Page 14 - AAA Every Day – AAA Hudson Valley – September/October 2019

For The History Buff
Venture through the Italian countryside from Tuscany to the Italian Riviera – its rolling hills, sprawling vineyards and charming medieval hill towns.
Florence is dubbed the “Cradle
of the Italian Renaissance” for its resonant art and history. The city has had immense influences on Western culture as we know it today. It is honored as the former home of the world’s all-time greatest artists and thinkers, including Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Dante and Machiavelli.
Explore the city’s most well-known sites including the magnificent Piazza del Duomo or the 15th-century Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. You might instead choose to venture on to find Florence’s lesser-known gems such as its oldest medieval stone bridge, Ponte Vecchio, or the San Lorenzo Church, the oldest and largest church of Florence where
the influential Medici family of the Renaissance are buried.
In Siena, explore its narrow Gothic streets and historic center: Piazza del Campo. It is known as one of Europe’s most
magnificent medieval squares.
Don’t leave
the Riviera
without
stopping at one
of the world’s
most notable
historical sites:
the Leaning
Tower of Pisa.
After, spend time exploring the ancient maritime Republic of Pisa.
The region between Florence and Pisa, dubbed the “Leather Route,” is known, of course, for its thriving leather goods industry. Learn the history and technique behind some of Italy’s most decadent and famous fashion items at a down-to-earth family-owned leather shop.
ROME & THE AMALFI COAST
For The Foodie
Make your way south to the Amalfi Coast for another distinct style of cuisine. Freshness and simplicity are paramount to the coastal region’s food.
With l’oceano nearby, seafood reigns the region, especially in Sorrento. Taste local calamari
or spaghetti alle vongole (spaghetti with clams), simply prepared with a light olive oil-based sauce. If seafood isn’t your ideal dinner, try the region’s signature gnocchi alla sorrentina – fresh pasta tossed with tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.
Were you really going to eat your way through Italy without some pizza? Naples is often credited as the birthplace of pizza. The pizza we know and love today with tomato
sauce, cheese and toppings
is said to have been invented by baker Raffaele Esposito in Naples in the late 1800s. The story says that Italian King Umberto I and Queen Margherita
visited Naples and asked the baker
to make them a pizza with tomatoes, mozzarella, and basil. This pizza is still known today as “pizza margherita.”
On the island of Capri, eat like a true Caprese with its namesake salad containing mozzarella, tomato and basil. For dessert, savor a traditional Caprese cake: flourless with butter, sugar, almonds and chocolate.
Get your fork around the oldest
pasta in the world in Minori. Try a taste of ancient Roman cuisine with ‘ndunderi, the precursor of gnocchi made with spelt flour and rennet. Today, it is made with flour, eggs and
14 I SEP/OCT 2019
Trevi Fountain, Rome
milk from the Italian Mediterranean buffalo. The cheese is slightly stronger and tangier than the
average mozzarella. Get an insider’s view at how it’s made on a tour through the buffalo mozzarella factory.
Save time for a nightcap: the famous limoncello. The iconic Italian liqueur, made popular by the Amalfi Coast region, is made from lemon zest, sugar and vodka. It is usually enjoyed in a chilled shot glass – sipped, never gulped – as a digestif to help you digest your hearty dinner.
For The History Buff
Visit the region’s – and the world’s – most iconic sites. You’ve heard of the Pompeii, the Colosseum and St. Peter’s Basilica, but experiencing
it first-hand is a life-changing experience.
In Rome, get an in-depth experience at the internationally famous Colosseum and learn about its rich history. Tour the most magnificent treasures of the St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Museums, which were founded in the 16th century and hold the world’s most famous masterpieces of Renaissance art and history. Visit the Arch of Constantine, the ancient Circus Maximus and the legendary Aventine and Palatine Hills.
Stop in Pompeii and behold the
Boats in Capri
ricotta. The traditional dish is considered by the United Nations to be the oldest in the world, making it a must-try of the region.
While you’re on the Amalfi Coast, be sure to sample its famous buffalo mozzarella. But hold the American buffalo sauce – this cheese, famous of
the region, uses