imprimis travel design: Augusta Praetoria

Augusta Praetoria

The arrival of spring brought the usual raise in temperature, Milan started to heat up so i decide to go out of town for the first long weekend, to visit one of our “hidden pearl”: Val D’Aosta.

This is the smallest of our region, hidden in the famous Alps. The “capital”, Aosta, delicately lies in a lovely valley sorrounded by tall mountains. The entrance in town has a sort of triumphal feeling, you are in fact greeted by a ancient Roman monument, the Augustus Arch, the beginning of one of the main roads of the town.

I decided to stay in a gorgeous hotel full of charme just outside ot town, which guaranteed a great views over the sorrounding Alps, still with plenty of snow over their peaks.

The city itself offered a pleasant panorama where some important Roman monuments can be seen, amongst which an important theatre. Let’s keep in mind that Aosta is very rich of Roman ruins (hence the original name “Augusta Pretoria”) and for hundreds of years served as a fundamental border post defending the Alps passage.

After a long walk discovering the town i decide to enter in a characteristic restaurant in order to taste some local treats..simply unforgettable the traditional “Polenta Valdostana”, made with 5 “poor” cereals and the carbonnade with deer and potatoes. For dessert i have to choose between the Saint Orso’s cream (made with dry fruit) and the famous tiramisu’ made with black bread.

All of these delicacies have been accompanied by a bottle of “Fumin” an excellent local wine. The “Val d’Aosta” can count on a millenary tradition when it comes to wineries, unknown to most, but amongst the highest in quality. The reasons are simple: the wineries are small..and small is the production. But this canteens are open and visitable and have to be seen!

Curiously these wineries are often near by other famous attractactions in the region: the castels. In the Valley there is highest concentration of the best preserved castles in Italy. The majority are visitable also inside, where amazing interiors are beautifully preserved, with frescoes and medieval furnitures. Another curiosity is that most of the best castles are in a relatively small area, are easily reachable and even visible from each other!

Then i decide to drive thru the small medieval towns in the vicinities of Aosta, discovering these small architectonic gems which never disappoints the expectation of visitors.

Owned by many important families, the castles show diverse architecture and sizes, due to the different times they were built, as much as the refurbishing in the years.

In the evening i return to town and i continue my discovery of the marvellous local tastes.. This time I opt for a “tagliere” of cheese and salame including the famous “Lardo di Arnad” typical of the area, local “Fontina”, and a “Tomino” , also used in the culinary of Piedmont.

Afterward, a fuming duck’s leg in a sesame’s crust in a bed of mushroom’s cream, exceptional!!

The holiday continues with this relaxing rhythmes, between castles and canteens, immersed in a breath taking nature. I am sure i will be back.. next time in winter, in order to take advantage of the excellent skiing structures and indulge in a relaxing stay in a lovely chalet with a firing place and near by hot springs.