Inside the Castle Mount

Prince Carlo's Shield

After a near vertical climb up a final hill, we reached the town of Montecarlo. Montecarlo means Carlo’s mount. The fortress is built into the side of the hill and was commissioned by Prince Carlo IV before he became Holy Roman Emperor. Carlo’s shield is on the fortress, but it lacks a crown because at the time, he was not yet King. At the time, it was common to translate the names of the leaders. Therefore, the man is Prince Carlo in Italian, Karl in German, Karel in Czech, Charles in English, Carlos in Spanish, and Carl in French. Family trees can become confusing easily with all the intermarriages, translations, and successors. We found it interesting that man so famous in Prague had roots in rural Italy. In Prague, Charles lends his name to many monuments, including the Charles Bridge, connecting the two parts of the city. He also spearheaded the construction of Prague Castle and the St. Vitus Cathedral.

                                                       

Montecarlo Fortress

Inside we received a tour of the fortress by the owner himself, a former Nato employee, and now retired Admiral, Walter. How does one come to own a castle fortress? Well around the turn of the 20^th century, Walter’s, wife’s grandfather purchased it with the intent to restore it to its former glory. The renovations are ongoing, and funds from visitors help to purchase authentic, period materials. Walter related to us a story of a particularly interesting renovation. He was chiseling away a concrete wall because it was dilapidated and needed to be rebuilt, when he heard a hollow sound beneath his chisel. He continued to hammer away until he found a space behind the wall. It was an area for housing guns, with a hole in the outer wall for shooting. The hole had a small panel over it, and it was closed. He removed the panel and then found himself in his neighbor’s bedroom! When that gun hole had originally been built, the house next door was only one story, and the guns would be fired over the house.

Courtyard inside the Montecarlo Fortress

The fortress is actually composed of two sections, a more ancient one, and a modern one. The modern section was completed in the 1500s, so I use the word modern here a bit loosely. The fortress and gardens are very beautiful, and it’s easy to believe that people would want to use the area as a wedding venue. We were also able to climb the towers and walk the ramparts of the fortress, affording us an excellent view of the town of Montecarlo and the surrounding Tuscan valleys. Walter was an amiable guide, and the love he feels for his home is evident. In one of the rooms he sells small souvenirs, such as little recipe books and paintings. I bought the only 3 books in English, and am now the proud owner of The Use of Garlic in Tuscan Cookery, A Taste of Tuscany, and Cooking with Olive Oil. These books are small, about 4 by 6 inches, and contain not only recipes, but also information about the area and the ingredients. At €4.50 each, they were a steal, and now I can cook authentic meals at home.

Montecarlo Wine

After our tour of the fortress ended, we walked to a nearby farm for lunch. This farm really specialized in a single crop, grapes. Yes, Fattoria Torre was a vineyard, and we participated in a wine tasting during our meal. We were supposed to tour the farm before lunch, but we arrived well after 2 o’clock, and as we were behind schedule, we had to skip the tour of the vineyards, and dive right into the delicious food. The meal was multi-coursed, starting with hors d’oeurves of olives, breads, and sliced meat and cheeses. We were served 3 pours of wine, and then received our pasta entrée. Following this, we received a round of dessert wine. This wine was very strong, like any after dinner drink. They served it with anise biscotti, and indicated that we should dip it in the wine. I preferred to sip it instead, as I felt that the biscotti weren’t imbibed with as much flavor. The meal and drinks were very satisfying, and when we finished our meal, we were able to buy the wines we had experienced.

Useful Links!

Italy Pictures
Montecarlo Fortress
Fattoria Torre
Prague Pictures
Prague Castle