“Tieni lu luvato?”

“Have you got any yeast?”: this is the question echoing among the narrow alleys of Piano Vetrale. In this little town in Cilento they are preparing the “ammaccatedda”, the Cilento’s typical pizza prepared with “lu luvato” – which is refreshed natural yeast.

Piano Vetrale: a small village rich in art and history

Piano Vetrale is a small village near the famous Valle delle Orchidee (Valley of Orchids).

We have visited every single part of the town: from the old churches of Sant’Elia and Santa Sofia to the chapels of Sant’Antonio e Santa Maria delle Grazie and the characteristic Fontana Vecchia with the ancient historic center.

Piano Vetrale is an evocative place full of history: weel-known for giving birth to Paolo De Matteis, a Baroque painter, it is an open-air museum thanks to the over 70’ murals made by Italian and foreign artists on the ancient front doors and houses of the town.

Surrounded by these amazing colors, we arrive at the very centre of the village and get attracted by a delicious smell of bread.

The “Ammaccatedda”: a very ancient recipe

Every year, during the last week of July, here they celebrate the”ammaccatedda”, the anciet Cilento’s pizza, a typical local product.

Compared to the classical pizza,this one is a little bit taller and softer: the dough is kneaded by the fingertips.

It’s beautiful to see all the town going to great lengths: huge wood-burning ovens can be found in the village and everybody takes part in preparing the food. Some people knead, others prepare the sauce or set up the gazebos. It’s like we were one big family.

A recipe between the past and the present

The recipe of the “ammaccatedda” is handed down from one generation to the other. While waiting for the leavening to end – the entire process lasts hours – men and women of any age share their knowledge and traditions by telling each other interesting stories.

Every “ammaccatedda” (a dough ball pressed with the fingertips) is dressed with fresh tomato sauce and then cooked in the oven for a few minutes. After that, they add olive oil, oregano and fresh basil. Final touch: add grated cacioricotta (sheep cheese) instead of mozzarella (buffalo cheese).

It smells delicious and its taste is amazing: it’s like travelling back in time and find old feelings we thought we had lost forever. The taste, the smell and the memory of the good food we used to have in the past.

Antonio Amato, sponsor of wine and food excellence

After Paestum, Castellabate, Pisciotta and Penta, we have arrived at the village of the murals: we keep celebrating and supporting the best tastes of tradition in our territory with passion and love.