Between January 1500 and the summer of 1502, Cesare Borgia had seized the whole of Romagna and part of the Marche. He and his father, Pope Alexander VI, had thus gained control over all the Church’s territories.
The Orsini family tried to resist what seemed like an inescapable fate, plotting with several lords of central Italy summoned to the castle itself.
After the walking performance: the forest, the hunt, wild herbs, ancient grains, forest fruits, saffron — the menu created by chef Paolo Trippini takes us through the customs and foods of the past (1502), while also exploring the landscape and flavours of an Umbria that is still very much alive, all paired with the wines of Castello di Magione.
Deer, wild boar and wood pigeon recall the art of hunting, practised in the forests that, at the time of the conspiracy, were becoming woodlands. Hunting was an activity governed by precise aristocratic rituals: a pastime, a mark of social prestige, and training for the battles and conflicts that were always just around the corner, as the story of the conspiracy shows. Tasting the different dishes can bring history to life, inviting you to imagine yourself in the woods that, around Magione, are still an ideal place for hunting, foraging wild fruits and taking beneficial walks — or so we are taught by a new practice, forest therapy.
Atmospheres and stories from another era, yet a menu that, while rooted in history, feels remarkably current: today nutritionists tell us that game, wild herbs, grains such as spelt, rye and buckwheat, and spices such as saffron are the ingredients of a healthy diet.
