S
hadowy tunnels
and formidable
doorways lead off
the vaulted brick
passageway under
the medieval walls
of Città della Pieve,
a commune in Italy,
about 50km south-west of Perugia.
The place could be the setting for a
scary episode in a television series
about historical rivalries, like The
Last Kingdom. In fact, the Duke of
Valentinois, Cesare Borgia, had some
of his enemies strangled in 1503 in a
fortress at the heart of this Umbrian
hill town, the layout of which dates
back to 1250.The atmosphere feels eerie and, just as
my imagination begins to run riot, I see
a gleam of gold – it’s a discreet notice
next to a door, welcoming visitors to
La Casa dello Zafferano (The House of
Saffron). Located on Via Vannucci –
a street named after the town’s most
celebrated artist, the 15th-century
painter Pietro Perugino (born Pietro
Vannucci) – the entrance leads to the
cellar of the building that houses the
store. Inside, rooms built with cotto
rosato (a type of Italian brick tile) are
filled with light, colour and displays
introducing the magical world of saffron
for which Città della Pieve is famous.
Known as red gold, this preciousspice is made from the
stigmas of the autumn-
blossoming crocus sativus
flower (commonly known as
the saffron crocus), which
has been farmed here for
nearly eight centuries.
The story is all the more
fascinating since it involves
the renaissance of the very
ancient tradition of saffron-
growing, which dates back four million
years. Saffron, used as a spice, cure-all
and dye, originally came from Asia
Minor, although neighbouring Iran
(formerly known as Persia) boasts more
than 94% of the world’s yield today.
“But saffron grown in Italy is among the
best in the world,” says Gianni Vinerbi,
who grows saffron crocuses on his
farm, Terre di Confine, near Città della
Pieve, and who is one of the founders
of La Casa dello Zafferano. “It is the
attention and love given by [saffron-
growing] families that is the most
important in conserving its quality.”
Once tasted, the spice – which gives
a subtle flavour and rich golden colour
to a range of consumables from tea to
honey, and which is used in traditional
dishes like Spanish paella and Italian
risotto – is unforgettable; even
addictive. And the world wants more
of it. “Saffron production is growing,”
Gianni says. “There are so many
products that can be flavoured with it.”Gianni has created his own selection of
saffron-based products – ranging from
salami to a gorgeous orange-based
liquor infusedwithsaffron,calledl’Amor- which are on display and for sale at
La Casa dello Zafferano. “I stayed in
Iran for two months,” shares Gianni,
who visited the country to research
the spice. “And they put saffron in
absolutely everything there.”
There is a renaissance
in the popularity of the
precious spice that is
saffron. Marianne Heron
follows its trail to the
ancient streets of Italy’s
Città della Pieve, where
rich history and bursts
of flavour come together
rather exquisitely
PHOTOGRAPHS BY GIANNI VINERBI,
DAVID MORGAN, FOTOLIA AND SUPPLIED
RECIPE AND STYLING BY CHRISTIAN PALAZZIMARIANNE HERON AT
THE ENTRANCE OF
LA CASA DELLO ZAFFERANOCULINARY TRAVEL