There was a time when holidays didn’t last a week, but a whole season (those were the days!). It was called holiday!
It was a custom that, for a couple of centuries, was central to the lives of the Italian aristocracy and the upper middle classes, and which today, as Professor Alessandro Barbero in the podcast Ask Barbero (Intesa Sanpaolo On Air / Chora Media), has almost completely disappeared.
In the 18th century, moving from the city to the countryside for two or three months was a very common practice amongst those who could afford it. In this regard, we recall The urge to go on holiday, the comedy that Carlo Goldoni He wrote it in 1761 and staged it for the first time at the Teatro San Luca in Venice that very autumn: in the play, the respectable middle classes try to imitate the habits of the aristocracy, if only to be able to say, “We’re going there too”.
Holidays did not originally begin as a summer tradition.
It originated in autumn and is linked to two of the aristocracy’s oldest traditions: hunting, which was traditionally practised at that time of year, and the grape harvest, for those who owned land and vineyards. The Balsamico’s Borgo was indeed a holiday resort! It was only later that holidaying became more widespread, eventually coming to include the summer as well. Then there were those who made it a way of life: in 20th-century Italy, for example, some people took it for granted that they would leave the city at the start of June and stay in the countryside until mid-October, even having their post delivered to their holiday address!
Borgo, today: a return to autumn holidays
Whilst modern holidays have shifted almost entirely to the summer, Il Borgo del Balsamico remains true to its oldest roots: a place that is at its best in autumn, when life slows down, the Reggio Emilia countryside changes colour and time seems to stand still.
Borgo is situated in Botteghe di Albinea, amidst the hills where the Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia PDO is produced.
Autumn and the cooler months are perfect for book a tour with a tasting at the historic vinegar cellar. From here, in autumn, routes branch out in every direction: to the south, the Reggio Apennines and the The Castles of Matilda of Canossa, with the Pietra di Bismantova dominating the landscape; to the west, Parma, with the Cathedral decorated with frescoes by Correggio; to the east, Modena and its motoring heritage, or Bologna with its arcades, which are perfect even on the most unpredictable days.
And if you pay attention, every year, during the off-season, the Borgo opens its homes also for something else: thematic workshops from photography to cooking, led by international professionals who have forged a special bond with this place. A different way of looking at autumn: not as a time spent waiting for next summer, but as a season to be enjoyed to the full.
