Oltrepò Pavese

TheOltrepò Pavese(Italian:[oltreˈpɔppaˈveːze,-eːse];Western Lombard:Ultrepò Paves;lit.'Pavia's Beyond-Po') is ahistorical regionmaking up the southern portion of theprovince of Pavia, in the northwest Italian region ofLombardy. The area is named after its location south of theRiver Poas considered from the provincial capitalPaviaand in general from the rest of Lombardy.
Extending over an area ofc.1,100 km(420 sq mi), it is roughly triangular in shape, with a base to the north formed by the Po and a southern apex atMonte Lesima(1,724 m (5,656 ft)), a mountain of the Ligurian Apennines which is the highest point in the province.
To the west it is bounded by theprovince of Alessandriaand to the east by theprovince of Piacenza. The territory comprises a plain close to the Po, a hilly section, which rises from the Valle Staffora to the west and from the upperVal Tidoneto the east, and a mountainous zone which in addition to Monte Lesima includes the peaks ofMonte Chiappo(1700 m) Cima Colletta (1494 m) andMonte Penice(1460 m). The main watercourse is theStaffora; other streams include the Ardivestra, theVersaand the upper part of theTidone, including part of theLago di Trebeccoreservoir.
The principal settlements areVoghera,Casteggio,Broni,Stradella,Santa Maria della Versa,Salice TermeandVarzi.
In Roman times, the current territory of Oltrepò Pavese was not controlled by theTicinum(Pavia) but was subject to the Roman cities ofPiacenzaandTortona. From theLombard age, Pavia, then capital of thekingdom, began to extend its area of influence to the south of theRiver Po. In these centuries it was divided between theBobbio Abbey, Pavia, some important monasteries of Pavia, such asSan Pietro in Ciel d'Oro,Santa Maria TeodoteandSan Feliceand the MarquisesMalaspina.Starting from the 11th century, some monasteries in Pavia, such as San Pietro in Ciel d'Oro, which at least since 974 owned vineyards and winepresses inSan Damiano al Colle, spread the cultivation of vines in the area. Thanks to the Po andTicino, the wine was brought to Pavia, where the part not consumed by the monks was then traded.The current borders of Oltrepò Pavese date back to 1164, when the emperorFrederick Idonated the entire territory to the city ofPavia, his ally against theLombard League. In 1359,Oltrepò fell, like Pavia, under the control of theVisconti. Later the territory followed the same fate of theDuchy of Milan, until 1743, when it was annexed to theKingdom of Sardinia. Since 1859 Oltrepò Pavese is part of theprovince of PaviaandLombardy.
Although occasionally referred to as "theTuscanyof the north of Italy",Oltrepò Pavese is relatively unknown abroad.
The area offers several attractions: rolling hills, medieval villages and castles, panoramic views, authentic Italian food and local wines. Oltrepò also happens to be the largest wine-producing area of Lombardy (and one of the largest in Italy), specializing inPinot nero.The landscape is scattered with vineyards that are freely accessible to hikers and mountain bikers.
A well-known speciality of area are thelocal sparkling wines, whose various levels of carbonation are catogoized into three levels:vivace,frizzanteandspumante. Both reds and whites can be sparkling to various degrees, and can be made in either a dry or sweeter style. The most famous local wine, the Bonarda, is fruity but not sweet, in contrast to Lambrusco, a red sparkling wine which often has higherresidual sugarlevels. A local, more 'classical' wine is the Buttafuoco, the production of which is restricted to a small area in the north of the Oltrepò. A typical sweet red wine of the area is theSangue di Giuda. A handful of regionalspumanti—often made in themetodo classico, which is used forChampagne—have been vinted to a standard that qualifies them forDOCGcategorization.
Regional dishes use the seasonal ingredients such as mushrooms andtruffles, the local meats of rabbit, wild boar etc. One of typical dishes is the Sunday's lunch in which all of the servings of theItalian menu(antipasti,primi,secondi,contorni,dolci) pass by, sometimes even twice. The Oltrepò region is also recognized for its cured meats, such ascoppa, and even hassalame di Varzi, which is a protected product.
Belonging to the Oltrepò Pavese areagnolotti pavesi, a type ofstuffed pasta. The filling of theagnolotti pavesiis based on Pavese stew.The recipe for this stuffed pasta is characterized by influences fromPiedmonteseandPiacentinocuisine, characteristics of areas that border the Oltrepò Pavese.The shape of the pasta was based on the Piedmonteseagnolotti, and the filling of Pavese stew is based onstracotto alla piacentina, which is the filling for Piacentinoanolini[it].Piedmontese agnolotti, in particular, differ from theagnolotti pavesidue to the filling, which is instead based on roast meat.Agnolotti pavesiis a typical dish of theChristmastradition,and are consumed during celebrations and important occasions.