Our happy banquet in the Cremonese: A day in Pandino, Lombardy, Italy

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If we had lived in the fifteenth century, most likely we could go to Pandy for some hunting in the woods full of game animals that surrounded the town, just as did the lords of Milan at the time. But being mere tourists of our time, what's more animals, we decided to come here for a quiet day out hunting just culinary and artistic treasures.
However, our walk began moving to the country house, built just like to stay home during the hunting seasons, by Bernabo Visconti and his wife, in 1355. It is the imposing Castle Pandy, who has a curious record: it is the best preserved castle in all the buildings of the fourteenth century the Visconti. The shape of a square with four corner towers, is typical of the castles of the plain of the time. Today the town hall, and you can still see how carefully they were decorated all the interior spaces of the building. Colored geometric designs and coats the inside walls cover everywhere, even in the former barn, now houses the library.
For those who arrive in this pretty town, are, at least virtually, to make children as guides: the students were in fact some of the first to develop an educational tour itinerary that takes visitors through the beauty of this place. Thus we learn that Pandy, or rather, its fraction Gradella, is part of the most beautiful villages in Italy. The settlement of Gradella is presumably the oldest in the municipality and is referred to as "castrum" already in the tenth century. Walking through the streets of this village, one gets the impression that the creation of an artist: as in the paintings of an exhibition, even here we can see the "strokes" of the same hand. The yellow walls with red trim, featuring both older homes and those recently renovated, and it is no coincidence that this place has managed to retain its traditional features for such a long time: until a few decades ago the village was owned by the same noble family as always, the Maggi. Walking, at one point we happened to see some deer. They were beautiful and very friendly. Not being able to believe our eyes, we asked the locals why these animals are not really native here: Gradella had been brought to the Countess Camilla Maggi, fond of deer. The idea has worked well because the animals are set perfectly in cattle and horses bred in the village and is always very nice show with the tourists who come to them.
We also have a walk round Nosadello, another hamlet of Pandy, best known for the beautiful Church of Pantaleon. A Pandy admire the Oratory of St. Martha and St. Margaret's Church, two churches dedicated to the patron saints of the municipality. The northern edge of the town we visit the Sanctuary of St. Mary Apparition: a modern building, but its history dates back to 1432, when a young man, Thomas Damico, witnessed an apparition of Mary. Today, near the church, you can also see the remains of the old sanctuary, built on the site of the apparition.
To cap a wonderful day full of cultural insights, we can not even choose a restaurant that recalls Dante in his name: For Convivium, Via De Gasperi. "The restaurant was established by review of a restaurant in Pandy, loved the cuisine of the area. The management of our family combines tradition and innovation, "Billy tells the owner Formis, while we sit at the tables in the elegant restaurant. Start with the pieces of octopus with artichoke and parmesan cheese with balsamic vinegar, the crispy pastry with asparagus and cheese fondue Save, typical of the area, and with a light fried calamari and zucchini. We continue with the tradition of sweet ravioli Cremaschi, maltagliati with duck sauce flavored with marjoram and risotto Teroldego. As the history of the restaurant is inextricably linked with boiled, we continue with the cuts of boiled Italian, as is traditional. Some of us are opting instead for the roll of boned and stuffed baked chicken with mustard Cremona, the baby octopus stew with polenta and potato-crusted sea bass. There are those who can not resist a beautiful cut of Fassone cooked with salt. We close with a large sweet chestnuts with dark chocolate sauce, warm apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and sbrisolona with mascarpone cream.
Definitely will return here soon, even if only in passing, for a meal at lunch and a stroll near the castle: a way to break the routine with a beautiful day near the big city.

Frances Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:
www.comune.Pandino.cr.it
For Restaurant Convivium
Via Alcide De Gasperi, 3 Pandy (CR)
0373/90266