Fav Reads on Italy this week: Sep 27

Favorite Reads on Italy (FRI) is a weekly roundup published on Fridays featuring interesting articles, fascinating experiences, and handy resources that I’ve come across that week.

Postcard from Italy: Stunning Val delle Rose vineyard in Maremma, Tuscany.

This week’s roundup covers off-the-beaten path places in Tuscany and Piedmont, useful travel tips on how to get to the Amalfi Coast, harvest time in Italy, simple yet mouth-watering recipes, how inevitably we are headed into fall, and much more.

Happy Friday and buon weekend a tutti.

Culture / Travel

Italian archaeologists hail discovery of Etruscan warrior prince’s tomb by Telegraph – An amazing “discovery of an intact tomb containing the skeleton of a presumed Etruscan warrior prince who lived 2,700 years ago”.

Like Tuscany without the tourists: Alpine villages, forts and festivals in Turin by Daily Mail – Looking for a spot that is “free of tourists”? Head to the mountains in north-western Italy. I had a fabulous time in mountains in Alto Adige this summer and have plans to return to the mountains next summer. I may have found the place!

Angles of Anghiari by Girl in Florence – If you love places off-the-beaten path, add this town in Tuscany to your list.

Emilia Romagna’s Amazing by Travel Bunny – I was supposed to meet Suzanne and Kat in Blogville but due to a conflict in my schedule, I wasn’t able to join them. The next best thing – reliving their experience by reading their blog posts.

San Vivaldo: Hermitage and Pilgrimage in Tuscany by ArtTrav – A hermitage and church built in the 16th century where “modern pilgrims can visit it in an hour with a Franciscan tertiary guide”.  It is easily reachable by car and only an hour and 20 minutes away from Florence.

How to Get to the Amalfi Coast by Walks of Italy – As frequest visitors to Amalfi Coast, more specifically Positano, I am often asked how to get there by public transport. So here’s a handy guide with various options.

Italian Food

Exploring Chianti – Hotel Palagina by DivinaCucina – This post shares a recipe for Pappa al pomodoro that highlights the simplicity of Italian food, and is proof that all you need are a few quality ingredients to make a fabulous dish.

Pizza Bianca by Rachel Eats – Since we are on the topic of using basic ingredients, there’s nothing simpler (or tastier for that matter) than pizza bianca. I have made bread, ricotta, fresh pasta but when it comes to pizza, it never turns out for me. So when Rachel mentioned that it was the  “first time I have made it at home” and “pretty damn happy with the result”, it has emboldened me to give pizza bianca another try.

How to Make Pasta by Travel with Kat – It was wonderful to read about Kat’s experience on How to Make Fresh Pasta at CasaArtusi, a gastronomic institution in Italy named after Pellegrino Artusi who wrote the  Science in the Kitchen and the Art of Eating Well. And Kat confirms what I’ve always said – fresh pasta is so easy to make. 

Life in Italy

King Harvest by Eleonora Baldwin in The American –  Thoroughly enjoyed this article as I participated in a vendemmia last week together with Eleonora. If you have never participated in the vendemmia or olive oil harvest, put them on your bucket-list. It’s an experience you won’t forget.

How to make olive oil – Olive oil makers in Italy by Walks of Italy (Video) – On the subject of harvesting, this video, just posted, was taken last year in Umbria and gives you an inside look at what goes on during an olive harvest.

Summer in Italy Tails Off Ever So Gently by Alex Roe on Italy Chronicles – I was glad summer was actually mild and dread to see it come to an end. The weather we’re now experiencing is ideal and hope that summer lasts that tad bit longer.

Have you come across any great reads or resources on Italy this week? Share them with us in the comments below.