Dreamy Getaways

old stone farmhouse, lovlngly restored

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dinners, candlelit
garden flavors, local ingredients
favorite dishes, memorable wines

stunning panoramic views
soak up the sun, smell the roses
steep in quietude

DOLLOP OF FROLIC, DUO

Naomi, L.A. born and bred
devours cookbooks
Nero Wolfe, Hercule Poirot

Claudio hails from Torino
food wine sharing
in the genes

He traded glamour
for the wild West
how they met

Italy swept her away
elegance class
old world charm

Cin Cin
let the fun
begin

Michelin star awaits

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neptune’s bounty
sparkling passerina
waves roll, spew 

dolce far niente
depart at noon

TASTING MENU – seafood at the beach

HARBOR – fishing boats, buoys, colorful woven nets

ARTISAN GELATO – wickedly delicious

MUSEO BRONZO DORATO – only surviving Roman gilt bronze equestrian group, believed to date from between 50 and 30 BC.

Italy’s Bijoux

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echoes distant
art food wine
divine

PALAZZO (15th c.) – intimate museo, Crivelli, Pinturicchio, adorn pompeii red walls. 

OLIVE MILL (16th c.) – peasant recipes, tasting menu, 12 delectable tidbits.
Heritage, custom survive.

PALAZZO (18th c.) Rococo – capitals cornices, frieze borders frescoes,
tromp l’oeil intertwine.

WINE TASTING – perfect finish, two white two red, paired with local delicacies.

Legend of the True Cross, Piero della Francesca (1452-1466)

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hidden pearls
treasure trove

MADONNA AND CHILD (circa 1418), Donatello – Florentine sculptor (1386 –1466)
Unveiled in 2012, after undergoing nearly seven years of restoration in Florence. Considered one of the most fascinating discoveries in the field of art in recent years.

ANTIQUARIAN MARKET – cobblestone streets overflow, connoisseurs, bargain hunters, bustling stalls, fabulous finds.  Eclectic, antiques, paintings, coins, keys, lace.

CHURCH OF SAN FRANCESCO –  frescoes (True Cross)  branch of the Tree of Life,  planted on Adam’s grave, took root, used to make the cross on which Christ was crucified (legend from 13th c. manuscript).

La Muta Raffaello’s Mona Lisa

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history romance intrigue
aristocrats
noblesse oblige

CAPPELLA TIRANNI – Sacred Conversation and Resurrection.  Giovanni Santi, painted shortly prior to his death in 1494.  Father of Raphael, he painted his son’s face into the angel on the left.  Unanimously considered by critics to be his masterpiece.

WHITE TRUFFLE TASTING (FALL ONLY) – intense, earthy flavor.  “Diamond of the kitchen” (Brillat-Savarin).  Touted as an aphrodisiac, therapeutic by ancient Romans.

LA MUTA (1507-1508), Raphael (1483 – 1520).  Maria Feltria della Rovere, wed to a boy of 13, later assassinated by Cesare Borgia.  Said to be secretly in love with the favorite knight of her uncle the Duke, if true, the letter she holds may be the omen of his murder, a few days after the painting was completed.

ORATORIO (1365) International Gothic  – Salimbeni brothers’ frescoes (early 15^th c.) striking in technique, color, detail, mother of pearl inlays.

opulence, gilding, gold

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long ago laughter
hear the hooves
white knights, ladies in dancing shoes

Armani outlet
Artisan pizza

PALAZZO, early 18^th century, Baroque Rococo.  Carriage collection, housed in the former stables, 22 coaches of different types and saddles, bits, whips and harnesses donated by local noble families.

LIBRARY small jewel – frescoes from the 17^th and 18^th centuries, Murano chandeliers.

birthplace of Virgin Mary

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stained glass
illuminates, angels’
wings caress

TEATRO/MUSEO – homage to Romeo Gigli, opera fans rejoice.

BRODETTO (seafood soup) – specialty of the Conero coast.  Original recipe contained 13 types of fish, one for each participant in the last supper.
Zafferanella (wild saffron), loaf of bread for dipping, heaven.

OUR LADY OF LORETO – among the main pilgrimage sites in Italy.  Under direct authority and protection of the Pope.  Holy house encased in ornately carved marble (Bramante).  Eight glorious chapels, gothic windows soar.

PAPAL MUSEO – Flemish tapestries, based on drawings by Raphael.

APERITIVO – on the beach, two star Michelin chef.  Secluded rocky cove, il mare serenades.

St. Francis, Patron Saint of Animals

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step back in
time, relax
unwind

BASILICA OF ST. FRANCIS – exterior stone tinged with pink in daylight, shines white under the moon.  Romanesque, Gothic architecture, interior filled with frescoes by Giotto and his inner circle.  One of the most important Christian pilgrimages in Italy

Upscale artisan shops, galleries.

Buon Ricordo (happy memory) – founded in 1964 with the goal of preserving the best in traditional, regional cooking.  Order the local specialty and receive a hand painted ceramic plate, depicting the dish.

Monastery turned spa museum.   Follow the path of the ancient Romans, cult of the water, four rooms, different temperatures/humidity.  Soak, surrounded by limestone pillars dating back to the 1^st century.  Brew a cup of tea.  Lounge on the rooftop, lavender, rosemary, olive trees, magnificent city view.