Introduction to the Undiscovered Region of Marche Italy

Sant'Angelo in Pontano - Discover Undiscovered Italy

Penna San Giovanni One of Our Special Neighbouring Villages

Monte San Martino Another Hidden Gem of the Marche Countryside

The Medieval Gem which is Sarnano

The Beauty of Gualdo Captured on Film - Simply Stunning

...traipsing and tasting your way through Italy...

Another great story by Maryke Roberts on her recent gastronomic tour of Italy. 

Scroll down for the English Translation and enjoy! 

...traipsing and tasting your way through Italy...

When South African travel writer Maryke Roberts got the chance to visit Italy, it was not 

the charms of Rome, Venice or Milan that drew her, but the tantalising foods of Parma, 

Bologna and Norcia.

Indeed, by the time you have walked Mother Earth for forty odd years, you know what best tickles 

your taste buds. I include parmesan cheese (its pungency maybe just a tad too much for sensitive 

palates), truffle oil (reminiscent of forest nights, fungi and fertility) and Parma ham with pickled 

artichokes. It makes perfect sense then, having landed at the airport outside Rome that we would 

head straight to Bologna. 

Spaghetti- cause of comfort or contention?

Spaghetti, in my esteem, is comfort food. My mission; to find the best there is in Bologna. Alas, 

the lady at the tourism bureau in the centre of the city does not share our enthusiasm. Whilst her 

friends are lazing away on inviting bright beaches, she has to deal with the ill informed naivety of a 

foreigner’s search for the best Bolognaise sauce in the world. “There is no such thing as ‘spaghetti 

bolognaise’, she broadcasts for our attention, and everyone else within hearing distance. “It’s a myth 

we wish to vanquish, once and for all. Try our linguine or tagliatelli with a ragù sauce...” she advises 

most patiently. 

Rapped over the knuckles, my high falutin bolognaisan notions proving to be a mere rumour, we 

content ourselves with a buffet at Caffe Maxim on the Piazza della Mercanzia, just around the 

corner. The purchase of two drinks at the bar allows one to snack away all night long on the spread 

of delicacies: thinly sliced prosciutto wrapped around plump cantaloupe, chilled melon chunks sweet 

as honey with homemade coppa, rosa tomatoes wrapped in fragrant basil leaves, thick slices of 

mozzarella cheese mellowing the fruity melange- the list goes on.

Well fed now, with at least some of my romantic notions of Italian cuisine restored, we choose as 

our next taste bud sensation an excursion to the Gelato Museum in Carpigiani on the outskirts of the 

city. Sadly, it turns out they are closed for the holidays. Undeterred, we press our noses against the 

windows and take in with childish delight the ice-cream colours in the churns, the antique ice-cream 

tins and the splendid designs of the ice-cream scoops dating back to the fifties and sixties. 

A little sign indicates 1970, my bonny year of birth, as the year in which whipped cream served on 

top of ice-cream became popular, along with the machine that could beat it up twice as nice (and as 

fast)!

No mean truffle... 

We drive through little villages advertising culinary festivals of all sorts and it seems there’s no end 

to the ingenuity with pasta: gnocchi, pumpkin, sweet potato, not forgetting spaghetti, tagliatelli 

etcetera. 

A whole evening is whiled away in Loro Piceno at the Vino Cotto wine festival, where we develop a 

taste for cooked wines and an affinity for the locals who prepare and pour this potent pick-me-up. 

They let us in on the bit of colloquial culinary knowledge that no visit is complete without spending 

some time (and money) at Norcia, the place where truffles come from. We feel compelled to visit 

each little butchery and to discover the carnal treats on offer. We savour salami with truffle oil, 

chewy ciabatta dunked in olive oil, blue cheese and olives vying variedly for the attention of our 

oil factory and taste sensations. I buy a small jar of wild boar sauce and tiny bottle of truffle oil and 

hope to get them back home intact.

A beseeching e-mail from South Africa hints at not missing out on visiting Venice or Milan. The 

most delectable Maschere biscuits can be bought here and preferably enough tins of them to share 

back home. Parmesan cheese takes precedence over these sweet treats and we follow the road to 

the Musei del Parmigiano Reggiano which is one of four of the Musei del Cibo group; its aim to pay 

tribute to the pioneers whose culinary proficiency popularised visits by passionate food lovers to the 

different regions. The other three museums celebrate tomatoes, Parma ham and salami. 

Culinary highlights

We spend many a day visiting little street cafes in the area where we eat bowls of tagliatelli ragù, 

which believe it or not (but don’t tell the Italians) tastes just like our adopted bolognaise sauce back 

home in South Africa! We devour chunks of grated parmesan cheese on our pasta and sometimes 

pop in at street markets to buy scrumptious ingredients for our evening meals.

Good news travels fast and when we hear of a wonderful guest house with a South African as part 

owner in Gualdo di Macerata in Le Marche, Cancello Est in Via Borga, we make our way there. At

their invitation we take over their kitchen from time to time trying our hand at preparing the robust fare of the region. Sharing our gastronomic delights brought no complaints! 

Sure, we did do a little non-food related sightseeing as well. We saw the Black Madonna at the 

Loreto Cathedral and took a spin to the Ferrari museum in Modena. But mostly, we just ate and 

had our heavenly fill of exquisite foods, way more colourful and sensual than we anticipated! We’ll 

be back soon to follow the trail of food through all the other villages inviting our naive but ardent 

search for sublime Italian gastronomy. Viva Italia!

Quick facts for the Foodies

• Tours to the local Parmesan Farms in and around Parma, Modena and Reggio Emilia can be done in your own time. The full name if this cheese is Parmagiano Reggiano. Some 270 000 cows are milked twice a day to make proper Parmesan cheese. A complete list of farms with directions is available at www.parmigiano-reggiano.it

• Present your airline ticket at any of the Musei del Cibo to get a discount. More info is available at www.musiedelcibo.it

• Pre-book to visit the Gelato Museum in Carpigiano, via Emilia in Bologna to avoid disappointment. Bookings at info@fondazionecarpigiani.it

• In Bologna one can do a one day food and wine tour. The short amble through the city includes a visit to the food markets and a free copy of a book with traditional recipes. To confirm tour dates go to www.bolognawelcome.it or ask for more information at the tourism bureau.

Gino D'Acampo shows Holly Willoughby where Le Marche is in Italy!

Gualdo Sunsets - amazing this time of year!

Passport to the World - Journalist Maryke Roberts raves about Gualdo MC and Cancello Est

Cathy Retief-Neil will be sharing interesting insights on Gualdo, Italy on the travel programme, Passport to the world. The very respected travel journalist Maryke Roberts shares insights and travel tips on her recent trip to the village of Gualdo Macerata and particularly to Cancello Est 

Nature Offers A Natural Solution To Sealing And Preserving 16th Century Floor Tiles

We have spent many months researching and experimenting with various solutions for sealing these beautiful antique, hand made tiles in an effort to preserve and protect them.

Part of the problem was in their creation. Each tile is slightly different in size and smoothed using fingers and hands, so lots of little grooves for dust and dirt to collect. The bonus however,  is the children's and animal foot prints that have been buried for hundreds of years.

We were about to give up and go the chemical route when a friend, Paula  Ryan,  arrived with a beautiful house-warming gift and asked if we had tried Raw Linseed Oil (also known as Raw Flaxseed Oil) and Beeswax?

So we set to work - the tiles are very porous and soak up all the Linseed Oil. So thirsty in fact that it took three very generous coats before they stopped drinking it all in.

Next came the beeswax or Cera as its known locally - which also took three coats.

We are really pleased with the outcome particularly as it is a totally natural. An environmentally friendly solution that has really brought the tiles back to life with a warm natural glow. Just needed this sound advice from Paula, plenty of elbow grease and some warm autumn days to get a really good result. Thank you Paula!

Bridal Suites ready for Opening in September

The renovations at Cancello Est are nearing completion and all being well we should be open for business in September. Two of the Bridal Suites are just about complete and are looking splendid - all we need to add now is a Bride and Groom to the one and  a romantic second honeymoon couple to the other.

The marble bathrooms are fabulous and you can shower or bath with breathtaking views of the mountains and the Sibilini National Park.

Sarnano Suite - En suite (bath and Shower), 16th Century Fresco, Extra-long King size Bed 

Sarnano Suite Marbled bathroom (shower, and double hand basins)

Smerillo Suite complete with private lounge area

A loo with a view - Smerillo Suite Marbled Bathroom

A Meal I Waited 55 Years For!

Well, its finally happened - I have had the best meal of my life. Today we went to Restaurant Il Tiglio in the mountainous village of Montemonaco which is nestled in the stunningly breathtaking Sibillini National Park. The weather was glorious which made the 45 minute trip there wonderful.

We sat at 12h30 and finally had some coffee at 16h30 - what a wonderful way to spend your birthday - special friends, special food and of course exceptional wine! A cellar here to be marvelled catalogued as a old bible  of wine

Here are some highlights of the 11 course degustation menu - well worth a visit when you are in Marche. There were other courses but in my excitement for the food, I forgot to take pictures.

White Truffle Ice Cream to tease the Mouth with Parmesan Fitters

Extra Virgin Olive Oil and different salts to tease the palate 

Tongue with basil and herb salad 

Carrot cooked with a curry jus and pureed carrot (Grapefruit Foam - yummy)

Mushrooms, Mushrooms and Mushrooms

Fois Gras

Cinghale Ragu with a lime sauce  

Pigeon with cherries 

Herb ice cream with crushed almonds and basil tea 

Milk chocolate mousse with beer ice cream and rich chocolate 

Hazelnut ice cream 

Bridal Suite Antiques Brought Back to Life

Another great find at Cancello Est - antique bedroom furniture which will now grace the Sarnano Suite. We found the furniture in the basement of the building and have had it restored by Frederico in Macerata. 

Frederico, during the restoration,  found written in pencil underneath one of the drawers "to a loving daughter on her birthday - September 1901". 

There is also a label that says the furniture was made in Santangelo in Pontano one of our neighbouring villages.

Recycling 16th Century Floor Tiles

Finally we have reached the flooring stage and are able to recycle the original terracotta tiles from the original medieval building. We discovered these hidden beneath 60 cms of ash, sand and rubble that had been placed for new floors over the centuries. The end result will be amazing - wonderful hues of honey, yellow red and the design pattern is looking stunning. Next stage is sanding, sealing and polishing. 

The Fresco is now a Fresci (we have two now so its Plural)

The Second of our four Fresci is now complete. So different to the first one that was discovered. 

There is a gold motif with white and red roses (looks a bit like a Tudor Rose)

Adriana, our fresco expert and restorer, has done some research and has come up with some ideas of what the buildings that are depicted represent. 

The Fresco dates from around 1625 and the structures in the corners represent either properties the family owned, or buildings that had a sentimental attachment to the family.

The first is the Old Medieval Tower of Gualdo that sat in the centre of the town square. Sadly, this collapsed in one of the earthquakes last century.

The Medieval Tower of Gualdo

The second image is, we believe,  the old church in Vecciola that has had a lot of remodelling over the years. Adriana thinks, that perhaps, this was the church where one of the family members worshipped and could be,  the church of the wife where they were married. (What a great wedding album) 

The third picture is a depiction of Cancello Est as it was many years ago  with steps (no longer there) leading up to the south side of the property.

The final image is of the families hunting lodge which can still be seen at Passo St Angelo.

What a brilliant way to preserve family history for future generations.

The Old Church at Vecciola

The Original House

The Hunting Lodge at Passo St Angelo

Brilliant Italian Humour - Too funny

Richard Loring talks about his visit to Gualdo on South African Radio

Cathy Retief-Neil will be sharing interesting insights on Gualdo, Italy on our travelling programme, Passport to the world. The very respected impresario/playwright, Richard Loring will be visiting us at Radio Helderberg. 

Some artists hit the top spot as singers, others as screen idols, and others as stage actors. Armed with extensive stage, singing and film experience, looks and loads of ambition, RICHARD LORING has done all three and achieved incredible success in the entertainment field as singer, movie star and stage actor.

Spring Flowers Coming into their Glory

Tulips welcoming Spring ( and some fantastic warm weather in Gualdo). After such a long winter the colours really give a lift to the soul with promises of summer to come.

Spring time is one of Marches' best kept secrets!

Spring is Busting out all Over!

Spring has sprung, temperatures rising daily and after a chilly winter everything is is bud and starting to look glorious. Its the most wonderful time of the year!