A destination that expands travel reportage in the Val di Chiana hotspots: amid 15th-century walls, an underground spa and suites that act as a cord to the village's historic architecture, Monastero di Cortona aims for hospitality no less than widespread ease. This is confirmed by the restaurant gli Affreschi, led by chef Michele Ricci: a delightful stronghold where the menu bypasses the territorial horizon.
Framing it well, Cortona seems more like a poetic construct than an anonymous junction on the map of Tuscan tourist attractions. Beyond the hype of autumn foliage, beyond Americans' infatuation with the Val di Chiana, and even beyond the stores with the usual pici crammed into gift packages, this proud stronghold of Etruscan ancestry hides a narrative heritage just waiting to be discovered between the lines of ancient author's pages.
D'Annunzio, for instance, quoted it fondly in the sonnet of the "silent cities, " while Carducci sipped ad libitum the local wine to baste the drafts of his embryonic compositions. As a matter of fact, anyone who ascends its impervious stretches for the first time (regardless of one's elective affinity with "vertical" villages) will see the landscape gradually become an endless blur, capable of suddenly escaping the contours of the eye. Except that the boundary appears, sharp and sharp, in the outline of a manor house sui generis, hidden in an intrepid little alley that carves out green rustic remnants from above.
Stop, drop your bags and look up: the Monastery of Cortona soars toward the sky that unites two regions, just a few kilometers from the beginning of Umbria. But inside, there is no seamlessness between lands and towers, ease and adventure: only the tones of a present that freshly repaints the centuries.
The hotel
Against all odds dictated by its name, you will not sleep in the stultifying reenactment of a medieval room with dusty canopies and heavy drapes on the windows: the former 15th-century Cistercian college converted into a boutique hotel by the Poli family is now a 5-star hotel faithful to its original labyrinthine floor plan, where, however, the evolutionary line of furnishings eschews easy demodé choices.
Right from the threshold of the suites, then, the marble of the flooring brightens the spaces up to the beams or vaults with their lively gilding, while the outdoor corners overlooking Cortona's rooftops extend the travel reportage, creating a sort of cord with the layered architecture of the small urban center. All after entering “in noble spirit” as early as the entrance to the hotel, which at times heralds the next stages: born a refectory and used as a lobby, it now gathers guests over herbal tea or an aromatic drink to modulate the welcome according to season.
Everything else emerges as you stroll through the rooms at a leisurely pace with staff spoilers in the background: a trail of 17th-century frescoes winks out in the bar/restaurant area ; the botanical garden of a monastic setting serves as a roof garden for gradually getting used to the rhythms of the 'dolce vita' of the village; the little picture of hills lined up in single file can be admired, as soon as the weather cools down, directly soaking in the plunge pool, to complete operation tan by immortalizing the turnover of colors from one hour to the next.
Another floor, another pool: as you descend to the basement, the lights drop in effect to veer to the bluish hues of the Bagni di Bacco Spa- a “rock” carved spa, literally set up at the imposing 18th-century stables, where saunas and shock treatments pendulum with exploration of the “blue grotto.” Recommended time? Late afternoon, when eyes still full of nature automatically close as the body eases muscle tension. Then, off to the relaxing pre-dinner massage.
Chef Michele Ricci and the restaurant “Gli Affreschi”
“Gli Affreschi” exudes, yes, just the right sense of Tuscan-ness, but it manages to dispel just as effectively the idea of the old-fashioned sign you might imagine within the walls of a historic Cortona building. With the exception of the slew of period scenes on the walls (perhaps depicting the infighting between Guelphs and Ghibellines), the gourmet's edge lies precisely in the modernity of intent, polishing the mirror of a local identity reflected in curiously "crystal-clear" dishes.
They are offered by chef Michele Ricci, who was born in the Arezzo area and grew up bypassing the horizon at home with experience alongside Marchesi, Sartini and Lopriore. A curriculum that casts out the seeds of an open territorial vision, with good margins for all-meal entertainment.
Hand in hand, a catalog of labels twinned with the two courses (“Sapori Toscani” at 80 euros and “Dal Mare,” at 90) comes out of the cellar, for a total of 300 references chosen by maître and sommelier Tiziana Lai, who is attentive to “off record” producers inside and outside the regional perimeter (to whom a nimble presentation is dedicated in the dining room, without ever breaking the rhythm of the tasting too much).
The dishes
From the starting blocks, the shot of inventiveness comes in the form of a scaled-down pappa al pomodoro, sort of a miniature simulating the fruit. It is enlivened by a bread crumble to activate the bite, spinach powder and thin chips of pro-spice tomato peel.
Fishing from the seafood itinerary, swimming in cool waters is the Roasted Squid on Cream of Peas and its ink. “A blatant tribute to the master Gualtiero Marchesi,“ , says the chef, ”because I had fallen in love with his Seppia al nero and replicated so many of them as a boy in training.” At the bottom, a dark dripping contrasts with the shellfish's whiteness. In the center, squid “carved to tenderize its tissues and slightly blanched,” to which the lemon and lime insert gives an interesting citric persistence. Not surprisingly, “we employ only the peels, no juice.”
Still, we are in the home of pici, a Sunday fetish made gluttonous by the robustness of meat sauces. However, Ricci pulls the dough on a new Rome-Cortona cultural axis, unleashing the condiment weapon you don't expect. “To vary, I chose a Cacio e pepe topping, actually making a fondue that sees De‘ Magi Tuscan Pecorino round out the pungent sensations of the decidedly ’strong' Roman one.” . Yet it is the olfactory swirl that intrigues the senses even before tasting: “We add a saffron gelée for the warm note and an air of pepper on top. I don't like mignonette grains, with their aggressive lash: I prefer gentle scents that envelop the nostrils.” Third turning point, the crunchy croutons in the cream: on paper a potential gamble, in the mouth a winning bet for the playful dynamism that ensues.
A speedy cut introduces the texture of the venison filet, spinach, Jerusalem artichoke and juniper sauce, just taut on the surface and very yielding on the inside, accomplice to an 'old-fashioned, straight-in-the-pan cooking . Basically I prefer preparations linked to gestures, they are 'living techniques' to be treasured and handed down. Same goes for braised, roasted or ragu." The detachment is sharp and the game tamed in fiber, while the flavor recalls the echo of the forest, between the sanguine and the earthy. Well represented, with just as many options, is the mini-vegetable world, although the total green runs are, in our opinion, less exciting on the expressive level.
Fixing dinner in memories is the Tiramisu with “Turkish-style” infused coffee coulis and homemade coffee and chocolate powder cookie. “I would call it a ‘corrected’ dessert, for example, because of the choice to omit the cocoa topping, an element that is often redundant in the standard recipe,” Ricci chides. “In its place is a crumbly wafer that gives movement and sweeps away the dusty feel”. No affront to the classic of classics, just a new school spoon dessert that passes the test of sugars: few but good.
Experiences
Waking up at the Monastery coincides with a whole riser of sweet yeasts, cured meats, cheeses and fruits to be enjoyed as soon as you sit down, perhaps with the excellent yogurt produced by a nearby dairy.
Lara Imparato, a deputy manager of great empathy, explains, "For us, it's not just the painstaking ingredient sourcing or the bon ton setting that matters. We love the simple fact that a child may ask us for an express stuffed toast or that the solo guest has the impression of eating in a family home, exchanging a few words of understanding with the team. The real luxury here lies in the preciousness of human relationships."
With her we reach at a brisk pace, in the crisp Sunday morning air, the DelBrenna jewelry store, an artisanal reality born from a tiny family lab and come to international fame, even to the point of opening an additional boutique in Kansas City. In fact, among the activities offered by the hotel is a "goldsmith-gastronomic" tour of the showroom led by Sebastian DelBrenna and his wife Megan, proud keepers of the chain decorated with handmade prototype dating back to 1974, with the irreplicable motif.
Sebastian, creator of four models such as to actualize the aesthetics of the necklace, has been able to set up over the years a schedule of events punctually packed with admirers, from dinners in a wine shop with the privilege of wearing the elegant necklaces for a night (Wine Dine & Shine) to tastings in the atelier (located inside a former underground oil mill of the village, of which many parts remain visible) with a welcome of Prosecco containing gold and silver flakes. Just the right toast to continue satiating oneself with beauty.
Contact
Monastery of Cortona
Address: Via del Salvatore, 52044 Cortona AR
Phone: 0575 178 5839
