La Dimora dei Cavalieri, farmhouse with restaurant

A Vaglio di Lucania, a small town just a few kilometers from Potenza, in the Tataseppe district, immersed in the silence of the forest, surrounded by nature there is a special place to rediscover yourself, rediscover a lost well-being and a deep connection with the environment that surrounds us, it is the agritourism La dimora dei cavalieri. The name is inspired by the archaeological finds found in the nearby settlement dating back to the 8th century BC. Years ago, some valuable grave goods were unearthed with terracotta bas-reliefs depicting battle scenes between knights.

Where we are

Vaglio is in the heart of the Basento valley, the longest river in Basilicata, flows for 149 km until it flows into the Ionian Sea. It is a corner of paradise, a mysterious and forgotten rural area far from mass tourism flows.

The peaks of the Lucanian Dolomites stretch as far as the eye can see, are interspersed with dense forests, meadows and ancient perched villages On the highest and most impervious peaks. Those who feel like it can embark on a journey focused on slow and sustainable experience. The hectic pace gives way to calm, to a new, more intimate dimension and to an interweaving of scents and flavors that are hard to forget.

Family conduct

The farmhouse La Dimora dei Cavalieri is family-run, boasts, in addition to the restaurant, a mansion with a swimming pool and 6 rooms, borders the the 250-hectare farm with 400 sheep and 100 sheep. Angelo and Maddalena Ricciuti are siblings and owners, he an engineer, she an accountant they take care of the administration, the adjoining farm and the kitchen, a true outpost of Lucanian tradition, respectively.

Chef Maddalena’s Lucanian specialties

The restaurant offers Lucanian specialties prepared with passion by Maddalena, it is a pleasure to enjoy them on the wonderful terrace that opens to the surrounding valley. The menu is fixed, costs 40 euros per person and includes mixed appetizer, two first courses, one second course, side dish, fruit, dessert, water, wine, coffee and a homemade digestif. “The pizzas and pastas are made with flour from our wheat processed by old-fashioned mills. – Maddalena, the chef, tells -. The wine served to our guests is from the production of vagliese, but you can taste the typical regional wines such as Aglianico del Vulture and Grottino di Roccanova. With dessert, Moscato del Vulture is a must.”

The lentils, chickpeas, potatoes and vegetables served are produced in the Lands of Braida, become famous for the discovery of the treasures of Princess Italica. The sausage is, on the other hand, made according to the ancient local recipe, the secret lies in the special dosage of ingredients and spices for seasoning and the favorable harsh climate in which curing takes place.

The must-try and must-not-miss courses are: lagane e ceci, prepared with handmade pasta, chickpeas, evo oil and crumbled cruschi peppers, and then the white lamb in a crust with potatoes, homemade bread crumbs, the meat comes exclusively from the farm’s farms.

Angelo’s reception in the hall

Angelo is an old-time innkeeper, wandering among the tables to entertain diners and tell them about the delicacies prepared and the origin of the raw material. He never forgets to mention Papa Canio, creator of the agritourism project and the first breeder in the Mezzogiorno who thought of crossing Lucanian gentile sheep with rams from the Ile de France, thus creating a different kind called “white lamb.”

Folk traditions are well rooted in the memory of local residents, responding to a deeper need which is to to preserve their own identity. In estate, si può assistere a rievocazioni, feste e rituali davvero unici. Nel parco della Grancia viene organizzata una rappresentazione teatrale che rievoca le gesta del brigante Carmine Crocco. Questo avvenimento coinvolge o more than 300 costumed figures in an extraordinary natural setting at the foot of the castle of Brindisi Montagna.