Once upon a time, in the village of Arcidosso, Tuscany, there was an inn-keeper and match-maker named Giuseppe who owned and operated an inn high on the slopes of Monte Amiata. Here the local villagers would gather during the winter months to partake of Giuseppe’s delicious soups and breads, and also to drink his fantastic home-made wines. Giuseppe was a very romantic man, as well as an observant businessman, and if he noticed sly glances and shy smiles between the young people of the village, he would offer them a glass of his very special wine, infused with secret herbs designed to enhance "l'atmosfera di amore". When the emotions between the young people became undeniable, they would go to their parents, who would enlist the assistance of Giuseppe, who would serve them some of his very special wines. Soon, the happy, and sometimes not so happy, families along with the village priest ("il prete") would be planning a wedding, to be held in Giuseppe's inn. The village priest spent so much time in Giuseppe's inn planning weddings and attending wedding receptions, that it became known as "La Locanda del Prete", The Inn of the Priest.

Today, La Locanda is owned and operated, not by Giuseppe the Match-maker, but by Carlo Innocenti, grand Italian chef specializing in La Cucina Povera Toscana (Tuscan country cooking) and owner and operator of Casa Innocenti Culinary School and previous manager of Harry’s Bar in Punta Alta, and his partner Pascale. Carlo has been instructing cooking courses for decades, in places as far as Switzerland as well as Italy. Although very little match-making takes place within the walls of this quaint bed and breakfast, it is still a local gathering place for the villagers of Arcidosso. Quite often, the Mayor of Arcidosso stops by for a plate of Carlo’s signature Panzanella (Tuscan bread salad) and Minestrone de verdure. There is still an atmosphere of family, tradition, story-telling and companionship that has carried on throughout the decades. In Carlo’s kitchen, Italian food is cooked with a Tuscan flair, using only the best, locally grown, and freshest ingredients. Carlo’s partner, Pascale, is a talented and well-known pasta maker; her pastas are so fresh and delicious, you’ll want to bring her home with you! Each meal enjoyed at La Trattoria del La Locanda is a memorable experience, filled with delicious food, wonderful wines, and the company of good friends. Local musicians are often invited to play, treating diners to everything from traditional folk music to more modern tunes.

Guided Excursions and Independent Travel

Montalcino (wine country), Pienza & Montepulciano; the Val D’Orcia

One of the guided excursions you will enjoy is your trip to Montalcino, region of the famous Brunello di Montalcino wines. Populated since the Etruscan era, Montalcino has enjoyed many periods of prosperity, as is evidenced by the lavish churches and cathedrals still standing since the pre-Renaissance. There are beautiful and fascinating works of art to be seen inside the churches, some by well-known Renaissance artists.

Pienza is probably one of the most beautiful and practical of all Renaissance cities, as it owes it’s name and fame to a certain Enea Silvio Piccolomini , born in 1405 and later becoming Pope Pius II.(Pienza translates to the English as ”Pious”). Designing Pienza as a “model Renaissance city” and according to Utopian ideology, it is a testament to how beauty and function can coincide harmoniously. Pienza is famous for its Pecorino della Pienza cheeses (sheep’s milk cheese), deemed to be so delicious that even school-children forgo the sweet shops in order to purchase chunks of Pecorino for an after school snack! Make sure to carry some pocket money with you, for Pienza’s artisans are also well known for their ceramics, glass-blowing, and linens. Stop by the piazza where scenes from the movie The English Patient were filmed!

Montepulciano
Montepulciano is built along a narrow limestone ridge and is encircled by walls and fortifications designed by Antonio da Sangallo the Elder in 1511 for Cosimo I. Its walls surround churches and palazzi containing works of religious art, frescoes and icons dating to the Renaissance. But Montepulciano is most renowned for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano wines, the earliest record of which dates back to the 1300’s.

Montalcino
Another Middle Ages village, Montalcino also possesses an amazing number of historic buildings, churches, palazzo and frescoes done by pre-Renaissance and Renaissance artists. It’s 12th century castle is still remarkably intact. The historic Abbey of Sant’Antimo is also amazingly preserved, since it dates back to either, according to historians, the 4th century, or according to local legend, since 781. The local legend states that Emperor Charlemagne, returning from Rome with his court and army, camped on the location of the abbey when he and his men fell violently ill. That night as he tossed in agony, angels appeared to him, instructed him to infuse a local grass, known as “Carolina”, in wine, and give it to his men to drink. Charlemagne did so, and his men were miraculously cured. In return for this divine intervention, Charlemagne founded the abbey. In Montalcino, you will be treated to a tasting of the local wines, Brunello di Montalcino and Rossi di Montalcino, with delicious Pecorino della Pienza cheese and a locally produced salami or proscuitto.

Monte Amiata is the highest mountain in Tuscany, and the second highest mountain in Italy, second to Monte Etna. An extinct volcano whose last eruption was about 180,000 years ago, Monte Amiata was worshipped by the Etruscans, and the villages that dot the slopes are home to many Etruscan archeological sites. On the slopes of Monte Amiata lies a sleepy little medieval village called Arcidosso. Surrounded by beech and chestnut forests and watched over by a centuries old castle, Arcidosso remains one of Tuscany’s true gems. Unspoiled and steeped in Tuscan tradition, Arcidosso is rarely experienced by North American tourists. With a population of just over 4,000 people, Arcidosso relies on farming and the craft-work of local artisans for the majority of its income. Chestnuts at one time were the main agricultural staple, and the many uses of chestnuts are commemorated every year beginning in late October with a Chestnut festival that lasts until late January. Participants in the Chestnut Festival walk along a trail of local trattorias and bakeries, and sample delicious products made of chestnut flour and nuts, such as chestnut pizza, chestnut polenta with sausages, and chestnut breads and pastries. Visitors are also taken on a walking tour of the chestnut groves, and can witness the traditional methods of harvesting and storing the chestnuts in little stone huts, many of which are standing after hundreds of years. Along with the delicacies offered, plenty of Tuscan wines are also on hand to warm the bodies and souls of the festival participants.

Arcidosso’s castle and fortress was built in 960 by the Aldobrandeschi family of Nobile, and was the subject of centuries of bitter dispute between the Aldobrandeschi family and the San Salvatore Abbey, until the powerful city of Siena finally won control. Siena remained the governing body of Arcidosso until the very powerful Medici family won control in 1559. While visiting Arcidosso, the castle and fortress are both “must-see” attractions not only for the structure and history, but the views from these locations is stunning and incredibly beautiful. Arcidosso is also home to several medieval churches, most notably the San Salvatore Abbey, the Chiesa della Madonna dell'Incoronata (Church of the Madonna Crowned), where pilgrims journeyed to pray for the end of the great plague, Chiesa di San Niccolo, the patron saint of Arcidosso, and the Chiesa de San Leonardo. These churches contain medieval frescoes, paintings and icons. Also of note is the Porta dell'Orologio (Gate of the Watch), one of the three entrances to the village.