Branzi is a municipality in the province of Bergamo located in the fascinating Alta Val Brembana, an evocative land with fabulous landscapes where picturesque hills alternate at the foot of the Bergamasque Prealps dominated by the magnificent Orobie Alps with small towns of enormous beauty.
This municipality is located at the confluence of the Borleggia stream with the Brembo river and the Carona and Valleve valleys at 874.0 meters above sea level, not far from the wonderful capital of the province Bergamo which is only 49.0 kilometers away.
Branzi was historically a well-known Roman settlement due to the presence of active copper mines and slate quarries, linked in the Middle Ages to the Visconti Duchy,d later part of the Republic of Venice, then entered the Austrian Empire and in the second half of the nineteenth century integrated into the reunified Italy.
In modern times this resort presents itself as a renowned climatic and ski resort, the latter activity purely linked to Nordic skiing boasting a superlative complex to practice this sport.
Apart from the beautiful images that this area offers, visiting this municipality there is the brilliant opportunity to get to know and taste the famous Branzi cheese, the pride of the entire province of Bergamo, a superfine dairy product that will surprise for its excellent quality.
You can begin to discover the beauty of Branzi on its eastern outskirts with the view of the "Borleggia", a beautiful waterfall formed by the stream of the same name located on the side of Mount Tabià and the Twin Lakes, descending with spectacular jumps to the confluence of the Brembo river with a jump of about 250 meters. This natural attraction is also the protagonist of patron saint festivals and is illuminated at night.
Contination reaching the hamlet of Gardata where the well-known cross-country ski track winds its way with three rings of 3.0, 8.0 and 15.0 kilometers and admire the beautiful Sanctuary of the Madonna della Neve dating back to the 18th century.
Once you reach the historic centre of Branzi you can stop in front of the famous Roman Bridge nicknamed "Carbuni", a long-standing dialect name that traces the passage on this ancient structure of the workers who crossed it to the Devil's Lake where there were coal mines.
Afterwards you can admire the beautiful Church of San Bartolomeo Apostolo developed in 1537 has a Baroque profile, with a large ochre façade and a outlined tympanum.
The church was renovated in 1613, demolished in 1729 and rebuilt with the works that ended in 1731 with its consecration that took place in 1737 with the presence of the Bishop Antonio Redetti.
Inside you can admire a wonderful altarpiece of the 600' by the artist Carlo Pozzo depicting the Madonna of the Rosary with the Mysteries, a painting by Gian Domenico Midali whoimmortalized the Adoration of the Shepherds, a beautiful altar made of polychrome marble and three canvases of the Martyrdom, Vocation and Miracle of St. Bartholomew of which the authors are unknown.
This charming village is characterized by suggestive cobblestone streets with stone houses that in combination with the unique landscapes of the Orobic Alps with dense forests of larches, firs, limes, birches, hazelnuts, maples and ash trees that surround the town of Branzi and its hamlets all together form a very attractive picture.
Branzi is also famous for its quarries with the production of slate shaped into scales in different sizes, a quartz rock transformed by very intense dynamic processes, a porphyroid divisible into very thin slabs with great resistance to physical-chemical alterations showing no signs of deterioration used for roofing, and ornamentation of walls and houses, exported to various locations in Italy but also to France and Germany.
Then I recommend visiting a dairy farm that produces the excellent Branzi cheese of the Upper Brembana Valley, a product of great prestige that was officially born in 1953 in a town that already had a remarkable dairy tradition and a fair of dairy cattle that was celebrated in September, exactly on St. Matthew's day with the arrival of numerous merchants from Bergamo and Brescia who bought wheels and animals.
The big step with the consequent creation came from a brilliant intuition of the cheesemaker Giacomo Midali who produced since that year during the 12 months a cheese of remarkable goodness and quality using traditional techniques for feeding the cows that feed on fodder from the mountain pastures of the Brembana Valley at high altitude and the appropriate actions of processing the milked milk brought to the valley for dairy production.
Midali then founded the Latteria Sociale, an organization to which other small local producers joined who from their coldere created the first forms of this dairy product from Bergamo which successfully obtained the Branzi denomination linked to the town's toponym and the P.A.T. certificate, a title that protects traditional Italian agri-food products.
Whole cow's milk after milking is subject to the coagulation phase which takes place at a temperature between 35.0 and 37.0 degrees by adding liquid calf rennet.
This operation lasts about half an hour or so, the curd is then broken to obtain small formwork lumps ready to be heated to a temperature of 45.0 degrees using traditional agitators and the typical wheel, a stirring tool.
Once the curd has settled on the bottom of the metal container, the curd is extracted with cloths and placed in special wooden or synstetic resin containers.
The following processes are pressing and salting which takes place when the product is processed as per tradition in brine.
The seasoning is carried out in air-conditioned cells controlled daily, both in terms of temperature strictly between 8.0 and 9.0 degrees and humidity, which must be faithfully tested around 90%.
A fresh wheel is stored for 60 days, while the so-called seasoned for a period ranging between 6 and 7 months and the so-called "Stravecchio" over a year.
The shape of the Formaggio di Branzi which has a vague resemblance to the well-known Formai del Mutt, cylinders with a diameter between 40.0 and 50.0 centimeters, with a typically concave heel forming a sort of letter V, a height of 9.0 centimeters and with a weight varying between 9.0 and 12.0 kilograms although there are pieces that can reach a weight of 15.0 kilos.
The rind will appear very thin, smooth and velvety, consistent and at the same time elastic and with a light yellow hue.
In a cut you will be able to verify the qualities of the semi-raw paste, very soft, straw-colored and regular, dense and very thin holes.
The aroma on the nose will immediately transmit the herbivorous scents of the alpine fodder while the flavor will be delicate and sweet in the fresh forms , on the other hand more salty and spicy in the cheeses that have been subjected to prolonged maturation.
In the gastronomic field, Branzi cheese is excellent if consumed alone but also with toasted bread or croutons, it goes perfectly in buffets with other cheeses and cold cuts, excellent in the case of the fresh product if accompanied by wines such as Botticino and Franciacorta Rosso while if aged or extra-aged excellent choices can be wines such as Capriano del Colle Rosso and Valcalepio Rosso.
Time for your lunch of the day, I recommend starting with a mixed appetizer based on mixed cold cuts and single dishes such as Polenta Taragna with Stringy Branzi and Stewed Beef or Trout baked in foil with Slices of Buckwheat Bread and melted Branzi sauce.
A visit to Branzi is highly recommended for all those who are lovers of art, history, but also nature, unique landscapes, gastronomy and to discover a product of great value such as the Formaggio di Branzi, an authentic pride of the Brembana Valley and the province of Bergamo.
Link - https://www.comune.branzi.bg.it/
Where to Stay | Recommended Accommodation
Agriturismo Alle Baite
AR Mountains Lodge Villachiara
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