If the fourth wave of Covid allows it, Italy is experiencing a strong post-pandemic economic expansion, to which local territories contribute with food and wine and tourism initiatives. In Volpedo, in the province of Alessandria, a new public territorial enhancement project was presented which brings together all the municipalities belonging to the Unione Montana Terre Alte, the Unione Montana Valli Curone-Grue-Ossona, the Unione Valli Borbera and Spinti. The aims of this initiative, promoted by Unione Montana Terre Alte through funding from the Piedmont Region, are the promotion of the Tortona area’s tourist, food and wine and cultural excellences and the creation of collaborations and synergies with the realities that are part of it.
Among the typical products of the Tortona hills are the Barbera Superiore Doc “Cascina La Zerba di Volpedo” and the Piedmont Doc Pinot Nero Rosé of the Volpi di Tortona Cellars (Alessandria)
Prof. Carlo Buscaglia, Mayor of the Municipality of Dernice and president of the Montana Terre Alte Union, says: “Derthona Libarna, the land of wonders is a project born from the desire of a varied and multiform area to enhance its offer, keeping account of the resources and characteristics of the territorial system. Inside there are 30 municipalities and the highest mountain area in the province (1700 m) “.
The project was curated by Dr. Agr. Cesare Giordano, expert agronomist of the territory and its food and wine productions, in collaboration with the representatives of local entrepreneurs through their own protection consortia and local administrations: “The expected results aim at an important and very wide impact on the development of this particular area foothills of the South Eastern Piedmont Apennines, which also represents the geographical and administrative border of the four regions that meet here through the
Province of Alessandria “.
The Derthona Libarna brand was designed and developed by Davide Fossati, an established designer who was born and raised in this area, and professor of brand design at the Licustica Academy in Genoa: “Curone, Grue, Ossona, Borbera and Spinti: five valleys neighbors that develop between Derthona and Libarna, the two historical-cultural references that delimit the geographical expansion and the sphere of belonging.
Many identities, a common history and millenary contaminations. The logotype is the union between a heart and a shield, which welcomes the colors of the valleys. The earth, nature, architecture and villages inspire a color palette with warm and recognizable shades “. The project involved the creation of a large web portal www.derthonalibarna.it for national and international representation and promotion of the excellent products and peculiarities of each municipality.
The section “the Territory” presents the participating Municipalities through contents including 30 videos with drone footage by Max Dorigo, photographer, video maker and documentary maker who lives in Avolasca and fell in love with the unique views of an unexplored land, hidden jewels among hills covered with vineyards and traditions preserved with passion. A “What To Do” section summarizes the itineraries to be covered on foot, by bike or by car, by motorbike or on horseback, to reach, from the bottom of the torrent valleys and from the “Gordenella” waterfalls, the meadow-pasture ridges of the upper valley that they characterize the connection with the “ancient ways to the sea”, the “laboratories of taste”, or just for the pleasure of crossing a magical land and carrying out a special feat.
Naturally, a showcase of “Flavors” could not be missing, the raw materials of excellence, the products of a rich and generous territory, protected by consortia and trade associations. Wine, truffles, cheeses, salamis, fruit and much more.
The “Hospitality” and “Where to Eat” sections encompass the whole sphere of catering and food and wine experience, of the most genuine and selected accommodation in over 140 structures: b & b, farmhouses, traditional restaurants and tastings of typical products. To facilitate the use of the contents for tourists, the production of 30 graphic panels has been planned, one for each municipality, which includes the connection to the web portal through QR code and evocative images of the territory.
The ambition of the project, aimed at a broad economic-productive development of this territory, also provided for investments to support the realities and consortia representative of the specific agri-food typicality of excellence, such as the Timorasso wine “Derthona” for the vine-wine sector ( Pres. Of the Consortium for the Protection of Wines of the Tortonesi Hills, Gian Paolo Repetto), the Volpedo Peach (Roberto Chiapparoli), Noble Salami from Giarolo (Pres. Of the Consorzio di Tutela, Ennio Mutti); Montebore cheese (President of the Protection Consortium, Carlo Buscaglia), Meat with Grass from Giarolo-Panà – Ebro (President of the Protection Consortium, Domenico Biglieri).
The investments concerned plants and equipment for the transformation of wine and fruit products, for the reduction of the environmental impact of agro-food production also through the introduction of dedicated “Weather Stations” for the continuous monitoring of specialized crops: vineyards of “Timorasso” grapes and orchards of the “Pesca di Volpedo” specialized and verified with the introduction of the “Ape-test” project, for the environmental control of the territory.
The project will end with the establishment of the so-called Biodistrict of the Four Regions as an “economic development agency” as an innovative tool for planning and governing the territory based on the environmental sustainability of “precision agriculture” starting from the protection of bees and wild pollinators, thus highlighting with numerous local administrations that respect the specification prepared for this purpose, the value of a large area for obtaining a serious and lasting environmental impact.