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RENAISSANCE FOOD EXPERIENCE
The afternoon Snack with the Count
Costumed guides, a Renaissance banquet and the historic sweet depicted in Villa Caldogno's frescoes.
Merenda is the Italian tradition of a little something to eat between lunch and dinner. At Villa Caldogno in Vicenza, it comes with a Renaissance story: card players, dancers, musicians and lovers sharing bussolà, a traditional ring shaped cake made with butter, eggs, flour and sweet wine. The scene was painted around 1570. Today, visitors can book a costumed experience with an afternoon snack inspired by the fresco.
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Know before you go
In this story: What is an Italian merenda? ↓ The Renaissance party ↓ What is bussolà? ↓ The tasting ↓ Book your experience
About
La merenda con il Conte means Afternoon Snack with the Count. In Italy, merenda is the small meal traditionally enjoyed between lunch and dinner, often something sweet or savoury shared during an afternoon break. [1] At Villa Caldogno, a UNESCO listed country house in Vicenza province, this Italian custom becomes a Renaissance food experience. Costumed guides introduce visitors to aristocratic life in the sixteenth century, followed by a snack inspired by the villa's famous frescoes. [2]
THE RENAISSANCE PARTY
Around 1570, painter Giovanni Antonio Fasolo decorated Villa Caldogno with scenes of the pleasures of aristocratic country life. There are guests playing cards, couples dancing, musicians performing and, in a scene known as La Merenda, two lovers with fruit and a tray of ring shaped sweets. [3] Those sweets have a name: bussolà.
WHAT IS BUSSOLÀ?
A traditional Italian ring shaped cake with a history stretching back more than 450 years.
Bussolà is a sweet speciality of Vicenza, traditionally baked as a large ring cake or smaller individual rings. Its ingredients include flour, butter, eggs, sugar and grappa, sometimes with Torcolato, the sweet wine produced in the Vicenza area. It can be enjoyed with wine or zabaione, the Italian custard made with egg yolks, sugar and wine. [4] In Caldogno, the local recipe also uses Pignoletto d'Oro maize flour, raisins soaked in wine and grappa, honey, citrus zest and vanilla. [5] The dessert has its own De.Co. recognition, a municipal designation celebrating traditional products associated with a particular place. And its appearance in Fasolo's fresco offers something unusual: a visual record of the sweet at a Renaissance aristocratic gathering. The recipe has evolved over the centuries, while the ring shaped form remains recognisable.
TASTE THE FRESCO
The experience offered by Pro Loco Caldogno brings visitors into the decorated rooms with guides in historical costume. Along the way, guests discover how the Caldogno family entertained, the social rituals of Renaissance villa life and the food traditions represented in the paintings. The visit concludes with a merenda inspired by the painted gathering. Bussolà and pignoletti, small biscuits made with local Pignoletto d'Oro maize flour, have featured in the Pro Loco's historical tastings. [5]
BOOK YOUR AFTERNOON SNACK
La Merenda con il Conte · (Afternoon Snack with the Count)
Organiser: Pro Loco Caldogno
Phone / WhatsApp: +39 345 9302084 ; Email: info@prolococaldogno.it
Regular visits to Villa Caldogno are available separately. The Renaissance snack experience requires its own reservation. [2]
GOOD TO KNOW
What does merenda mean in Italy? A snack traditionally eaten during the afternoon, between lunch and dinner. It can include cakes, biscuits, bread or savoury foods.
What is the difference between bussolà and an ordinary biscuit? Bussolà is traditionally a ring shaped sweet cake, although smaller individual versions also exist. The Caldogno recipe includes butter, eggs, flour, wine soaked raisins and citrus.
Can you taste the exact recipe from 1570? The fresco documents the historical presence of the sweet, while today's bussolà follows later documented local recipes. The tasting is inspired by the Renaissance scene.
Can two people book the experience? The currently published experience requires a minimum group of ten. Contact Pro Loco Caldogno to ask about existing groups or available dates.
Explore more historic food experiences in Vicenza, save your favourites and plan your visit.
Sources
- Treccani · Merenda
- Pro Loco Caldogno · Visite a Villa Caldogno, Bunker e dintorni
- Comune di Caldogno · Villa Caldogno
- Italiani.it · Il Bussolà vicentino, un dolce che amiamo da secoli
- Pro Loco Caldogno · Che cosa sono i prodotti De.Co.?