Earlier this summer, I had the opportunity to engage in a fair amount of road trippin’ through Central Italy with a wonderful group of wine journalists. Our experiences in Florence (Tuscany), Castiglione del Lago and Lake Trasimeno (Umbria) and Grottamare Hamlet (Marche) were rife with stunning views, regional history, exceptional food and welcoming people. When you’re planning a trip to Central Italy, add any or all of my favorites below to your itinerary.
In Florence, Explore The Connection of Wine and Literature Followed By High-End Tuscan Cuisine
The first afternoon our group gathered, we strolled into Florence for a fascinating learning experience about how wine and literature have blended in this beautiful city, a source of inspiration.
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella, founded by Dominican monks in the first half of the 13th century, attracted artists such as Botticelli and Michelangelo as well as poets and scholars. Giovanni Boccaccio is remembered for his tales of the Decameron that influenced Italian Renaissance literature. The Decameron tells the story of 10 young people who fled Florence in the mid-14th century due to the plague. Within the book, the word “wine” was mentioned 62 times. Referencing a villa’s cellars, the colors of wine (red was well-suited to peasants because of its digestif capabilities and white wine was elitist, light and medicinal), how wine relates to social mobility and more are just a few peeks into the wine world of the era. Now I need to re-read this book!
Basilica di Santa Maria Novella
This Article was originally published on Grape Experiences
