If in any late spring, between the end of the 1800s and the early 1900s, we had been in the place of a lark in flight, we could have enjoyed a peculiar spectacle: the silver ribbon of the Corsalone stream would have been accompanied by a white ribbon moving in the opposite and gentle direction, almost as a counterpoint to the nervous flow of the mountain stream. A sea of sheep and lambs, well-fed and healthy, were returning home after months of absence, headed to the Valle Santa, from the Maremma where they had spent the winter. The men would have found their wives, girlfriends, and mothers. They would have met, for the first time, the children born during the winter months and would have gone to the cemeteries to greet the dead, both old and young, because it was known that in those times it was difficult to withstand the rigors of winter, the little food, and the absence of care.
There was no WhatsApp to stay in constant contact; there were hardly any letters, and very few knew how to read and write their own name. But there was awe, wonder, and a sacred sense of time and festivities; it must have been with great relief that the shepherds would have seen appear, after ten long days of travel, La Verna with its mane of firs and beeches like a great beast crouched to watch over their village: Corezzo.
Corezzo is a small village at almost 800 meters above sea level in the heart of the Casentino Forests, between the Sanctuary of La Verna and the Camaldoli Monastery.
It has ancient origins, with the first signs of human presence dating back to 967 AD. The area was thought to be a passage for the Roman legions, later passing to the Guidi Counts of Romena and then to the Cattani Counts of Chiusi (a small curiosity: Count Orlando Cattani donated Mount Verna to Saint Francis) and finally arriving at the Florentine Republic.
In this small country, a product worth discovering is born: the tortello alla lastra, which has its large dimensions (squares of about 13 centimeters per side) and cooking methods as two unique characteristics. The tortello was the "bread of the way" for the shepherds who left in autumn for transhumance toward Maremma. It was specifically prepared by women for the journey and stored in bags wrapped in a cloth. It is a very simple food.
Wheat flour and water dough. Potato filling in the more modern version. Ricotta and herbs in the older one.
They were the only food prepared in advance that they carried with them, because all they had to do was heat them again on the stone, without the need for cauldrons or pots. The shepherds would prepare the embers, find a smooth, flat stone, and in a few minutes, they could cook a meal that tasted like home.
Such a simple food could be easily prepared even during the journey; in this case, the filling would have been provided by the wild herbs that grew spontaneously in the fields. Today, just like then, they only need to be heated, even on a plate or inside an electric oven this time. We can enjoy them alone or paired with other interesting local products like ham and gray sausages, the trout and char from the Casentino streams, perhaps smoked, accompanied by local beers made on Monte Fatucchio or by syrah produced at the foot of the Verna (which we will talk about in another article).
We can share them on a holiday, take them to the office, or eat them alone on the couch on a rainy evening in the city. Over the years, the transhumance has disappeared, the agro-pastoral society has been replaced by the industrial one, and in the 1950s, the town of Corezzo saw its population decline dramatically. However, in recent years, things have been changing, also thanks to this product that has become a Slow Food Presidia and to the community that has grown around it, almost as if the tortello alla lastra has become the banner under which a collective community consciousness that was fragmenting has united.
A Community Cooperative has been established for its production, which currently employs four people, all women and on permanent contracts.
In order to counter and reverse the trend of depopulation and impoverishment of the mountainous and more marginal areas of Tuscany. A dish of pasta and potatoes has created a small miracle and has given life to a new transhumance: once again, in summer the village fills up, those who had to leave for work return home, and new people arrive to discover the Santa Valley, individuals interested in a slightly more sustainable dimension of travel.
Thanks to:
The Pro Loco of Corezzo, Sirio Farini, Lorena Venturini, and the whole Community of Corezzo for the valuable information shared.
It is reported:
the Tortello Festival in Lastra, organized every year by the Proloco of Corezzo on the 12th, 13th, and 14th of August.
