Inside The Tuscan Hills Cortona, Montepulciano, and the Val

FR-DVD-CORTONA - Cortona, Montepulciano, and the Val D'Orcia A crossbow contest in the hilltop town of Cortona, the art of a Montepulciano mosaic master, the lush hot springs of Bagno San Fillipo, a cheesemaker, and a lesson in hand-rolling the local pasta known as pici. The hill-top town of Montepulciano overlooks the dramatic Val D'Orcia and surrounding rolling hills. The area is famous for its natural hot springs and we start with a visit to Bagno San Fillipo, a gorgeous terme tucked into the side of Monte Amiata. In Montepulciano, a master coppersmith demonstrates how he makes handcrafted copper cooking utensils. Mosaic artist Ambrogio Zamparo shows how he patiently makes his stunning mosaic works. Beneath Montepulciano we visit the giant underground wine caves of Cantina Redi. Every year Montepulciano holds the Bravio, a barrel-pushing race though the steep streets -- we watch the amusing practice months before the race. In nearby Cortona, the annual fiesta features a parade of Renaissance costumes and a crossbow contest. From there we visit the workshop that made the gorgeous costumes. The nearby town of Pienza is famous for its pecorino and we see how it's made. Finally, a cooking demonstration in an old farmhouse yields the secrets of how to make the local hand-rolled pasta, pici. Series Description: These programs take an insider's look at the rich rural culture of Tuscany. With exclusive access to the workshops, kitchens, and homes of the Tuscan people, the series is a journey into one of the world's most beautiful places. Each episode shows viewers how the Tuscans themselves really live, visiting master craftsmen and country cooks, ancient farmhouses and rustic cheesemakers, while soaking up the singularly beautiful landscape. Camille Abbe hosts.

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YouTube | June 20, 2008

Tags:. .inside. .area. .town. .hosts. .hills