La Tosa

The pleasure of creating and then tasting a wine is equal to the pleasure of hosting people and letting them taste the other side of the treasures of our territory: the gastronomic one. We started our agritourism activity with this spirit and passion in 1988, and today we are the most longstanding agriturismo in Piacenza and among the oldest in the whole Emilia-Romagna region. And we continue with the joy of being able to spend serene hours with those who visit us, and of introducing them to the aromas, flavors, and dishes of tradition.

It's wonderful to spend a day at La Tosa, time passes in a blink, everything, from the landscape to the people, exudes serenity.

We welcome our guests inside, in a room that houses old and unique agricultural tools. The main dining room, which accommodates up to 120 people, is furnished with ancient objects related to the peasant house; stands out the reconstruction of the wall of an old rural kitchen, with the stove, the small icebox, and the pots. Next to it, a veranda containing a countryside carriage from 1890 and a more reserved small room.

In the kitchen, pasta and daily dishes are prepared, rich in the flavors of the Piacenza tradition. In summer, two porches on two different levels offer the possibility to dine outdoors, enjoy an aperitif, organize a snack. After lunch, you can spend as much time as you want relaxing and forgetting the stress of the week.

Not only adults, though, also children are welcome: there's plenty of space to run and play, and next to the porches awaits a well-equipped playground. Even our dog friends are welcome guests. A pond populated by carp, tench, and catfish is an attraction for fishing enthusiasts, watched by ducks and geese; meadows, woods, and vineyards are available to those who love to walk.

Leaving La Tosa, what remains is a joyful and very pleasant memory, a treasure of serenity and savoir vivre to be spent in the days to come.

The Kitchen

Ours is the typical cuisine of Piacenza. We follow the ancient recipes of home tradition faithfully but also with a touch of reinterpretation, with great research on raw materials and a strict eye on their seasonality: vegetables and some fruits mainly come from our garden and orchard, while the rest of the products, from cold cuts to meat, come from farmers and breeders in the province of Piacenza, especially from the Val Nure.

Our lunch starts with appetizers consisting of the three DOP Piacenza cold cuts, namely coppa, salami, and bacon, accompanied by fried cake and pickled vegetables. It continues with the first courses, the highlight of our cuisine, based on pasta prepared by our pasta makers, starring the Ricotta Tortelli with a braided closure, a recipe born right in Vigolzone in the Middle Ages, followed by the traditional Pisarei and Fasò, Maccheroni all’ago alla Bobbiese, Pin di Cerignale, Anolini in broth, and Panzerotti piacentini. The maccheroni and pins are dishes from our mountains almost disappeared by now, which we have the pleasure and pride of preserving and making known.

Among the main courses, here are the Roast Beef with Gutturnio wine, the Roast Coppa, and the Veal Pocket, with side dishes such as potatoes or garden salad.

Finally, desserts arrive: the fig cake (coming from our plants), which along with the ricotta tortelli is one of the two dishes with Denomination of Municipal Origin of Vigolzone, the “latte in piedi” a Piacenza version of panna cotta, chocolate cake, and ricotta semifreddo.

For children, for vegetarians, for people suffering from allergies, and celiacs, we provide dedicated menus.

Farmhouse

Our farmhouse is always open for dining on Saturdays for lunch and dinner, Sundays and holidays for lunch, featuring the daily menu. For all other days and evenings of the week, reservations are required for at least a group of fifteen people, to which smaller reservations can be added.

Since 1988, we have been organizing wedding receptions, tailoring them to the specific needs of each couple: sequence of event phases, setup, and table arrangements, space is available for welcome drinks, musical entertainment, and children's activities, as well as a possible menu tasting. Our gardens, wine museum, and an ancient carriage are at your disposal for photography services.

We also cater for communions, confirmations, christenings, birthdays, and anniversaries, offering customized menus and plenty of entertainment options and games, especially for the little ones. Our rooms can also be used for corporate dinners and meetings, with dedicated space for conferences.

In the summer, guests can enjoy the arcades and, for dinners in a charming atmosphere, the orchard is also available. Throughout the year, by appointment and for groups, we conduct wine tastings with our focaccias and savory pies, accompanied by a guided tour of the cellar and museum. For all food and wine enthusiasts, during lunches and dinners, we offer specific tasting menus, pairing dishes with our various produced wines.

Our farmhouse does not provide accommodation services.

Our farmhouse is always open for dining on Saturdays for lunch and dinner, Sundays and holidays for lunch.

Surroundings

The province of Piacenza is beautiful, with its green hills and valleys, ancient villages, and castles, making it one of the richest provinces in Italy.The city of Piacenza is also worth discovering. It truly deserves a visit: it will be a delightful surprise.

La Tosa is located at the entrance of the Nure Valley in a strategic position, at the center of the province. We are five minutes away by car from Grazzano Visconti, the most famous tourist center in the Piacenza area: a village rebuilt in medieval style at the beginning of the 20th century by Duke Giuseppe Visconti, father of the director Luchino, around the 14th-century castle. In addition to the beautiful views of the village streets, and the visitable castle park, you can admire the products of local craftsmanship.

Heading into the Nure Valley, you reach the village with a vaguely Ligurian atmosphere of Bettola, which is said to have been the birthplace of Christopher Columbus's grandparents, whose tower house is preserved in the small village of Pradello.

Adjacent to our valley, the beautiful Trebbia Valley, with its open and spectacular landscape, leads to the medieval town of Bobbio, between the 9th and 10th centuries one of the most important cultural and religious centers in Europe, thanks to the monks of the Abbey of San Colombano: in addition to the Abbey, do not miss the Church of San Colombano, the Malaspina Castle, and the Hunchback Bridge. A natural spectacle, a few kilometers after Bobbio, are the bends of the Trebbia River at San Salvatore.

At the entrance of the valley, the small but great gem is the village of Rivalta, surrounded by walls and containing a beautiful castle, which can also be visited in its service parts, a very rare feature for castles.

In Val Tidone, the imposing Rocca d'Olgisio in the municipality of Pianello Val Tidone is beautifully preserved, and worth a visit is also the Museum of the Borgo Lentino Mill in Nibbiano.

In the eastern half of the province, in the plains, the town of Cortemaggiore, the ancient seat of the Renaissance Duchy of the Pallavicino family, is rich in arcades and beautiful churches from the 14th and 15th centuries with important frescoes.

Nearby, Chiaravalle della Colomba hosts an important abbey from the fourteenth century which encloses a beautiful cloister.

Within the hills, in Val Chero, another treasure of Piacenza are the ruins of the city of Veleia Romana, between the 1st century BC and the 3rd century AD, a thriving residential center known for its therapeutic waters and wine: the forum and remains of houses are clearly visible.

Heading towards the province of Parma, you'll find three authentic jewels of the Middle Ages: the Romanesque Church of San Giovanni Battista flanked by the Baptistery in Vigolo Marchese; then Castell’Arquato, at the entrance of the Val d'Arda, one of the most beautiful medieval villages in northern Italy, perched on a hill with the town hall square at its peak, overlooking the Rocca, the Collegiate Church of Santa Maria Assunta, and the Palazzo del Podestà, while nearby, the Geological Museum houses numerous fossils; finally, just a stone's throw from Salsomaggiore, the small fortified village of Vigoleno, wonderfully preserved, clustered around the Castle and the Romanesque Parish Church of San Giorgio.

Last but not least, the city of Piacenza, a city lived entirely from within, with magnificent courtyards and secret gardens. There are many churches, such as the Romanesque Cathedral and the Renaissance churches of Santa Maria di Campagna and San Sisto. There are also many palaces, such as the Gothic Palace and the imposing Palazzo Farnese, which houses the Art Gallery, the Archaeological Museum, and the Carriage Museum. Finally, the Ricci Oddi Modern Art Gallery, the Municipal Theater, and the equestrian statues by Francesco Mochi in Piazza Cavalli complete the picture of a city that may be somewhat unspectacular, but extremely interesting and rich in many treasures.

We believe there is enough here to visit our beautiful province.