The UNISG Students Discover the Area around Cuneo and the Maritime Alps

They are 18 students, all enrolled at the University of Gastronomic Sciences from Italy, Germany, Switzerland, USA, Kenya, and India.
April 17 through 24 2009, they will leave for a stage, or field seminar in Piedmont, to discover the area known as Terre dei Savoia (the Lands of the Savoys) and the Maritime Alps. The students will visit several food-producing facilities and get acquainted with the natural and cultural heritage of a mountain area of extraordinary beauty.
The first stop will be at the Royal Castle in Racconigi, one of the residences of the Royal House of Savoy, and the starting point of the journey toward the Alps. In Racconigi, students will have lunch at D’Andrea restaurant, and then visit the Real Casa farm, where they will be introduced to the transhumance of the “royal” cattle from the Racconigi castle to the mountain pastures within the borders of the province of Cuneo. The students will also meet the managing staff of the Osella dairy, and taste a selection of cheese, honey, and jams.
In Peveragno, the next stop, the students will learn bread making and wood-oven baking techniques at La Commenda (an “agriturismo”, or holiday farm resort), visit the Caseificio Cooperativo Valle Josina (a cooperative dairy), and Cascina Rosa (an organic farm), where a lecture will be held on organic agriculture and beekeeping.
On the following day, students will travel to Boves, where they will visit the Scuola di Pace (School for Peace), and some of the places where the WWII partisan Resistance took place.
From Boves, the students will reach the Parco Naturale Alta Valle Pesio e Tanaro (Natural Park of the Upper Val Pesio and Val Tanaro), where they will sit through lectures on the alpine territory, have a guided tour of the Museo di Fotografia della Montagna (Museum of Mountain Photography), and the Certosa di Pesio (Pesio Charterhouse), and experience walking with the typical “ciastre” (snowshoes) in the Valle Pesio.
After reaching the Rifugio del Parco Alpi Marittime (Mountain Refuge of the Maritime Alps Park) at PalanfrÈ, where they will spend the night, Gianni Oppi, head warden of the park, will make a presentation on the park, its activities and projects.
An early-morning rise on Monday April 20 will allow students to experience milking and milk processing at L’Isola (The Island), and sample some of the farm dairy products. In the afternoon, there will first be a stop at Robilante, for a visit to the Museo della Fisarmonica (the Accordion Museum), and the ancient stone-grinding flour mill, and then proceed towards Vernante for dinner, during which they will combine cheese products from L’Isola farm and beer from the Troll brewery.
The following morning, the group will board the so-called “treno delle meraviglie” (train of wonders) and travel to Tende (France), where the mayor will welcome them, then they will visit the Museo delle Meraviglie (Museum of Wonders) and the town’s historic center.
On Wednesday, in Entracque, student activities will include a gastronomy workshop held by local chefs on game from the local Valle dei re (Valley of Kings) and on the Valle Gesso trout, and one at the Martini butcher’s laboratory in Boves, where they will learn about beef cuts from a Razza Piemontese side of beef. The day will end with a cultural and gastronomic walk through the village streets, with stops at the Miraglio beekeeping farm and the Parracone butcher’s.
On the following day, at Lu Garun Rus in Andonno, students will be divided into three groups and take part in practicals on homemade pasta (gnocchi, tajarin, and raviole). In the afternoon, at the headquarters of the Parco Naturale delle Alpi Marittime, students will be introduced to the ongoing projects on wolf protection and sustainable tourism. At the end of the meeting, they will visit the local museum and necropolis, have an aperitif at the Locanda di Linu, and dine at the Locanda del Falco.
For the last day of the stage a playful but long-standing activity has been planned for the students. They will go Nordic Walking wearing traditional “ciastre” (snowshoes) all the way to the Terme di Valdieri spa.

On Thursday April 23, at 6 p.m., at the conclusion of their stay in the Cuneo alpine area, the students will gather in the conference room of the Parco Naturale Alpi Marittime in Valdieri, where a press conference is scheduled, in which students will participate, together with local authority representatives and UNISG delegates.

Info:
UNISG Communication Office
comunicazione@unisg.it
Ph. +39 0172 458507-05
University of Gastronomic Sciences
Piazza Vittorio Emanuele 9
I-12042 Pollenzo–Bra (Cuneo)