Searching for some joyful delights: a day in Belgioioso, Lombardy, Italy

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A city that just born, was called "joyful", from the very beginning was to be an ideal place to spend the day relaxing. The name of this village, situated on the plain is bordered by the river Olona Pavia, was soon added the adjective "beautiful", thus giving rise to Belzoiosus, we now know as Belgioioso.
We arrive here after a short drive through the famous rice fields interspersed with Lombardy poplars, and we begin our "hunting" to photographs of views that once you return home, they can continue to convey the joy of this day. And say "hunting", is by no means accidental: indeed, this city was born thanks to the passion for hunting the Visconti. Belgioioso Castle, which is clearly the most important monument of this beautiful town, was built in the late Middle Ages right by Visconti stayed here during the hunting seasons. Before the construction of the castle, the town was called Torre dei Preti and was renowned for the richness of its territory in the game. Pheasants, deer, hares, wild boar in these parts was everything one could desire, and that is why we decided to place the Visconti here one of their most important hunting lodges.
Today the castle is famous for the events, more quality and great tourist attraction that take place inside and in the gardens, like art exhibitions, historical re-enactments, but also "Officinal", a major exhibition of the market ' domestic organic food and ecology.
Although a popular legend belgioiosini checks to the nickname "Brusacrist", buckled them after a rebellion of the people took place in 1766 against the curia of Pavia decided not to appoint the new rector, we admired many beautiful religious monuments that bear witness to the faith of these people, also reiterated their time with the revolt. The most important is the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel, very beautiful and striking as we have noticed in the case of several other churches dedicated to the saint. It was built in the seventeenth century, and its appearance today is the result of the work of several architects over the centuries that have intervened to make changes and to embellish it further.
Not far from the Castle, along the road to Belgioioso, we see the Church of Santa Maria delle Grazie, said Church of the Friars, now desecrated, which brings us directly in the late fifteenth century. Both the church and the adjoining convent, were in fact built in 1491, and a time this was a Franciscan settlement known as one of the best examples of Gothic architecture in Lombardy. The Napoleonic laws led to the suppression of the convent, and after a dark period of neglect, the complex has been recovered and is now used for conferences and events.
If Belgioioso was born thanks to the love for the hunt of the lords of Milan, stopping for dinner we wanted to choose a restaurant that was somehow the repository of this tradition, and here we are at the Locanda della Pesa, right in front of the weight the public, Via Venti Settembre. "Hunting was a passion of my father, and we always have a variety of game dishes," explains the owner, Mr. Gabriel, while we sit at the table, right next to a beautiful fresco depicting a hunting scene. "The restaurant was born back in 1917, and before we had only two managers, we are the third," he says Gabriel, who manages the restaurant with his wife Livia past seven years.
We start with a mixture of meats, the fried dumplings, the Lodi raspadura cheese, chopping boards and taste also mixed with wild boar bacon, lard, pit, pec truffle. We follow this goodness from the fresh pasta, prepared by the house, taking the noodles with hare sauce, ravioli and meat ravioli with duck village. Some of us opted for risotto with radicchio and smoked cheese. We continue to enjoy the flavors of the stew with large weighing, while the rest of our group is divided between the braised donkey meat with polenta, Burgundy snails to wild boar with polenta psalms. Let's water them with goodness of St. Columbanus and the excellent wines Oltrepò Pavia. Among the desserts, all homemade, we choose the pies and the chocolate salami, both delicious.
After this pleasant day, we can say that the saying "nomen est omen" not wrong this time either: Belgioioso is really nice and cheerful as its name suggests.

Frances Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

www.comune.Belgioioso.pv.it
www.Belgioioso.it
La Locanda della Pesa
Via XX Settembre, 111 Belgioioso (PV)
0382/969073