The Millers’ Tale

Posh pigs and a grand design for fabulous Romagnolo food… and more – see video

Let’s say that you are lucky enough to own a couple of flour mills in Romagna where the wheat is the best in Italy, what’s the next step – sit back and enjoy? Not if you’re passionate about food!

At least that’s what Leonardo Spadoni and Emilio Antonellini thought. Why not create your own ‘Best of Romagna’ food products from birth to the table?

And, of course, like most people who live and breathe "Romagna" only the best will do.  So Leonardo, after perfecting his milling process in a very scientific way, and Emilio, who had created new processes for storing grain, thought what about pigs?

Not just pigs, but Mora Romagnola an ancient breed of native Italian pig with almond eyes, a long pointed snout and forward-pointing ears. They take much longer to grow than other pigs – but they taste extraordinary.

So the pair set about finding a pig farm for their posh pigs – well, not just a pig farm actually a state-of-the-art pig palace, in fact a highly desirable property.

The Fattoria Palazzo di Zattaglia is set on 64 hectares of wonderful countryside on the gypsum hills close to Brisighella which provide an idyllic microclimate – naturally with views of the Adriatic too! And there are many hectares of woods (the pigs like to spend their days wandering in them). When the weather starts getting colder of course they come inside.

So, to a large extent food outside is natural and plentiful. When the pampered pigs come inside nothing but the best and the most perfect food and drink is available – after all you are what you eat! So each and every pig’s diet is computer-controlled and the computer is able to recognize each pig according to its microchip. The effect is that each individual animal is given the perfect diet for its weight and other characteristics. Not too much, not too little – precisely the right amount.

And so as to manage the pigs romantic endeavors and therefore the breeding of ever better piglets, these are monitored too – naturally the computer is aware of each and every pig’s best interests!

As the estate’s gypsum hills are like many in the area – ideal for growing wine – naturally some hectares are devoted to vineyards – but there are no plans (yet!) to offer the pigs any of the fine Sangiovese wine as part of their diet!

The estate is just one part of the miller’s plan to make Romagnolo food even better and more available than it already is. In nearby Russi, the pair have been at work to create another centre of culinary excellence – this time for human gourmets rather than the porcine variety.

The sleepy agricultural town with a Roman heritage is right in the centre of a vastly fertile plain. So why not, thought the millers, bring people to where the great food is grown so they can eat the glorious harvests as fresh as fresh as fresh – a new spin on 0kilometre food and wine.

More importantly, Russi is the centre for a number of food festivals (there are a lot in Romagna!) and the town has a very long food culture (naturally) – a fundamental commitment to local organic food (naturally) and a great local speciality (naturally). The local speciality is a pork product (naturally!) called Bel an Cot in the local dialect – "Good and Cooked" which is a very moreish pork sausage boiled to perfection and traditionally eaten with mashed potatoes and a glass of Canena. If you’ve never heard of Canena before it is another local speciality – a delicious red wine/grape juice made from a variety of local grapes including "Barzemino", "Cliegiolo", "Ancellotta", and also, when it’s possible, "Negretto" and "Curnacia"  Anyway – it’s delicious.

Here in Russi our millers weighed in again with a whole programme, helping to perfect, support and promote traditional local foods (naturally including Bel an Cot) and assisting in the opening of local restaurants among much else.

What about flour? You may ask? While Emilio has developed a fascinating high-tech way of storing grain – His mill has a current capacity of 30,000 tons – Leonardo has been at the cutting edge of speciality flour production and, in particular organic flours.

So, just at the moment there is an ever-increasing number of perfect Spadoni flours exactly right for their specific purpose, whether it is creating different sorts of pastas, different sorts of breads, or cakes, or pastries or biscuits or whatever!

There are literally hundreds of Spadoni specialist flours – now on sale all over the world.

And the millers themselves? How does their perfectionism, commitment and passion translate into the rest of their lives? Like many people who live in Romagna they both love art in all its forms.

Emilio’s focus is on modern art – so naturally he found an ancient local castle to restore. The purpose? To create a home for his family where they could be inspired simply every day, living in the midst of art.

Dozens of pictures, lots of sculptures, and installations by Italian modern artists such as Giosetta Fioroni, Alberto Biagetti, Maurizio Cattelan, Mattia Moreni, Gaetano Pesce – and as you may imagine pig depictions lurk everywhere!

On the other hand, Leonardo loves classical art – so his ancient palace in downtown Ravenna (it serves as HQ for his business too) is stuffed full of classical artworks, sculptures and old books – yes… the kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, sitting rooms, everywhere.  The collection is enormous.

The glass walled, temperature-controlled garage in the garden houses Leonardo’s other classic collection – cars! Here there are Ferraris and Alfa Romeo’s (naturally) but Jaguars and Aston Martins too – all of the 1950s and 1960’s and lovingly preserved.

Two true renaissance men preserving the best of Romagnolo food and drink.

More info: http://casaspadoni.it/

Valere Tjolle

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