A Wellness Weekend of Culture, Spa Treats and Good Food: A Trip to Rivanazzano Terme

When we reach the first hills of the Oltrepò Pavese by car, our thoughts immediately fly back many centuries, to when on the road connecting the Staffora Valley with the sea, instead of trucks there were columns of mules loaded with salt. In fact, from the territory of present-day Rivanazzano Terme, given its strategic position, the famous Via del Sale passed, along which goods from the North, including wool, were transported towards the sea, and always along the same road loads of salt reached the plain, a most precious material for preserving food and for tanning leather. The history of this pretty little town, already an agricultural centre in antiquity, as witnessed by a citation dating from before the year 1000 that describes it as “Locus ubi lardum servatur”, that is a place where lard is preserved, is summed up in its own name.

Ripa, located near the Staffora stream, in the centre of the present-day settlement, was one of the oldest nuclei of the territory, developed shortly after Vico Lardario, the most historic locality of the area, known since 1006 for the presence of the parish church of San Germano. Meanwhile, on a hill on the opposite bank of the Staffora, Nazzano was growing, whose castle, built by the Malaspina, watched over the valley. Riva and Nazzano remained distinct municipalities for several centuries, and were united in the fief of Riva di Nazzano in the 17th century. The place name Rivanazzano is from the 19th century, while the word Terme, added recently, indicates the main reason why so many tourists come here every year: the well-being of spa treatments. From the subsoil of Rivanazzano indeed gush salt-bromine-iodine and sulphurous waters with therapeutic and healing properties.

The first stop of this weekend of ours devoted to spa treats, walks and good food is at the Albergo Ristorante Selvatico, a stone's throw from the Spa. We settle into the elegant rooms of the very historic establishment, and go out for a first walk to discover the town. We immediately reach the Castle of Nazzano, and the panorama that opens before our eyes immediately explains why Gian Galeazzo Visconti had considered this manor of primary strategic importance, strengthening it in 1360: from the tops of the hill on which it stands we can admire even the mountain range that from the Ligurian Alps reaches as far as Monte Rosa. Walking through the characteristic little streets surrounded by so much greenery we also visit several beautiful churches, including the very historic Parish Church of San Germano.

After this nice tour we return to the Albergo Ristorante Selvatico, and since we are in the town once called Vico Lardario, we can only start our dinner with a tasty appetiser that also includes salami and lard from the Staffora Valley, as well as aubergine medallions with Molana del Brallo and carpaccio of Varzese beef. While we choose the first courses, we also exchange a few words with the owner, Mrs Piera Selvatico who runs the place together with her daughters Michela, a very good maker of breads and sweets, and Francesca, an expert on wines who will recommend excellent labels from both the Oltrepò and other regions. “This establishment was born back in 1912, in a country house. It is now run by the fourth generation of the Selvatico family”, Mrs Piera tells us, a highly acclaimed chef and great enthusiast of the typical cuisine of the area.

“We take the greatest care in sourcing ingredients, always using only the best and most genuine”, she explains. We continue, in fact, with exquisite first courses, prepared with homemade pasta, including cannelloni with herbs and sirass, malfatti with butter and wildflowers, saffron taglierini and the very typical agnolotti with stew sauce. Our vegetarian friends instead taste a menu specially designed for them: ricotta offella with saffron and ginger, a lovely barley and lentil soup, followed by a nettle timbale with a light fondue and, dulcis in fundo, a tasty ginger semifreddo. We “carnivores”, instead, continue with pork shank with mustard scented with rosemary, kidney with parsley, as well as an exquisite tagliata of pasture-raised beef and veal breast cooked at low temperature in Oltrepò red wine.

In conclusion we also taste a platter of cheeses from the Staffora Valley, before moving on to the irresistible desserts: the Moscato spuma, the fruit croccante with vanilla cream, the bonet with strawberries and a tasty rhubarb tart. The rest of our weekend we spend between spa treats and walks along the Staffora, the restless and cool stream whose unspoilt nature, together with the tranquillity of its beaches and the charm of its banks, gave us fantastic moments of relaxation that we hope to be able to repeat soon.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Albergo Ristorante Selvatico Via Silvio Pellico, 11 Rivanazzano Terme (PV) Tel.: 0383/944720