In a village of 300 souls in Romagna there is a restaurant you wouldn’t expect

«My parents were looking for a different lifestyle,» says Matteo Cameli to tell his story. That of a young man who grew up in Portico di Romagna, a village of barely 400 souls, where his parents Marisa Raggi (originally from there) and Gianni Cameli moved, saying goodbye to a Milan that was not yet the “Milano da bere”. It was 1975 when the two arrived in Romagna, took over the village tavern and meanwhile looked around with the idea of opening a small hotel in the nearby countryside; but a house for sale in the historic centre caught their attention to the point of convincing them to buy it, a few years later.

That 19th-century building represents the seed of a model of hospitality that, over the years, would develop in increasingly articulated ways. The beginnings were not easy: the project was ahead of its time, not only because of the idea of slow tourism that directed visitors to tiny villages by recovering disused spaces, but also for the conviction of the necessity of a local, proximity-based cuisine. At the time it seemed eccentric, but the Cameli family firmly believed in it, and soon began to broaden their vision: having rooms and a restaurant was no longer enough, they wanted to propose cultural holidays and experiences that would enrich not only the guests but also the territory.

They created a school of Italian for foreigners – with the Olmo cultural centre – which also explains the fertile melting pot of this small patch of land in the province of Forlì-Cesena, but almost in Tuscany. Today it is run by Ulla, Matteo’s wife, who moved here from Denmark, while Massimiliano Cameli – Matteo’s brother – also married to a Danish woman, has opened an Al Vecchio Convento in Odder.

The albergo diffuso without knowing it

In 1994 they renovated another space, the dependance, the rooms multiplied but were all just a few steps away – «we became an albergo diffuso without knowing it,» says Matteo. They would join the association about ten years later, the first structure in Emilia-Romagna, and today Marisa Raggi is its national vice-president. Today they count around 20 rooms in total between the main house, the dependance (furnished with the original furniture of the house dating back to the late 18th century) and some apartments. Next winter there will be two more apartments, for two new suites adjacent to the inner garden. Not only that: soon they will be energy self-sufficient, as the photovoltaic system will be able to meet the needs of the structures and provide charging for electric cars, necessary for welcoming tourists also from northern Europe.

The restaurant and the cooking school

A couple of years ago they also took over part of the palace of Folco Portinari, father of that Beatrice sung by Dante, turning it into the home of the cooking school that had been created some years earlier, until then sharing space with the restaurant in the main house. Yes, because in all this the gastronomic offer has never stood still – on the contrary.

Matteo – now at the helm of the restaurant – has been around kitchens for more than 30 years, also having collected experiences in places such as Frantzén in Stockholm and Noma in Copenhagen. His passion for fermentation comes from there. He refined the technique, grafting it onto the tradition of this corner of the Apennines: «I like the basic recipes of the Tusco-Romagnolo cuisine, but I also like to look at them from another perspective,» he explains.

Flavour always comes first, even when he interprets local products in a new way. Porcini mushrooms, for example, when in season are paired with a mushroom garum, while ash-baked potatoes come with fermented barley and truffle, a great protagonist all year round: the area is rich in it, and among the activities offered by the Cameli family there is also truffle-hunting in the woods with their beloved Lagotto dogs.

The menu is broad and explores the potential of local cuisine while daring different margins of freedom: «The backbone is 4 or 5 dishes we cannot take off the menu,» such as the crostino with Parmesan cream and black truffle or the crispy beef fillet with black truffle. Then there are various tasting menus (6 courses at €60) that change according to the ingredients available: «if I find stridoli or morchelle, I use them, and likewise if a farmer brings good lamb.» Miso, garum, koji are elements that invigorate traditional flavours, giving them an extra boost.

The library of free books

It all composes an increasingly harmonious organism where the pieces fit together perfectly: the truffle grove and the cooking school, the rooms and the Italian school, and then the library of free books: «my mother is a great lover of reading, at a certain point she reopened a little shop in the centre and turned it into a book space where anyone can take or leave what they want.» Some volunteers tidy up every morning, but otherwise there is healthy self-management.

Currently, about ten people work at Al Vecchio Convento, which is, above all, a project of revitalisation of the village. «In the village there is a piadina kiosk, two bars, a ceramics shop that work almost exclusively with our customers.» Many of them are returning guests, who fall in love with this slow life but also with an idea of cultured, relaxed, respectful tourism that offers many initiatives throughout the year, such as when, in mid-July, chefs from half the world arrive in the village for Chef Sotto il Portico, an event that enlivens the alleys of the village.

Al Vecchio Convento – Portico di Romagna (FC) – via Roma, 7 – 0543 967053 – 347 3719260 – www.vecchioconvento.it