Valpelline is a very attractive town located north of the provincial capital Aosta in a valley of the same name at 964.0 meters above sea level, crossed by the Buthier stream at the foot of the majestic peak of the Grand Combin which gives its name to the local Mountain Community made up of various valley localities.
You are in splendid territory highlighted by a verdant nature formed by woods and extensive pastures that meet harmoniously on the slopes of the suggestive Pennine Alps.
Valpelline has long been a place adored by lovers of high mountain trekking and winter sports and in addition to those activities it boasts a centuries-old history possessing important monuments and home to a renowned Carnival.
A further highlight is undoubtedly the exquisite, local gastronomy linked to a prestigious culinary festival starring the "Seuppa à la Valpelleunèntse", a delicious soup and home to a superlative Fontina PDO, a cheese with international prestige and fame.
You can start with pleasant walk in the town admiring some refined palaces erected in the 18th century, typical stone houses with balconies, wooden doors and windows and reaching the beautiful Parish Church of San Pantaleone, the oldest religious building in the valley erected in the late 1200s although considerably modified in the 800s.
Its architectural structure features a refined gabled façade with a splendid wooden portal surmounted by a statue of the patron saint and next to it a splendid tall bell tower that dominates the entire agglomeration.
Inside you will appreciate three chapels with valuable works by Aosta Valley artists such as Vignettes, Semon and Thoules who respectively executed paintings depicting the Madonna delle Nevi, San Rocco and Santa Barbara.
Continuation with the Municipal Library, a beautiful building in rough stone with a sloping roof and a picturesque fireplace.
From that point you can contemplate the beautiful landscapes of the Aosta Valley with the majestic Alpine peaks that separate Italy from Switzerland at this geographical point.
Afterwards you can visit to a dairy company that produces the legendary Fontina PDO, an iconic cheese created in the year 1270 also immortalized in artistic depictions such as in the famous fresco executed in 1400 in the famous Castle of Issogne as well as a historical citation written in a document dated 1477.
The elaboration of Fontina PDO as dairy product is created by raw whole milk of the Aosta Valley cattle breed that includes chestnut, red and black spotted that feed exclusively on local hay and green fodder from the pastures of the valley during the entire summer.
The preparation processes begin with each milking carried out no later than two hours and the liquid must not be subjected to a heating of more than 36.0 degrees before coagulation.
The salting phase can vary at the discretion of the producer by tradition, while the seasoning, as per faithful tradition, will last at least three months and its optimal preservation is between 0 and 6.0 degrees.
For its quality, authenticity, methods of preparation and origin, the Fontina Valdostana boasts the PDO title safeguarded by the protected designation of origin otorgato by the European Community.
Visualizing the true profile of its rind, Fontina PDO appears very compact, with a shade tending to a light brown, fundamental and typical characteristics of a finished piece.
In the cut you will notice the excellent quality of the semi-cooked pasta characterized by a remarkable elasticity, melting and at first glance with small holes, possessing a delicate aroma, with a rich but not excessively intense taste but at the same time pungent for a few seconds on the palate.
Its wide use in the culinary field, apart from its undisputed goodness, is also due to its super-high versatility with a very eclectic edible profile, perfect if served in assorted appetizers as a course on a cutting board in a menu, inserted as a fundamental ingredient in sauces, stringy and dark on bread, focaccia, pizzas, polenta, meats of various types.
The Fontina PDO can be also combined with other kinds of cheese to make sauces and protagonist in the preparation of the famous Fondue, excellent in sandwiches also accompanying various cured meats.
Time for your lunch, I suggest among the first courses to choose between Seuppa à la Valpelleunèntse or Soça, among the second courses Veal Cutlet Aosta Valley or Civet of Game.
Visiting Valpelline is enjoying a magnificent corner of the Val D'Aosta region with its unforgettable landscapes, superb historic heritage sites but also discovering a dairy product highly appreciated in Italy and all around the world.
Link : https://www.italia.it/en/aosta-valley/valpelline
Where to Stay | Recommended Accomodation
Hostellerie Le Lievre Amoureux
La Maison de Franco
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