From The Scotsman, August 2006
Under the Umbrian Sun
Lee Randall
Sandi Toksvig's recent novel, Melted
into Air, finds her heroine in a sleepy Umbrian village trying to banish
memories of a disastrous love affair. She writes: "A woman stepping out into
the streets of Montecastello 500 years ago would have much the same experience
as Frances did now. A beautifully preserved medieval borgo, the narrowness
of the lanes and lack of access had left the town untouched by modern life.
Banished beyond the walls, no cars sounded, there was no rush of metal past
the pedestrian."
She could be describing Montone. On my bulletin board is an old, black and
white postcard I found lurking beneath my bill for lunch one day, and I promise
you, the place hasn't changed a bit in the intervening years. We spent a peaceful
week there, perpetuating our love affair with the laidback pace of life outside
Italy's major cities.
I'm not the only one who thinks Montone is a picture-perfect medieval hill
town - the Italians themselves voted it one of the country's most beautiful
examples. Its stone buildings climb over the steep hillside like flights of
stairs, and it's not unusual for a building to start and stop on different
streets. Wandering around, you'll make unexpected returns; all roads, however
narrow or vertiginous, seem to lead back to the central Piazza Fortebraccio.
Throughout, the journey's a delight on the eyes. There appears to be a rule
in Umbria dictating that every household plants geraniums, so cheerful dashes
of red dance before you at every turn. Peering over the walls (especially near
the San Francesco church) reveals the kind of rolling vistas that make you
long for a palette and paints. And instead of cars, the air hums with birdsong
day and night.
Our perch for the week was Montone
Due, a bijou bi-level
flat owned by American architects who have reinvented it as a chic oasis of
calm. It's ideally situated a short walk in one direction from the highest
of the town's free car parks, and steps from the piazza in the other direction.
The new, well-appointed granite and stainless steel kitchen makes the most
of spatial restrictions, while the combined living area centres on a deep corner
fireplace, with a separate area for eating. Our concern, it being June, wasn't
stoking the flames but keeping temperatures down. Judicious use of built-in
wooden shutters ensured that the flat remained cool no matter how high temperatures
soared outside. The large and inviting sleigh bed dominating the second level
has a wonderfully firm mattress, ensuring sound sleep. The bathroom is a large,
light, airy space, which made it a bit odd that the shower stall was that bit
too small for people of generous proportions. Luckily the shower itself, with
its powerful cascades of hot water, made stepping inside a highlight of the
day.
The real star of the flat is a wisteria-shaded terrace outside the entrance.
People sit a lot in Montone, so we took our cue from the natives, and did our
bit - so much so that we practically grew roots on to the balcony, playing
cards, imbibing the local vintages, and drinking in the rhythms of village
life.
Midday, with the streets deserted, all you can hear are the convivial sounds
of cutlery scraping on plates. By 7pm, invisible voices talk and talk as families
regroup, voices echoing through the yards and urban gardens designed to provide
a bounty of fresh vegetables for every table.
We befriended our elderly neighbour, who reminded
me of Andy Warhol. He once described his social self by saying, "I just sit still and let the party come
to me. It does, eventually." Over the week we watched a host of visitors pay
calls, from her great nephew to people delivering produce or refilling her
wine vat. As we struggled to communicate - the older woman with her smattering
of English, courtesy of her husband's involvement with Allied troops in the
war, me with a year of Italian classes - it felt as if we were being invited
into the heart of this warm town.
For all its small size, Montone is bursting with history. It's on the record
books as far back as the 10th century, but its fortunes were really linked
with that of the Fortebracci family, reaching its apotheosis in the 15th century
under Andrea, a cunning ruler famous for his strategic abilities and political
acumen. He was a fierce rival of the Pope and tried to create his own independent
state, complete with army. When not attempting world domination, he and his
family brought artisans and architects to the area to build and decorate churches,
forts and towers.
One of these, the Church of San Franceso, is now used
for cultural events and as a museum space. Despite its small size, the museum
has exquisite religious art, with a more contemporary gallery space on the
ground floor. In the former church itself you'll find the remains of lovely,
colourful frescoes. A ticket to this museum, which costs just a couple of
euros, serves as a pass into those in nearby Umbertide and Città di
Castello, too.
After Andrea was killed in battle, son Carlo reconciled with the church. He
led the troops of Venice to victory against Turkish invaders. By way of thanks,
the lagoon dwellers gave him one of the thorns from Christ's crown. Local legend
says that when troops bearing the relic approached Montone, the town bells
began ringing spontaneously. Today, this much-valued relic, guarded by nuns
throughout much of the year, is brought out twice annually amid great feasting
and celebration.
For our own grub, we drove a few miles south to Umbertide, where every Wednesday
there's a busy market (both food and sundries). There's a good grocery store,
too, but our favourite stop is Valtiberina Carni (Via Roma, 1), where there's
top-quality butcher meat, salamis, cheese and fresh pasta.
Montone itself has a tiny butcher's shop selling some groceries, too. Having
nearly denuded the plant on our terrace, we stopped in, looking for basil,
one day. The proprietor hunted high and low, then stepped outside and pulled
some leaves off a plant in the neighbouring window box. With a shrug and a
smile - and no charge - she popped it into a paper bag and waved us on our
way. It seemed churlish asking whether or not it was hers to give.
In Montone, visit Ristorante Erbaluna (Piazza Fortebraccio 5/6). It vies with
an adjacent gelateria as one of the local hangouts. The local men favour the
ice cream shop, but we preferred Erbaluna, where you could grab coffee, gelato,
or beer and watch the world resolutely choosing not to go by. (Webmaster's note: Erbaluna is still in Montone but has moved to wonderful premises inside the medieval walls.)
Beyond that, Erbaluna is also a wonderful restaurant, where you can eat inside,
in a room overlooking the valley, or al fresco on the piazza. Highlights of
our meal were ribbons of supple pasta drenched in pesto, a pan-fried duck breast
accompanied by a whole sweet pear poached in red wine, and a magnificently
wrought tuna fillet flavoured with spearmint. For something more informal,
head just outside the walls to Trattoria Pizzeria Le Fonti (Viale Bologni 25).
We had delicious and inexpensive pizzas, but there's a full menu of pastas
and meat dishes, as well.
Since Montone is well situated in relation to the
main north/south Umbrian artery, the E45, we made a lot of day trips further
afield. One day we headed for the Adriatic coast, in the Le Marche region,
hotly tipped as Italy's up-and-coming unspoiled holiday and second-home destination.
After about 90 minutes we found ourselves in Fano, half anonymous seaside
resort, half historic town. Avoid the stony beach and its crush of deck chairs
and proceed to Corso Matteotti, where you'll find upmarket shops and cafés.
We lingered at Piazza 20 Settembre, drinking in the heavenly scent of jasmine.
Driving home via another route through the mountains,
we stopped off in the university town of Urbino, famed as the birthplace
of the incomparable Raphael. In addition to visiting his home, it's worth
calling in at the ducal palace, church and museum. An unexpected surprise
was the fresh lemonade served at the Il Cortegiano café, just opposite
the cathedral.
Heading in the other direction, we ventured to Cortona,
also roughly 90 minutes away, in Tuscany. Do take the vertiginous detour
off the SS416 to Pierle, where you'll be rewarded by fabulous views across
what seems like all of Italy. Cortona itself was bustling and, like much
of Tuscany, full of tourists. We had a light lunch of bruschetta and plates
of the delicious local ham and pecorino cheese at Taverna Pane & Vino (Piazza Signorelli). The café boasts
a dizzying wine list - some 500 choices - with a correspondingly wide variety
of price ranges. Due, no doubt, to the influx of outsiders, city centre shops
here tend to stay open during the siesta period. Cortona also has a well-appointed
duomo and diocese museum.
One place we were excited to revisit was Gubbio. Last year we went for the
mania that is the Festa dei Ceri, when residents race through the streets and
up the mountain bearing enormous statues of local saints. We were not disappointed,
and if anything, love Gubbio - often referred to as the ghost capital of Italy's
ancient civilisation - even more. We scrambled up and down the steep streets
and through the duomo. I paid a call at the biggest of the many pottery shops
and finally came away with some vivid ceramics (Lupo D'Agobio, Via Europa,
2). Stepping into a great antiques shop resembling Aladdin's cave, we found
the erudite Nello Rossetto in a talkative mood, and spent more than an hour
chatting (Antichità McRoss, Via Cavour, 16). Come lunchtime, we headed for
La Cantina (Via Piccotti, 3) for an embarrassingly large dish of antipasto,
and capped our gluttony with pizza and a dish of gnocchi and gorgonzola, the
world's most decadent version of macaroni cheese.
To come full literary circle, Aldo Capitini, a Perugian
philosopher and pacifist of the last century, wrote: "It is only by living in this landscape, walking
and resting, by almost getting bored of the silence (as one must do in order
to truly assimilate places and people), that one can really feel that the impressions
and impulses that the city gives are attenuated." Yes, Montone's a sleepy wee
town and you have to make your own fun. But after the hassles of everyday life,
we revelled in having stillness and calmness forced upon us. Green, rolling
Umbria is just the spot for unwinding amidst great natural beauty and a people
who believe that food is more than a necessity, it's an art form. Who could
ask for anything more?
FACT FILE MONTONE DUE UMBRIA
HOW TO GET THERE
• Jet2 flies from Edinburgh to Pisa until 2 September and from 5 May to 27 October in 2007. Tel: 0871 226 1737, or visit www.jet2.com
• From Pisa it takes 2.5 hours to drive to Montone.
WHERE TO STAY
• Accommodation was arranged through Summer's Leases, a collection of 60 privately owned properties in Tuscany and Umbria. It includes smaller retreats for couples, rambling villas for families, and large, luxurious homes for groups. Weekly rental for the two-person Montone Due is £395 in September and £350 in October. Tel: 0845 230 2223, visit www.summersleases.com
AND THERE'S MORE
• We hired a Fiat Punto for two weeks, with unlimited mileage, for £218. Visit www.carhire4less.com
