Castro dei Volsci

By Paul Bryers

The 12.42 pm Trentalia 12613 from Roma Termini to Castro-Pofi-Vallecorsa was a picturesque 1.5 hr journey, through the base of little hill towns backed by high mountains.

A short car journey then took me to Casa Gregoria where my friend Lisa DeMars and I shall be cooking up a storm over the next week.

Casa Gregorio is a culinary school located in a 17th-century palazzo offering hands-on cooking classes focused on authentic Ciociara cuisine, cultural tours, and accommodations in the countryside: https://www.facebook.com/share/161zJ1HWHq/?mibextid=wwXIfr

The school and accommodations are within the elegant and historic Palazzo Gregorio which is located in the charming hilltop town of Castro dei Volsci.

The town offers spectacular views of the surrounding valleys and mountains from its 300 meters (~1000 feet) elevation.

The culinary school is a beautifully regenerated piece of architecture.

The living areas….

….the Olive oil production basement…

…….the bedrooms; my accommodation – Juniper – offering views of the hills……

….and of course, the kitchen, where will learn to make traditional dishes, are all wonderful.

Before we had dinner, we took a wee swish up to the local Church – Santa Olivia. Simple by Catholic standards.

We then sauntered up to the top of the town.

You may recall the famous Italian actress, Sophie Loren. She starred in a 1960 movie called La Ciociara (Two Women) in which she played an Italian woman protecting her daughter from aggressive soldiers during WW2.

This highly evocative sculpture below is in memory of all those mothers that have tried to protect their daughters from sexual violence.

After our swish, we went back to our Casa for an early dinner. We met lovely folk and had a good time and good food, ending with a nice Grappa.