When summer’s heat has gone, autumn finally begins to bring moderate temperatures and a blaze of colored leaves. The chestnut is also one of the symbols of autumn, a nut that’s popular everywhere and plays a big part in a host of recipes. Let’s explore good areas to wander in search of this delicacy.
Harvesting Chestnuts in Italy: 5 Places to Visit
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We’ve selected five places in Italy, from north to south, where you can spend a day in nature searching for autumn’s symbolic crop.
Nomaglio
Chestnuts in Piedmont
Among its many excellent specialties, this region also has many varieties of chestnuts: between the River Po and the Tanaro, Cuneo Province is one of the areas often mentioned. Don’t overlook the Val di Susa and the municipality of Nomaglio in Turin province, where there has been an “eco-museum” for...
Treviso
Chestnuts in Treviso Province
This lies between Belluno Province and Friuli Venezia Giulia. Here you can collect the marrone di Combai, a special variety with PGI (protected geographical indication) certification. Wear boots and keep your eyes peeled around chestnut trees when walking through Cison di Valmarino, Cordignano, Foll...
Modena
The Chestnut Route
A great itinerary linking the territories with a historic presence of chestnut groves, this “route” crosses the Appennines south of Modena and Bologna. In Modena, enthusiasts can enjoy the nuts from hundred-year-old chestnut trees around Castelluccio di Montese, Fellicarolo, Fontanaluccia, Magrignan...
Monte Amiata
Chestnuts in Monte Amiata
On the western slope of Monte Amiata in Tuscany, chestnuts have been grown since the 16th century, which is when the first statutes and regulations were written to govern the harvest. Monte Amiata chestnuts have enjoyed PGI certification since 2000, an important measure that has allowed the restorat...
Mount Etna Park
Mount Etna Park
In Sicily, in the municipality of Sant’Alfio, you will find the Castagno dei Cento Cavalli (the Hundred-horse Chestnut): a chestnut tree estimated to be thousands of years old with a circumference and height of 72 feet! Its age is the subject of debate among experts: generally, it varies from 2,000 ...