. His global wine website is www.theworldwidewine.com and his Italian wine website is www.theitalianwineconnection.com .
July 16, 2010
I Love Touring Italy – Verona
If you are thinking about touring Europe, you should really consider the Veneto region of northern Italy on the Gulf of Venice. Venice is Veneto’s best-known city and one of the most popular tourist destinations on earth. But the Veneto region is much, much more than this great city. There are excellent tourist attractions elsewhere, and you won’t have to fight the huge crowds. With a little luck you’ll avoid tourist traps, and come back home with the feeling that you have truly visited Italy. This article examines tourist attractions in the Shakespearean town of Verona, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Be sure to read our companion articles on northern Veneto, southern Veneto, and the university city of Padua.
Verona. I don’t know about you, but I never hear this word without thinking of the phrase, Two Gentlemen of Verona, a not particularly well-known Shakespeare play. Verona was the setting of a particularly well-known Shakespeare play, Romeo and Juliet. This city of over a quarter million souls has a long and bloody history. Its residents are proud that on an Easter Monday more than two hundred years ago they drove out the French occupiers. The German writer Goethe and the French writers Stendhal and Valery included Verona in their travel diaries. The Roman emperor Julius Caesar spent a lot of time here, and probably enjoyed many of the sights described next.
Verona has quite a collection of vestiges from its Roman days. We’ll start with its Roman amphitheatre, the third largest in Italy. This structure is approximately 400 feet (140 meters) long and 350 feet (110 meters) wide, giving it a seating capacity of about 25,000 spectators in 44 tiers of marble seats. While only fragments of the outer walls remain, its fine interior is virtually intact. This edifice often hosts fairs, theatre, opera and other public events, especially during the summer.
A First Century B.C. Roman theatre was subsequently transformed into a housing site. In the Eighteenth Century the houses were demolished and the site restored. Nearby you’ll find the Ponte di Pietra (Stone Bridge), a Roman arch bridge crossing the Adige River, completed in 100 B.C. Retreating German troops destroyed four of the bridge arches in World War II but the bridge was rebuilt in 1957 using original materials.
You should also visit the First Century Arco dei Gavi (Gavi Arch) straddling the Corso Cavour; once the main road into the city. Look for the architect’s signature, a rarity for the times. French troops destroyed this arch in 1805, and it was rebuilt only in 1932.
Porta Borsari, an archway at the end of the Corso Porta Borsari street, is the fa?e of a Third Century gate within the original Roman city walls. This street is lined with several Renaissance Palaces. Porta Leoni (Leoni Gate) is all that remains of a First Century B.C. Roman city gate. Parts of it have been incorporated into a wall of a medieval building. Even in those days some people believed in recycling. You can see the remains of the original Roman street and the gateway foundations if you look slightly below the present street level.
The Twelfth Century Romanesque Duomo (Cathedral) was constructed on the site of two Palaeo-Christian churches destroyed by an earthquake much earlier in the century. The site includes an unfinished Sixteenth Century bell tower. Be sure to see the chapel adorned with Titian’s Assumption.
Verona’s largest church is the Fifteenth Century Sant’Anastasia whose interior is considered one of northern Italy’s finest examples of Gothic architecture, and believe me this competition includes many entries. The construction of this magnificent edifice took nearly two hundred years. Among its items of honor are frescoes and hunchback statues that serve to dispense holy water. Some say that touching a hunchback’s hump brings good luck. Maybe next time.
San Fermo Maggiore is in reality two churches. The tomblike lower Romanesque church dates from the Eighth Century. The huge Fourteenth Century Gothic upper church is notable for its ceiling festooned with the paintings of four hundred saints. While there are more churches to see in Verona we will next look at castles and palaces.
The Fourteenth Century Castelvecchio (Old Castle) was built on the banks of the Adige River near the Ponte Scaligero (Scaligero Bridge), most likely on the site of a Roman fortress. Built to protect against foreign invaders and popular rebellions, it included a fortified bridge in case the owners had to flee north to join their allies in the Tyrol. Over the years the castle has known many renovations and restorations. Make sure to visit its art museum, specializing in Venetian painters and sculptors.
Those Scaligeris spent a lot of their time in the Palazzo degli Scaligeri, their medieval palace, which today, as then, is closed to the general public. But you can go next door to the Arche Scaligere with its Gothic tombs of selected members of the family.
The Italian Piazza is a meeting place. Verona has some special examples. The Piazza delle Erbe (Herb Square) has been around since the days of the Romans. For ages it was a fruit and vegetable market but now is geared to tourists. It still maintains its medieval look and some of the produce stalls. The Piazza dei Signori (Gentlemen’s Square) is Verona’s center of activities as it has been for centuries. This square is right next door to the Scaglieri Palace. Those gentlemen didn’t believe in commuting.
We can’t leave Verona without visiting those star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet. The Twelfth Century Casi di Giulietta (Juliet’s House) long belonged to the Dal Cappello family and since it’s not a long way from Cappello to Capulet perhaps… This lovely house even possesses a courtyard balcony. Yes, the house at Via Cappello, 23 probably isn’t the real thing, but crowds come to gawk and dream. This could be the place to propose marriage.
What about food? Verona’s cuisine features typical dishes of the Po Valley plains: mixed boiled meats, nervetti (calf’s foot and veal shank salad), and risotto, often prepared with a healthy douse of Amarone wine. The Piazza delle Erbe still has some fruit and vegetable stalls selling local produce such as radicchio and asparagus. Not only the wine is classified. Verona boasts a classified cheese, Monte Veronese. But who would think that rice is also classified? The Riso Nano Vialone Veronese is a laboratory-developed rice that was first introduced into the area in 1945. It now represents 90% of the local production. Is it better than other rice? Locals obviously think so. I promise that I will taste it on my next trip to Verona.
Let’s suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Gnocchi (Small Potato Dumplings). Then try Pastissada de Caval (Horsemeat Stew, often simmered in wine). For dessert indulge yourself with Pandoro di Verona (Verona Butter Cream Cake). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.
We’ll conclude with a quick look at Veneto wine. Veneto ranks 3rd among the 20 Italian regions for the area planted in grape vines and for its total annual wine production. About 45% of Veneto wine is red or rose, leaving 55% for white. The region produces 24 DOC wines and 3 DOCG wines, Recioto di Soave, Soave Superiore, and Bardolino Superiore. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine The G in DOCG stands for Garantita, but there is in fact no guarantee that such wines are truly superior. Almost 30% of Venetian wine carries the DOC or DOCG designation.
Valpolicella DOC is a world famous wine produced north of Verona from several local red grapes. This wine is usually nothing to write home about and often tastes of cooked cherries. But that is hardly the end of the Valpolicella story. Valpolicella Ripasso is made from young Valpolicella wine put into tanks or barrels containing the lees (one could say dregs, but that might give the wrong impression) of a recioto wine (see below). The mixture undergoes a secondary fermentation and becomes a more interesting wine. Valpolicella Recioto is made from passito grapes, those dried on mats for several months. It may be a still wine, a fizzy wine, or a sparkling wine. Valpolicella Recioto is sweet or bittersweet. Amarone DOC is a type of Valpolicella Recioto whose sugar has been completely transformed into alcohol becoming a powerful tasting wine that packs a punch and ages well. What a difference between Amarone and its source wine, Valipolcella.
Levi Reiss has authored alone or with a co-author ten computer and Internet books, but to tell the truth, he would really rather just drink fine French, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. He teaches classes in computers at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his global wine website www.theworldwidewine.com.
July 4, 2010
I Love Touring Italy – Latium West of Rome
If you are in the mood to tour Europe, you should really consider the Latium region of central western Italy on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Latium, also known as Laszio, is the region that includes Italys capital Rome, the Eternal City. Given the number of articles describing the multiple pleasures of Rome, we will write about the lesser-known attractions of Latium. This article focuses on Latium west of Rome. A companion article describes Latium east of Rome.
Well start our tour at Cerveteri about 25 miles (40 kilometers) northwest of Rome. Well head along the sea northwest past Romes port, Civitvecchia, and stop at Tarquinia. Then well travel inland (northeast) to Tuscania, Viterbo, Bagnaia, and then southeast to the village of Caprarola. We then head almost directly north to finish our tour at Bomarzo not far from the Umbrian border. (It might be a bit shorter to go from Bagnaia to Bomarzo and then to Caprarola but as you will see, we have our reasons for following the first itinerary.) Before we start this tour we will introduce a onetime major player, the Etruscans.
The Etruscans were a people who dominated large parts of Italy including Latium from an unknown prehistoric period up until the Roman Empire. We dont know much about their origins, language, culture, or their way of life. Much of our knowledge about this formerly powerful people can be seen on our tours of Latium. An important book about the Etruscans, Sketches of Etruscan Places and other Italian Essays (1932), was written by the British Author D. H. Lawrence, better known for another work, Lady Chatterlys Lover.
Cerveteri, population about thirty thousand, was once the Etruscan city of Caere. UNESCO has classified Cerveteri as a World Heritage Site because of its Etruscan tombs. It is the largest ancient necropolis in the Mediterranean area. These tombs, and there are over a thousand of them, date from the Ninth Century B.C. to the Third Century B. C. Other local sights worth seeing include the Rocca castle, the Church of Santa Maria Maggiore and the Sixteenth Century Palazzo Ruspoli, not to be confused with a Palace of the same name in Florence. The nearby village of Ceri sits at the top of a fortified plateau. Its main attraction is the Romanesque Church of the Madonna of Ceri, built on a site originally dedicated to the worship of the goddess Vesta. In 1980 during renovations, Twelfth Century frescos of Biblical scenes were uncovered.
Tarquinia whose population numbers about sixteen thousand is the site of about six thousand Etruscan tombs, some of which are decorated by wall paintings. The National Museum housed in the Fifteenth Century Palazzo Vitelleschi is known for its archeological contents. Tarquinia is home to a cathedral, several churches including two from the Twelfth Century (San Martino and St. John the Baptist), the Palazzo dei Priori, and several medieval towers.
Tuscania, population somewhat under eight thousand, was founded almost three thousand years ago but the area itself has been populated for perhaps eight or ten thousand years. Unfortunately Tuscania’s medieval city walls were mostly destroyed in a 1971 earthquake but they have been repaired and the interior is nicely landscaped. Like its neighbors, Tuscania is the site of many Etruscan tombs including the Tomb of the Queen, a series of labryinths containing about thirty tunnels. If you are like me, you prefer seeing other sights. Tuscania will not disappoint you. For example, there are several churches of great architectural interest and palaces aplenty. And you can visit the National Archeological Museum, but many of the displays are tomb-related.
Viterbo was formerly the popes’ favorite residence. Its historic old center is among the best preserved towns of central Italy. Be sure to see the Palazzo dei Papi (Papal Palace) and the Romanesque Cathedral of San Lorenzo, built by the Lombards over the ruins of an Etruscan Temple dedicated to Hercules. This building also served as a Papal residence. Pope John XXI died here in 1277 when the ceiling collapsed as he was sleeping. The Plaza di San Lorenzo contains several other buildings of interest. The medieval district of San Pellegrino is quite well preserved and definitely worth visiting. Viterbo is home to a spa with a gigantic limestone pool of very hot water. Its volcanic mud is highly recommended for those who like that sort of thing. I am told that the Enoteca La Torre has an extensive wine list. The Tre Re restaurant has been a fixture of Viterbos old town since 1622.
The nearby village of Bagnaia was the personal fiefdom of the bishops of Viterbo for centuries. It is best known for its magnificent Sixteenth Century water gardens, Villa Lante. There are two sets of buildings, built for two bishops, one of whom was known for living simply. Highlights include a Moorish fountain, a boxtree maze, and two casinos.
Neighboring Caprarola is the site of the Sixteenth Century Farnese Palace. This Palace was built for Cardinal Alessandro II Farnese, nephew of Pope Paul III, within ten years of construction of the Villa Lante. The two sites were built by the same architect, but in a very different style. Here you go to see the palace, although its park is nothing to sneer at. In fact, in many parts of the world, the Farnese Palace park would merit a visit on its own. We suggest that you see the Villa Lante and the Farnese Palace and compare. One thing is certain, the Sixteenth Century Italian upper class sure knew how to live.
You probably havent seen anything like Bomarzo. The villages main attraction is yet another Sixteenth Century garden, alternately known as Bosco Sacro (Sacred Grove) and Bosco di Mostri (Monsters Grove). It was built by a hunchbacked patron of the arts to honor his deceased wife. Some say that she died of heart failure after seeing the park. For centuries this park was neglected but now has been restored. The dozens of monster statues including Hanging House, the Dragon, the Ogre, and the Etruscan Bench with its inscription “You who travel the world, in search of great and beautiful wonders, come here, where there are horrible faces, elephants, lions, bear and dragons” seem strewn about aimlessly. This is probably as good a place as any to end your tour of western Latium.
What about food? Latium cuisine is one of abundance, perhaps in part because of the volcanic soil. The best cuts of meat were reserved for the rich and the poor had to make do with the rest, including feet, heart, kidneys, tongue, and tripe. Lets not forget the pasta, said to be among the best in Italy. Fettuccine Alfredo comes from this region. Lets suggest a sample menu, one of many. Start with Carciofi alla Guidea (Deep fried Artichokes). Then try Porchetta (Roast Suckling Pig). For dessert indulge yourself with Ciambella (Pastry with Sweetened Grapes and Carmelized Chestnuts). Be sure to increase your dining pleasure by including local wines with your meal.
Well finish this article with a peek at Latium wine. More than four out of five bottles produced here are white. There are twenty five DOC wines. DOC stands for Denominazione di Origine Controllata, which may be translated as Denomination of Controlled Origin, presumably a high-quality wine, twenty of them white. However, only about 6% of Latium wine is so classified. Frankly, the region is not known for its wine. It once was; in the distant past Falernum, a Latium red was the hit of Ancient Rome. Who knows, perhaps one day the region will regain its former glory when it comes to wine. In the meantime, there is lots to see and lots to eat. And plenty of fine Italian wines are available. North of Latium is Umbria, and north of Umbria is Tuscany. Cantina Colacicchis Torre Ercolana is a Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot blend from Latium that comes highly recommended but I have yet to taste it.
Over the years Levi Reiss has authored or co-authored ten computer and Internet books, and yet he prefers fine Italian, German, or other wine, accompanied by the right foods and good company. He knows what dieting is, and is glad that for the time being he can eat and drink what he wants, in moderation. He loves teaching a variety of computer classes at an Ontario French-language community college. Visit his new wine, diet, health, and nutrition website www.wineinyourdiet.com and his Italian food website www.fooditalyfood.com.