Libretto Acqualagna Inglese
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Acqualagna , the truffle capital From the right: National Truffle Fair The highly attended National Truffle Trade Fair. The small city of Acqualagna (pop. 4,000), located just a few A splendid white truffle specimen. The old Truffle Market. kilometres from the magnificent Furlo River Gorge, is known for its A view of Pietralata. centuries-old tradition of truffle gathering, production and marketing. Truffle collectors and merchants who operate on all of the world markets have their offices here or conduct the larger part of their business from Acqualagna. The Acqualagna truffle market has become the preferred venue for the wholesale of truffles: 2/3 of the entire national production (5/600 quintals of all types of truffles) are traded here. The countries which especially prize the product include Germany (the largest European consumer), Belgium, Holland, France (which produces large quantities of black truffles in the South), USA and Canada. The three 2 Acqualagna fairs 3 “Truffles all year round” in Acqualagna is not just a saying, but a true professional business and a real chance for the public to sample this product. Three important fairs are held in this small city in the Marche region in correspondence to the harvest periods of the different product varieties. New production • The National scenarios White Truffle Fair October and November In 1933, through the work of Dr. Francesco Francolini, a new agronomic discipline was born, • The Regional Superior “truffle growing”. Black Truffle Fair Truffles are cultivated through the second to last Sunday the mychorhization of the seeds of February of several carefully selected and treated plants. After the seeds • The Regional Summer Black have been contaminated with Truffle Fair the desired truffle spores, August 14-15 A view of Corso Roma, they are planted in “phytocells” Acqualagna historical centre. containing soil suitable for the During the three fairs, 2/3 species. The seedlings of the entire domestic product is are grown in greenhouses, then traded (approximately 500-600 they are transplanted to the quintals of all types of truffles). artificial truffle ground out in the open. The artificial truffle grounds (Furlo, Paganuccio, Pietralata, Montiego) yield a good production of prized black truffles: in fact, more than 50% of this variety of domestic product comes from these grounds. Acqualagna and its environs Those who visit Acqualagna to experience the sweetness and the Hiking on a Pietralata foot path. flavour of the truffle, find themselves surrounded by the stupendous View of the Gola Holm-oak on scenario of the Furlo Reserve, the territory of the “ Comunità Montana Mt. Paganuccio, the summit of the Furlo. The Mt. Paganuccio. del Catria e Nerone” (Consortium of the municipalities of Mounts Catria The Gola del Furlo seen from the Candigliano riverbed. and Nerone), the renaissance city of Urbino and the Adriatic sea, which Panoramic view of the Furlo. is only a few kilometres from the city. The beauty of the surrounding Canoe and swimmers on the Candigliano areas and the aroma of truffles make Acqualagna a truly special place. River flood bed. 4 5 Historical Farm, and the underlying itineraries construction dating to the II century B.C. are conserved in the “Pitinum Mergens Acqualagna is rich in history. Antiquarium” which offers the Take a day to discover and visit visitor a detailed look at the the St. Vincent Abbey, also functions and daily life of a called “Pietrapertusa”, built in the roman farm through the IX century by the Benedictine everyday objects and Monks and renovated by Abbot agricultural tools on display. Bonaventura in 1271. Also worth The “Antiquarium” also visiting are the monumental conserves rich documentation ruins of the old Flaminian Road on the extinct city of Pitinum built in the III century B.C. by Mergens, on the construction the Roman consul Caius of the farm and on how they Flaminius, and the Tunnel were discovered. opened through the rock in 76 Archaeological finds can also D.C. by the Roman emperor be seen in the village of Furlo, Vespasianus. The Fortress on the where ancient vestiges Candigliano, a long viaduct are found in every corner. 6 dating back to the age of 7 Augustus, also merits a visit. the discovery of numerous finds at Colombara, dating back to a rural villa from the Republican era and the first cen - turies of the Roman Empire (II century BC) The archaeological finds include: The Archaeological a pendant, several oil-lamps and fibulas. On the page to the left: On this page, other photographs of the Patrimony St. Vincent's Abbey, IX century AD museum: two mixing jars (kitchen of Acqualagna and interior of the Romanesque apse. ceramics). Various refectory objects "Black Fortress on the Candigliano River, glaze ceramics". Augustan viaduct A museum wall case containing finds from If we retrace the history of The Furlo Tunnel, 76 AD. the III-VII centuries BC prior to the con - Acqualagna through time, Interior of the "Antiquarium Pitinum struction of the Villa. we discover that the city’s Mergens", the archaeological museum Acqualagna Stone cutter absorbed roots go back to an ancient of Acqualagna, founded in 2002 following in his work past which has left important vestiges, especially in the Acqualagna vicinity of one of the main roadways that connected Rome and stonecutting to the Adriatic: the Flaminina Road. The ancient road, constructed in the III century Artistic stonecutting, a centuries-old tradition which traces its roots B.C. by the consul Caius to the ancient Furlo stonemasons, has a particular significance Flaminius, crosses over among the activities which have made Acqualagna famous in the 5 kilometres of what is today’s world. According to several studies carried out by historians and Acqualagna, where one of its academicians, thanks to their skill and to the easy availability side lanes was the site of the of the material from the area “quarries”, the stonemasons of Furlo Roman Municipality of Pitinum were called upon for the realisation of important works Mergens. Between 1995 and and architectural structures in Urbino. Since then, artistic skill has 1997 several excavations, been combined with the most modern and sophisticated machining conducted by the University of techniques which favour the realisation of articles recognised Urbino in collaboration with and appreciated not only in Italy, but also in northern Europe, the the Marche Region United States and Japan. Superintendency of In response to this interest, the City of Acqualagna, in collaboration Archaeology, brought to light with the Cna (National Crafts Confederation), has created the findings of a Roman farm an exhibition area dedicated to a small museum where splendid (rural villa), built in the examples of fireplaces, stonework and masonry kitchens, as well as Republican age and inhabited, all of the other stone industry products for the furnishing and with alternating fortunes, building industries are on display as a testimony to this evergreen up to the late Imperial age. trade. The museum, created by the “Collettivo pietra” project, can The ruins of the Imperial Age be visited during the Truffle Fairs in Acqualagna. The Furlo Gorge State Nature Reserve 8 The Furlo reserve encompasses 9 3,600 hectares of woods, grasslands and uncontaminated mountain peaks and it is the third largest protected area in the Pesaro-Urbino Province. Held to be an authentic paradise by all, it is crossed by the Candigliano river which winds its way through the massive rock walls of the Gorge where the beauty of the landscape comes together with prodigious naturalistic riches which boast truly unique examples of flora and fauna like the golden eagle, the peregrine falcon, the wallcreeper which cohabit with wolves, roe-deer, fallow deer and wild boar. The vegetation which cover the peaks of the massif is mainly made up of oak-woods with downy oak, hop hornbeam, flowering ash, sycamore and whitebeam. The riverine habitat is also variegated and the forest, the grasslands and brush are teeming with wildlife. Trees Oak, one of the many plants found in the Furlo Reserve. The golden eagle, a species which The Wolf, which has returned to populate has nested on the face of Mt. Paganuccio the Reserve. for many years. An Ammonite fossel, easily traceable Panoramic view of the Furlo. in the rocks of the Furlo. Two hedgehogs. Acqualagna Tagliatelle (ribbon noodles) with Truffles: where to buy them Truffles Serves 4 400 gr. Tagliatelle 100 gr. butter 50 gr. white truffle Le Trifole T&C snc meat broth - grated parmesan via Pole, 26/A cheese salt to taste Di Davide Curzietti via Alcide De Gasperi, 88 61041 Acqualagna (PU) 61041 Acqualagna (PU) tel. 0721.799065 tel. 0721.798581 Melt the butter until it sizzles, add a few spoonfuls of broth, salt to taste. Add the truffle, remove from heat and add the parmesan. Cook the noodles in plenty of salted water, drain them and transfer to the serving platter. Season with the truffle cream and garnish with white truffle shavings. Marini Tartufi Truffa Tartufi Di Marini - Azzolini Di Truffa Maria Gabriella via Risorgimento, 26 via Alcide De Gasperi, 55 A tradition 61041 Acqualagna (PU) 61041 Acqualagna (PU) tel. 0721.798634 of gourmet Truffles: where to taste them tel. 0721.798245 10 excellence 11 The development of truffle Albergo Ristorante Albergo Ristorante Antico Furlo Tartufi Tofani Acqualagna Tartufi growing, the old sylvan-pastoral Birra al Pozzo Passo del Furlo Acqualagna PU P.zza E. Mattei, 9 bis 9 ter via Pianacce, 12 Acqualagna PU via Flaminia, 66 via Bellaria, 37 traditions (pig farming, 61041 Acqualagna (PU) tel. 0721.700084 tel. 0721.700096 61041 Acqualagna (PU) salt-cured meats, mushroom tel. 0721.799310 tel. 0721.798918 picking, etc.), the advantageous Albergo Ristorante Albergo Ristorante La Ginestra cross-roads position and last, but La Capanna Passo del Furlo Acqualagna PU via Canfiagio Acqualagna PU tel.