The Cathedral Church of Massa Marittima

Massa Marittima erects itself on the top of a very high hill, dominating 360-degrees landscapes.


The duomo emerges at the top of a flight of steps in the beautiful Piazza Garibaldi, heart and focal point of the mediaeval city.
Built in the 13th century in Romanesque-Gothic style, of note is the beautiful fa�ade with arches and small loggias surmounted by pinnacles. The pointed bell tower is characterised by a series of fine four-light windows.

Some points to ponder: the true Tuscany in Italy

Why are there so many non Italian-Tuscany?

Especially in countries other than Italy where there is no real Tuscany, a lot of business is taking place and naming this hotel or that restaurant "Tuscany This" or "Tuscany That".

Maybe I am a little too harsh against the cheap tricks of business, but the solution would be so easy. Simple furniture, plain walls, some spare brick design on walls, wood, dried flowers, table cloths!. Ever been to Olive Garden? The opposite.

However there is one difficult thing to recreate about the Italian-Tuscany, and that is nature. Some of the landscapes and colors are really difficult to get anywhere else.

Considering what you can find in the Italian-Tuscany compared to the Somewhere-else-Tuscany, and how convenient is to get to Tuscany from almost anywhere in the world, it is difficult to find sucha an intriguing combination of advantages.

The Italian and Tuscan Kitchen Style

Warm colours, fine finishings, hand-painted tiling around the cooking area, maybe marble...

Yes, because Tuscany kitchens are mainly thought to please who is in them, cooking. By trying to enhance the comfort of the cook, the kitchen is actually enhancing the cooking abilities.
I guess you know how important kooking is in Italy and mostly in Tuscany, a region which has always kept its culinary roots very deep into the farmer tradition of simple ingredients.
Since the ingredients are simple they have to be good and the cook has to pair them up wisely, or the result will be just poor.

For example: Tuscany kitchens rarely have (or should not have) the so-called island, a very en-vougue feature of modern kitchens. Why?
The reason lay in the Tuscan cooking itself: with so many erbs to mix, garlic to chop and minch, vegetables, broths, little ingredients and so many passages between one stage of the cooking and another, do you really think a kitchen island is a good idea?


It is not, because you need continuity between the stove and the sink, with a large clean space in the middle where to work, let the ingredients rest, or works-in-progress be ready to enter into action. The island would just take up space from Tuscany kitchens.

In addition, let's not forget that traditionally, Tuscany kitchens are a free space where the family used to gather, warm up, discuss. That is why the Tuscany kitchen should be large enough to be elevated at the rank of eat-in kitchen.

So, your Tuscany kitchen will be "L" shaped, against the colder wall of the kitchen (fridge loves cold, the stove warms up the colder walls), entirely in wood or with wooden finishings, large and with a big entrance that embraces family and guests.

Al Ritrovo Bibbiena

The restaurant is not a large place - and the main portions is in a tented area right infront of the kitchen - but this is also a good point, because you can sit outside catch the light breezes in the summer time and live the small town life on the streets in a quaint little town like Bibbiena.

Though the menu also contains several standard Italian dishes - the cook oftens adds a twist such as the potato filled pasta with butter and truffles, very inviting! The menu also included some basics, which for those of you who are looking for something just a little lighter than normal might enjoy the vegetable soup - just like my mother-in-law makes!

Pizza is served at dinner time only and is well made with a good tastey thin crust. I tasted the Peppery steak stew - and it was worth cleaning the bowl out. Wine can be purchased by the bottle or you can get smaller portions in a carafe - great alternative for those of you traveling in small groups. The house wine is good - you don`t have to order from the list to get a good hearty flavour to accompany your meal.

I know they say their specialty is fish - but I really can`t comment on that because I only tasted the turf menu but if they do the fish like the do the plates I did taste, you can go secure that it will be down with a unique home style flare.

Parking is tough in Bibbiena - you should really look for a place outside of town and walk in. The town is not that big and actually there are lots of cute little shops and beautifully restored historic building to view. To find the restaurant - just walk all the way up to the main square (there is only one) and look up facing the clock. Turn to your left in the far corner and you will find a restaurant with a large white tent in front.


Specialty is Fish

Piazzetta Mario Pierazzuoli, 4

Bibbiena Arezzo

Phone +39 0575 536209

Closed on Thursday

How to make Panzanella

Origins of this dish go back to the sheep herders who while moving the sheep long distances had very little food - and that which was to be had was normally stale bread and the local vegetables found along their trails. This dish makes the best of both ingredients.

Ingredients:

Weights are approximate, this will make enough as a pasta dish for about 3-4 persons.

approx. 2 cups - hard bread - best to use bread with as few base ingredients as possible - flour, yeast, water is the best.
tomato - cut into cubes and take out excess juice and seeds
cucumber - peel and cut into little cubes
iceberg lettus - cleaned and cut into mouth size pieces
onion - cut into small pieces. Though many would want to leave this out, it was probably one of the few veggies that the herders were sure to find along the trail
basil in abundance, red wine vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, salt
Mix salad ingredients and basil together and dress lightly with extra virgin olive oil, vinegar and salt. There is no right or wrong way to dress the salad, it is all done to taste. For example the Italians prefer more oil than vinegar - yet most others go a little heavier on the vinegar. By mixing the salad first with the dressing you don't risk the bread getting too dressed and thus a heavy flavour out of proportion with the rest of the salad.

Cut the bread in 2 - 3 inch cubes and soak the bread until it has absorbed the water (hint: don't let it absorb too much water - just enough that it is damp) - squeeze excess water out and crumb lightly into a bowl. Mix well with salad.

Some variations include adding tuna fish and or white navy beans - however the traditional recipe is very simple.

Serve immediately.

Tuscan Lighting

The sober look that represents Tuscan lighting has nothing to do with what is usually meant as Tuscan lighting.


The Rococo look of some over-worked, over-embellished crystal lamps that you see at some shop bare the style that is much more proper to those parts of Italy that have been exposed to Byzantine culture, such as the North East of Italy, with Venice being the capital of Byzantine art in Italy.

So if you are looking for real Tuscan lighting, look no further than those humble looking lamps that truly represent the traditional character of Tuscany and of Tuscan people in general.

That is not to say that there in anything esthetically wrong with much more elaborated lighting; however if you are looking forward to having a truly Tuscan feeling in your home, set your mind to letting go all the cliches that are usually thought of as truly Tuscan.


In the case of a table or floor lamp, Tuscan lighting is mainly composed of a wooden body and a no-frills shade, or no shade at all. The body of the lamp may be painted with pastel colors, or antique gold or silver paints.

In the case of a ceiling Tuscan lighting, you will be surprised how little you can find to be truly originally Tuscan, since up until the 1960s Tuscan economy was mainly supported by agriculture, and the living conditions in the Tuscan countryside were far from worrying anyone about carving out a great looking ceiling lamp. Most likely, if you were to enter one of those poor houses, you would have seen hanging from the ceiling an anchovy or sardine used to give taste to cornmeal by rubbing it on top of the hung fish. That way it would last much longer.

This is just to give you an idea of what is behind traditional Tuscan lighting. Some richer people surely did have much more elaborated lighting. Some exaples are those of the Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopoldo, which are characterized by a wooden body with curved movable arms and decorated with achantus leaves. This is as elaborated as it gets.


Of course, contemporary Tuscan lighting has a completely different character.
It is hard to distinguish it from any other contemporary style as everything nowadays is very linear and functional. However, some artisans still create wrung iron lamps and hand carved wooden lamps that remind of the antique Tuscan lighting.

Restaurants in Arezzo:La Torre di Gnicche

It`s a small little place just right for friends who want to laze about and drink some wine and try some tasty finger foods - or an easy paced lunch / dinner or even mid afternoon snack. The menu is particular and changes every week depending on what the cook feels like creating.

This restaurant does NOT do pasta of any type - but in compensation they do some fantastic bruschettas: toasted bread with varies delicious toppings. One of my favorites is a soft Italian cheese, raddico rosso and lardo di colonata. Two hefty size sliced of bread - you choose the topping and you have a good substitue for a plate of spaghetti - and the possibiity to taste the wide selection of Italian cheeses and cold cuts.


Order bit by bit - because the portions are a good size and your eyes may definitely see more things than your stomach can hold. You can order your wine by the glass - which allows you the freedom to select many types. I have personally tasted the Polpetone - the American meatloaf probably came out of this prototype. You can taste that it is home cooked, with a nice brown gravy. I have also tasted the mixed cheese plate - very abundant - and the cheeses where definitely out of the ordinary.


Don`t skip the desserts - they are all made in house and merit a taste with a good glass of Moscato or Vin Santo. They can help you choose, just let them know if you like it sweet or dry.

La Torre di Gnicche means the Tower of Gnicche, and Gnicche was the name of a modern day Robin Hood who lived in the Casentinoo area. He existed around the mid 1800`s and a a reputation from stealing only from those who could afford it. He would keep his share (of course) and distribute the left-overs. In fact many young Italian boys from that area earned the nickname Gnicche (pronounced Nick-eh) when they were found to be just a little more active than others!


If you are in Arezzo and have had enough of everyday typical meals - then I suggest you search this place out. Its cozy atmosphere, and rather laid back look to it makes it easy to settle down order a glass of wine and watch the locals filter in and out. Though in the summer it can attract some tourist you will find the mainstay of this place are Italians and the quality of food and the moderate prices are proof of that.

Please find Below more information about this restaurant

La Torre di Gnicche

Piaggia S. Martino 8

52100 Arezzo

Phone Number: +39 0575 35 20 35

Closed on Wednesday