Setting



Mercatale
Casa Cattani is set at the head of the beautiful Niccone Valley, with its twin villages of Lisciano Niccone (in Umbria) and Mercatale (just over a kilometre down the hill in Tuscany).

There is an excellent range of shops in Mercatale – it is a real working Italian village with few pretensions, and you will find no one speaks any English. But the goods are arranged well, it is self service, prices are marked, and the shopkeepers very friendly. 

The Mercatale shops include:

  • 2 x alimentari (supermarkets) – selling a wide variety of most foodstuffs, including fresh milk, dairy and vegetables;
  • An excellent baker/patisserie – who also sells an excellent tiramisu - they usually have wholemeal and wholegrain bread;
  • 3 x banks with ATMs
  • 3 x bars - our 'local' being Bar Sheila which you can actually see from the front of the house
  • 2x very good butchers (the local delicacy - Porchetta - roast suckling pig is available Thursday afternoons)
  • a newsagents
  • hairdresser
  • chemist
  • tobacconist
  • an excellent hardware/gifts shop
  • doctor
  • a florist/garden shop
  • farm and pet supplies


In Mercatale, most shops are closed on Weds afternoon after the market that morning, but they are open in Lisciano Niccone, just over the other side of the valley. The Mercatale market is a pretty poor version of the excellent ones at Umbertide and Camucia (see below). 

Bigger supermarkets (The Co-op) are situated in Umbertide (20 mins)(market day Wednesday morning) and Camucia – near Cortona (20 mins)(market day Thursday morning), or at the largest regional shopping centre at Collestrada just off the freeway on the outskirts of Perugia on the way to Assisi.

Restaurants

Pranzo is the main meal in Italy – this is why all the shops and offices close and there is a small rush hour from noon until 1.00 pm. If you need to travel fast, 1.00 to 3.00 is the quietest time to do so! Enjoy the emptiness of the roads during this quiet time.
In Mercatale you can get a cheap snack any time of the day or night at Bar Sheila – mostly pizzas or pastas. Otherwise the only restaurant is Mimmi’s. She serves a set menu every night that will blow you up – big dishes keep coming round. Quality is fine and it’s not expensive. Evenings only.

In Lisciano Niccone, the village you can see on the other side of the valley (in Umbria), there are two restaurants:
Bar Fizz - in the centre; good basic Italian food and inexpensive, very popular in summer with stranieri (we foreigners).
Gianna’s - on the right up a dead-end road (signposted) as you come into Lisciano. Quite good and inexpensive.

Along the road towards Umbertide, in the Niccone Valley, there are several restaurants:

Vendita Diretta Biologica (organic) shop, on the left after about 8 kms; has a good lunch menu, as well as olive oil, honey, local wine.
Il Girasole – on the right about 12 kms along, is a cantina where you can try out their local wines. Also does good lunches. Expensive for dinner.
Nonna Gelsa – in Niccone on the right just before you reach the main Umbertide Road, with a big covered outdoor area at the back, and parking. Very interesting regional food. Highly recommended. 

Further afield, the following are recommended:
Perugia – Da Cesarino, in the main square opposite the Duomo, reliable, fast service, lots of locals; or cheap good pizzas opposite the main Duomo doors.
Umbertide – Poggio Manente, on the Perugia side of Umbertide just after the entry to the raccordo (dual carriageway) on the Gubbio road, on the right (075 925 2000). At lunchtime, there is very good cheap pizza in the shopping centre close to the Co-op supermarket.
Castel Rigone – La Pinetta (075 845111) High up over Lago Trasimeno and cool under the pine trees, it is very popular, especially on very hot weekends. Good for picnics too, and they have recently installed a public swimming pool across the road. There is another public pool in Camucia, near Cortona. Also Le Corte, a Relais and Relax – good food in a high class hotel.
Citta di Castello – Il Feudo, via XI Settembre, serves very good Puglian food, and has excellent wines, but can be a bit pricey (075 852 2958). La Postale, Via R. di Cesare, is supposed to be very good , but we haven’t been able to afford to go there yet! (075 852 1356)
Preggio – La Castagna (075 941 0294). Very good regional food, and fantastic views from the outside terrace (Preggio is the hilltop village you can see from the bedroom). Evening only (I think).
Cortona – if you really want to blow your budget, try La Falconiere (0575 612679), at San Martino, 3kms north of Cortona on the Arezzo road. Fantastic regional food, impeccable service, wonderful surroundings. We do not recommend eating in the main streets of Cortona during peak summer months – here is the only place we have had poor food and bad service in Italy!!
Anghiari – Da Alighiero, v. Garibaldi 0575 788040. Regional food, wonderfully cooked, very friendly service. A full day excursion.
Chiantishire – Badia a Coltibuono (0577 749424), an ancient abbey near Gaiole. Excellent for lunch - a lovely terrace with outstanding views, with a good shop selling its wines and other foods, and tours of the old abbey.