The charm of a village nestled among the hills of Monferrato: nature, legends and good food in Rocca Grimalda

In the imagination of the young director Fausto Paravidino, who in 2005 dedicated a film to Rocca Grimalda, this place is like Texas: a border zone, the meeting point between the mountains and the plain crossed by the 'highway'. There are even farms, and above all farmers, bars and young people, tough, passionate and torn between their peasant roots and the city that seems close but is not really all that close. In the film Texas, the Monferrato village was represented like this, and thanks to that film all Italians were able to discover the views of a truly particular village and territory. Here we are not between the United States and Mexico, but between Piedmont and Liguria, yet the beauty of the wild landscape, the love for traditions, for nature and for travel make these places resemble, in their soul, those of the 'on the road' myth.

Moreover, the charm of travel is also reflected in the popular and religious customs of Rocca Grimalda: every year the Cammino di Santa Limbania, protector of travellers, is held here. The cult of the Saint, to whom the village church is dedicated, originally followed the route of the muleteers who centuries ago transported goods, salt first and foremost, from the ports of Genoa to Piedmont. The suggestive rocky spur on which the village is perched is clearly visible from the motorway that leads from Milan or Alessandria to Genoa Voltri, so it is easy to be tempted by the curiosity to discover these places, reachable by driving a few kilometres after leaving at the Ovada toll booth. In Roman times the town of Rondinaria existed here, and various archaeological finds suggest the presence of settlements already in the pre-Roman period, even above the height.

Rocca Grimalda, given its sheer-drop position over the river Orba, is a natural fortress and thanks to this particularity it was contested over the centuries by the Republic of Genoa, by the marquises of Monferrato and even by the Duchy of Milan. While in the dense forests that until the 18th century covered much of the surrounding hills brigandage flourished, in the popular imagination intriguing stories and legends arose about witches who from this height would set off at night, flying on various animals, to take part in magical meetings in the woods. The traditions of Rocca Grimalda come alive again also in numerous events and cultural appointments that follow one another during the year. One of the most characteristic events of the region is held here: the Lachera.

It is an archaic carnival rite consisting of a masked procession with dances and hints of theatre, during which the characters interact with one another in masks and costumes. While waiting to return here during Carnival, we visit the famous Mask Museum, which gathers the results of the multi-year scientific work carried out by the Ethno-Anthropological Laboratory of Rocca Grimalda. The visit is an exciting journey within a journey, through the masks, costumes and carnival characters. After our walk through the characteristic alleys of the old town, which also led us to admire the 13th-century Castello Malaspina-Grimaldi with its peculiar five-storey circular tower and the breathtaking panorama that opens over the Monferrato hills from the Belvedere Marconi, we decide to crown this lovely day with a tasty dinner at the Ristorante Pizzeria Grimalda, which some locals recommended to us.

Situated along the main road that leads to Ovada, in the locality of Schierano, the restaurant opened at the beginning of 2014 and within a few months became one of the most loved places in the area. We leave the car in the large car park and, once inside the characteristic rooms furnished with rustic yet elegant taste, we are welcomed with great kindness by the owners Paolo and his wife Angelica. Given the fine weather, we sit outside, on the large terrace set in a cool garden where children can play before eating. 'We are in a historic farmhouse that a few decades ago was very well known in the area: it was called Le Cicale. Twenty years ago it was a restaurant that enjoyed an excellent reputation, then followed a long period of decay and abandonment which we decided to put an end to by opening our restaurant, whose philosophy is quality and tradition.

We follow the seasonality of the products and focus on the excellent quality of the dishes and ingredients, chosen with the greatest care. For example, our pizzas are made with the organic flour from the Marino mill in Cuneo, stone-ground, and with San Marzano D.O.P. tomatoes from Salerno. Moreover, all our pasta is made by hand,' they explain to us. Part of our group indeed chooses the pizzas, available in a great many varieties and also by the metre, a unique feature for the area. As soon as the steaming pizzas arrive at the table, among them some fanciful even in shape such as the 'Soleluna', half pizza and half calzone, the children declare unanimously after a few mouthfuls: 'This is the best pizza in the world!' The restaurant also stands out thanks to the fact that it offers several dishes that cannot be found in the area, always traditional, but originally from other regions.

We begin with a rich starter that ideally takes us to Emilia Romagna: the gnocco fritto, crunchy, light and tasty, accompanied by a selection of mixed cold cuts and cheeses. We also taste the pork carpaccio, obtained with a preparation under salt and so exquisite that it is often mistaken for swordfish carpaccio. Some of our friends instead choose the gratinated mussels and the paella, which is always prepared strictly with fish. We follow these tasty starters with a very good spicy speciality that takes us to Lazio: the cappellacci cacio e pepe. Those who prefer Monferrato flavours, on the other hand, do not give up the traditional handmade agnolotti, available both with stew sauce and with cheeses or truffle, but the tagliatelle alla Grimalda are also very popular, with parmesan sauce and egg yolk wrapped in speck and oven-gratinated.

We wash down these treats with excellent wines mainly from the area, from the best local producers, but some of us opt for labels from other regions, such as the Marcello Lambrusco Gran Gru, the best sparkling wine in the world. Besides the wines, we also taste a series of excellent beers, both bottled and draught, of brands that in practice cannot be found anywhere else. Besides some Czech beers, there is a vast choice of national craft beers such as those from the Friulian brewery Gjulia or the Savona brewery El Issor di Sassello, as well as Salento and Piedmontese beers such as the Montegioco di Garbagna. We continue with a fine mixed fried fish, while the 'carnivore' friends enjoy succulent cuts and grilled meats. Part of our group opts for the fantastic Charbonnade with sauces, grilling the pieces of very fresh, freshly cut meat themselves.

Our day in Rocca Grimalda ends in great sweetness thanks to the fabulous desserts prepared by Mr Paolo, including the crema catalana, the warm chocolate tartlet with a soft centre and the creme alla Grimalda, available in various flavours including gianduia, Bronte pistachio or torroncino: an authentic treat. After this splendid day we are sure we have won the favour of Santa Limbania: the protector of travellers has accompanied us to a place that truly deserves to be visited and where we will always gladly return.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Pizzeria Grimalda Loc. Schierano, 302 Rocca Grimalda Tel.: 0143/882388