Fall 2001

Fall 2001

Vanilla Beans and Brodo:An Inside Look at Montalcino

    Isabella Dusi left behind her successful interior design career with a bold move to settle halfway around the world in an enchanting medieval village in Tuscany. Isabella and her husband, Luigi, since have shared their love of the countryside, its wine and cuisine, art and architecture through specialized, small-group tours. Now she has brought her adopted home alive in "Vanilla Beans and Brodo," a new book that tells the story of Montalcino, a hilltop community known for its Brunello wines.

    The book weaves together a rich tapestry of the past and present in the daily life of this enchanting village, touching on Italy over the centuries and particularly focusing on the shift from mass emigration at the beginning of the 20th century to a thriving nation today known for its chic emphasis on fashion, design and sporty cars.

     Dusi brings a deft touch to her fellow townspeople and their love of neighborhood, kept alive by village traditions passed down through generations. "Vanilla Beans and Brodo," available through amazon.uk, captures the soul of Italy and fosters a better understanding of today’s Italians.

     Isabella and Luigi Dusi continue their love affair with Italy by developing tours that explore new realms for both novice and experienced travellers. On tap for the 2002 season are:

ALLA MODA - FASHION FOOD AND BEAUTY - 2 nights/Rome; 5 nights/ Tuscany; 3 nights/Abano Terme health and beauty spa. Scheduled for early June for group of 16-20 women. Designed for women 40 to 65 who revel in Italian fashion and cuisine and who are ready to treat themselves to a marvelous getaway.

VILLAS & VINEYARDS (Italy’s northern region) - 4 hotel stops (3 in villas) of 3 nights each; arrive Venice and depart Malpensa. Scheduled in late May for group of 16-20. Focused on good food and wine, with visits to Prosecco, Valpolicella,Franciacorta, Barolo, Barbaresco,Gattinara and Ghemme wine regions, as well as stops in Lakes Orta and Maggiore,Portofino and Santa Margherita.

VILLAS & VERDI - 4 hotel stops of 3 nights each. Scheduled for mid/late August into early September for group of 16-20. Mixes music and festivals with history and culture for the well-read and well-traveled, and includes the Opera at Verona and the Joust of the Saracen festival in Arezzo.

A TABLE IN TUSCANY - 7-day cooking tour around Montalcino several times during the year for individual travel or as extension to another tour.
Targeted at wine and cuisine, with vineyard visit,dining at Re di Macchia and involvement in
Montalcino village life with housing in apartments in the heart of Montalcino.

    Contact Il Viaggio or your travel agent for detailed itineraries and pricing of the tours. The book weaves
together a rich tapestry of the past and present in the daily life of this enchanting village...

What’s New in Old Rome?
Are you traveling to Rome with a desire to experience the true Eternal City? Il Viaggio’s newest hotel properties, recently added to its extensive lodging list, will serve you well.

HOTEL SANTA MARIA (three star), originally a 17th-Century cloister in Trastevere, provides a picturesque setting in Rome’s old quarters. Trastevere translates to across the river, where you’ll find fascinating medieval churches, outdoor restaurants, clubs and boutiques. From the hotel’s courtyard, guests can view Trastevere’s characteristic backdrop of flower-filled balconies, hanging laundry and buildings glowing with an ochre hue. Rooms are pleasantly furnished and equipped with modern bathrooms and all amenities, including air conditioning, mini-bar and satellite TV. The friendly staff provides information on tours and local restaurants. Double rooms start at $145 per night with tax, service and breakfast included.

RESIDENZA PAOLO VI (four star), newly created last year from a monastery, brings you breakfast with a view overlooking St. Peter’s Square. Its 29 comfortably furnished rooms are equipped with bath, satellite TV, mini-bar, in-room safe and air conditioning. The two elegant junior suites provide private views of the colonnade of St. Peter’s. For small groups, a welcome cocktail can be arranged on the terrace while the Santa Monica dining room can be reserved for an elegant dinner party of up to 50 guests. Rates start at $165 per night for a double room, including tax, service and breakfast.

    To complete your stay in Rome, please contact us about two wonderful and unique tours. The Excavations Tour under the Basilica of St. Peter’s takes you back to early Roman times, when the land on which the basilica now stands was a necropolis. As you wind through the narrow pathways below the church you will see the beginnings of Christianity and the symbolism that is apparent on the tombs.

    An early-morning Sistine Chapel Tour brings you the magnificent work of Michelangelo without the crowds.

    Both tours are available in combination with a hotel package. Due to the special permits that are required, participation in these tours cannot be guaranteed.

A Jewel in Southern Tuscany

A quiet haven to relax, read, meditate.

A place to soak in the thermal waters of the central piazza.

A small town where it appears that time has virtually come to a standstill.

    Those are the charms of the spa town of Bagno Vignoni, a medieval village close to the towns and sights of Montalcino, San Quirico and the Abbey of Sant’Antimo. To add to your enjoyment, sample the local cheeses with the fragrance of truffles, marmalades from the sweetest fruits and, of course, the fine wines of Montalcino.
    For the ideal place to call home during your stay, visit La Locanda del Loggiato, a local bed and breakfast inn. Sabrina and Barbara, the young enthusiastic proprietors, have gone to great lengths to find the perfect furnishings and bed linens to make each suite unique. Room rates per night start at $120, including breakfast.

Local Feasts

The months of September and October in Italy are always a time for village feasts throughout the country.
A sampling:
AREZZO (Region of Tuscany) Joust of the Saracen, First Sunday of September.
VITERBO (Region of Lazio) Feast of Santa Rosa, Sept. 2-4.
GUALDO TADINO (Region of Umbria) Festival of the Portals, Sept. 22-24.
TREVI (Region of Umbria) Palio dei Terzieri (historical parade and cart race), Oct. 1.
ASSISI (Region of Umbria Feast of Saint Francis, Oct. 3-4.
IMPRUNETA (Region of Tuscany) Wine Festival Third Sunday of September.
SAN VITO LO CAPO (Region of Sicily) Couscous festival, Second week of September.
MAZZARRONE (Region of Sicily) Grape festival, Second week of September.
SAN GIOVANNI D’ASSO (Region of Tuscany) Truffle Festival, First Sunday of November.
MONTALCINO (Region of Tuscany) Feast of the Thrush, Last Sunday in October.

A new slant on Pisa’s Leaning Tower

    The leaning tower of Pisa was restored for its citizens and visitors on June 17, after 11 years of extensive engineering feats. The tower has been lifted 40 centimeters and today leans one half degree less than before quite imperceptible to the untrained eye. Over a decade the tower was subjected to various tests, experiments and moments of panic as the engineers and people of Pisa worried about the safety and stability of the tower, which stands in the lovely Piazza dei Miracoli(Square of Miracles).
    A look back in history shows that the tower was never straight. Around 1179-1180, six years after construction began and with only three levels completed, the ground around the tower had begun to give way. Work was stopped and restarted more than once, and only around the middle of the 1300s was the tower completed. The enormous mass of the structure itself (14,454 tons) and the conditions of sandy soil and a high water table caused the tower to lean.
    Michele Jamiolkowski, a world renowned Polish engineer who took on the risky job of attempting to straighten the tower, found three major problems: stability and the risk of a collapse, the risk of an internal structural collapse, and problems tied to the material restoration of the tower. The major geological problem brought various solutions under consideration. With electrosmosis, long tubes were to be used as electrodes to firm up the soil by basically causing the particles of water to migrate and make the soil more stable. Another possible solution was to excavate earth beneath the monument without dismantling the tower. There were nonetheless moments of panic when in September 1995 the
tower tilted more in one night than it would in an entire year. The tower was actually covered with what could be defined as a steel corset to avoid a structural collapse from the inside.
    Celebrations were held on June 17, feast day of Saint Ranieri, patron saint of Pisa, to honor the final accomplishment. Plans are in store for visitors to once again be able to climb the 293 steps to the top of the eight-story tower starting in November 2001.

IlViaggio Offers:

Personalized itineraries
Hotel accommodations (3 star to deluxe)
Selected villa and apartment rentals
Chauffeured vehicles
Private guides and driver-guides
Special interest tours
Spa packages
Honeymoon and Anniversary packages