Slow Food, the association founded at the end of the last century to protect, safeguard, and at the same time promote and enhance the immense agri-food heritage—initially national and today global—and its biodiversity, operates through various tools, projects, campaigns, and initiatives. One of the most widespread and at the same time most concrete initiatives, clearly rooted in individual territories, is that of the Presidia.
Slow Food Presidia are projects aimed at protecting small-scale artisanal agri-food productions that are at risk of extinction. This is achieved first and foremost by creating networks among individual micro-producers—farmers, breeders, artisans—helping them gain greater visibility and therefore access to more profitable markets. To make this action easier and to better safeguard productions at risk of extinction, production guidelines are first drafted so that the geographical area, production techniques, and final product are clearly identifiable because they are obtained according to shared standards. A uniform and comprehensive labeling system also contributes to this goal, protecting both consumers and the producers participating in the Presidio.
In Italy, Slow Food has established more than 400 Presidia involving several thousand small producers. In Umbria, Slow Food currently recognizes and protects twelve regional Presidia, in addition to the national Presidio for Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Centuries-Old Olive Trees, which also includes several Umbrian olive mills.
Among the most recently recognized is the Lumachella Orvietana, a baked product traditionally consumed throughout the year with ingredients that varied according to the season. The base was always a small leftover portion of bread dough. At the end of baking bread for the family, the remaining dough was seasoned—before being put back in the oven—with whatever was available in the pantry: pieces of cured ham, leftover pancetta, pecorino cheese, hard-boiled eggs, all flavored with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, and lard. Small rolled shapes were formed into spirals resembling a snail (lumaca), each weighing about 100 grams, and baked for about twenty minutes before the oven was turned off. The shape was particularly practical for slipping into a work jacket pocket, allowing it to be easily carried and eaten during the working day. Today, Lumachella is produced and sold by several bakeries in Orvieto and neighboring municipalities that have joined the project.
In the same area, the Fagiolo Secondo del Piano di Orvieto is cultivated. Its name (“Second Bean”) refers to the fact that it is the second sowing of the agricultural year, planted in midsummer after the wheat harvest. This choice is practical: the plant has a short growing cycle and benefits from the wheat crop that preceded it, while also restoring nutrients to the soil for normal crop rotation. It is grown exclusively along the Paglia River, just below the cliff of Orvieto. It has a very delicate flavor and, once boiled without soaking, is delicious simply dressed with oil, salt, and pepper, but it is also excellent with tomato sauce, garlic, and sage.
Still in the province of Terni, but only in the municipalities of Amelia and Guardea, the Fava Cottòra dell’Amerino is cultivated—a small dark brown legume with black shades. The clay soils of the lower hills are practically free of active limestone, allowing the beans to be cooked without prior shelling. The name “cottòra” refers to its ability to cook well and quickly. It is not just any variety, but a locally selected ecotype handed down through generations. The low limestone content also makes it more digestible. It is enjoyed whole in soup or as a pâté flavored with abundant rosemary, or simply boiled and dressed with extra virgin olive oil.
The Sedano Nero di Trevi was historically the first Presidio established in Umbria. It protects and promotes this extraordinary vegetable grown in the plain of Trevi, watered by the clear waters of the Clitunno River and crossed by the historic Via Flaminia. Here, in fields still called “canapine” because hemp was once grown there, a few market gardeners continue the tradition of sowing in April and harvesting between October and early November. It is called “black celery” because its stalks, generally longer than those of the more common American celery, are naturally darker green, becoming even darker with sun exposure. It has fewer fibers and is considered more prized. About three weeks before harvest, each plant is individually wrapped to keep the heart tender and protected. It can be enjoyed raw with pinzimonio, baked in parmigiana, or traditionally stuffed with sausage and baked with tomato sauce and Parmesan.
Moving north toward the Tuscan border along the Tiber River, two more recently established Presidia are found between Città di Castello and Umbertide. The first is the Mazzafegato dell’Alta Valle del Tevere, a sausage made predominantly from the pig’s red meats—liver, heart, lungs—coarsely ground. These are parts that would otherwise go unused after slaughter. Each area and family has its own recipe, usually including salt, pepper, garlic, citrus zest, and fennel seeds to balance the strong flavor. It is typically consumed from November to March, grilled fresh or occasionally aged.
Also recently recognized is the Vinsanto from Smoked Grapes of the Upper Tiber Valley. This traditional sweet wine is closely linked to the local tobacco culture. Grapes are dried with smoke from stoves and fireplaces—or historically in tobacco-drying rooms—giving the wine its distinctive character. Tradition has it that locally made cigars were dipped in this vinsanto before being lit—a perfect gourmet pairing.
Around Lake Trasimeno and its lakeside municipalities, two more Presidia stand out. One of the earliest is the Fagiolina del Trasimeno, a tiny, multicolored legume grown on the sandy shores of the lake. Harvested and shelled by hand, it cooks quickly without soaking and is traditionally served in soup with lake fish, or simply boiled and dressed with oil, salt, and pepper. The other is the Traditional Fishing of Lake Trasimeno Presidio, aimed at supporting the few remaining fishermen and preserving sustainable fishing practices. Species include carp, tench, pike, perch, eel, and others, caught with traditional methods such as vertical nets and fixed traps.
In the Apennine mountain area, from Norcia to Lake Piediluco, three Presidia are found. The Roveja of Civita di Cascia is a wild pea rediscovered at 1,200 meters in the Sibillini Mountains. Hardy and drought-resistant, it had been replaced after World War II by more productive crops. It has dark seeds and an intense flavor, traditionally prepared in polenta with anchovies, garlic, and parsley.
The Ricotta Salata della Valnerina is a matured sheep’s milk cheese shaped like a pear, born from the need to preserve leftover fresh ricotta during transhumance. It is grated over pasta and soups, including acquacotta.
Also in Valnerina is the Buckwheat of Valnerina, not a cereal but a plant of Eastern origin known since the Middle Ages. Though low-yielding, it has high nutritional value and is being revived, typically used in soups with lentils.
Finally, one of the most original Presidia is the Ciccotto di Grutti, in the municipality of Gualdo Cattaneo, in the Sagrantino di Montefalco area. In the communal oven used for porchetta, a basin collects the cooking fats. Into this basin go the less noble parts of the pig—trotters, ears, shank, tongue, tripe—slowly cooked for hours with rosemary, red garlic from Cannara, black pepper, and fennel. The result is tender, flavorful, and intensely aromatic, enjoyed on its own or used to season legumes or even land snails.
We conclude this overview by noting that several Umbrian olive mills participate in the national Presidio for Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Centuries-Old Olive Trees, producing small batches of numbered bottles from historic olive trees scattered across the region.
