Joalang, we spent a fortnight in Castelnouva 11 years ago; at Fattoria Felsina.

We did not get the best of weather and the town is not very touristy; but we liked the pace and the wine and it was a great touring centre.

I didn't keep notes in those days but if there's anything in particular you would like to know, please let me know.

Joalang, cmt gave you some good links, but I found dozens on Google when I put the name in- spelled right and with the acccent(:)).

Just woke up and I’m checking Fodors at this weird hour because the computer’s still on…. Not sure what the controversy is about Luca Cava, but here are some things found on Google.

The terracotta statue of Luca Cava is shown (tiny) on the official tourism website of Castelnuovo Berardenga. Soo: http://www.comune.castelnuovo-berard...ni/index15.php

The festival of Luca Cava is in September: http://test.waytuscany.net/root/95_1442.htm

See L’Ammucchiata—CD with Tuscan folksongs, including one about Luca Cava: http://www.arscanora.it/birba/catalogo.htm or http://www.riccardomarasco.it/inglese/discografia.htm

P.S. About Google searches: I usually get the same results regardless of whether I enter the word spelled with the correct letter with diacritical mark. (Maybe whether that makes a difference in a Google search depends on the keyboard setting.) For example, the following two searches seem to yield the same results:
"san gusmè" + comune
"san gusme" + comune
San Gusmè is the correct spelling, but Google doesn't seem to care.

Thanks to all & pixypixy, I apologized to u on your other thread about the idiot remark. I extend the same, here. The statue story just seemed so far fetched.

Now I went back and read the brief exchange about Luca Cava (funny play on words: "Lu cacava"). I wonder why LoveItaly didn't believe it. There are all sorts of funny bits of folklore in small towns in Italy and probably everywhere.

You can find a pic of Luca Cava at
http://www.afvejanese.it/LUCA%20CAVA%202001-01.jpg

Thanks for the post, pixy.

((I))

Ira, that was already posted yesterday. (Scroll back to one of pixypixy's last posts.)

That will teach me to read more carefully. :)

http://www.valentinatanni.com/blog/2...1_archive.html

If you scroll down, there's another photo, this one of a poster for the weekend festival celebrating Luca Cava. Funny thing, isn't it?

I stopped there one morning on my way to Val D'Orcia, where Montepulciano, Pienza & Montalcino reside. I had missed visting it while I stayed in Chianti so I thought I'd catch a brief view of it & a cappucino or two before I headed further south towards Val D'Orcia. It's just a small hamlet, old & quante like all of the other very small hamlets. There was no cafe open at that hour, about 8:00am. Didn't notice any other shops or anything like that , although I did not walk the entire hamlet. It's very pretty especially the tiny stone houses with lots of flowers on, up & around the windows, doors & steps. It's in a good position if your going to have a few day trips to the hilltowns of Tuscany. Siena is 20 minutes away, as is Gaiole, CB is about 5 minutes, Radda 25, Castellina 30, Greve 40, Montepulciano 40, Pienza 40, Montalcino 45-50. If you head south you'll experience the rolling hills of the valley and whats called the crete. Head north and you have the wooded hills of Chianti. CB has a few cafes & ristorante. I can't remember both of their names but there is a excellent fish ristorante & a enoteca that serves a full menu.
Think I had the best beef stew at the enoteca, I ever had. Ben Gozzi or something similar for the enoteca. Your just down the rode is Castellos Brolio & Meleto & Badia Coltibuona , all great places to visit.

I think it's interesting to have this whole big (relatively so) thread about a tiny hamlet.

My husband and I visited San Gusme last June, and that area is wonderful! We spent about 15 minutes trying to find the town, then realized we had been driving by it repeatedly. It's a very small walled town. The surrounding area is beautiful! We stayed at Villa Arceno which is just down the road. For a formal and excellent dinner, you will want to go there. Within the walled town of San Gusme, I think there are two restaurants. We went to one that had a bar near the front door. They led us to the back room where there was a hole in the floor through which we could sort of see some archeological ruins. The waiter didn't speak a word of English, but somehow we managed to tell him to bring us everything he thought we might like. The food kept coming and coming - lots of pork and the very rare beef that is a specialty of the region. Everything was excellent. I thought we were in for an extremely high bill, but it ended up being 84 Euros for four people - a great deal!

In Castelnuovo Berardenga there is an excellent seafood restaurant that is world-renowned. You must go there - I think it's called Das Antonio.

If you are driving from Rome, be sure to stop in Deruta and walk to the top of the hill (center of town). There you will find many ceramics studios with awesome ceramic pieces. If you are into this sort of thing, you will be in heaven! It's closer to Rome than to San Gusme, but definitely worth a stop!