Fortunago

The second stop on our food and wine tour of the Oltrepò Pavese and a perfect place to escape stress and experience a more human dimension, Fortunago sits on the hills that divide the Valle del Coppa and the Valle dell’Ardivestra and is built almost entirely in local stone and terracotta.

Most likely Celtic in origin and once dominated by wealtht feudal lords, this small village home to a few hundred inhabitants is a place where you can smell bread baked in a wood oven as you enjoy a stunning view over the hills tha extende as far as the Castello di Montalto. Here it feels as if time has stopped thanks to the valuable restoration work carried out on the village’s historic centre to restore it to its Medieval splendour, an important example of how the development and restoration of historical heritage can be done without radically altering  the region’s distinct environmental, human and economic characteristics. 
Gnocchetti made with breadcrumbs and herbs, served with ragù or butter and sage and prepared by local women right in the village square emp, Malfatti are the star of traditional Fortunago cuisine. These ricotta and spinach gnocchi  are considered peasant’s food due to the small number of ingredients needed to make them (micca breadcrumbs, Swiss chard and eggs) and have spread across the region due to the simplicity and ease of availability of these ingredients. The pride of Fortunago and the Oltrepò Pavese as a whole, the dish has been awarded De.Co (Municipal Designation of Origin) status for its uniqueness and its connection with the region. A guaranteed favourite!!