A Trip to Italy for Brunello Cucinelli's 70th Birthday Celebration

October 10, 2023

A Trip to Italy for Brunello Cucinelli's 70th Birthday Celebration

A visit to Italy should include a stop in Umbria - a beautiful region bordering Tuscany, Lazio, and Le Marche.

Last month, I traveled to central Italy for the 70th birthday celebration of Brunello Cucinelli, the Italian luxury creative director and chief executive of the brand bearing his name. I traveled to Perugia, the historic capital city of Umbria. Situated on a hill, Perugia is the largest walled medieval city in Italy. Then it was a short drive to Solomeo, a hamlet within the Province of Perugia, that, since 1982, has served as Cucinelli’s home and, since 1985, his business headquarters. It was a brief trip - just two days - but it was filled with gorgeous views, historic walks through the village, delicious food, and great company.

Enjoy these photos.

: Right after my trip to Greenland and Iceland, I flew to Italy. Often called Italy’s green heart, Umbria is known for its medieval hill towns, dense forests, and local cuisine, particularly foraged truffles and wines. Perugia is the regional capital, steeped in history, architecture and charm.

: In the afternoon, we stopped in a cafe – look at this cream. It was the best cream, which was layered on everything.

: The coffees were full of cream…

: … and so was this pastry, with chocolate nibs on top.

: We stayed at the Hotel Castello di Reschio, which sits on a 3700-acre estate in the Umbrian countryside. The 1000-year old castle was turned into a hotel and resort with 30-suites.

: Many of the rooms have views of the rolling hills and landscapes, while others looked onto the estate’s central gardens.

: Dinner at the hotel was divine. This is Carpaccio – a dish of meat or fish thinly sliced or pounded thin, and served raw, typically as an appetizer. Ours also had filberts, or hazelnuts.

: Crudo, literally means “raw,” and encompases fish, shellfish, or beef. Unlike Japanese sashimi where the fish is slightly dipped in soy sauce to finish off the dish, Crudo is topped with olive oil, citrus, or some type of vinaigrette to enhance the dish.

: A delicious souffle topped with vanilla crème. It was perfectly baked in a copper ramekin.

: The next day, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast – a perfectly perfect Italian cappuccino.

: … and saccottino al cioccolato… which literally translates to little sack of chocolate, the Italian version of the pain au chocolate.

: … there was also beet juice served in charming glasses…

: … and quiche filled with Italian cheeses, eggs, vegetables, and baked into a deep-dish flaky pie crust.

: There was also a buffet of fresh fruits, yogurt, and granola.

: Did you see this image on my Instagram page @MarthaStewart48? Many residents in Umbria create these tiered herb gardens in front of their homes. Very useful, very practical, and very pretty.

: And here I am with my dear friend, Terre Blair – all gussied up for the big party. We were asked to wear shades of white, gray, or beige.

: This photo needs no caption… but here I am with McDreamy himself, actor Patrick Dempsey.

: The celebration was held in the amphitheater of Brunello’s brand Umbrian home in the hamlet of Solomeo. The cypress trees in the background – all restored by Brunello.

: Before dinner, Brunello presented a show of about 60-models in brand clothing showing a retrospective of his collections. The group stood on tiers at one end of the theater.

: Brunello’s daughter gifted him with a statue of Apollo playing a lyre. It was presented with the enormous birthday cake on the left with 70 candles.