Sale, centre in the province of Alessandria located in the attractive area of Tortona at the confluence of the Po and Tanaro rivers, a territory full of historical places that since ancient times have jointly represented a great crossroads of trade and cultural exchanges between these Piedmontese territories and the nearby Liguria and Lombardy.
Geographical area that was an important Celtic and Roman settlement living periods of glorious splendor in the Middle Ages under the protective wing of the Visconti Duchy, Pavia and the Savoy Kingdom in which has developed considerably with agriculture and viticulture producing wines of excellent quality as well as boasting an excellent gastronomy included in the confectionery industry.
Linked to this last aspect, this locality is a notorious place of the famous Baci di Dama, delicious biscuits created in Tortona and its surroundings capable for several decades of conquering the palate of many people in Italy and in the world for their exquisite sweetness and fragrance.
Sale has significant historical and monumental beauties, starting with the beautiful Church of Santa Maria and San Siro, a medieval religious building erected in 1165 that belonged for a long time to the Diocese of Pavia after the peace sanctioned between Pavesi and Tortonesi.
You can admire the magnificent façade with beautiful terracotta decorations of the three Gothic-style portals and next to it an imposing bell tower while inside of great importance are undoubtedly a beautiful Baroque altar and beautiful frescoes that evoke biblical scenes executed by artists of the Lombard - Piedmontese school.
Continuation with the Town Hall, a twentieth-century building that blends baroque and neoclassical lines in its architectural profile and continuation up to the Church of San Calocero dating back to 1700 which has an eclectic style façade made by the Milanese architect Giovanni Muzio who completed this beautiful work of art in 1927 with the help of the Angeleri Company of Tortona.
Inside you can admire numerous frescoes dating from different periods, including one of considerable value executed by the Vercelli master of the 500s Bernardino Lanino as well as valuable eighteenth-century stucco frames and the magnificent decorations visible in the presbytery, the work of Laiolo.
Along Via Mameli you will find yourself in front of the Ancient Parish Church built outside the former village which corresponds to the Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista, a tenth-century building almost entirely remodeled in 1500 by adding a bell tower with a Gothic spire although since then it has acquired a purely Baroque appearance.
Inside of great architectural and artistic value is the apse section full of refined nineteenth-century Baroque decorations, a wonderful fresco of 1900 made by Francesco Mensi, an important wooden statue depicting the Assumption of the Virgin created by the sculptor Luigi Montecucco from Gavi in the same period and an organ manufactured in 1814 by the Pavese Lingiardi company.
Time for lunch I recommend among the first courses a choice between Agnolotti di Stufato Derthona or Risotto with Asparagus, among the second courses a choice between Piedmontese Fassone Tartare or Veal Shank with Thyme.
After lunch I recommend visiting a Pastry Shop - Laboratory dedicated to the production of sweets, biscuits, cakes, pastries and the iconic Baci di Dama, delights that were born more than a century ago in Tortona.
The meaning of the name derives from the union of two crumbly biscuits joined together in a sort of dark chocolate kiss.
The basic ingredients for their elaboration are butter, flour, sugar, fine salt, vanilla extract, peeled almonds, orange peel and dark chocolate with the variant of hazelnuts and the addition of cocoa.
Their preparation is about three hours and cooking can be carried out in a static oven at a constant temperature of 160 degrees with a calculated time of approximately 20 minutes.
There are also alternatives for the preparation, for example by replacing dark chocolate with milk chocolate or with lemon, kiwi, passion fruit, cream and even adding icing sugar.
The Baci di Dama once removed from the box or package can be stored in a tin for up to five days.
Visiting Sale is very interesting, this municipality has an important historical and artistic heritage, the landscapes of this area are very attractive and the discovery of the sweet Baci di Dama completes a very pleasant day of tourism.
Link : https://www.comune.sale.al.it/it-it/home
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