The Cathedral's Cow and the Paladin of Traditional Flavours: a Day in Alessandria

If we had arrived here at night, perhaps we might have met on the street a sprightly farmer followed by a well-foddered cow and watched him as, from the city besieged by Barbarossa, he set off towards the enemy camp. According to legend, in fact, a caryatid of the Cathedral of Alessandria, the one depicting the farmer Gagliaudo, would at night detach itself from the façade and come to life, roaming around the city. Popular imagination tells that during the siege by Frederick I Barbarossa, Gagliaudo managed to force the enemy troops to retreat by taking his only remaining cow to pasture, kept in excellent health despite food being scarce in the city. Barbarossa's men killed the animal, and noticed that it was very well fed.

When the farmer told them that the city had food in abundance, so Alessandria could withstand the siege for a long time yet, Barbarossa decided to retreat and the city was saved. Alessandria, on the other hand, keeps far more positive memories of Napoleon. Every summer a historical re-enactment is held for the Battle of Marengo, fought in 1800 near the city, remembered also by the name of the famous chicken alla Marengo, one of the emperor's favourite dishes. Furthermore, the story of Napoleon's Italian campaign is told through the exhibition path of the Marengo Museum, where it is possible to relive the famous battle through in-depth features and trails designed for children. At the time of that famous battle, the celebrated Citadel of Alessandria had already been there for some decades, a fortress built from 1732.

Its spectacular star-shaped plan stands out clearly in all aerial views, and the monument is one of the most grandiose permanent 18th-century fortifications in Europe, as well as one of the few still existing. Today the Citadel, which in the past also hosted Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Austrian emperor Joseph II, is a monument much loved by the people of Alessandria, and is also the seat of FAI, the Italian National Trust. During our walk on this mild and sunny, albeit autumnal, day, we visit Alessandria's most important monuments, including the Cathedral, and since we happened to be there during the day, we can testify that Gagliaudo, in the form of a caryatid, is in his place. We also admire the church of Santa Maria di Castello, the city's oldest religious building, dating back to the 15th century and built in Romanesque-Gothic style, with a Renaissance portal.

Among the city's many noble palaces, Palazzo Rosso stands out, the seat of the Town Hall, equipped with a particular three-dial clock. Alessandria gave birth to numerous important figures from the world of culture, including Umberto Eco, the writer and poet Sibilla Aleramo and the painters Giovanni Migliara and Franco Sassi, but it is also, in a sense, the capital of the hat: Giuseppe Borsalino, father of the famous hat of the same name, had started his first workshop right here in 1857, and in 2006 the city established a Hat Museum in honour of the borsalino hats worn by figures such as Ernest Hemingway, Charlie Chaplin, Anthony Quinn, Gary Cooper, and even Fellini and Alberto Sordi. In 2017 the museum was temporarily closed, awaiting a move to a new location at the Ateneo Avogadro, where it should reopen in 2019.

If Alessandria's culture and industry have been so outstanding over the years, its cuisine is certainly no less so. To discover its tasty secrets, we reach the Trattoria Il Paladino, located on via Cesare Lombroso, at the corner of via Napoli. Introducing us to the history of Alessandrian culinary traditions, even before we step through the door of the establishment, is the sign posted beside the entrance, which tells us about grandma Lina and grandpa Mario who had founded the trattoria in the 1980s, creating a place where diners could feel at home and appreciate the authentic flavours of Alessandrian cuisine. Following in their footsteps today is Piero Roberto Pippo, who carries on the family business with the precious help of his partner, the sweet and very kind Fiocco, and of Mrs Maria, the cook.

Today as then, even in this establishment opened in 2015, the love for the region's traditions distinguishes the culinary offerings, prepared with the care with which one cooks for one's own family, also taking into account any particular requests and needs, and served in a warm and convivial environment. "For us quality comes before everything, we pay the utmost attention to the raw materials, which are zero-mile. The vegetables, the meat and the cheeses come from local producers, and there are many things we prepare ourselves, such as bread, pasta and desserts," Piero explains as we settle into one of the characteristic little rooms of the establishment, furnished with style, elegance and imagination. Our gaze is drawn to various curious details, from period images of Alessandria to modern paintings and curious decorative items, some also food-and-wine themed.

The imagination and originality even involve unexpected spaces, such as the bathroom: inside we find a veritable exhibition not only of perfumes and bottles of cosmetics, but also of toilet paper rolls in every possible and imaginable colour and pattern. As well as admiring the pyramid of colourful paper and the rolls that smile at us from the ceiling, we amusedly appreciate the chance to choose, when needed, among no fewer than seven different types of paper, each nicer than the last. After washing our hands, we return to the dining room and our evening of traditional local flavours can begin.

We start with a round of tastings of various typical Alessandrian dishes, including peppers with bagna cauda, soft tomino served with honey, caramelised borettane onions and grandpa Pippo's Russian salad, prepared in the Alessandrian way, with tuna but without pickles, following the family recipe that dates back a full eighty years. We also taste the vitello tonnato and the moscardini, and after this rich starter we continue with the exquisite first courses, including the unmissable Alessandrian agnolotti. We find the coffee risotto fantastic too, as well as simple traditional dishes such as pasta and beans. Typical specialities, loved by generations of Alessandrians, are not lacking among the second courses either, and indeed some of us can't resist a nice plate of tripe or the Alessandrian braised beef, but the snails are also very much in demand.

We are also very tempted to try one of the trattoria's showpieces, the elephant's ear, huge as per the manual, but also very tasty and distinctive thanks to a few secret ingredients including Saronno amaretto and coffee. And last but not least, we certainly can't resist the tasty homemade desserts, including the "Dolce Fiocco", prepared by Fiocco, indeed, and Pippo's tiramisu, which is a great success also thanks to its lightness. We end the dinner by tasting a series of exquisite homemade liqueurs offered to us at the end of the meal. After this lovely day spent among Alessandrian stories and traditions, we are sure to return soon, awaiting spring, a period that could bring interesting novelties.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Trattoria Il Paladino Via Cesare Lombroso, 15/17 Tel.: 333/2652805 Facebook: Trattoria Il Paladino