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THE
PLACE
We are located in a countryside of rolling hills on the border
of Tuscany and Umbria between two small towns,
Mercatale di Cortona (in Tuscany, 2 miles from our house) and
Lisciano Niccone (in Umbria, 1 1/2 miles from our house).
Because of its location, our house is an ideal point of departure
for discovering sights of historical, artistic, and religious
significance in both Tuscany and Umbria, such as Perugia (21
miles), Assisi (30 miles), Arezzo (24 miles)
Montepulciano (30 miles) and Siena (4 miles), to name
just a few. Rome (200 kms) and Florence (120 kms),
each 1-1/2 to 2 hours by train, are easy day-trip destinations.
Beautiful Lake Trasimeno is only 7 miles from our house. You
can take a ferry across the Lake to either Maggiore Island or
Polvese Island. To get to Maggiore Island, you leave from
Tuoro. Tourist attractions on Maggiore Island include panoramic
vistas and historic monuments. However, fishing is still the main
industry of the Island. If you go there, you must stop at “De
Sauro”, an excellent restaurant where the specialties of the
house include several dishes made from fish taken fresh from Lake
Trasimeno and other typical Umbrian fare.
To get to Polvese Island, you take the ferry from San
Feliciano. On the road to San Feliciano, make sure you stop
at Monte del Lago, an indescribably fascinating town you are
not likely to ever forget. No one lives on Polvese Island. The
entire Island is a natural park. It is particularly beautiful in the
springtime when the wild flowers and herbs are in full bloom.
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The Niccone valley |
Lake Trasimeno |
For those who love the peace and quiet of the
countryside, there are many places close to our house to go for
splendid walks and bike rides. In the surrounding hills
you can visit medieval castles and ancient churches, such as
Castello di Reschio, Rocca di Pierle, Chiesa di San
Donnino (near Mengaccini), and Chiesa di Val di Rosa (in
Crocicchie).
If on occasion you do not feel like cooking at home, we recommend
eating at “Trattoria da Gianna” in Lisciano Niccone, where
you will experience the fine cooking of the owner, Gianna,
who in addition to being a renowned chef is also my sister!
Trattoria da Gianna serves typical Sardinian fare (we grew up on
Sardinia Island) as well as exquisite dishes typical of both Tuscany
and Umbria.
Speaking of food, the most famous specialty of our region is
“Porchetta”. To make it, an entire pig is baked all day long
in a wood-stoked oven, flavored with special herbs and spices.
Because it takes so long to make, you can buy Porchetta only after
4:00 in the afternoon. It is sold hot from the oven at the
“Carnevali” butcher shop in Mercatale on Tuesdays, at the
“Trabalza” butcher shop in Mercatale on Thursdays, and at the
butcher shop in Lisciano Niccone (there is only one) on
Wednesdays.
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