The Bionda and the Mulino del Casale: A Weekend in Villanova d'Asti

Since ancient times, if in the area around Asti an important figure intended to give away particularly fertile lands set within a gentle green landscape of woods, meadows and hills, he did so in the territory of what is now Villanova d'Asti. The fact that these places had always been so appreciated is shown by the existence in Roman times of settlements, called Brassicarda, which were plots assigned to veterans. In the following centuries it was instead Emperor Otto III who donated lands in the hamlet of Corveglia to the Benedictine nuns of San Felice in Pavia. In the 13th century the Augustinian canons settled there and an important abbey was born, restored in the recent past and today privately owned. We start our walk in the town protected by Sant'Isidoro and officially founded in 1248, visiting the 15th-century Municipal Tower, a full 26 metres high.

Close by we discover a temple that once belonged to the Confraternita dei Batù, which today is a cultural centre attracting many people, both thanks to its splendidly restored 18th-century frescoes and the concerts and other cultural events it hosts. Among the beautiful churches of Villanova, we visit the one dedicated to San Martino, which houses numerous precious works of art inside, including the splendid wooden altarpiece and two paintings by Moncalvo. In 1690 the population made a vow to the Madonna thanks to which the town was saved from the destruction the French were feared to intend to carry out in Villanova. To this day, the Mayor takes part every year in the Mass of the Immaculate Conception at the church of San Martino, thus continuing the tradition of the vow.

In that period there were many bitter clashes between the French and the Spanish, but the mighty star-shaped walls managed to protect the town. But the protection of the Madonna is also deeply felt in Villanova, also because in Napoleonic times the Virgin once appeared. On the site of the miraculous event stands the Sanctuary of the Beata Vergine delle Grazie. Along its avenue, every summer the Infiorata is created: a very long carpet made with flower petals that form religious images. Villanova d'Asti is probably the only place where, if people talk about the "bionda", nobody thinks of a woman, cigarettes or beer, even though the famous Bionda is indeed, in its own way, a beautiful girl: it's the Piedmontese hen typical of the area, with prized and sought-after meat.

In fact, agriculture, and in particular the cultivation and milling of cereals, have been the productive activities of the municipality since the dawn of time. As early as the 11th-12th centuries there were mills in the Traversola stream valley, which made use of the water power of the canal. For our relaxing weekend immersed in the peaceful Asti landscape, we chose precisely one of these old mills, the Locanda Mulino del Casale, situated on the provincial road to Montafia. After settling into our lovely rooms, tastefully furnished, before dinner we go to visit the mill, whose old millstones are still the original ones, untouched by time. Its large iron wheel, built in the 19th century to replace the original wooden one, is capable of generating a power of six horses.

If the location is one of those steeped in history, the restaurant, on the other hand, since the end of 2003 has been run by a well-known banqueting and catering company, L'Arte a Tavola, with twenty-five years of experience in the field of fine dining. It was precisely they who handled the reception and dinner on the occasion of the wedding of a friend of ours, who had been enthusiastic about the quality of their culinary creations. So here we are, enjoying an exquisite dinner in the name of culinary art, starting with starters from the Piedmontese tradition, presented with imagination and originality: the cruda of Fassone beef chopped by knife with a pinzimonio of vegetables, the veal topside with a pink heart in an old tuna sauce, without mayonnaise, and the cardoon flan with anchovy sauce.

We follow these treats with the unmissable agnolotti with three roasts, dressed with their own sauce. We also taste egg tagliolini with duck ragù, and maltagliati with Cervera leeks and sausage. In choosing the mains we divide between the veal pocket stuffed with ham, toma, raschera and black truffle, the rack of lamb gratinated with thyme sauce and the oven-baked Fassone della vena with Barbera d'Asti caramel. We crown this Lucullan dinner by also giving in to the temptation of desserts: the chocolate tortino, the tiramisù and the peach and amaretti cake. After this wonderful weekend, also spent on walks along the trails, wrapped in the warm colours of autumn, we're certain we'll return to the old mill as soon as possible.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

L'Arte a Tavola Mulino del Casale Strada Provinciale per Montafia, 23 Villanova d'Asti (AT) Tel.: 0141/947006