Savour International

Art Whets the Appetite

Visitors on the trail of the beautiful artworks of Renaissance artist, Piero della Francesca, can get a taste of the real Italy in its mediaeval towns. A cultural and gastronomic tour of authentic cuisine, fine wine and cosy bistros.

It is a fascinating adventure to follow the trail of Renaissance artist, Piero della Francesca.

Across steep mountains, dense forests and the gently undu- lating Tuscan hills, the Marche region and Emilia Romagna, the tour of these wonderful ‘foodie’ regions is dedicated to exquisite wines and the fine arts. In early autumn, there’s also another treat in store – it’s the truffle season!

Starting out in the old town of the beautiful provincial capital of Arezzo, everything is perfect. We have reasonably priced and comfortable accommo- dation at the Hotel “Patio”, a snug little Palazzo. And an excellent restaurant is only a stone’s throw from the Basilica di San Francesco, where one of the wonders of European art is on display: Piero’s twelve-part fresco cycle, “The Legend of the True Cross”.

Fantastic wines and simple local dishes – that’s the successful formula of the Italian Enoteca. So we immediately head across the splendid Piazza Grande for the Enoteca “La Torre di Gnicche”. The choice of affettati di casa (homemade starters) is overwhelming: 24 delicious croccante (oven- roasted bread, topped with vegetables, meat, fish or cheese) already offers a tour of Tuscan culinary landscapes. Exceptional ham and sausage can also be sampled here.

And naturally, fine rustic Tuscan cuisine is also on the menu: ribollita and zuppa di farro (spelt cooked in chickpea stock) or pappa al pomodoro, a rustic gratin made from old bread, plenty of garlic and over-ripe tomatoes. In Tuscany, nothing goes to waste, especially not the bread. At the “Gnicche”, the right decision is to work systematically – from top to bottom – through the list of twelve to fifteen exclusive Tuscan wines, sampling each glass by glass – the wine cellar is stocked with 800 different vintages. The “Gnicche” proves a real gem of culinary art and viniculture.

Sansepolcro – the Piero metropolis

Across the gentle rolling hills of southern Tuscany, our destination is Sansepolcro, the capital of the Valtiberina or Upper Valley of the Tevere river. Everything revolves around Piero here. The grand master of perspec- tive, calmness and clarity was born here in about 1420. This was his home and he also died here on 12 October 1492. Everything is wonderfully harmonious in the Piero metropolis. His magnifi- cent artworks are in the Museo Civico: the mysterious Resurrection of Christ and a Sheltering-Cloak Madonna with pouting mouth. Then, it’s time for a cappuccino and dolcefarniente sampled with crumbly Piero biscuits on the Piazza Torre di Berta. And then we move on to the Enoteca “Guidi” – one of the top wine addresses in Tuscany, where guests are naturally greeted with a Piero wine and have the option of comfortable overnight accomodation upstairs. Saverio Guidi, the owner and sommelier, lives and breathes quality. For him, eating and drinking are the quintessential things in life.

I01I Enjoying Urbino: the beautiful town is a World Cultural Heritage site – and you can recover from sightseeing tours in the rustic restaurants such as the “Osteria dé Börg”, a favourite local for the men located in the fishing quarter... I02I...on the other side of a sturdy stone bridge.

His small emporium is an oasis of innocence, where not a word is spoken about fast food, GM food or any messingaround. The congenial 44-year- old selects the best wines with local provenance from his estates that he also sells opposite in his salumeria. Saverio’s wife Simona serves a fresh modern cuisine, which you could say, makes the best of traditional recipes with a new, light Tuscan cuisine. If that means truffles, then here’s the best place. The freshly grated luxury ingredient over a perfectly cooked risotto with pumpkin and ricotta (risotto con zucca gialla, tartufo nero e crema di taleggio) is just as acceptable as the pappardelle, freshly prepared each morning, and served with Tuscan prime meat – Chianina beef (carpaccio di Chianina).
Saverio serves the perfect wine with the meal, and with real hospitality it’s available by the glass – even from more expensive bottles. Solaia, Sassicaia, Tignanello, Ornellaia – all these high-end and addictive wines are per- fectly affordable Tuscan dreams at the Enoteca “Guidi”. To go with the purist desert of ripe pear with extra mature cave cheese (formaggio di fossa di talamello), Saverio finally pours us the Piero wine – a dark, full-bodied Armaiolo from the Fattoria San Fabiano. This estate has belonged to the de’Bacci family since 1370. At that time, Francesco, the original owner paid for the Piero frescoes in the Basilica in Arezzo with the sale of a vineyard.