Emilia-Romagna with pasta cooking class and butchery course
Culinary Mastery in a Medieval Setting: Immerse Yourself in the Art of Meat with Massimo Spigaroli
Length
7 Days
Group size
6-12 travelers
Travel style
Insider
Emilia Romagna: Masters of Salumi - 7 Days
60 Reviews
Trip highlights
Overnight stay at Antica Corte Pallavicina Relais
One dinner at Massimo Spigaroli's restaurant
Visit to Culatello di Zibello cellar
Pasta cooking class with Massimo Spigaroli
The Feast experience
Meals and beverages included
Butchery courses with Massimo Spigaroli
Visit to a Parmigiano Reggiano producer
Birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi
Be a guest in the country castle of Massimo Spigaroli, the famous star chef, farmer, and butcher!This winter trip to Emilia is all about home-cooking a pig from Massimo's herd.
Arrival information:
Parking: Guests arriving by car can easily park it on the premises of the accommodation.
Nutritional information: gluten-free and/or vegetarian options available.
Why book with Feast?
✔ Book with confidence: 20 years of experience VTT
✔ Small groups of 4-12 travellers
✔ All experiences, meals, guides and daily transfers included
✔ Sustainable travel, avoiding mass tourism sights
✔ Complete and flexible rescheduling without inconvenience, complexity, and stress with our Flexi option.
Every booking supports local communities through a small donation to our V Social Foundation. By clicking on this link, you can find out more about these projects.
Map
Itinerary
Day 1
Willkommen in der Emilia
There's an optional add-on available for this Day
Welcome Dinner
Meals Included: Dinner
Make your way to Polesine Parmense, a charming town about 48 km northwest of Parma. A warm welcome awaits you in the Antica Corte Pallavicina, lovingly run by host Massimo Spigaroli. You will stay in the unique atmosphere of a historic castle which dates back to 1320. The evening features a shared dinner in the castle, where you can discover the culinary delights of the region. Massimo, a passionate host and renowned chef, will pamper you with his exquisite creations. Sit back and enjoy the delicate flavours of the regional cuisine as you immerse yourself in the rich history of your surroundings.
This atmospheric start promises you an unforgettable stay in Polesine Parmense, where hospitality and enjoyment go hand in hand.
Relax and enjoy every experience, knowing that our tour guide will assist you at every moment.
Antica Corte Pallavicina
Bookable Add-ons
Personalize your trip.
Day 2
Get to know the farm and its history
Visit to the farm's history museum
Farmhouse Breakfast Delights
Culinary Traditions at Massimo's Farm
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Immerse yourself in a farm experience, directly engaging with the producers!
The exceptional breakfast is a real highlight of your day and worth the trip alone! A variety of homemade delicacies await you, both sweet and savory. From homemade honey to tempting almond cake, from fresh eggs to delicate sausages and the famous Culatello—here you will find everything a gourmet's heart desires.
In the morning, Massimo will introduce you to his company's philosophy. He will tell you the fascinating history of the butcher shop in Emilia and share his extensive knowledge of the region's different pig breeds. Enjoy a light lunch, which includes salad and vegetable variations, most of which comes from the hotel's own garden, even in February!
After a relaxing lunch break, a visit to the Antica Corte Pallavicina farm is on the program. There, you will get to know the native black pig breed Nera Parmigiana, which Massimo keeps outdoors during the warmer seasons and from whose meat he makes his outstanding salumi specialties. The farm also raises local breeds of cattle and poultry, and you can discover the variety of fruits and vegetables, as well as excellent wines.
Afterwards, you will visit Massimo's personal small museum, which opened in 2018 and houses an impressive collection of rural cultural assets. Here he shows, among other things, objects from his own family that have been passed down over four generations.
After some free time, meet for dinner in a traditional trattoria nearby. This is particularly known for its delicious Torta Fritta and the excellent Spalla Cotta, which you can enjoy here every Monday. Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of culinary traditions and let Massimo and his team pamper you. The hospitality you will experience here is unique and will send your taste buds on an unforgettable journey.
Relax and enjoy every experience, knowing that our tour guide will assist you at every moment.
Antica Corte Pallavicina
Day 3
Slaughtering, cutting and cutting the precious pieces
Aperitivo in a Traditional Osteria
A Special Dinner with Chef Massimo
Visit to Local Meat Production
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Learn the Art and Culinary Secrets of Emilian Tradition with Local Meat Producers
After a delicious breakfast, head to the pigsty for a unique experience preparing for slaughter. Together with Massimo, you will prepare the necessary equipment to load the live pig and take it to the slaughterhouse in the morning.
After a light lunch, Massimo takes you into his world of meat processing. With great passion and using the traditional methods of the region, he shows you how he cuts the still warm meat into the finest pieces and cuts them according to regional specifications. Culatello, Fiocco, Coppa, Spalla, Lombo, Pancetta and Lardo are just some of the fine cuts that are carefully aged at Massimo. The remaining pieces of meat, trimmings and rind are processed into meat for raw sausages, boiled sausages and pressack, which is then allowed to rest for a day.
Afterwards, a relaxed aperitivo awaits you in a charming osteria, where you can try sanguinaccio, a delicious black pudding specialty. To round off the day, you will be invited to an unforgettable dinner in Massimo's Michelin-starred restaurant at Antica Corte Pallavicina. An exquisite seven-course menu awaits you there. Massimo, who has been working as a chef for more than 30 years, has developed these dishes using traditional local products in an innovative way. A true feast for the senses, where you can experience Massimo's creative genius up close and enjoy culinary delights.
Antica Corte Pallavicina
Day 4
Making a Culatello and stuffing sausages
Emilian Slaughterhouse Feast
Exploring Salami Varieties
Hands-On Culatello Cutting
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Experience first-hand the creation of a salami, from the preparation of the various sausages to the curing process
Today is by far the most labour-intensive day of your trip. In the morning, you have the unique opportunity to cut a Culatello under supervision. You will quickly realize that this task, which looked so easy when Massimo did it, is a real challenge. But, if you manage to properly cut and tie this precious piece of meat, you will feel a wonderful feeling of accomplishment.
In the afternoon, you will fill various casings with the prepared meat. These are then hung up to mature and transform into the famous salami specialties of Emilia. It is remarkable how the casing used influences the character of the different varieties. From the delicate strolghino, which can be eaten after just three weeks and is made in a narrow intestine, to the well-known smooth salame gentile, which consists of the thick last part of the intestine, to the mariola, which matures in the curly intestine and up to can be stored for a year. In addition to the salamis, boiled sausage (cotechino) and pressed sausage (cicciolata) are also produced, as well as many other delicious Emilian specialties such as prete, zampone, and ciccioli, all of which you will get to know on site.
In the evening, you will enjoy the famous slaughterhouse meal, "the maialata", together with Massimo in his osteria. This festive meal, whose name comes from the Italian word maiale for “pig”, includes, among other things, ribs, tongue, liver, cooked sausage, and boiled meat, served with polenta. Occasionally, Massimo also prepares fresh sausages from the grill. After this delicious dinner, end the eventful day with a glass of wine at the osteria to relax and celebrate the progress you have made.
Antica Corte Pallavicina
Day 5
Parmigiano and pasta cooking class
Visit to the Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese factory
Parmigiano-Reggiano Tasting Experience
Visit to a Local Butcher's Shop
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Learn with Chef Massimo how to cook the famous Emilian fresh pasta
Start your day early and head to a nearby Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese factory. Here, 1,100 litres of milk are processed in large copper kettles to make two loaves each, which then mature for two to three years, including in the cellars of the castle near Massimo. Afterwards, you will visit the Antica Corte butcher shop, where the employees will show you the types of meat they are currently processing. You also have the opportunity to visit the drying and ripening rooms. When you return, a light lunch awaits you at the Antica Corte. You will have the opportunity to taste four different varieties of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, each with different provenances and levels of maturity.
In the afternoon, you have the unique chance to prepare some of Emilia's famous fresh pasta specialties with Massimo. You will make tortelli, anolini, and wheat gnocchi, benefiting from Massimo's expertise. The cooking course and the subsequent meal together represent another highlight of your Emilia trip.
Antica Corte Pallavicina
Day 6
Integrating the precious cuts, Giuseppe Verdi, and farewell dinner
Gran Galà del Maiale Celebration
Giuseppe Verdi's Birthplace
Farewell dinner
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Learn the secrets of preparing culatello directly from Chef Massimo
This morning, you will learn how to properly shape and bind the various precious cuts such as culatello, neck, shoulder, loin, and rolled pancetta. It is a special moment because you have now completed the processing of "your" pig and the precious cuts can now go into the drying and maturing process.
After a light and seasonal lunch, and a relaxing afternoon break, head to the nearby birthplace of Giuseppe Verdi and then visit the Verdi Theatre. This villa was an important place in the life of the maestro, who, in addition to his music, also had an interest in agriculture and cuisine. You will have the opportunity to learn more about the life and passions of Giuseppe Verdi. On the final evening, during the aperitif, Massimo will show you how he opens and slices a Culatello after it has matured for a long time. You will receive valuable practical tips on storing, maturing, and slicing sausages that you can take home with you. At the celebratory Gran Galà del Maiale, not only are delicious food and drinks served, but each participant also receives the Masalen dal Po diploma, which recognizes them as an expert in sausages and ham., Together you can end the last evening of your trip in a festive atmosphere and celebrate the special experiences you had during this trip.
Antica Corte Pallavicina
Day 7
Farewell
Meals Included: Breakfast
After a hearty breakfast, it is time to say goodbye to Massimo and the magical Emilia region. Before you say goodbye, we would like to help you extend your trip for more unforgettable experiences. Our experts will be happy to assist you with recommendations for additional destinations and activities that match your interests. Whether you're passionate about cultural exploration, culinary experiences, or breathtaking natural landscapes, we have plenty of ideas to continue on your journey.
Dates & Prices
Start date
End date
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Guide
Availability
Price
16
Feb
2025
22
Feb
2025
From
EUR 2,499
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Best Time to Travel: This departure date takes place at the best travel time!
Guide
Konstantin
Your guide for this tour
Born in Hamburg, Konstantin Steinmeyer trained as a chef, then completed his A-levels, followed by a degree at the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Piedmont and two master's programs in Italy. He then traveled the world with various projects in his luggage. The cuisine of Piedmont and a small tower where he now lives led him to put down roots in Piedmont, which is now his second home and which he shares with our guests with great pleasure and knowledge.
The indicated flight times and airlines may change, as we have to plan well in advance of the day of departure.
or
16
Feb
2025
22
Feb
2025
Best Time to Travel
From
EUR 2,499
or
Desired date not available? Get in touch with us! We will be happy to organize alternative travel dates for your private trip with family or friends (min. 4 people). Trust our experts and experience unforgettable moments. Contact us
Info
Single Room Supplement
When booking online, you can choose accommodation in a "single room" with a surcharge of EUR 370, or alternatively we will be happy to help you find a room partner of the same gender. To do this, select "Share room (if possible)". If no other participant chooses this option, you will be accommodated in a single room and feast will take care of 50% of the supplement (you only have to pay the other 50% of the supplement). We will inform you about one month before the start of the trip whether we have found a room partner. Please note that if you book the last available place or book at short notice, we can only confirm the "half double room" if a suitable room partner has already registered. Otherwise, we will offer the single room at the full price.
What's included
6 Nights in the Agriturismo Antica Corte Pallavicina & Relais
Daily Homemade Breakfast with products from the farm
No hotel change
5 Dinner at Massimo Spigaroli's restaurant, (water, coffee and 1/2 bottle of wine included):
1 Dinner during the cooking course (water, coffee and 1/2 bottle of wine included)
5 lunches featuring the specialties of Agriturismo Antica Corte Pallavicina & Relais (water, coffee, and 1/2 bottle of wine included)
Drinks during the day at the Antica Corte (wine, water, coffee, tea) and minibar
4 Days Butchery Courses with one of the most sympathetic and best butchers in Italy
1 Cooking class with fresh pasta specialties with Massimo Spigaroli
1 Visit to the aging cellars year 1320 and the farm of the Antica Corte
1 Guided tour of Villa Verdi
Qualified, multilingual Feast tour guide on site
All transfers during the trip
Entrance tickets for all services included in the tour program
Daily small extras: the Feast+
Travel documents, detailed information, and packing tips
Your trip supports the Ventura TRAVEL project for holistic environmental protection
10 EUR donation to the VSocial Foundation to support community projects https://www.vsocialfoundation.org/
What's not included
Transportation to and from the destination
Additional drinks
Tips
Reviews
Worth Knowing
Included in the tour price: daily delicious meals and drinks with the group and tour guide, except for one free evening for personal arrangements.
Look forward to a relaxed journey either with no hotel changes at all, or with only two comfortable hotel changes!
Program activities may vary but will remain complete or be replaced by equivalent or superior activities.
Accommodations may occasionally change but guarantee equivalent or better alternatives.
Feast Travel offers authentic regional cuisine with creative variations of similar dishes, providing a broad culinary experience.
On Feast Tours, you'll experience authentic regional cuisine directly from family-run establishments, always with respect for local traditions!
FAQs
Can I cancel my trip?
If the traveller withdraws before the start of the trip or does not start the trip, Ventura loses the right to the travel price. Instead, Ventura may demand reasonable compensation from the traveller. This shall not apply if Ventura is responsible for the cancellation or if unavoidable, extraordinary circumstances occur at the destination or in its immediate vicinity, which significantly impair the performance of the package tour or the transport of persons to the destination; circumstances are unavoidable and extraordinary if they are beyond the control of the party invoking them and their consequences could not have been avoided even if all reasonable precautions had been taken.
Ventura has defined this claim for compensation to which it is entitled in the following cancellation fees. The calculation is made taking into account the time of the cancellation declared by the traveller up to the contractually agreed start of the trip, the expected saving of expenses and the expected acquisition through alternative use of the travel services. The compensation shall be calculated as follows according to the time of receipt of the declaration of cancellation by Ventura or the travel agent:
a) General cancellation fee (as a percentage of the travel price):
For bookings in the CLASSIC fare: up to 65 days before departure 20% from the 64th to 30th day before departure 25% 45% from the 29th to 15th day before departure from the 14th to 7th day before departure 60% from the 6th day before departure 80% 90% on the day of departure and in the event of a no-show
For bookings in the FLEXI fare: up to 65 days before departure 0% from the 64th to the 45th day before departure 10% from the 44th to the 30th day before departure 20% from 29 days before departure, the cancellation fees are identical to those of the CLASSIC rate
b) Special cancellation fee:
Special offers/specials, individually prepared package tours and group tours may be subject to special cancellation conditions, to which explicit reference is made in the respective service description or travel advertisement/offer and the travel confirmation in accordance with Art. 250 §§ 3, 6 EGBGB.
Ventura reserves the right to demand higher, specifically calculated compensation instead of the above cancellation flat rates, insofar as Ventura can prove the occurrence of significantly higher expenses than the applicable cancellation flat rate.
Do I need travel insurance?
We advise you to take out travel cancellation insurance, as it can always happen that you are unable to travel shortly before the departure date due to unforeseen illness, an accident or for other reasons. Repatriation assistance insurance is strongly recommended!
If you pay for your Feast trip with your VISA credit card, you are normally insured, but please ask your bank to confirm this. If you do not wish to take out insurance, Feast cannot be held liable.
Feast's travel insurance offer:
We offer 3 types of insurance (cancellation cover/all-round cover/travel cover) when you book online through our partner HanseMerkur. Of course, you can also contact other insurance companies of your choice.
The following links will take you to the insurance booking portal. After booking, you will receive your insurance documents and invoice directly from our partner HanseMerkur.
For Germany, Austria and Belgium, click here https://secure.hmrv.de/rvw-ba/initBa.jsp?baid=419&adnr=4562815&fTypId=0&locale=de_DE
For Switzerland, click here https://secure.hmrv.de/rvw-ba/initBa.jsp?baid=800&adnr=4577797&fTypId=0&st=HMINT&locale=de_CH&mId=21
You can book your travel insurance at any time from the moment you book your trip up to 30 days before the start of your trip.
Is the flight and transfer to and from the airport included?
No, all our tours include an individual journey in order to avoid unnecessary national bundled flights and to give you the opportunity to organise your journey individually.
We are happy to help you plan and decide on flights, train connections or intermediate stages.
If you need a transfer from the airport or train station, we can organise this for you.
What are the payment terms?
A deposit of 20% of the tour price is due upon receipt of the invoice. Please transfer the remaining payment no later than 21 days before departure. Bank transfers from Germany and other EU countries via IBAN and BIC are fast and inexpensive. You can also pay conveniently by credit card.
What happens if the minimum number of participants is not reached?
According to our terms and conditions, we can cancel the trip if the minimum number of participants is not reached up to 21 days before the start of the trip. As a rule, we will inform you one month in advance to discuss alternatives. You can then, for example, choose another date or an alternative trip. If these options are not suitable for you, we will refund the full travel costs already paid. However, it is rare that a trip cannot be realised. As soon as a trip is guaranteed to take place, we will highlight this on our "Dates & Prices" page.
When should I book my flight or train tickets?
You can start organising and booking your journey as soon as we have confirmed that the trip is guaranteed to take place. This happens at the latest approx. 30 days before the start of the trip. If the minimum number of participants has already been reached, you will of course be informed immediately.
Emilia Romagna: Masters of Salumi - 7 Days
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