Foster + Partners it is not just an architectural signature. It is a world, or rather, a vision of the world. In this case of a very specific and very special portion of the world, that corner of Tuscany which is located near the border with Lazio and the Marche, an internal strip of Val d’Orcia, a UNESCO world heritage site, made up of gentle hills. Here, for years, the Italian American lawyer Michael Cioffi is restoring the homes of the 900-year-old village of Castiglioncello del Trinoro, two kilometers from Sarteano, transforming them into a widespread hotel immersed in the rural landscape, Monteverdi Tuscany. And here Foster + Partners designed the brand new together with Cioffi, patron of the arts Zita restaurant.
Cellar for tasting Zita wines. The project maintains and enhances many of the building’s original features, including the original beams and brick ceilings. The existing walls were maintained and new openings were created to improve the functionality of the space, preserving the original arches. Photo Courtesy of Monteverdi Tuscany
Nigel Young
A Tuscan project
«This is a Tuscan project, or rather from central Italy», he says Annamaria Anderloni partner specialized in interior design by Foster + Partners. «For Zita we mapped a radius of 100 miles (160 km) as a limit to get everything there, from materials to furniture, up to the workers. It can be said that it is a hyperlocal project in everything, even in the kitchen: Monteverdi produces its own vegetables, its own wine, uses oil, cheese and meat from the surrounding area.” Conceived as an all day dining (the fine dining is that of Oreade), perfect from breakfast to dinner, Zita is mainly a restaurant where, according to Cioffi’s intention, you can go to taste the best local wines. «The space is necessarily flexible, because it must be able to combine breakfast and wine», explains the architect. «The cuisine is traditional and familiar, but with twists and incredible ingredients». Not hard to believe since the chef, Riccardo Bacciottinihas been coming to the for years No but Of Copenhagen and he brought all his experience to Tuscany. “My favorite plate? Egg with truffle, a very essential dish that puts together two very simple but extremely high-quality elements, confesses Anderloni. «It combines aesthetics and taste». Just like design combines aesthetics and function.
