Near Assisi, a Gelato Haven

Of course you need days to uncover all the wonders of medieval Assisi. But if you’re there in the  summertime, do take an afternoon or evening pause to head to the tiny village of Palazzo (pop. slightly over 1000), on the plain below Assisi.

It’s worth the jaunt just for the ice cream.

Right across the street from a restored 14th-century medieval fortification (giving the village its name “Palazzo”), families, older couples and chatty young teens sit under the awning at tables enjoying cold drinks….and the famous gelato at the Oxy Bar Gelateria.

Inside, customers line up for ice-cream cones or cups or to order the enticing ice cream cakes. Tables inside fill up quickly.

For thirty-four years, two brothers, Filippo and Massimiliano, have been creating ice-cream ecstasies.  Filippo was making gelato when we dropped in recently.  He told me that he and his brother make between one hundred  and two hundred kilos a day in summertime.

“Baci” was printed on Filippo’s hat. Those Baci (“kisses”) of the Perugina chocolate factory in Perugia star in one of their best-selling gelati, Baci:

“Altri gelati preferiti?” (“Other favorite ice creams?”), I asked Filippo. “Pistacchio e nocciola,” he replied without hesitation.  I’d guessed pistachio  and hazelnut would be other front-runners (often Pino’s choice).

But “fragola e limone” are other Pino favorites:  his choice this round at Oxy.  Filippo’s wife Anna Maria grinned with pleasure as Pino enjoyed his cone.

You can also ask for an assaggio (“taste”) in any gelateria if a particular flavor entices or mystifies you.  I asked Vanessa serving up the ice-cream to try their “gusto del giorno” (“flavor of the day”). Filippo had created today’s special flavor with mango, pistachio and pine nuts.

Tasty, but not my choice: pinolata (one of my favorites – with pine nuts) and crispy ciock (another Filippo creation – the name gives a good hint of its flavor) topped my cone this time:

…but Anna Maria spooned a bit of Bacio di dama (“a lady’s kiss”) on top, telling me I had to try it.

Why refuse?

At Oxy, you’ll find just-made gelato even in the winter months, which is not true of most Italian gelaterie in small towns:  gelato comes in with hot weather and disappears as the colder months move in.

But people come to Oxy all year long from all over, even making the drive from Perugia.

If you’re ever in the Assisi area, do drop in to find out why.

 

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