A journey in pink through the lands of the Pavese from Oltrepo to Lomellina - Part IV. — travel diary by Francesca Bertha

The story

In the bewitched town tasting the typical dishes with Angelmina and Debora

We continue our journey, regenerated in body and soul, to reach one of the most beautiful and interesting towns of the Oltrepo, Varzi. Just a few steps are enough to be wrapped in the charm of its medieval atmospheres: the towers, the castle and the walls we admire today were built in the thirteenth century. Varzi soon became one of the main jurisdictions of the Oltrepo and its centre was full of offices, shops and warehouses, but not only: there was "room" also for some witch and the mysteries connected to them. In fact, one of the first buildings we visit is the castle, in whose sturdy tower, called "of the Witches", in 1460 a large group of people accused of witchcraft was locked up, later burned in the public square. But mysteries and legends also envelop the religious life of the town, and precisely thanks to its patron Saint George.

In the parish church the relics of the arm and right hand of the saint are kept, brought to the town between 1473 and 1479. It is said that once a thief who tried to steal the relic had his arm come off. But not only: some time ago on the church square there was an enormous horse chestnut tree, called in various ways: the tree of the witches, of the devil, but also of the thief of Saint George's relic, because it seems that the wrongdoer ran around the chestnut tree trying to get away with it after the theft, but right there he was caught. Subsequently the tree fell to the ground, uprooted. Many of these bewitched curiosities and otherwise, we can discover thanks to the cultural visits organised by the Agriturismo La Sorgente, a flowering oasis that is easy to reach and very welcoming, starting from the large covered car park with photovoltaics.

Welcoming us with great kindness is Angelmina, from generations native to the Varzi area, who runs the business together with her daughter Debora and her mother Maria. "The farm was my great-grandparents'; I really have the land in my DNA, while we opened the agriturismo 16 years ago now", Angelmina tells us as we take a tour of the ample establishment. Our accommodation, furnished with period furniture, consists of comfortable mini apartments with kitchen, and animals are welcome too. It couldn't be otherwise, given that here animals are at home: at the educational farm the children can make friends with ducks, chickens, geese, little goats, ponies and even with a very friendly little donkey. They can become good little farmers, learning to gather wood and to sow flowers to pick later on.

The spaces, all finely restored, of the ancient manor house lend themselves very well to events such as weddings and confirmations, but there is also a nice meeting room. Before lunch we can take a dip in the pool immersed among the flowers or admire the rich exhibition of old tools of country life that Angelmina's family has set up with objects recovered over the years. While the children have fun in the playground, we have a cool aperitif on the large terrace, waiting to treat ourselves to a fantastic lunch in the name of the traditional flavours of which Angelmina is a true expert and custodian. We have confirmation of this as soon as we taste the rich antipasto based on exquisite cold cuts prepared especially for the agriturismo by a local butcher with ageing inside old underground cellars using only salt and spices.

Even the bread baked in the wood-fired oven is delicious, along with all the other goodies, from stuffed vegetables to little focaccias and savoury pies, all prepared with excellent seasonal ingredients. We continue with the typical ravioli and then enjoy a nice tagliata and finally some tasty homemade desserts that will also give us a good morning at breakfast.

At the spa, already dreaming of the Tra le Terre itineraries

When our holiday draws to a close, it's by no means easy to take leave of Angelmina and Debora's agriturismo, just as it isn't to gradually say goodbye to the Oltrepo Pavese. Before leaving these splendid hills, though, we still have to visit the hermitage of Sant'Alberto di Butrio, adorned with original frescoes. The saint, who lived there from 1030, is famous for several miracles including that of having healed a mute child and of having gone on foot to the pope to turn, before him, water into wine. On the way back to the city we stop again at Rivanazzano Terme, at Salice Terme and at Volpedo, a town famous for the painting "Quarto Stato" by Giuseppe Pellizza da Volpedo. When we return here in summer, perhaps following one of the itineraries proposed by the Rete Tra le Terre, we won't forget to taste the famous peaches of Volpedo and we won't even give up the pampering of the spa.

The Oltrepo Pavese will always remain in our hearts and, sipping a good wine from this area, we'll always feel like returning to this rich territory shaped like a bunch of grapes.