Followmyfeet.com

Follow my Feet through Tuscany

Let me take you through some of my favorite Tuscan towns.

ARCIDOSSO

Arcidosso on the slopes of Mt. Amiata

 Arcidosso lies on the slopes of Mt. Amiata and is 2 1/2 hours from Rome. The town is in Grosseto province and is 58 km (36 miles) from the town of Grosseto.

How to get there?
Fly to Rome or Pisa and rent a car and take a leisurely drive  up the winding roads between the green hills and valleys lined with vineyards and olive groves. Or, take the train from Rome to Grosseto, get the car there and in 30 minutes you’ll be in Arcidosso.

As you can see in the photo, the most outstanding feature as you approach the town is the Castle, the Aldobrondeschi Castle built in 896. The houses in the village with their red-tiled roofs are clustered just below the castle.

Up to last fall, the castle was inaccessible to visitors as it is undergoing restoration -

A side view of the Castle

Our ”Pied a terre” was the Casa Innocente, a villa right next to the Castle making it the highest house in the village. The five story villa dates back to 1100 AD. Although a typical terracotta stone and wood structure with a wine cellar and wine bar in the basement, it has baseboard heating  to offset those cold winter months from Late Fall to early Spring.

Arcidosso is a small vibrant village which draws tourists from all over the globe thanks to its reputation for outstanding  traditional Tuscan food and wine. That was why we had come. Casa Innocente is the home of one of Tuscany’s world-famous Chefs; Carlo Innocente.

The Innocente family are revered in Arcidosso almost like Royalty and their ancestry can be traced far back to the early settlers.

But– more about Arcidosso. The villagers are artisans and farmers. Everyone seems to have their own little Olive Garden and of course, they grow their own vegetables. Everything they use in cooking is picked or bought fresh every day – large, gorgeous-looking red,yellow, and green sweet peppers bursting with crisp flavor;

Sweet Peppers

Fat Porcini mushrooms

Plump Cherry Tomatoes

fat porcini mushrooms fresh-picked from under the trees on the slopes of Mt. Amiata; plump, juicy, rosy red tomatoes; vibrant green basil, oregano, parsley, and other herbs; and of course there’s always a side of wild boar or a brace of rabbits waiting to be flavored with all those juicy vegetables and herbs.

 
It’s not quite the “sleepy” village as it would appear. Visit during the Chestnut festival in October, or the Olive festivals in November and the whole town square is alive and vibrating with excitement as everyone turns out to celebrate almost all week.

 The sidewalks are crowded with stalls of crafts and pastries and breads made from chestnut flour. And of course, numerous carafes of red wine; house wine from the cafes and trattorias along the main street as well as more vintage brands of chianti from the neighboring vineyards.

Walk along main street in the morning and be greeted by the friendly “buon giorno” by the villagers going to work or just hanging about the main square by the fountain or sipping their lattes outside the cafes. Join the line in the pasticceria, a Tuscan pastry shop, and get your own latte or “kick yourself awake” with an espresso. Get a sweet pastry to dip in your coffee and listen to the bustle around you and respond with a smile (unless you speak Italian and can understand the chatter around you). This is the town coming awake!

It’s a great walking town– little shops with tuscan crafts and pottery, the “olde” teashop, the historical monuments in the piazza , the park that overlooks the houses below the piazza, and the old medieval churches.

Arcidosso is home to three medieval churches  which are well worth a visit, if only to admire the paintings, icons, and frescoes – the San Salvatore Abbey, the Chiesa della Madonna dell’Incoronata (Church of the Madonna Crowned), where pilgrims journeyed to pray for the end of the great plague, Chiesa di San Niccolò built to honor the patron saint of Arcidosso, and the Chiesa di San Leonardo.

Looking for a quiet but interesting and friendly village where one could retire or spend a lazy vacation each year? you could very well consider Arcidosso.

More to come about Tuscan cuisine and the best cooking school in Arcidosso

Related Posts:

• TUSCANY – A Traveler’s delight!

Share this

Hide Sites