Spending summer holidays in Versilia means lazy hours stretched out in the sun, swimming in calm waters, walks in the pine forest, and high-end shopping in the town centre. Of course, but our territory is much more than that: the possible food and wine itineraries are many and full of taste.

A few kilometres from our hotel in Lido di Camaiore, in fact, originates a Tuscan excellence loved throughout Italy: lardo di Colonnata, with its unmistakable texture that melts in your mouth.

An ancient story 

The renowned cured meat is produced in the homonymous village of Colonnata, at the foot of the Apuan Alps, in the province of Massa Carrara, since 1800. At that time, thanks to its significant caloric contribution, it constituted the poor and energetic dish of quarrymen, those who extracted the marble from the famous Carrara marble quarries, a short distance from the village.

Legend has it that a quarryman, adding spices to a cut of pork placed in a marble vat, gave birth to one of the treasures of our culinary heritage. In the 1970s, this product began to be appreciated beyond the borders thanks to the initiative of four boys from the village who set up a stall and invited tourists to taste it with tomato bruschetta. From that moment on, its success shows no sign of stopping, so much so that since 2004, lardo di Colonnata has obtained the prestigious IGP recognition.

The current processing follows the original tradition: the pork must rest for six months to three years in a basin of marble - Carrara marble, of course - with a mixture of sea salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, garlic, and rosemary. Production takes place in the winter, while in the summer, local norcinerie dedicate themselves to selling and tasting the salami, much appreciated by foreign tourists.

Take advantage of your stay at the Grand Hotel & Riviera for a visit to Colonnata: the village is characteristic, with exposed stone walls and marble flooring. It is worth dedicating some of your time to the charming church with the seventeenth-century crucifix attributed to one of Michelangelo's pupils. After a tour of the small town, savor our fragrant lardo without haste in one of the many norcinerie in the historic center.

Delicious both cooked and raw

Lardo di Colonnata is characterized by a spicy aroma, a very soft texture, and the candid, almost transparent color of its slices. The fresh and delicate taste, with a sweet note given by the long marination in the marble shells, makes it ideal for a summer aperitif, a tasty appetizer, or a sinful treat whenever you want.

Perfect on fragrant slices of Tuscan bread, raw or cooked for a few minutes in the oven, tastes best accompanied by a glass of red wine, preferably from local vineyards.

Irresistible in a sandwich, it also adapts to delicious hot preparations such as filling for roasts or vegetable rolls, aroma for rich pasta dishes, or dough for piadinas that melt in your mouth.

Colonnata is less than 40 km from Lido di Camaiore: stay at our 4-star hotel and taste the authentic Lardo di Colonnata.