Let’s discover the shop La Cantina di Gigi
New month, new appointment with the historic shops of Suvereto’s Village. This time I’m taking you to one of the places that can make the difference in your holiday… a well-stocked grocery store full of local products. We always go there to buy something for dinner, cold cuts, wine, cheeses from the Val di Cornia, oil… the Venturina peanuts which are fabulous… and then to stock up on our guests’ breakfast.
The shop overlooks the road that leads to the town hall, in the historic center… and you can’t miss it out. A long line often forms outside in the summer because there are so many tourists who know and appreciate the quality offered by this historic shop.
If you come here, you don’t have to be in a hurry… chatting, waiting and choosing, also following the comments of those around you… are an integral part of the shopping experience in this splendid and characteristic Suvereto shop.
Now some curiosities about this wonderful shop. La Cantina di Gigi celebrated 75 years of activity, the shop was run by Luciano’s grandparents, then it passed to his father and finally to his nephew, Luciano Lombardi, who still runs the shop with passion. In 2007 the shop was renovated and the internal cellar was transformed, where bitters and bottles of wine from the area are now displayed, which was previously used as a warehouse.
Some curiosities:
The room currently used as a cellar was previously used to press the oil. In fact, it has an irregular shape. It is also partially built on top of a spur of rock which is still visible from the inside. The wine cellar also houses a very old fridge, which would still be functional and is now used as a showcase. Finally, walking around you will notice many black and white photos. They portray Luciano-grandfather-Lombardi, with his carriage. In addition to the shop, Luciano used to take the people of Suvereto to the sea in his carriage. There are two most popular routes: San Vincenzo and La Carbonifera.
So.. did I intrigue you? I suggest you find the time to stop and browse and shop in this beautiful shop.. and if you have any other questions I’m sure Luciano will be happy to tell you more stories about Suvereto!