Trekking the Pinnacles, between Nature and Good Food: a Weekend at the Sassi di Roccamalatina

Looking up at the sky in this part of the Modenese Apennines, it is not rare to catch sight of a black dot motionless high up: it is the majestic peregrine falcon, a now rare and protected bird, which has chosen as its nesting ground the spectacular rock peaks, over 70 metres high, of the Sassi di Roccamalatina. The destination of our trip is precisely this place where the beauty of nature is enriched by a fairy-tale and mysterious charm, made also of stories and legends linked precisely to the falcons, once held to be 'allies' of witches, who were in turn drawn to wild landscapes like this one, characterised by the typical appearance of clay gullies.

We are at Roccamalatina, a hamlet of the municipality of Guiglia, and a village of considerable historical importance, which from the 12th to the 14th century was the seat of the Malatigni, the noble family that ruled an extensive part of the surrounding territory, now part of the Regional Park of the Sassi di Roccamalatina. The pinnacles, like meteors that we admire during our excursion, are imposing sandstone rocks dating back to the middle Miocene. Among the many itineraries available, suitable both for very fit people and for Sunday walkers, we chose a 4.5 km route that starts and finishes at Roccamalatina, touching in an hour and a half of walking some of the most significant points of interest in the area, including the Torri Rondonare, the Carbonaia and, of course, the Sassi.

During our walk we are also lucky enough to admire some 'representatives' of the park's rich wildlife, including the agile frog, the harmless grass snake, as well as numerous species of birds. Among the trees live badgers, foxes, porcupines and roe deer, and the flora is very varied too. Even the underground hides precious secrets: between Zocca and Guiglia there are fine caves with spots bearing curious names such as the Buco dei Pipistrelli, the Pozzo della Pecora or the Buco dell'Albero. Back from this lovely excursion, we settle into the comfortable rooms of the Albergo Ristorante Santina, located in the village but close to the protected area of the Park. The establishment, opened in 1958 as a lodging house, then run by Mrs Santina, is to all intents and purposes the beating heart of the village.

Tourists, hikers, young and old all frequent it, and whoever has been there once certainly returns. The family atmosphere and the warm welcome from the owners immediately make us feel at home. It is with great pleasure that we listen to the stories and anecdotes linked to the restaurant, told by Mrs Imperia, Santina's daughter, who is now the owner, as well as being the undisputed queen of tagliatelle: she can roll out the dough of an outrageous number of eggs, kneading them entirely by hand, using her own rolling pin. 'The lodging house was turned into a restaurant in 2004, and later enlarged and refurbished. Our management has always stayed family-run. My daughter Giulia, a real jack-of-all-trades, besides looking after the dining room, has also become a very good assistant cook.

In the dining room my husband Graziano and Andrea, my eldest son, serve, but the very young Luca is starting to lend a hand too,' Mrs Imperia tells us. Our dinner, in the name of traditional dishes, all prepared with practically zero-mile ingredients and always very fresh, begins with cold cuts and cheeses from the area, but we also taste some very good vegetables, as well as fried gnocco and tigella. Mr Graziano also prepares the fabulous borlenghi, thin, crunchy crepes dressed with Modenese pesto. We continue with Mrs Imperia's legendary tagliatelle, dressed with a porcini mushroom sauce, but we can't resist either the classic tortellini in broth or the dry passatelli with truffle. We also taste some very good cannelloni, lasagne and rosette.

The menu changes every day, and this time we are lucky enough to taste the excellent fried chicken, but also the breaded and fried pork chop, with mushrooms and stewed beans on top. We also enjoy the exquisite roasts and rolls of guinea fowl and rabbit. As a side dish, a wide choice of vegetables, which can be eaten buffet-style, without limits. Nor is the dessert buffet ever missing, whose specialist is Giulia, who prepares tasty desserts including creme caramel, trifle, mascarpone cream made to order, panna cotta and chocolate and coffee cake, following grandmother Santina's recipe book, knowing how to masterfully interpret instructions such as the unit of measure 'zemna', that is, the palm of the hand cupped and filled. We finish with the alcoholic sugar sweets made by Andrea, and with the decision to come back here soon for more trips, perhaps even by mountain bike or on horseback.

Text: Francesca Bertha Consultancy and photographs: Valeria Balbiano

FOR INFORMATION:

Albergo Ristorante Santina Via Monte, 92 Roccamalatina (MO) Tel.: 059/795855