In the land of the rice weeders, among the pranks of the Burgundo: A day in Sannazzaro De' Burgondi

Around the year 1000 it was probably known for a monastic settlement and was called Cella Sancti Nazari. Today Sannazzaro De' Burgondi is a lovely town where religious tradition and a farming past live alongside an industrial present, thanks to an important Agip refinery. The curiosity that brought us to this municipality in the Lomellina was rewarded with a day full of historical and artistic discoveries, as well as culinary ones. The history of Sannazzaro is intertwined with that of the Po, since the town lies on the edge of the terrace that overlooks the river's alluvial plain. Living alongside the river was very hard over the centuries, because of the frequent floods, some of them particularly dramatic. We begin our walk from the monument that is perhaps the most important witness to those times: the splendid Church of the Madonna della Fontana.

Its origin and name are linked to a miracle of the Virgin, who is said to have made water spring from a rock. It was the waters of the Po, however, that destroyed it around 1600, after which it was rebuilt in its current position, and the settlement itself moved to the edge of the alluvial terrace. A hundred years later, in 1705, a flood destroyed it once again. After a very harsh winter, in spring the Po swelled terrifyingly and a sudden overflow caught the people of Sannazzaro as they slept. Among the buildings that collapsed was the church, of which only the image of the Madonna was saved. And who knows whether it was again thanks to the Virgin that the Po miraculously shifted its bed elsewhere, putting an end to the destruction. The people of Sannazzaro rebuilt the church and also erected a monumental arch, called the Portone, bearing an inscription that recalls the tragic flood.

Today a fine tree-lined avenue, called “allea” by the locals, links the Portone with the church. The history of Sannazzaro, like that of much of the Lomellina, is also marked by rice growing, which in the past involved a very large part of the female population. The life of the mondine, the rice weeders, also inspired several artists from Sannazzaro, such as Michele Mainoli and Pino Zanchin, who dedicated a series of paintings to the theme, entitled “Le Lomelline”. The “Monument to the Mondina”, a sculpture by Domenico Reali, stands in Piazza del Popolo. Even a drawing by a cartoonist from Sannazzaro De' Burgondi, Andrea Bianchi, pays tribute to these female figures, as well as to the Burgundo, another key character of this town: Sannazzaro is in fact the only centre in the Lomellina to have its own popular carnival mask.

It is the much-loved Burgundo, a medieval “soldier” with a helmet from which two enormous horns emerge, which inspire endless amusing jokes among the locals. During our walk we also admired the town's other two churches, the Parish Church, dating from the 15th or 16th century, and the 17th-century Church of San Bernardino, which houses a splendid Lingiardi organ, as well as frescoes and paintings by the artist from Sannazzaro, Paolo Maggi. We stay in the old town for dinner too, and choose a family-run restaurant recommended by a friend from the area who often eats there at midday, and who even praised their seafood lunch menu. As a heavy smoker, our friend also loves this place because it has a smoking room.

We take our seats at the tables of Ristorante Pizzeria Victor, on via Vittorio Veneto, and are immediately put at ease by the kindness of the owners, who a couple of years ago were awarded the Lombardy Region's “Mercurio d'Oro per la Qualità” prize. “My parents have thirty years' experience in catering; before, we ran a restaurant in Milan,” the son, Placido, tells us as we begin to study the menu. The place is famous for its seafood specialities, so we start with a Misto mare, with little tastings of octopus, prawns and rocket and gianchetti. Our friends' son opts for a nice Primavera pizza, while we continue with spaghetti with seafood and pennelli with scorpionfish. We follow these excellent first courses with a lovely fillet of sea bass with artichokes and porcini mushrooms, while our friends choose the mixed fried fish.

We wash down these delicacies with excellent wines recommended to match the dishes, ranging across the venue's vast selection, from Bonarda and Barbera from the Pavese area to Sicilian reds and whites such as Fiano and Falanghina del Sannio. Our day in Sannazzaro ends on a sweet note, with desserts made in-house: a slice of apple cake, one of chocolate cake, the zuppa inglese and the profiterole. A real pleasure that we hope to repeat soon.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Ristorante Pizzeria Victor Via Vittorio Veneto, 27/29 Sannazzaro De' Burgondi (PV) 0382/997145