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Cooking in
Italy at La Chiusa
La Chiusa is an agriturismo country
inn/farm set in an idyllic hillside location in Umbria
near the southern border of Tuscany. The guesthouse
overlooks a tranquil valley with open farmland, vineyards
and olive trees. Seventeen years ago the
Rener family moved here, restored the old stone farmhouse
and began an organic farm plus a restaurant. La Chiusa
uses no chemical pesticides, fertilizers or weed-killers.
Food is grown naturally and a simple wine is produced
from La Chiusa's organic grapes. The charming and vivacious
Mrs. Rener is an expert cook and uses her own produce in
the restaurant which attracts customers from as far away
as Rome. (The restaurant is only open on weekends).
During the week she gives cooking classes to our groups
in the big farm-style kitchen. The dining room is pretty,
romantic and very country Italian with beamed ceilings,
terra cotta tile floors and open fireplaces. The kitchen
is immaculate.
Getting to La Chiusa:
There is regular train
service to Florence and Perugia from which you can rent a
car. From Perugia, La Chiusa is a half an hour drive. It
takes approximately two and half-hours to drive from
Florence.
When You Are Not Cooking:
La Chiusa has mountain
bikes available and the village of Niccone is just a few
kilometres ride away. The Italian people are friendly and
by staying at a guest house like La Chiusa visitors with
a little sense of adventure can experience rural Italy in
a way that is not possible when staying in hotels. There is also plenty of
sightseeing in the region so a rental car is highly
recommended. Driving is not difficult in rural Italy.
Within a short distance there are many centres of
historical and artistic interest such as: PERUGIA (40 km)
which was once a settlement of the Umbrians, the
Etruscans and the Romans. ASSISI (40 km), GUBBIO (40 km)
and CITA DI CASTELLO (15 km) where the castle and old
walled city still stand as they did in medieval times.
UMBERTIDE (7 km) Famous for ceramics, UMBERTIDE is
located 7km from La Chiusa.
If you are interested in
wine, a visit to ORVIETO (70 km) is a must. SIENA (70 km)
is definitely worth seeing. It is a beautiful medieval
Tuscan city filled with palaces and museums.
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