The Pope Slept Here

Cositutti - A Travel and Lifestyle Resource For All Fine Things Italian

continued . . . A Taste of Cositutti in Italy Fall 2009

Pienza is known around the world for being one of Tuscany's Renaissance treasures and the home of a Pope with a vision to transform his birthplace into the "ideal" Renaissance city. Located in the breathtakingly beautiful Val d'Orcia (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), the medieval town of Corsignano was to be Italy's 15th century version of Renovation Nation.

Reconstructed and renamed Pienza under the Piccolomini Pope Pius ll, a new cathedral, town hall and palazzo were built. I spent an afternoon in Pienza and visited the Palazzo Piccolomini (the pope's summer residence) with a signorina who spoke an Italian version of Spanglish. Slightly difficult to understand but well intended. The elegant open courtyard, the halls of period furniture and memorabilia and the gardens that overlook the valley below were well worth the cost of admission. Il biglietto d'ingresso interno was 7EU and for that price I got to see where the Pope slept!

Pecorino From Pienza

Every one of my taste travel trips always seems to end up in Pienza because here is when I find my bliss when it comes to Italian cheese. I know the "king of cheeses" lines in Parma and Grana Padano rules the plains of the Po but Pecorino from Pienza will always be my cheese of choice. Maybe I'm partial to Pecorino because it was the first cheese I tasted in Italy at my cousin Lidia's table. She served it with pears and chestnut honey and I instantly fell in love with le pere col pecorino.

This trip was no different. I ended up in Pienza at Zazzeri for Pecorino and so much more. Wonderful wine jellies that will now be available at CosituttiMarketPlace with the color, aroma and flavors of the wine from which they are made. No cork screw needed.

* Pecorino cheese, a sheep's milk cheese with taste and flavor of the Tuscan countryside.

Pecorino from Pienza is absolutely the best.

Wine Jellies Vin Santo Wine Jelly

Medium bodied with a dark ruby color and the aroma and flavor of black cherry with a hint of licorice and leather. Sounds like I'm describing a fine Tuscan wine but in this case I'm writing about Tuscan wine jellies.Wine Jelly can be compared to a good jam but made with wine. The best wine jellies are made according to old Tuscany traditions with attention to the character and nature of the wine.

Now available at CosituttiMarketPlace

Zazzeri Vin Santo Wine Jelly perfect on French toast and muffins and as a glaze for cookies and pastries
Zazzeri Morellino Red Wine Jelly , the ruby black Morellino grape is named after the dark colored horses of the Maremma, the Maremma is one of the oldest wine producing areas in Italy, this jelly goes well with grilled and roasted meats, pork, wild game, salami and soft cheeses, makes a great glaze for ham, try it in the morning on toast or muffins for a stimulating breakfast!

In This Issue

The Pope and Pienza

Pecorino from Pienza

Tuscan Wine Jellies

The More or
Less Clock

There were many interesting things to see inside Palazzo Piccolomini. Art, old books, furniture, a medieval baby's high chair, crossbows, swords, the pope's chair. But my favorite was the More or Less Clock. A huge medieval clock that is called more or less because it only works in 15 minute increments (instead of seconds).

Now I understand the Italian sense of time!.

Pamela Marasco
www.cositutti.com