Nick Benotto

A guide to Italian travel by Nick Benotto

There are many hidden gem cities and towns in Italy that go unexplored by the casual tourist. While many tour companies will focus on Rome, Venice and Florence, there is so much more to see in this wonderful and diverse country. That is not to say you shouldn’t see Rome, Venice and Florence, it’s just that these gems should not be overlooked in your travel plans. These cities range from Alpine
towns, to wine growing regions, to coastal locations and beautiful hillsides. Italy is a small country but its terrain varies enormously from the top of the boot to the heel and toe and out towards its beautiful islands of Sicily, Ischia, Procida and Sardegna. Below are five favorites of the Benotto family.

Cogne, Valle d’Aosta

Let’s begin in the most northwest region of Valle d’Aosta. This region is bordered by France and Switzerland and is nestled in the Western Alps. If you have ever seen the dish Veal Valdostana on a restaurant menu, it originated in this area. You won’t find too many American tourists here. Visitors are mostly from France, Switzerland and Germany. While the entire region is worthy of seeing, I want to
focus here on the town of Cogne.

Cogne is a beautiful small alpine town at the edge of the Alps and the Gran Paradiso. The Gran Paradiso is an Italian national park that used to belong to the King of Italy and was used as the King’s personal hunting grounds. There are many hiking trails you can hike on your own or do what I did and hire a local guide. This was a great experience as the guide knew the best places to see all kinds of wildlife. It was an eight-hour roundtrip hike, including time out for lunch. My hotel made me a wonderful lunch to take along with appropriate drinks.

Another suggested activity is climbing the trail to see the majestic waterfalls of Lillaz. You don’t have to walk to the top of the falls, there are various places to stop and enjoy them along the way. There is an inexpensive parking lot where you can leave your car. When we got back to the parking lot after our hike, we had worked up an appetite and noticed a restaurant right at the edge of the lot called La
Maison. We headed there for a wonderful hearty lunch of cheeses, salami, fondue with shaved white truffles and veal dishes.

While in Cogne we stayed at the Hotel Bellevue, a 5-star hotel and spa, although there are less pricey options as well. This is another Benotto family favorite hotel. The views are spectacular with a walking path around the hotel and towards the Alps. The excellent hotel food is well prepared with local ingredients and served in their windowed dining room with the Alps so close you feel like you can touch them. Another place I recommend eating is Lou Ressignon right in Cogne. They also have a few rooms you can rent.

There is not a lot of nightlife in Cogne because people are tired from hiking and shopping and stuffed from the fabulous food. If you want more excitement, it’s a short drive to the Casino of Saint Vincent.

San Gimignano, Tuscany

Most people who travel to Tuscany spend their time in Florence, with good reason, or even Siena. But for this trip we decided to explore San Gimignano. This small hill town is known as the Manhattan of Italy because of its series of tall medieval towers built by the local wealthy families to show their power and status. At one time it had 72 towers but now only 14 remain.

This lovely hill town overlooks the scenic Tuscan countryside. We stayed in Hotel La Cisterna located on the old main piazza. There is an old cistern in the middle of the piazza which gives it the name. This piazza is closed to traffic so you can stroll leisurely. The hotel is fronted on the piazza but the views from the back of the hotel are of the rolling Tuscan hills. The hotel is very comfortable and because of
its location, it’s an easy walk to cafes and small shops that line the streets around the town center. I can personally attest to the delicious gelato (ice cream) served in the cafes across from the hotel. The surrounding medieval architecture and art are worth exploring. Ristorante Bel Soggiorno is a great place for dinner. Delicious pasta and appetizers along with a breathtaking view makes it the place to go. You will notice that restaurants in San Gimignano, and Tuscany in general, use a lot of cinghiale (wild boar) in their cooking. Fresh baked Tuscan bread is coarse and served with peppery green extra virgin olive oil for dipping. I recommend pappardelle with the wild boar meat sauce.

If you are looking for more shopping and a larger city. It’s a short 40-minute drive to Siena.

Asti and the Monferrato

Asti is a city in the province of the same name. Located in the northwest region of Piedmont, this city is the crown jewel of the Monferrato wine area. Asti and its sister city (or rival, Alba, which we will discuss below) are well known to people who enjoy the pleasure of great food and incredible wines. These are two favorite places of my Benotto family as we have a special family connection to wines. You may recognize the name Asti from its well-known sparkling wine, Asti Spumante. The Moscato grape used in the production of Asti Spumante is grown on the hillsides around Asti. Asti, itself is a city and does not have any vineyards, but the area surrounding Asti, referred to as the Monferrato, consists of gently sloping hills planted with row upon row of grapes with the occasional interruption of fruit trees and trees producing the famous hazelnuts of the area.

I have visited this area a couple of times. My base was in the Monferrato hills but I also spent time in Asti. It’s a lovely small city with some beautiful old churches. My favorite is San Secondo built in the 13 the century and located in the medieval center of Asti. San Secondo is the patron saint of Asti. You may also want to visit Cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta where the belfry dates to 1266.

Aside from Asti Spumante, Asti is also known for it’s red wines Barbera d’Asti, Grignolino d’Asti, and Dolcetto. The best time to visit this area is in September when there are many feasts for both food and wine. Douja d’Or is a famous wine exhibition held in the city each year. You can buy a ticket and then wander booth to booth to taste wines of the area. This week in September also hold the Sagra d’Asti where each small town participates in a parade of floats (usually flatbeds pulled by tractors of all kinds or sometimes oxen) where the town folk are dressed in costumes and depict old traditional ways of cooking and farming. It’s really fascinating.

After the parade ends, the main piazza is opened to everyone where you can visit booths selling the delicious foods and wines of the area. A Benotto favorite is the agnolotti, a special type of ravioli of the area. Fritto misto and bagna cauda are also regional favorites. The week following the Sagra is the Asti Palio. It resembles the one held in Siena each year. Every neighborhood is represented by a horse and jockey who race bareback around an oval track in one of the piazza. This is preceded by a procession of people dressed in period costumes and groups of young men twirling and tossing flags of each neighborhood. It’s quite a spectacle.

There is lots of shopping in the stylish stores around Piazza Alfieri and the streets leading to it. There is also a twice a week open air market that sells just about everything. Asti has some wonderful restaurants but search out the hidden gem places to eat in the Monferrato hills. Places like Castagnole, Costigliole, Nizza Monferrato, Aliano and San Damiano. If you go to a wine shop or a specialty food store, just ask for a recommendation. People are happy to share.

Alba and the Langhe

Another of my favorite towns is Alba. Alba is a small city located in the province of Cuneo, also in Piedmont about 50 km from Turin. Alba is the principal city of the Langhe. The Langhe is an area of sharply steep hillsides that are almost all cultivated with grape vines. This creates breathtaking scenic vistas as you drive through these hills on narrow winding roads. Although Alba is famously known for those rare and expensive white truffles, they are also well known for their wines.

The king of wines, also known as Barolo, is made from the Nebbiolo grape that is grown in the Langhe hillsides in only particular vineyards in small localities best suited for this grape. There is a small town of Barolo which contains an interesting castle and enoteca you can visit and then have dinner in the restaurant. I recommend the brasato (beef) in Barolo wine sauce. There is another hillside town, Barbaresco, that grows grapes of the same name. If Barolo is the king, then Barbaresco is the prince of red wines. The area is also known for Dolcetto, a fruity red wine best consumed young. Like Asti, the Alba area also produces a Barbera wine.

As for Alba sights, you may want to visit Duomo of San Lorenzo built in the 12th century and contains the original bell tower. San Domenico church houses most of Alba’s sacred artworks. There are also two city museums.

Shopping is fun in Alba’s elegant clothing, jewelry and food stores that line the quaint, cobblestone Via Maestra which is closed to automobile traffic or Via Vittorio Emanuele. When you get tired, enjoy a gelato or cookies on a bench in Piazza Duomo.

While Alba has some good restaurants, I would check out the surrounding small towns where you will get genuine local foods and fresh ingredients with an unmatchable view. I suggest visiting Bra, Neive, LaMorra, Monforte, Diano d’Alba and most especially Guido Restaurante in Serralunga d’Alba.

I’m sure most of you are familiar with the Italian treat Nutella, a chocolate hazelnut paste. Well, this was originated and is produced by Ferrero, a company located in the Cuneo region. Most of the hazelnuts they use in production are grown around the hillsides of Asti and Alba.

Ischia

Now for something different we are headed to an island in the Gulf of Naples. Ischia is the largest of the two islands there, the other being Procida. Ischia is about an hour ferry ride of 20 miles from the Port of Naples. You can also take a boat there from Amalfi. These ferries and boats run frequently all day.

Ischia is a volcanic island, known for its mineral rich thermal waters. Hot springs bubble up at various places in the south of the island. These waters are said to have healing properties to them. There are many luxurious hotels on Ischia that also offer hot springs and spa services. The island is known for this. When we visited last, the Benotto family chose to stay at the Hotel Miramare e Castello. This hotel is quite comfortable with a pretty blue and white tile décor with an old-fashioned Italian style but very modern amenities. The hotel is located a few steps from the boat landing and near the beach. They have a regular swimming pool with loungers and a hot springs thermal pool which is quite relaxing and according to my mom was soothing to her back.

We booked what the hotel calls “half-board” which means you get breakfast and dinner at the hotel. I have to say that the dinners were absolutely delicious. The food was presented like you were royalty and it was freshly prepared and mouth-watering. Needless to say, we ate well here.

This hotel looks out onto the sea and the famous Aragonese Castle which is built on a small tidal island that connects to the main island of Ischia by a causeway. The first castle was built by Heiro of Syracuse to defend the island in 474. In 1441 Alfonso of Aragon built the stone walkway to connect the Castle to the main island of Ischia. Every year a film festival is held in the Castle. This Castle also made an appearance in the movie, Men in Black, International.

Aside from relaxing at the spa or visiting the castle you should explore the small picturesque fishing village of Sant’Angelo. Piazza S.Restituta is the place for shopping, lined with beautiful boutiques and jewelry stores featuring the famous coral and cameo jewelry of south Italy. We ate most of our meals at our hotel, but I could recommend a visit to Il Focolare. This is where I heard that Stanely Tucci enjoys eating and exploring the cuisine of Ischia. Another suggestion would be Restaurant Auras, located by the sea and looking out at the Castle Aragonese.

I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the Benotto family travels to off-the-beaten-path places in fabulous Italy. If you have experienced any of these wonderful spots, please drop your comments below.

Buon viaggio!! Happy travels from the Benotto family to yours!