Brusson, splendid town located at 1338.0 meters above sea level in the Aosta Valley in the picturesque middle Val D' Ayas in the shadow of the majestic Monte Rosa, this municipality lies halfway between the villages of Ayas and Challand-Saint-Anselme, bordering the Swiss Valais, the Lys Valley, Valtournenche and the Dora Baltea valley.
For many years beloved destination by numerous trekkers, cyclists, mountaineers and skiers a visit to Brusson is very pleasant for the historical and natural beauties that will be admired where the protagonists are impervious glaciers, high Alpine passes and rivers that descend after having just begun their course from the sources flowing between deep gorges and rocky cliffs.
All together those elements and scenes that meet as if by magic next to beautiful coniferous forests and fascinating small groups of huts and stone houses perched on picturesque mountain spurs are the pure essence of the Aosta Valley.
Apart from this fantastic repertoire, you will have the great opportunity to discover and taste the delicious Fromadzo DOP, symbol and pride of the Aosta Valley dairy industry.
Once you arrive at destination, you will discover the historical beauties of Brusson, which in medieval times was a fief of the Lords of Graines and Challant before entering the sphere of influence of the Duchy of Savoy.
I suggest starting the visit with the Castle of Graines dating back to the eleventh century located on a fascinating cliff at the entrance to the beautiful valley of Freudière, erected in a strategic position controlling the accesses of the Val D'Ayas and the nearby Lys Valley.
With a rather sober appearance, it is classified as a "Primitive Castle" with a wall that follows the geophysical shape of the rocky spur on which it was built and a missing section due to the position protected by the mountain itself. The complex consists of a tower, a chapel, a cistern for collecting water and some structures that were military accommodation.
Continuation with Villa Rollandin built in 1941 which represents one of the first elegant contemporary local buildings and Pavillon de Fontaine of nineteenth-century origin which boasts a beautiful truss dated 1791.
Then I suggest reaching the road that leads to the Col de Joux, famous for the presence of a fountain where it is said that Napoleon Bonaparte quenched his thirst escaping in this place from the capture of an Austrian patrol and where on the first hairpin bend stands Casa Beretta, a complex developed between 1968 and 1974 by the architect Mario Galvagni following the principles of formal ecology and nicknamed "champion".
You can then move to the town called Trois Villages as it consists of three contiguous villages where the Parish Church built in 1873 stands.
With an austere appearance but well delineated with three naves, inside you will appreciate a large painting depicting San Maurizio and a 1000-pipe organ manufactured in 1896 by the Turin master Carlo Vegezzi-Bossi.
Continuation with Miete Yonzo, an architectural symbol of Brusson dating back to the first half of the eighteenth century and now home to the Municipal Library.
On the western pillar you can admire paintings depicting St. Anthony of Padua and Notre-Dame-Des Ermites made in the eighteenth century and a beautiful courtyard covered by a beautiful wooden balcony accessible through an elegant door surmounted by a large arch. Inside the complex there is a small museum called Sabotiers Exhibition containing wooden shoes typical of the Val D' Ayas.
At the end of the visit, I recommend visiting a local dairy farm that produces the famous Fromadzo DOP, the pride of the entire region.
The production of this iconic cheese probably dates back to the fifteenth century when it was mentioned in historical archives. Two centuries later it was classified in French as "fromage ordinaire" and its certification of Protected Designation of Origin was officially recognized on July 1, 1996 with the name Vallée D' Aoste Fromadzo DOP.
Created from raw cow's milk, freshly milked by cows that graze at 1200.0 meters above sea level on the steep plateaus on the slopes of the majestic Monte Rosa, these cattle feed on natural fodder during the entire summer season and hay placed in balconies for the rest of the year.
Its elaboration continues to be faithful to the old traditions with two different milkings. The first is carried out to create a semi-fat dairy product that sees the milk rest from 12 to 24 hours while in the case of the type with a reduced fat content the useful time will be between 24 and 36 hours, all before skimming. Once this process is finished, the cow's milk liquid will be coagulated by introducing natural rennet at a temperature between 34.0 and 36.0 degrees.
The rennet breaking phase takes place by increasing the temperature up to 45.0 degrees and the mass placed in the mold, pressed and subject to changes of position, turning it 3/4 times a day, then moving on to salting which takes place dry every other day or in some cases in brine and then flavored with seeds or sections of local plants.
In some cases, goat's milk is added to create a different version, which in any case is always classified with the original name although cataloged for this variant.
Cleaning is carried out using a cloth soaked in water and salt and seasoning is carried out in controlled rooms at temperatures ranging between 8.0 and 14.0 degrees with humidity indices of not less than 60% for a minimum duration of two months and for a maximum of between 8 and 10 months.
The fundamental features of this cheese are a cylindrical shape, flat profile with diameters between 15.0 and 30.0 centimeters depending on the size of the piece with a heel having a height between 5.0 and 20.0 centimeters while the weight based on the volume of the wheel ranges from 1.0 to 7.0 kilograms.
Fromadzo PDO has a very consistent rind with a straw hue but which transforms with aging into gray or sometimes reddish tending in some specific cases to brownish.
In one cut, the fresh Fromadzo PDO will appear a very white color while in the aged one a straw-yellow gradation will be displayed, in both very compact, with scattered small and medium-sized holes.
The flavor will obviously be different, the fresh product will be semi-sweet, fragrant on the palate, while in the one that has been subjected to prolonged aging it will be partially salty or even tending to spicy with smells on the nose of herbs from alpine pastures.
In the gastronomic field, Fromadzo PDO is very versatile, perfect to be included as an ingredient in soups, compound dishes, melted on polenta, excellent in varied buffets, consumed alone, accompanied by toasted bread with ham, with croutons or paired with specific wines such as an excellent Torrette D.O.C.
Time for your lunch, remaining faithful to the local gastronomic tradition, I recommend starting with an appetizer based on Dzambon, Lard d'Arnad, Mocetta and Black Rye Bread, followed by single dishes with a choice of Polenta with Stewed Local Sausages or Carbonade with Pumpkin Pie.
A visit to Brusson will surely leave you with happy memories, enchanting landscapes, art, history, the silhouette of the imposing Monte Rosa always visible and a gastronomic product such as Fromadzo DOP that will delight your palate.
Link : https://www.lovevda.it/en/database/4/regional-tourist-offices/brusson/tourist-office-brusson/1673
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
La Maison de Dolphe Chalet de Charme & Art Gallery
Au Rascard
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