Five minutes further north is the Zingaro nature reserve, a mountainous park with paths winding along the coast past rural, rocky beaches. Palermo, on the west of the island, is its gritty but alluring capital city – nearby is sweet Scopello and a charming swimming cove at the site of an old tuna fishery. With parts of the island on the same latitude as the North African coast, Sicily is warm pretty much all year round – its sea breezes taking the edge off the heat in summer months. The largest island in the Mediterranean is known for its faded baroque palaces and dramatic cliff-top villages as well as its wild beaches and wonderful food – lots of which is grown on the fertile volcanic soils of still active Mount Etna. For a taste of the region’s quieter charms, we love Todi, located on a two-crested hill with views of the river Tiber, and medieval Gubbio. Most people head straight to Umbria’s capital, Perugia, or Assisi (where St Francis was born), but the Gothic cathedral in Orvieto should not be skipped. To the east, the countryside is pastoral, giving way to the higher mountain-scapes of the beautiful Monti Sibillini national park, which straddles the border with Le Marche.
And while it’s one of the only spots in the country outside Piedmont where you can find truffles, the food is traditional rustic simplicity at its best: homemade pasta with wild-boar ragù, or local sausages and lentil stews. It is largely unspoilt, with towns set in undulating landscape stuffed with architectural treasures. It’s the only Italian region in the centre of Italy that doesn’t border the sea, or another country, and it’s this isolation that ensures Italy’s oldest traditions and charm are still at play here. WHERE TO STAY IN TUSCANYįor a long time, Umbria was known as the lesser-visited sibling to neighbouring Tuscany. Maremma, further south, is just as chic while being a little more discreet, its beaches framed with pine trees and low-slung hills. And while most people don’t associate Tuscany with the coast, Forte dei Marmi fills up each summer with Northern Italian movers and shakers who flock to the beaches covered in pretty umbrella’d stabilimenti (private sections of the beach with admission fees). Further south again, the Val d’Orcia has become a destination in itself. South of Siena lies a patchwork of rolling fields dotted with ancient farmhouses and strands of cypress. Montalcino (most famous for its Brunello wine) and Pienza (once home to Pope Pius II’s summer residence) are also still the real deal. Eighth-century Volterra is a lesser-known day trip – built on a plateau surrounded by a stunning volcanic landscape. West of Chianti, there’s a tangle of towns set on top of mini-mountains, such as the picturesque San Gimignano. But really it’s the landscapes that visitors return for: the surprisingly wild Chianti region, stretching from Florence to Siena the vineyards near Montalcino and the Carrara marble quarries close to the fortified city of Lucca. This central Italian region is known for its hilltop villages, cathedrals (often filled with world-class art), and rustic farm-to-table menus. Since our beginning in 1982, our family goal has been to bring quality handmade Italian ceramics to those in the states.It is home to some of the country’s most romantic cities – Florence, Pisa and Siena – and the surrounding countryside is among the most visited in Italy. Because most factories use a similar color palette, the majority of our pieces complement each other beautifully to create a perfectly set table, a tastefully decorated room or whatever your imagination envisions. We buy from small workshops where artisans and their families produce individual works of art using techniques handed down through generations. Many of the designs we feature date back countless generations - some are derived from Renaissance artwork. Our extensive selection comes from Umbria, Tuscany and Sicily, as well as new and exciting patterns from regions all over Italy. We carry the largest collection of quality, handmade and hand-decorated Italian ceramics and volcanic tables in the west, providing our customers with beautiful and unique items for their homes and gardens.
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