The rhimes of Pinin Pacòt and the beautiful florist: a day at Castello di Annone, Piedmont, Italy

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If Neozoic man, taken by a sudden outburst of hospitality, we had invited to spend a weekend in Castle Hanno, we would definitely come on board a vessel of the time: just technological, but sufficiently equipped to navigate on the seas of the Quaternary. "Strange Days", as sung by Frank Sinatra in the song refers to that time, humans lived about two million years ago, and in fact, today, to see the beautiful hills surrounding this town, has a strange effect to imagine that many Here swayed the sea years ago. Going forward in time, in Roman times we reached the village in the ninth mile from Asti Via Fulvia and we found a place that was distinguished by being born Roman villages close to a rock between the river Tanaro incuneatasi and the new road. In the tenth century, Berengar I decided to erect a fortress to defend against Hungarian invasions of the time. Later the town became an important reference point for many pilgrims, travelers and merchants who passed through here, which was also built a "hospitalis" at the foot of the castle.
The ancient fortress was destroyed during the various wars of succession between the Monferrato and Savoy, but in the historical city is home to numerous archaeological finds from the hill where there was just the castle.
During our walk we visit the seventeenth-century parish church of Santa Maria delle Ghiare, and talking to the locals discover that the cultural wealth of this country is collected in the works of artists linked to the site. The best known among these is the poet Pacot Pinin, which carried out a number of important historical and philological studies on the dialect of Piedmont, leaving us many beautiful poems in dialect. Castle Hanno gave birth to two important painters of the end 800: Angelic Pistarini Fog and Alessio, creator of the famous model of the Mont Blanc.
In the second part of the day we are dedicated to the beautiful walks around the country visiting the Lake of the Woods, a natural oasis rich in wildlife and trees, located in the hamlet of Poggio. We also do a tour of the neighborhood, discovering in Rocca d'Tapestry Partiquilar the village, an old renovated farmhouse in which you can also stay overnight.
The evening sees us return to the Castle of Hanno rhymes of a poem by Pinin Pacot: "It 'delicious time. Up in the night sky the moon ascends slowly. Everything is silent in the evening, as in a dream of peace. " We decide to make ourselves comfortable literally delicious this evening at the tables of the elegant and historic Fioraia Restaurant, Via World. And here's poetry mixes even the opera: "This restaurant has been created about seventy years ago by the young and beautiful Teresa and her husband Guido, a penniless but romantic vaudeville actor. The people, seeing their lives, poor but happy, compared it to Rodolfo and Mimi, the beautiful flower, the protagonists of La Bohème Puccini. That's why since 1943 the restaurant is called the flower, "he told the owners Mario and Ornella Cornero that found in 1971 and are operating with the collaboration of the whole family. "At the time the restaurant was located in Via Marconi. And 'since 1990 that we moved here, on this beautiful hill facing the country, "he explained. We start with the terrine of foie gras with quince jam, sweet semolina and bread Chilean shrimps of Mazara del Vallo of zucchini sautéed spring and his comic strip, the rump of veal with chunks of Robiola Roccaverano, salad and vinaigrette tempura of cod and fennel emulsion, crispy polenta and brandacuion. We follow these exquisite appetizers from traditional agnolotti "hunchbacks" the gravy, noodles with sauce and shredded duck Carnaroli rice with asparagus and cheese fondue toma Biella. Taste, goodness even with these excellent wines of the Piedmont's rich wine cellar of the restaurant. In the second choice of our group is divided between the pork tenderloin Voronoff, wrapped with bacon Arnad dish that is also part of the flower menu veal stew and the classic Piedmontese Barbera old mainstay of traditional menu. Some of us but a taste of lamb chops marinated in lemon and cooked dry martini to the plate, in addition to asparagus to Bismarck.
We already know that we'll come back in autumn, to enjoy some delicacies with truffles, and this time we surrender to the pleasure of some fantastic desserts such as Bavarian summer peaches with chocolate sauce and ice cream amaretto, raspberry mousse, in addition to 'peaches and raspberries in aspic jelly Muscat of lemon custard and a rainbow of fresh fruits ...

Bertha Frances

FOR INFORMATION:
www.comune.castellodiannone.at.it
www.ristorantelafioraia.it
Ristorante La Fioraia
Via Mondo, 26 Castello di Annone (AT)
Tel.: 0141/401106