Lovere - Exploring the most beautiful towns of Italy

Lovere is yet another of the Borghi piu belli di Italia (The most beautiful towns of Italy). I mean, the photo above would be reason enough to allow Lovere into the club, but there is definitely more. What can I tell you about Lovere?

It’s on the very North-Western shore of lago D’Iseo in Northern Italy.

I’m going to digress for a moment. It has to be said that Italian lakes IMMHO just have to be the most beautiful in the world. I know, that’s a big statement and I can’t be sure, having not seen every lake in the world, but hear me out. I’m comparing them to the Lake District in England, which I absolutely love, the lakes in the Canadian Rockies which are stunning, the lakes around the Swiss/French Alps…again absolutely amazing. But still, I think the lakes in northern Italy have an edge over these others. I know I’m biased (especially towards Lake Como), so I may have to do some posts on the other lakes to persuade the reader. In the meantime check out the photos in the other posts, if more persuasion is needed.

I have now fully digressed….thank you for your indulgence (I know, there really wasn’t a choice). Back to Lovere then.

What to see in Lovere

Lungolago path

This translates to “lake-side path” and is basically a pedestrian promenade that goes along the front for 2.3km. There’s almost never a reason not to walk along a lake-front. The calming waters lapping at the edge, the turquoise colour, which changes depending on the colour of the sky, boats and people on water-boards of some sort, and with luck an opportunity to dip the feet. The water is so clear it’s possible to watch the ducks and water-fowl bobbing and diving for food. I could watch them do this for hours. They dive to the bottom, grab whatever morsel they’ve spied to eat and then just stop paddling and allow their buoyancy to bob them back to the top. And finally, the odd cheesy sign…well, it was there.

Piazza XIII Martiri

Piazza XIII Martiri – a large piazza on the water front with a crescent of old pastel-coloured buildings protecting the centre of the piazza and their bases providing refuge for some outside dining options. So, appetite whetted after our lungolago walk, it seemed an appropriate spot to have a bite, watch the (mostly tourists) world wander by and partake in some bubbles….did I mention we’re in the Franciacorta region of Italy? (see below for a small education in Franciacorta)

The Historic centre of Lovere

Lovere is another of those quaint Italian towns that has a historical centre, with old piazzas, cobbled alley ways, porticos and ancient buildings all tucked away waiting to be discovered. On our explore we found:

Basilica di Santa Maria in Valvendra – a huge church with its interior covered with painted frescoes and overly ornate altars (extravagant? Showy-offy?). In the centre of this one was a sculpture of a tree…random, but meaning something no doubt.
Torre Civica – Piazza v. Emanuele. 28 meters high and it’s possible to climb to the top for the most amazing views over the town and Lake Iseo.
Santuario delle Sante Loveresi Capitanio e Gerosa

As always, I’ll let some photos do the job of showing the atmosphere of Lovere.

Franciacorta - the other bubbles

OK, so you thought you knew Italian bubbles. Prosecco, right? Yes, they do that very well and are very famous for it, but if you want something more discerning, more sophisticated and frankly a whole lot tastier (please note, this is my opinion, I’m not a Prosecco lover, say no more) then I must insist that Franciacorta is tried….immediatly.

So, what is Franciacorta? (pronounced Fran-cha-cort-a)

it’s a DOCG (Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita) since 1995.
It’s made using the Metodo classico. This basically means it follows a similar method to Champagne, although for Franciacorta they have enhanced some practices. For example, Champagne is aged on the lees for 15 months, Franciacorta for 18 (this is where it is left to age with the yeast sediment…to increase flavour/texture/complexity).
It is Italy’s most prestigious sparkling wine.
It is made from Chardonnay (the most prominent grape grown in the area), Pinot Noir and up to 50% Pinot Blanc.
It is less than a 10^th of the area of champagne and not much is exported. They go for quality, not quantity. Although Franciacorta producers have grown a lot in the last few years so it is being seen more in the UK.
Types of Franciacorta
- Non-vintage – 18 months maturation
- Satèn – white grapes only, majority Chardonnay, less bubbly, minimum aging 24 months, only Brut.
- Rosé – using the maceration process (rather than blending as most Rosé Champagnes do – the exception being Les Ricey’s Rosé).
- Millesimato – At least 85% of a single vintage, aged on the lees for 30 months
- Riserva – dated wine aged on the lees for 60 months

OK, that was quite extensive. I may have revealed my love of Franciacorta. Let me know what you think if you try it. Cheers y’all.

Rocking Chair Fuel

Lovere – Exploring the most beautiful towns of Italy