Sfogliando l'Italia 14 - English
Among valleys, cheese and mountain coffee
Per la versione in ITALIANO cliccare QUI
Hello everyone, welcome back to a new issue of Sfogliando l'Italia! If you ended up here by chance, let us introduce ourselves: the one who writes is Rossella, the editing is done by Alex (by the way, today is his birthday! Happy birthday sweetheart, you're getting "vintage"! :D) and we give you a warm welcome on the bi-weekly newsletter dedicated to Italy!
If you'd like to spend some time in our company, I'll tell you interesting facts about Italy, recommend films and/or TV series, and also things to see and eat in the Bel Paese.
We are already towards the end of June (time flies, doesn't it?), summer has arrived and to celebrate the arrival of sunshine and warmth I have decided to take you... to the mountains! Yes, in this issue we are escaping the heat, we are going to high altitudes where the air is cooler, to explore a small (and perhaps little known) region of Italy but which has so much to offer: come with us up in the mountains of northern Italy to discover Val d'Aosta!
If you like the idea of being in my company for a while, you can subscribe to this newsletter by clicking the button below.
Sfogliando l'Italia is a free newsletter but if you want, you can buy us a coffee to support our work and allow us to offer you more and more interesting content! In addition, if you read this issue to the end, you will be able to find out what is coffee “alla valdostana”! :D
Get the popcorn ready!
As mentioned in the intro, today we go far north, to the mountains of the Aosta Valley, and it’s here that the protagonist of the TV series I recommend today is sent: Rocco Schiavone.
He is a gruff, rule-breaking policeman who hides a dark secret and who, for disciplinary reasons, is transferred from Rome, his home town, to Aosta, a city in the deep north with a culture very different from the one he is used to.
The series is broadcast by Rai 2 and is still running, there are five seasons with a total of 20 episodes of about 100 minutes each and the lead actor Marco Giallini is, in my opinion, an excellent choice to play the gloomy and misunderstood deputy police officer. I have seen two films of his in a completely different genre (comedies) where he was very good and I recommend them (consider them as "bonus tips" for this issue): Tutta colpa di Freud and Perfetti sconosciuti.
But let's get back to the series: Rocco Schiavone is filmed almost entirely in and around Aosta and the episodes follow the investigations of the vice-questore who solves crimes often using methods that could be described as 'on the edge of legality'. I admit that I am not very fond of the stereotype of the 'policeman who breaks the rules to get justice', but unlike many detective stories, at least in this series there is an underlying plot that explains, or at least tries to explain, why the protagonist behaves in such a way.
Schiavone is a widower and the death of his wife plays a major role in his life and his choices. I won't go into too much detail both because I don't want to give you spoilers and because I have so much to tell you in the next section. If you’ll watch (or have already seen) the series, tell me what you think in a comment!
Where are we going today?
Since the heat is coming (or rather, judging by the temperatures in Velletri these days, I'd say it has already arrived) for this issue we are going to the mountains of Valle d'Aosta, so we'll stay cooler!
Before we set off on our adventure, however, let's look at a couple of technical things about this region: the Aosta Valley.
It is one of the Italian regions with a special statute, that is it has special conditions of autonomy.
I am not going to explain everything in detail here because it would be very boring, but I will keep it short: in Italy there are five regions with a special statute, i.e. regions that have more autonomy than the others for various reasons (either because in the past they have suffered domination or annexation to other territories or because they have a special position with special needs) and this autonomy can be seen for example in the administrative field (they can enact laws with constitutional status, i.e. laws that have the same value as the rules of the constitution, while the laws of the other regions are subordinate to the constitution) and in the financial field (they can introduce their own taxes as needed).
Valle d'Aosta, in our specific case, is a region with a special statute both because of its location and because of the conformation of its territory. In fact, it is located on the border with France and Switzerland and is therefore a bilingual region (all the inhabitants study both Italian and French and even all the signs, road signs and signposts are in both Italian and French) and a mountainous region (seriously, the territory is almost 100% mountainous!).
It’s located right in the middle of the Alps, among the highest peaks in Italy such as Monte Bianco (4808.72 metres), Monte Rosa (4634 metres), the Cervino (4478 metres) and Gran Paradiso (4061 metres), the so-called 'Giants of the Valle' d'Aosta' (so called because they are over 4000 metres high).
Since the region is practically made up of mountains, only a few municipalities have developed and they are all in the valley floors (which is also why Valle d'Aosta is the Italian region with the fewest inhabitants).
So, you may be thinking: 'Rossella, if it's a region with few inhabitants, and it's only made up of mountains, why are you telling us about it? What is there to see?" and I answer you with an Italian proverb: "In the small barrel there is good wine! (or in the case of this region, grappa!)"
Although Valle d'Aosta is small, there are an avalanche of things to see (OK, given the location maybe I didn't choose the best expression :D) because it is a region that thrives on tourism!
In addition to the many ski resorts, and the wonderful natural landscapes, there are also medieval castles and of course... there are typical dishes here too! But let's go in order and start with the history, or rather the legend.
The manor house you see in the picture above is Graines Castle, a structure that dates back to the Middle Ages and which today, thanks to a restoration programme, is freely accessible. As you can see, not much remains today of the splendid castle that once stood on these mountains, however, there is a little legend linked to this place that I would like to tell you about.
It’s said that a treasure is buried under the manor house. No one knows exactly where it is and therefore it has never been found, but a long, long time ago, a young herdsman had a dream. The young man dreamt of a voice that told him the exact spot where he was supposed to dig. The voice, however, also told him that once he had found the treasure he had to run away immediately! He absolutely had to leave the hiding place before the rooster crowed three times.
The herdsman woke up the next morning and thinking back to the dream decided to go looking for the treasure, but he thought it was better to do so under cover of darkness, so he waited until nightfall before beginning his adventure.
That night the man, following the voice's advice, found a trapdoor, entered an underground hiding place and found gold, gems, precious stones... the cave was full and everything glittered and shone as if it were day! The herdsman had never seen so many riches all at once and he stood there gazing in admiration, not realising that time was passing... and the rooster crowed the first time, then the second, then the third and then... the trapdoor closed without a sound, trapping him forever in the enchanted cavern.
The Aosta Valley has many castles, some of them so fairy-tale-like that they give the impression of being in one of the classic fairy tales like Cinderella or Beauty and the Beast.
The ones that struck me the most were the Savoy Castle and the Fenis Castle: the former was the castle of Queen Margherita of Savoy, wife of Umberto I and first queen consort of Italy. The castle is as we see it today precisely at the request of the queen, who supervised the work from start to finish and stayed there for a long time (especially after the king's death, when she therefore had 'only' the role of 'queen mother') surrounding herself with illustrious guests (such as the poet Giosuè Carducci to name one).
The Castle of Fenis, on the other hand, was the hunting residence of King Victor Emmanuel II and is the most famous castle in this region, perhaps because it’s one of the best preserved medieval castles in Italy.
Of course, it’s possible to visit it: passing through the double walls, one enters the ground floor where there is the weapons room, the refectory for the soldiers and the kitchen. On the first floor are the rooms of the nobles and lords, but the thing that in my opinion makes this castle truly 'fairy-tale' is the inner courtyard.
In the courtyard there is a semicircular staircase with a fresco above it showing St George slaying the dragon. Imagine: you are walking in a castle courtyard, outside there is a magnificent valley with a spectacular view and inside the courtyard there is a fresco with a dragon! I am sure that visiting this place is an experience... of a fairytale!
Let's leave castles and fairy tales aside and continue our journey in this magnificent region. Yes, because Valle d'Aosta is not only castles, here you can find the most important Italian national park, established in 1922 between Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont and known as the Gran Paradiso National Park.
So let’s go to the district of Valsavarenche (whose pronunciation differs according to the language, but the main one is the French 'valsavaʁɑ̃ʃ'), which has only 171 inhabitants and is located in the heart of Gran Paradiso.
This valley is a favourite destination for hikers, as it’s the starting point for many trails through the park, where wild animals such as chamois, ibexes, marmots and foxes can be seen. It is also the ideal place for various sports, from cross-country skiing to snowshoeing, while in summer, trekking is the most popular activity, with trails for all levels, including those for the more adventurous such as canyoning and climbing along the rocky banks of the Savara stream.
I can't tell you everything about the park because there are so many activities, events and trails that we would run out of time, but there are a couple of things I would like to mention.
First and foremost is the importance of this place, which was founded in 1922 and whose main objective is to protect endangered species. The symbolic animal of Gran Paradiso is the ibex and it was also the first animal to be protected, but the story of how it came to be protected is older than the park itself and not what one might imagine.
In the past, ibexes, like so much other alpine fauna, were hunted indiscriminately until, in 1821, the King of Sardinia, Carlo Felice, decided it was time to stop and issued a law prohibiting their hunting.
Was King Charles an ibex lover? More or less. What he loved was the economic value these animals had and he wanted them all for himself, so no one else (except him, the king) could hunt them.
Years go by, we come to 1850 and King Victor Emmanuel II, visiting the area, decides to go hunting and, finding a great variety of animals, decides to set up a Royal Hunting Reserve in those valleys.
Naturally, the locals were not so happy but accept the situation without rebelling because they knew that having the king there, would bring prosperity. Indeed, there were some improvements such as the construction of a dense network of mule tracks that obviously served the king to travel around the reserve on horseback and which are still passable today.
Things remained this way for the successors of King Victor Emmanuel II (namely Humbert I and Victor Emmanuel III) until 1913 when there was the last hunting expedition and in 1919 King Victor Emmanuel III ceded the Gran Paradiso territories to the Italian State, but with one condition: to transform the area into a national park for the protection of alpine flora and fauna.
Today, the park has precisely this as its primary task, but over the years it has become so famous that it’s a destination for tourists from Italy and elsewhere, and tourism is not only linked to the natural aspect of the site.
One example is religious tourism: anyone walking along the mountain paths can admire votive pillars, stone chapels and many other 'religious corners', so much so that there are numerous processions and pilgrimages in these very areas.
In the valleys in and around the park, there are also centres and museums dedicated to local traditions and trades that no longer exist, such as the Chimney Sweep Museum in Locana and the Orco and Soana Valleys Ecomuseum (where you can see a recovered and refurbished copper forge).
There is certainly no shortage of traditional festivals and legends linked to these lands: just think that on the Park's official website there is a page dedicated to all the stories, books and poems that narrate about it (and of course I’ll put all the links below if you want to delve deeper).
I won't say any more because it's time to move on to the next section, in other words: let's eat! :D
For further information: the medieval castle of Graines, its restoration and legend; the Savoy Castle and Fenis Castle; other castles in Valle d'Aosta; Valle d'Aosta on Wiki; the municipality of Valsavarenche and the Gran Paradiso National Park on Wiki, their official site.
And now let's talk about food!
What's good to eat in Val d'Aosta? As with every issue, the section on food is my favourite but it’s also the most difficult because there are so many dishes and delicious things that the choice is hard! In the end, however, every knot is untied, every doubt melts... just like the cheese in today's recipe: so let's talk a little about Fonduta alla Valdostana.
In fact, the paternity of fondue has been the subject of debate not only between certain Italian regions (namely Valle d'Aosta and Piedmont) but also between Italy and other countries (namely Switzerland and France)!
Nevertheless, the small mountain region featured in this issue managed to come out on top, perhaps because it’s also the producer of the main ingredient: Fontina valdostana (now a PDO product).
There is, however, a legend that would trace the creation of fondue back to the 13th century: a Swiss monk called Vacarinus wanted to eat some cheese but during Lent was not allowed so he decided to melt his cheese, claiming that once melted, it no longer tasted like real cheese. Naturally, his action was discussed and criticised by the other monks and his superiors but in the end, according to this story, the monk was successful, obtaining permission to eat 'cheese soup' even during Lent!
However, whether it was invented by monks in Switzerland or the Savoyards in Piedmont or even the French, fondue remains a delicious dish, and today we look at the Aosta Valley version.
The ingredients for this recipe are either very few or a lot, depending on your point of view.
Let me explain.
To make the fondue, you need fontina cheese, eggs, milk, butter and a little of black pepper, but once it’s ready, it can be served with anything, from potatoes to croutons and even meat, fish, vegetables, fruit... in short, the limit is the imagination!
Preparation is easy: just cut and slice the cheese, cover it with milk and leave it in the fridge overnight. Then drain the cheese from the milk and set the latter aside. Place the cheese in a bain-marie, melt it over medium heat and when it is a little more fluid, add the eggs and butter.
The milk that was set aside earlier should be added towards the end of cooking to adjust the density of the fondue so that it is neither too liquid nor too compact.
The characteristic feature of this dish is that it is served in a special fondue pot, which has a small cooker at the bottom to keep it warm and maintain its fluidity.
Another curiosity about this dish is that it can certainly be sprinkled with pepper but no salt is added!
At the basis of the Fonduta alla Valdostana is Fontina, a PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) cheese produced in the Aosta Valley, whose origin is very ancient.
Just think that it’s such a famous and appreciated cheese that in 2016 it was listed by the Wall Street Journal as one of the 26 recommended world cheeses and according to an article in 'il sole 24 ore', Fontina is worth over 42 million euros, so much so that in the article it’s called 'The white gold of the Aosta Valley'!
Personally, I've only had fondue once but it wasn't 'the original one' and it's definitely a dish I'd like to try though... I think I'll wait until this winter to do it! :D
For more: the recipe and history of Fonduta valdostana and Fontina.
Fun facts in Italian
We are wrapping up, but before leaving you, as always I thank you for making it to the end of this issue and I look forward to seeing you in a fortnight with more stories, more places and more dishes!
If you enjoyed this issue let us know by clicking on the little heart and share the newsletter with your friends!
Let me tell you about one last little fun fact I discovered while doing the research for this issue.
Did you know that Valdostana coffee is an alcoholic beverage?
Yes, this drink is based on coffee but also grappa and genepì (an herbal liqueur). It’s a drink that has ancient origins (it seems to have spread between the 16th and 17th centuries) and is part of the folklore and popular culture of the Val d'Aosta, so much so that it is not served in a common coffee cup but in a specific goblet called 'friendship cup'.
This object is in fact a real carved wooden cup, which has many separate spouts so that each guest can take a sip.
As always, what is striking is the attention to detail: even the wood chosen to prepare this bowl is not random, but rather walnut, ash and mahogany are preferred because they enhance flavour and resist heat better.
According to tradition, the cup should be spun 'à la ronde' (i.e. clockwise) and the turn repeated several times until the coffee is finished. This is because once raised, the cup must not be placed on the table until it has been emptied!
How do you prepare this coffee?
First you have to prepare the espresso (with the classic moka pot) and in the meantime heat the grappa and genepì in a bain-marie.
When the coffee is ready, pour it into the cup and add the grappa, genepy and then the sugar and lemon and orange peel.
A characteristic of this coffee is that the sugar and alcohol not only go into the cup but also on the rim, this is because before serving the drink you literally have to set it on fire!
This step serves to caramelise the sugar; naturally, before serving the coffee to guests, the fire is extinguished by covering the cup with its lid.
Have you ever tried Valdostana-style coffee? Do you drink coffee in your country or do you prefer some other drink? And how do you prepare it? Let me know in a comment!
Sfogliando l'Italia is a free newsletter but if you want, you can buy us a coffee to support our work and allow us to offer you more and more interesting content! By the way, did I tell you that today is Alex's birthday? Maybe to celebrate we'll have a coffee alla valdostana! :D
Also, if you are studying Italian, you can book a lesson on Italki with me or with my partner Alex. :)