Cured meats and black truffle
In the Valnerina, at the foot of the Monti Sibillini, at about 600 metres, Norcia is a small walled town that has given its name to one of the most famous crafts of Italian gastronomy: in many Italian regions, the "norcino" is the expert butcher who processes pork, and the shops that sell cured meats are called "norcinerie". For centuries, the men of Norcia and the Valnerina travelled throughout central Italy in winter to slaughter pigs and make sausages, hams and salami, and they were so skilled that they were also called upon as surgeons. The town is the birthplace of Saint Benedict, the patron saint of Europe and father of Western monasticism, and of his twin sister Saint Scholastica, born here around 480.
On 30 October 2016, a strong earthquake struck Norcia, destroying the Basilica of San Benedetto, of which only the façade remained standing, and damaging many buildings; the town has since been the subject of a long reconstruction, and the inhabitants have reopened shops and restaurants, a symbol of the rebirth of the area. The main square, Piazza San Benedetto, with the statue of the saint, the Palazzo Comunale and the Castellina, a papal fortress designed by Vignola, remains the heart of the town. Norcia is famous for its Prosciutto di Norcia IGP, salami, "coglioni di mulo" and wild boar sausages, and for the precious black truffle, celebrated every year between February and March in the "Nero Pregiato" fair. The nearby plateau of Castelluccio produces the famous lentils.
Tip: buy cured meats in the historic norcinerie of Corso Sertorio; in late February the Nero Pregiato fair fills the town with truffles and products.
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