A Day of Mystery, Art and Good Food in Lerma

Every year the day comes when the slanting rays of the Sun reach a niche in the wall of the medieval Castle, lighting it up for a few brief moments. In those moments the rubies of the three golden roses hidden there since 1565 in a crystal casket blaze, flooding the walls of the manor with fiery light. The phenomenon lasts so briefly that in over 440 years no one, dowsers included, has managed to locate the niche where Isabella Corvalan, lady-in-waiting to the queen of Castile, hid that treasure. These novel-like medieval atmospheres are reached after a few minutes of gentle bends from the Ovada motorway exit, among vineyards and wooded hills that form part of the Parco delle Capanne di Marcarolo, where, on a tufa crag, stands the Castello degli Spinola, built towards the end of the 15th century. Passing under an arch you enter the ricetto, preserved completely intact within the walls.

Still inside the little square of the Castle we admire the 15th-century Parish Church of San Giovanni Battista, whose apse was carved out of one of the castle's towers. Inside it houses many precious works of art, including a large fresco from 1608, and the 14th-century panel by Barnaba da Modena depicting the Virgin and Child. This panel was originally donated to the 13th-century Sanctuary of N.S. della Rocchetta by the Spinola family, as a sign of thanks for the birth of an heir. Originally the Sanctuary was a hospice that offered lodging to travellers who walked the Via del Sale. We also visit the Romanesque church, that is the Pieve di San Giovanni Battista, the only survivor of the oldest nucleus of Lerma, called Rondinaria.

Inside it preserves a series of valuable frescoes by masters of Lerma, while on the façade an image of San Cristoforo Martire is said to have protected all those who had to cross from one bank to the other of the river Piota.

We stay in the heart of the old town for dinner too, settling into one of the characteristic rooms of the Ristorante Pizzeria Italia, in via Martiri della Benedicta. The charm of the place and the kindness of the owners immediately put us at ease. "I'm Genoese, but of Piedmontese origins. My grandfather was from Lerma and my parents used to come here on holiday, staying at this establishment. So I've been very attached to this village since I was a girl," the owner Greta tells us, who has run the place since January 2011. An architect and opera singer, but with long experience gained in various restaurants. Stories and memories of an almost fairy-tale Lerma that comes back to life in the anecdotes make the dishes prepared by the cook Franca and the pizza chef Ruslan, and served by the waiter Rocco, even more delicious.

As well as the fixed menu, every Friday a weekly menu is offered, which follows the seasonality of the products. We start with the hunter's board, savouring the venison bresaola, the wild boar speck, the lardo di Colonnata and the cooked ham flavoured with truffle, all accompanied by chestnuts and honey. The rich starter also includes an excellent beef tartare, as well as peppers with bagna caoda and the crunchy, delicious panissa. After this rainbow of flavours we continue with the homemade ravioli with nettles and seasonal herbs, a real speciality of the house, prepared with the wild herbs from the kitchen garden. We go on with the tasty risotto with sausage and Dolcetto, and also taste the homemade chestnut tagliatelle with onion sauce.

Some of our group can't resist the pizzas instead, choosing, among more than 40 varieties, the "pizza dell'avvocato" with mozzarella, certosa, fontina, gorgonzola and cooked ham, and the focaccia with cheese, Recco style. We wash down these good things with excellent wines mainly from the area, including Dolcetto and Barbera, also from Asti and Alba, as well as wines from Trentino and Friuli, and good whites from the area and beyond. We continue with a fabulous tagliata al Castelmagno, appreciating the excellent quality of the prime meat, from a local butcher's shop. Some of the diners have an abundant mixed fry, while others choose the salt cod fritters and the goulash with cous cous.

Finally, we certainly can't resist the temptation of the tasty desserts of the house and taste the very fragrant chestnuts in syrup with Moscato zabaione, a very light and delicate pineapple carpaccio dressed with ginger syrup, as well as the tiramisù and a delicious, genuine meringue. Delights that make you dream, and that will bring us back here soon, perhaps right at the moment when the Sun lights up the golden roses of the castle.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Pizzeria Italia di Lerma Via Martiri della Benedicta, 4R Tel.: 0143/877110