Every Wednesday morning, I climb up a stone stairway. At the top, trucks line outside the walls of Castiglione del Lago snaking up into the centro storico along Via Vittorio Emanuele, the main drag. Everything from the best local & regional fruits, vegetables, and plants to inexpensive cotton towels, cheap socks, tee shirts, shoes and house wares can be found here at a “good “price. Hence the term “buon mercato” referring to the “good prices”.
Going to the mercato is not a chore where you have to pick up your provisions, but rather a thoroughly enjoyable social event that can last up to 3 hours. The vendors get to know you by name. Everything begins with an enthusiastic “Buon Giorno” followed by a little chiacchiere “chatter.
Over the years, I’ve come to love the fruits and vegetables from Gianluca & Carla at TuttoFrutta. I never “touch” anything. Instead I ask. They pick out the best, bag it, and hold it until I’m finished shopping. You see, a true seller knows that too many hands spoil the produce.
Next, it’s on to the center of the town where I’ll slide by the stalls and walk into the antico forno to ask Paola for my daily dose of some focaccia and biscotti. The focaccia changes daily, from onions, salt or rosemary to artichokes, tomato, zucchini or prosciutto. As for the biscotti there is a select variety of dry cookies studded with all sorts of nuts or filled with jam or chocolate, all made by hand in small production. You won’t find their delicious bombolini (doughnuts filled with either jam or cream) until Sunday. However, there is a selection of small tortas filled with apples or jam.
There’s a Libreria Cartoleria Marina (bookstore) stocked with any topic you need (providing you read Italian), in addition to a select assortment of language books, dictionaries, gardening, cooking, fountain pens, paper, gift cards, birthday cards, anniversary cards, gift wrap paper, etc, etc. The donna (woman) is dedicated to helping you find what you need.
“ La Cantina” offers a highly prized selection of Italian regional products. I can get my most favorite 12 or 8 year balsamic, DOP olive oil and some truly wonderful wines, legumes, honey, & farro.
A small shop called Calosi Cashmere sells locally produced cashmere sweaters & scarves, for both men & women. I started acquiring these two years ago when the famous fog of Umbria descended during the winter months and I look forward to weather that stimulates another trip to Colossi.
And , then there is Ceramiche San Marco, store…. A gentle elderly man oversees his family’s shop of hand painted and fired ceramic. If I see something that I’d like in another design, he can usually order it for me. I’ll have it within a week.
Roberto, the proprietor of Osteria Le Scalette, houses a great selection of regional wines from Umbria and Tuscany at fair prices. Tell him what you are serving for dinner and he may suggest a Sagrantino di Montefalco, or a Sangiovese, Grechetto, Chianti, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Rosso di Montepulciano or Orvieto.
The Battilani Family sells from 5 different shops, 4 of which are in the center of town. Here, you can purchase some great salumeri, stagionato pecorino from Norcia, regional wines . One of their shops is now selling panini for the hungry traveling by foot or bike. For those who have the luxury of cooking for themselves, the Battalani’s have a renowned macelleria overseen by Signora Alda, 81 years with the energy of a 20 year old. What I love about Signora Alda, is her furtive look as she slips me the end of a prosciutto bone or a few extra sausages.
Further on down outside of the main center is Laura’s Pasticerria…. This is another great place for your morning cornetto & cappuccino. Laura’s cornetto has made me appreciate the technical difference between a cornetto and a croissant. The cornetto is crisp, light, laminated, but less rich. I like it filled with jam. This is the perfect example of a local café. Newspapers are available on the tables, locals come in and are greeted by name, and there is always lots of chatter .
From Castiglione del Lago…. arriverderci until my nest blog.














