We
have put together for you a report of Montefeltro’s
typical local products – food and wine products
that it is impossible to appreciate by reading this
article alone. Hopefully, however, you will at some
stage be able to sample them for yourselves.
Formaggio di Fossa – Fossa cheese
 Fossa
cheese gets its name from ‘fossa’ meaning
‘underground pit’. The cheese, a mixed
cheese, made up of cow’s and sheep’s milk.
Characteristics of the cheese are its irregularity
in shape, pale yellow to light brown colour, clear
and soft appearance, crumbly texture and sweet, although
sometimes rather piquant taste. It owes these characteristics
to the three months it spends maturing underground.
This tradition is only carried out in two areas: Talamello
and Sant’Agata Feltria.
According to legend, in the 15th century, farmers
hid their provisions in tufo pits, in order to defend
themselves from plunderers. Once the raids had finished,
they unearthed their supplies and discovered that
the cheese had changed.
The tradition of pitting the cheese was resumed 15
years ago.
Caciotta di Urbino – Caciotta cheese
- from Urbino
 Caciotta
cheese from Urbino dates back to the ducal era and
even Michelangelo, who is said to have spoken highly
of it. The main area of production was historically
and indeed still is that of the Duke of Montefeltro.
This delicate soft cheese is made up of 70/80% ewe’s
milk and the remainder cow’s milk.
It is also the only cheese from the Marches region
which is the proud holder of the DOP (Denominazione
di Origine Protetta) certificate. This is a European
certificate for the protection and promotion of typical
local products. It is granted to those products whose
entire manufacturing process takes place in a limited
geographic area and where production procedures have
remained traditional and unchanged in the course of
the centuries.
It can be used in a wide variety of ways in Italian
cookery – as a complete meal with homemade bread,
for breakfast or snack together with cured meats,
cheese or jams and honey, toasted polenta, figs, pears.
It can also be used as an accompaniment on top of
meat, toast, canapés, tartlets etc) or as a
filling for pasta, ‘panzerotti’ (large
fried pieces of ravioli filled with cheese, ham and
tomato), savoury pies and pizzas. It can be used in
starters – soups, gnocchi, pasta, rice and risottos
and with vegetables, including mushrooms and truffles.
Pane di Chiaserna – Chiaserna bread
This is a bread sold throughout the province and known
throughout Italy, sought after to the extent that
people coming from the cities of the north buy up
to 10-15 loaves to take back with them and freeze.
The secret of this bread, as with many local regional
products, is simplicity and tradition. Simple due
to the fact that it is made from water, flour, a little
yeast and a bit of dough from the day before (known
as ‘impasto madre’ or ‘impasto acido’)
and traditional in that it has been made the same
way for many years.
Ciambella di Cantiano – Cake from Cantiano,
typically ring-shaped
This cake is characteristic of the period of Lent.
In Cantiano housewives prepare the ‘ciambella’
mixture at home and then take it to be boiled and
baked in the local bakery. Ingredients used are eggs,
flour, sugar, anise, mistrà and oil. The cake
is particular as it is made without yeast. The border
of this cake is cut into little pieces to resemble
the crown of thorns. If you happen to be in this village
at this time you will see delightful sight of old
women coming and going with their cake tins.
Visner – Cherry liqueur
 “Visner”
is a cherry liqueur, made of cherries, part stoned
and part whole, mixed with red wine, alcohol and sugar
and then left to ferment for at least two months,
after which it is filtered and left to settle for
5/6 months, then bottled. It is scarlet red in colour
and is sweet with a strong aroma.
Today Visner is still produced in Cantiano, Sassocorvaro,
Urbino and Cagli.
Marrone di Montefeltro –Montefeltro
Chestnuts – from Alta Valmarecchia
 A
traditional autumnal product of Montefeltro and
more specifically the mountain community of Alta
Valmarecchia, the larger than average Montefeltro
chestnut is listed in the national directory of
traditional products. Cultivation of chestnuts in
the region is of environmental, social, and economic
importance to the region. For the local people,
the chestnut has always been of fundamental importance
– for the production of flour for bread-making
to a gift from the Befana (the old lady who comes
on the eve of Epiphany) together with nuts and mandarin
oranges for labourers’ children.
The area of cultivation is very limited –
around 500 hectares in the Appennines, hence the
reason for the Montefeltro chestnut being such a
niche product.
Patate rosse – Red-skinned potatoes
This species of potato is from Sombriano. It is
of particular interest not only as it is cultivated
totally organically, but also as the seeds are re-used
year after year for up to ten years. In order to
protect the crop against the potato beetle, which
is capable of destroying the whole crop, farmers
literally take a bucket and shovel and remove the
larva manually twice a day.
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THE SURVIVOR'S 
