Our tour of the Roccamonfina Regional Park starts at the Sanctuary of St. Mary of the Lattani which houses a 15th century church, a Franciscan monastery, magnificent cloisters and a hermitage overlooking the vast and luscious Campanian landscape and poised on the edge of the Roccamonfina volcano.

The religious complex was founded in 1430.  A statue of the Virgin Mary had been miraculously discovered in a nearby grotto where a shepherd kept his sheep. The news spread and pilgrims soon began to appear.  The location was visited by S. Giacomo and S. Bernardino of Siena who decided to help erect a temple worthy of the event.  A small chapel was built next to the grotto which became the site of subsequent miracles and as pilgrimages increased, this was incorporated into a small Romanesque church. Later this too became part of  a larger gothic plan in the late 16^th century when the hermitage was added. The beautifully carved wooden doors with their original locks are some of the oldest and finest examples of its kind in Italy.

Not to forget: the waters of the tiled fountain in the main square are said ensure the birth of male children if imbibed by pregnant women.

Certainly the best parts of the building complex are its cloisters and dining hall which were built in the early 1600’s. The peaceful and serene cloisters are frescoed with beautiful floral designs delightfully juxtaposed with macabre images of martyred saints. The splendid dining hall boasts Renaissance frescoes and fantastic walls covered with hand-painted and hand-fired tiles.

During World War II American bombs caused serious damage to the portico and the convent but these were fortunately restored in 1966.

Savour the Sannio is happy to announce the inauguration of a new regional park in the Sannio: Il Parco Regionale di Roccamonfina. The area of the park is delimited by the sloping hills of the extinct volcano of Roccamonfina and incorporates the towns of Sessa Aurunca, Teano, Conca della Campania, Galluccio, Tora, Piccilli, Marzano Appio and Roccamonfina itself. The park highlights a little-known treasure trove of nature, history, art, culture, agriculture and culinary traditions.

The park’s president Raffaele Aveta writes, “This is a first step towards giving the territory of Roccamonfina the visibility it deserves. Visitors from all over the world are invited to embark on a journey through our medieval towns and hamlets, our soaring chestnut groves and the collective memories of our people as well as to taste the extraordinary food and wines that are typical to this territory. This is the best way to safeguard the fertile yet fragile ecosystem of this volcano”

The next step will be the establishment of a farmer’s market where people can come on weekends to buy the local varieties of fruits and vegetables directly from the producers. This initiative is hosted by Eco-chef Berardino Lombardo on his beautiful estate of Terre di Conca. “In an age of globalization and massification, it is important for both consumers and producers to have a place where the unique heirloom varietes that are indigenous to this area can be seen, tasted…and saved from extinction. “

Ann Jacobs from Hawaii wrote this review of our wine tour on the Slow Travel website

“When Barbara Goldfield popped up on the Slow Travel Message Board, I couldn’t contain my excitement. We would be visiting our son-in-law’s relatives in Bucciano, and I was thrilled to find someone who knew about Campania inland, not just the Campania of Naples and the Amalfi Coast. After a spirited email correspondence, I arranged for a one-day wine tour for the five of us plus the Italian cousin. We spent a very full and delightful day with Barbara and Federico. They live in Sant’Agata dei Goti (Saint Agatha of the Goths) a picturesque medieval town in the hills about 45 kilometers from Naples.
Barbara and Federico picked us up at our hotel in Paolisi at 9:30am in a very comfortable mini-bus. Our first stop was the town of Sant’Agata. An early Christian martyr, Agatha was the remarkably beautiful daughter of a distinguished family. She spurned the proposals of the Roman Senator Quintianus, vowing to dedicate her life to Christ. He promptly subjected her to torture, including cutting off her breasts. She was miraculously healed by St. Peter that night, but then was further tortured and eventually succumbed.
Gruesome as the story is, the town is lovely. We walked all over, Federico relating the history and legends, Barbara stopping to chat with the various townspeople who all welcomed us warmly.
The town is built on a rocky outcrop of volcanic stone. It has wonderful views over the surrounding countryside from the battlements all round, and its narrow streets are crammed with churches and historical sites with NO TOURISTS! The bridge over a small river provided an incredible view of the “apartment” houses. Each floor added as a family grew.
The countryside is stunning with 3,000 to 4,000 foot mountains, some terraced hillsides, and many vineyards with olive and grape vineyards. It’s green, lush, and with small towns with clustered homes and Byzantine towered churches. The climate was sunny with a good breeze, a welcome relief from the 100+ (F) degrees in Florence. We toured a cheese factory - too late for the daily making of the cheese, but we saw the finished product and all the equipment, and Federico translated the process as related by the owner’s teen-age daughter.
Before lunch at L’Antro di Alarico, we visited the restaurant’s cellar, dug deep into the tufa rock, full of old wine-making implements.
Lunch was delicious and even included humus since the restaurateur is Jordanian. We posed for a group picture in front of the statue of Sant’Alfonso de’ Liguori, and then on to the wine!
Our driver got a little bit lost on the way to our first vineyard, Corte Normanna, but Federico had a talking GPS and the scenery was drop dead gorgeous so we didn’t mind. The vineyard is about 20 hectares and the tour was unlike anything we’ve experienced in California. First of all, the grapes are ancient; this is what the Romans drank! The owner, Alfredo Falluto took us out to the grapes and spent almost an hour explaining how the grapes were grown; one bunch per vine, rows far apart with no cross rows, harvested by hand, then gently pressed, and the rest of the process. From vine to grape refrigeration in three hours. Federico did a marvelous job translating for us, and it was obvious Alfredo was extremely proud of the work he was doing. Then a wine tasting of two Falanghinas and two Aglianicos. We had promised ourselves that we wouldn’t buy any wine this trip as we didn’t want to schlep it home, but oh, the wine! Couldn’t resist, both the wine and wanting to help this young man make a go of his endeavor.
Then on to a second vineyard, bigger and more professionally run, Masseria Venditti. It has been in the owner’s family since 1595 except for a few years around the turn of the 20th century when they sold the vineyard and went to the States for a few years, but then returned and bought the farm back.
Later we asked Federico why so many Italians left at the turn of the 20th century. His explanation, which sounds reasonable: before the Unification of Italy, the local nobility cared for the land/people because it was in their own best interest to have the land self-sustaining. After unification in 1868, the south came under control of the House of Savoia who imposed such incredibly high taxes that the population became pauperized and the social structure annihilated. Many people emigrated, others rebelled and became “freedom fighters” or “brigands” as they were labeled by the nobles of the north.
Back to the wine. This owner gave a tasting lecture, describing the characteristics that made his vintage unique. Again, obviously a man who was passionate about his work. So of course, we bought some more wine.
We returned to our hotel, happy that we had a chance to appreciate local culture and discover some REALLY good wines. Barbara and Federico were extremely gracious and knowledgable; we couldn’t have had a better tour.”

Every year in the outlying province of Benevento an unusual and wonderful event takes place. Like bees honing onto a flower, the men of Pontelandolfo flock to the main square . They come every afternoon, proud and defiant, to challenge one another, individually and in groups, to a grueling contest of…cheese throwing.

La ruzzola del formaggio, once characteristic of rural populations all along the Apennines, is a tradition dating back to the Etruscans as immortalized in the Tomba delle Olimpiade at Tarquinia. A fresco depicts a man launching a large round form, his posture almost identical to those of current day cheese-throwers. Played nowadays almost exclusively by farmers and stonemasons who, during the winter months have more free time, the men show off their strength and prowess by hurling huge forms of cheese weighing up to 34 kg. Since la ruzzolata (ruzzolare meaning literally to tumble or throw) takes place during the shortest days of the year, these men look forward to the event not only as a pleasant pastime, but as a way to earn extra money, by making and taking bets on the various players and contrade, similar to the Palio of Siena. Participants pay an up-front fee of €30,00 plus 1.5 kg. of pork or 1kg. of veal (in lieu of the festivities that takes place at the opening of the tournament).

The object of the game is to launch a form of cheese along an astablished path of about a kilometer through the city, passing twice around the main square and down to the war monument. The man or team that finishes the distance in the least number of throws wins.

To throw the heavy forms, a rigging made of rope called a zaa’glia is wrapped around the cheese and then strapped to the wrist by a brace which is held in place with either duct tape or leather straps.

The winding of the rope around the cheese is a vital part of the ritual and depends on an assistant, who gauges the size and weight of the form. It will be wound, unwound and rewound until the pitcher is sure he has found the perfect grip.

Lastly, the helper stands in front of the pitcher and carefully ponders the road ahead, considering the incline and scanning the pavement for depressions, potholes, or anything that will affect the course of the cheese. Next he takes a few long paces, tracing the perfect trajectory in his mind and then stops, turns around and stands, legs apart, at the exact point where the thrower is to aim. The pitcher lifts the form and gently swings it back and forth, then, with truly awesome strength, heaves it forward while simultaneously pulling back on the rope, sending the cheese spinning along the cobblestones. This process is repeated, first up and then down the street. There is little yelling or shouting… this is earnest business. A form of cheese can cost up to 150 euro, a large sum for the hardworking people of these areas.

There is something especially poignant about this simple, yet manly pursuit. For some reason it reminds me of fairy tales, fables and ancient heros. On Sundays little boys imitate the gestures with tiny forms of cheese, or hold on protectively to their fathers’ jackets as they puff and sweat into the night. This is a place where time has stopped. There are no costumes, no music, no sbandiatori or tourists. In a world where local traditions are slowly dying, here is a town vitalized, with men proud of their identity yet happy to explain the history and nuances of the game. It’s been a tranquil yet inspiring afternoon, well worth the weight!

La Ruzzola dei Formaggi begins January 17th and lasts until Ash Wednesday

A trip to Pontelandolfo to see la ruzzola del formaggio makes an excellent day’s outing from Rome or Naples. If possible, reserve a table at ‘La Pignata’, the cozy family-owned restaurant run by Canadian-born Chef Irene Mucilli (www.ristorantelapignata.com). They have a well-stocked cellar and feature the best local wines of the region such as Mastroberardino, Feudi di S. Geregorio, Antica Masseria Venditti, Mustilli, La Rivolta and Corte Normanna. A full four-course meal with wine costs (on weekends) approximately 35,00 euro per person.

The Roman poet Giuseppe Gioachino Belli wrote a delightful poem on the ruzzolata called Er gioco de la ruzzica, which I am unfortunately unable to translate:

Sta cacca de fà a rruzzica, Dodato,
Co la smaniaccia d’abbuscà ll’evviva,
Nun è ggiro pe tté, cche nun hai fiato
De strillà mmanco peperoni e oliva.

Come sce pôi ggiucà, tisico nato,
senza dajje ’na càccola d’abbriva?
Nun vedi la tu’ ruzzica sur prato
c’appena ar fin de ’na scorreggia arriva?

Co ddu’ pormonettacci de canario,
d’indove mommò er zangue te se sbuzzica,
tu protenni de prennete sto svario?

Stattene in pasce: ggnisuno te stuzzica;
si ppoi vôi vince tu, vva’ a Montemario,
pijja la scurza e bbutta ggiú la ruzzica.