GARFAGNINA

The Garfagnina Sheep is a robust and wild breed of Italian sheep of Apennine stock. Once present with tens of thousands of specimens on the pastures of the Apennines, by the 1980s it had been reduced to so few that it was included in the endangered heritage breeds. Today, unfortunately, only a hundred or so are left, distributed among a precious few herds in the province of Lucca: one of these is Verano Bertagni’s dairy, which performs the dual function of shepherd and cheesemaker in the special context of Garfagnana.

Garfagnana, literally “big forest,” has been called the green island of Tuscany: it is a valley that, although close to important historical centers such as Lucca, Pisa, Florence and the glittering and worldly Versilia, has remained closed in on itself, living its own history and building a distinct identity that it still retains today. Approaching this area from impervious mountain roads, one is amazed at the lush expanse of its forests, the vertiginous rock faces, and the numerous, small towns that characterize the valley.

The Garfagnina sheep lives free in the grasslands of this verdant land straddling the Apuan Alps and the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines. Able to feed daily on fresh grass and because of its genetic characteristics it is able to give milk that is sweet to the palate. Hence a sheep’s milk cheese, fresh as the Taula or aged as the Tuada, that exudes the fragrances of the Garfagnana land, bearer of the intrinsic value of an ancient tradition saved from oblivion.

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TERRITORY

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• LUCCA

  Lucca offers a mosaic of different eras, with its iconic walls serving as an urban park and its squares hosting concerts. The birthplace of composer Giacomo Puccini is a popular attraction. Lucca’s commitment to art and culture is evident, with classical and contemporary expressions found throughout the city.

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PRODUCT

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• TAULA DI MENNEI

  Taula is a sheep’s milk cheese from Alta Garfagnana (Lucca), produced in an artisanal way in the area of Pieve Fosciana. It is a product of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, its slopes, narrow spaces and low temperatures: in this environment, sheep represent the “necessity-virtue” of the shepherds. Taula is a white sheep’s milk cheese, cold processed…

• TUADA

  Tuada is a sheep’s milk cheese from Alta Garfagnana (Lucca), produced in an artisanal way in the area of Pieve Fosciana. It is a product of the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines, its slopes, narrow spaces and low temperatures: in this environment, sheep represent the “necessity-virtue” of the shepherds.