THE ARTISAN

Dear Traveler:

We hope the following information helps you as you decide where to stay during your trip to Italy. Prior to leaving you might want to take a look at a copy of Karen Brown’s "Italian Country Inns & Itineraries," or "Italian Country Bed & Breakfasts," or purchase one to take with you during your trip. We have never been disappointed by any place we stayed that we found in either one of these books.

 We don't know where you are starting your trip in Italy, so we have decided to develop this itinerary as if you were starting out in Milan - Milano.

There is a wonderful bed and breakfast near Caprino Bergamasco. Caprino Bergamasco is about an hour east of Milan and easy to reach. The name of the bed and breakfast is Ombria, in the locality of Celana, and is owned by Adda and Luciano Marchesin. The telephone number is (035) 781668. The phone is also the FAX, which does not function consistently. Two years ago, we paid 150,000 Lire for a lovely room including breakfast and dinner. Ombria is also a working goat cheese farm, and people come from miles around to buy cheese, and eat in the restaurant. From Milano, you take the A4 to the Agrate exit and head north toward Lecco on Route 36. At route 342 you turn right toward Caprino Bergamasco. From there follow the signs for Ombria. Ombria is not very far from the southern shore of Lake Como, or beautiful Bergamo. For those who have read "I Promessi Sposi - The Betrothed", this area is the geographical locale in which this very important Italian literary work was set.

Southeast of Milano in the direction of Emilia-Romagna you find wonderful places. One of our favorite inns is Albergo del Sole, located northeast of the interchange of the A21 (from Asti) and the A1 south to Parma. It is owned by Franco Colombani and his family, and is located at Via Trabattoni 22, in the town of Maleo. The telephone number is (0377) 58142, and the FAX number is (0377) 458058. The Albergo del Sole is expensive. Two years ago the room cost approximately 300,000 Lire for the two, but was well worth it. The restaurant is excellent (the cost is not included in the price of the room), but, by far, the loveliest part of staying at Albergo del Sole is the hospitality of the owner. The farmhouse has been in his family for about 600 years, and the pride he and his family feel is evident in both the inn and the restaurant. Maleo is 60 km south of Milan, and 23 km west of Cremona.

Also not far from the interchange of the A21 and the A1 south, is the city of Salsomaggiore Terme. It is thirty kilometers from Parma. Many Italians visit Salsomaggiore Terme during the spring and summer because of the curative thermal water baths, and the beautiful flower gardens. There are many accommodations in Salsomaggiore Terme. One you might try is Antica Torre. It is a small inn in the locality of Cangelasio. The owners are the Francesco Pavesi family, and the phone number is (0524) 575425. From the A1 you take the exit to Salsomaggiore Terme, and go through town following the signs for Cangelasio and Antica Torre.

We have stayed in Reggio Emilia and Bologna, and while we enjoy what each of these cities has to offer, our accommodations have been in typically overpriced hotels. If you, by chance, were going on from the region of Emilia-Romagna to the cities of Florence, Lucca, Pisa and Siena, a number of possibilities exist. . We have never stayed overnight in Pisa, but have stayed in a lovely country bed and breakfast about 10 km from of Lucca, and about 20 km from Pisa in Balbano. Villa Casanova is owned by Dr. Angelo Capparoni, a retired surgeon from Rome, and is open from Easter to October. The telephone number is (0583) 548429. Two years ago, we paid about 175,000 Lire. This price included the room, a large shower as well as a wonderful dinner of rabbit, potatoes, assorted vegetables and wonderful service. From Lucca you follow the signs for Ponte San Pietro, then Nozzano. Villa Casanova is just beyond Nozzano and well marked.

 If you prefer to stay in the center of Lucca, we found a small hotel named La Luna. It is located at Via Fillungo – Corte Compagni 12. The telephone number is (0583) 493634, and the FAX number is (0583) 490021. We were not able to see a room because they were all occupied, but the hotel looked nice, was reasonably priced, and included parking.

We no longer enjoy staying in Firenze proper, so the places we know about are located between Firenze and Siena, and in Siena, itself. Colle Val d’Elsa is located just off the Superstrada between Firenze and Siena. It is 47 km from Florence and 20 km from Siena. The historic center is referred to as Colle Val d’Elsa Alta. The Hotel Arnolfo is a comfortable, reasonably priced hotel. Ristorante Arnolfo, which is located next door, has been written up in a variety of magazines lately as a restaurant that deserves more attention than it has received in the past. The address of the Hotel Arnolfo is Via F. Campana 8. The telephone number is (0577) 922020. Day trips from Colle or Siena to Florence are very easy by either bus or auto. The bus station is near the open market in Florence, which is in turn not far from the Duomo, the Uffizi, or any of the museums housing Michelangelo's David and other works of Art.

Our favorite hotel in Siena is the Hotel Chiusarelli. It is located 300 meters from the center of Siena and the Piazza del Campo. the hotel faces the Basilica di S. Domenico, and offers private parking. The Chiusarelli is reasonably priced, clean, and has an attentive owner and staff. The address is Viale Curtatone 9. The telephone number is (0577) 280562 and the FAX number is (0577) 271177. This spring, we paid 125,000 Lire, for a double occupancy room with a shower.

If you decide to go to Perugia, Lo Spedalicchio is a hotel located 10 km from Perugia and 10 km from Assisi. It has been many years since we stayed there, but we still remember how lovely the room was, and how much we enjoyed our meal in the hotel's fine restaurant. A guidebook published in 1988 prices the hotel at 37,500 – 49,000 Lire. We don’t know what the rate is today, most likely 30 - 50% higher. The address is Piazza Bruno Buozzi 3, Ospedalicchio di Bastia. The telephone number is (075) 809323.

Also located close to Assisi in Torgiano is Le Tre Vaselle. This is the hotel owned and operated by the Lungarotti wine family, who also founded the fantastic Museo del Vino in Torgiano. Le Tre Vaselle is an excellent hotel. It is expensive, by Italian, or almost any, standards. We recently paid 335,000 lire a night for a beautiful room. The telephone number is (075) 9880447 and the FAX number is (075) 9880214. You take the Superstrada from Siena in the direction of Perugia-Roma. You then take the E45 to the Torgiano exit. Torgiano is one or two exits before the exit for Deruta, a city famous for its exquisite pottery.

The restaurant at Le Tre Vaselle, while considered quite good, is very expensive. We ate in a local restaurant which was excellent and 1/2 to 1/3 the price. The name of the restaurant is Siro, and it is within walking distance from the hotel.

Should the time be available, and you wish to continue to Rome, the choices there are innumerable. So, unfortunately are the number of cars and people. We have not been to Rome for many years, but in the past when we visited we always stayed at Hotel S. Anselmo. On the Aventine Hill. Signor Piroli owns three hotels on the Aventino: S. Anselmo, Aventino, and Villa S. Pio. Enzo has been the manager at Hotel S. Anselmo for many years, and we know that he and Signor Paroli would treat you very well should you decide to stay there. Hotel S. Amselmo is located at Piazza S. Anselmo, 2. The telephone number is (06) 5745174 and the FAX number is (06) 5783604.

Given the number of possible hotels, restaurants and sights to see in Rome, we suggest purchase of a travel book dedicated to Rome. We spent 2 weeks there each year for 12-15 years, and still know only a tiny bit of Rome and its incredible environs. Among the latter are Frascati, Castel Gondolfo, Ostia Antica, Anzio and the entire Roman seaside.

That is about it for this itinerary. We hope that this information proves useful. Let us know if you visit any of these places.

Buon Viaggio!

J & M

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Last updated on: 06/03/99 12:51:14 AM