From the Bollente to the fish of the medieval village: a trip between Acqui Terme and Cassine

A trip among the hills of the Alto Monferrato can hold many nice surprises, including the fact of discovering that in the midst of those green landscapes and among those villages surrounded by woods full of mushrooms you can find water and even sea fish. To have this pleasant experience, you just need to visit Acqui Terme and Cassine, towns just a few kilometres apart. The water, in these parts, can be the fresh kind flowing in the clear streams, or that of the little lakes, but not only. At the gates of Acqui Terme, as soon as we reach the Ponte Carlo Alberto, over the Bormida river, we notice the remains of the Roman Aqueduct, among the symbolic monuments of the town. From the bridge you can clearly see the fifteen pillars and the four gigantic arches that remind the people of Acqui of their glorious spa tradition, which continues successfully today in the town's spa establishments.

The thermal springs of Acqui Terme in fact enjoyed considerable prestige already in Roman times: the Latin writer Pliny the Elder even mentions them among the most important in the Roman world. After the aqueduct we go to see the water: that of the Bollente, the town's most famous monument: it is a splendid marble aedicule made in 1879 by the architect Giovanni Cerutti, inside which the boiling, healing water gushes out: 560 litres per minute at 74.5 degrees, of a sulphurous-salt-bromine-iodine water. The motto of Acqui Terme is "Arte et Marte", that is with skill and with strength.

Acqui has been the birthplace of several artists over the course of history, including Ginevra Scatilazzi, a famous sixteenth-century woman of letters, while today's younger generations know well Pierdomenico Baccalario, a writer of adventure novels for children, but also the Acqui group Yo Yo Mundi, who in their poetic songs often pay homage to their town. Speaking of art, among the splendid historic monuments of the town, we visit the castle of the Palaeologus, mentioned as early as 1056, which today houses the Archaeological Museum, while among the religious buildings we admire the cathedral of Santa Maria Assunta, dating from the tenth century, and the marvellous Benedictine abbey of San Pietro, of early Christian origins, dedicated to the Madonna Addolorata.

Our journey back through history continues in nearby Cassine, known for the Medieval Festival which every September, now as the province's only historical re-enactment, comes back to bring the evocative historic centre to life. Just a few steps along a tree-lined climb are enough to be able to admire, from the shade of a pine, a landscape of rare beauty: the rust colour of the tiles, the red of the bricks of the houses, the arches that testify to times gone by. As the gaze ranges from a bell tower to the green hills glimpsed in the distance, and imagination begins to populate the alleys of the historic centre with knights - alleys that preserve, almost entirely intact, the memory of an evocative medieval past - a song by Luigi Tenco comes to mind: "Tu, mio caro vecchio albero, tu sei stato il castello di un regno e neppure lo sai".

Luigi Tenco, the great singer-songwriter who sang the most visceral and romantic love, was born right here, in Cassine, living here until the age of ten, when his family moved to Liguria. The heart of the medieval village is the fourteenth-century church of San Francesco, a marvellous Lombard Gothic monument, also paid homage by the famous Alessandria painter Franco Sassi, who made it a fantastic element through the surreal pictorial visions of his "Medieval Landscapes".

After the water of Acqui Terme the moment of the fish has come, waiting for us at the Ristorante da Cavallo Al Brunale in Cassine. Situated in a very convenient position, behind the statale that links Cassine and Acqui, the restaurant has a very large car park, but also several lawns and green spaces and flower gardens where children can run around a bit before dinner. Welcoming us with great kindness is Mr Angelo, the owner who, after thirty years' experience as a fishmonger combined with about twenty years as a restaurateur, since October 2016 has taken over this lovely establishment, soon making it a favourite destination for lovers of fresh fish.

When we settle into one of the spacious, bright rooms furnished with taste and elegance, the place immediately seems ideal also for the christening party of our friend's son, and indeed we soon discover that the location is increasingly in demand for events such as weddings, communions, christenings and private parties with poolside aperitifs. In the near future a hotel will be added to the restaurant, making the hospitality even more complete. The link between Acqui and fish is found again at the table too: in fact, the fish we'll eat comes from Mr Angelo's fish shop, located in piazza Orto San Pietro in Acqui Terme. "Every morning I go to Savona and buy fresh fish at the auctions from the fishermen. That's why we don't even have a set menu; every day we cook the fresh catch of the day, adapting the menu to the fish available at the moment", the owner explains.

The specialities change continually, but what doesn't change is their freshness and very high quality, due both to the goodness of the raw ingredients and to the skill of Mr Angelo, who is a true expert in the world of fish. We start with a seafood trio, whose ingredients also change every day. Next we taste baby squid sauteed with rosemary and an exquisite sliced tuna in an almond crust. After this rich antipasto we choose the linguine allo scoglio, while our friends opt for a very good seafood risotto. We wash down these delights with selected wines from various regions of Italy, from Trentino to Sicily, passing through Avellino, and we appreciate the possibility of tasting wines from cellars that aren't necessarily famous, but certainly of excellent quality. We crown the dinner with an abundant mixed fry, while the rest of our group devotes itself to a nice mixed grilled fish.

Dulcis in fundo, we also taste a few tasty desserts of the house, and our mood stays excellent even after paying, thanks to an honest quality-price ratio. After this lovely day we're certain to gladly return here, to "wallow" again in the waters of Acqui and Cassine, and we certainly won't miss the next Medieval Festival either.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante da Cavallo Al Brunale Speciality fresh fish Strada Castelnuovo, 2/A Cassine (AL) Tel.: 0144/715359 Pescheria Cavallo Piazza Orto San Pietro (shopping centre) Acqui Terme Tel.: 339/4319144