Our Happy Banquet in the Cremonese Countryside: A Day in Pandino

If we had lived in the fifteenth century, we would most likely have visited Pandino for some hunting trips in the game-rich woods that surrounded the town, exactly as the lords of Milan did at the time. But being simple tourists of our own era, and animal lovers to boot, we preferred to come here for a peaceful day out, hunting only for artistic and culinary treasures. Our walk began at the country residence, built as a place to stay during the hunting seasons by Bernabò Visconti and his wife in 1355. It is the imposing Pandino Castle, which boasts a curious record: it is the best-preserved castle among all the Visconti buildings of the fourteenth century. Its square plan, with four corner towers, is the typical shape of the plain castles of the period. Today it houses the Town Hall, and you can still see how carefully all the interior spaces of the building were decorated.

Geometric designs and coloured coats of arms cover the interior walls everywhere, even in the former stable, which now houses the library. For those arriving in this charming town, it is the children who act as guides, at least virtually: pupils from a few first-year classes devised an educational tourist itinerary that leads visitors through the beauties of the place. We thus learn that Pandino, or rather its hamlet of Gradella, is one of the Most Beautiful Villages in Italy. The settlement of Gradella is presumably the oldest in the municipality and is mentioned as a "castrum" as early as the tenth century. Walking through the little streets of this village, you get the impression that it is an artist's creation: as in the paintings of an exhibition, here too you can see the "brushstrokes" of the same hand.

The walls painted yellow, with red trim, characterise both the oldest houses and the recently renovated ones, and it is no accident that this place has managed to keep its traditional features for so long: until a few decades ago the village belonged to the same noble family as always, the Maggi. As we walked, at a certain point we happened to notice some fallow deer. They were beautiful and very friendly. Unable to believe our eyes, we asked some locals why these not exactly native animals were here: they had been brought to Gradella by Countess Camilla Maggi, a lover of fallow deer. The idea turned out to be a good one, as the animals have settled perfectly among the cattle and horses raised in the village and are always very sweet even with the tourists who approach them.

We also take a little tour of Nosadello, another hamlet of Pandino, known above all for the fine Church of Pantaleone. In Pandino we also admire the Oratory of Santa Marta and the Church of Santa Margherita, two churches dedicated to the patron saints of the town. On the northern edge of the built-up area we visit the Sanctuary of Santa Maria dell'Apparizione: it is a modern building, but its history dates back to 1432, the year in which a young man, Tommaso Damici, witnessed a Marian apparition. Today, near the church, you can also see the remains of the old Sanctuary, built on the site of the apparition. To crown a day so full of cultural inspiration, we could only choose a restaurant that even recalls Dante in its name: Ad Convivium, on Via De Gasperi. "The place was born from the reworking of a trattoria in Pandino, loved for the typical cuisine of the area.

Our family's management combines tradition and innovation," the owner Billy Formis tells us, as we settle at the elegant tables of the restaurant. We start with octopus slices with artichokes and Grana cheese with balsamic vinegar, the crispy pastry with asparagus and Salva cheese fondue, typical of the area, and with a very light fry of squid and courgettes. We continue with the sweet tortelli of the Cremasca tradition, the maltagliati with duck ragù scented with marjoram and the Teroldego risotto. Since the restaurant's history is indissolubly linked to boiled meats, we continue with cuts of Italian-style bollito, as tradition dictates. Some of us instead opt for the roll of boned and stuffed roast chicken with Cremonese mostarda, the moscardini in a light stew with polenta and the sea bass in a potato crust.

There is also someone who cannot resist a fine tagliata of Piedmontese fassone beef cooked in salt. We close in great sweetness with the chestnut fondant with chocolate sauce, the warm apple strudel with vanilla ice cream and the sbrisolona with mascarpone cream. We will certainly be back here soon, perhaps even just passing through, for a midday meal and a stroll near the Castle: a way to break the routine with a nice day close to the big city.

Francesca Bertha

FOR INFORMATION:

Restaurant Ad Convivium Via Alcide De Gasperi, 3 Pandino (CR) 0373/90266