Volpara: where the colour of gold reigns

Situated in the hills to the right of the upper Versa Valley, Volpara is an ancient medieval village in the Oltrepò Pavese area, characterised by land cultivated almost exclusively with vineyards. In addition to the green hills, it is here that the colour of gold reigns! Among the wines produced in this area, the famous Moscato di Volpara stands out, considered among the most fragrant and prized wines of the Oltrepò Pavese.

Cover images taken from the Volpara Municipality website

History and origins of the municipality of Volpara

The name Volparia appears for the first time in 1250 among the lands of the Pavia countryside. Some scholars trace it back to the Latin term vulparia, meaning ‘place with many foxes’. The origins of the village, however, are even older: a fragment of a Roman funeral stele found near the parish church confirms the presence of settlements as far back as the 1st century AD.

In the Middle Ages, Volpara was under the control of the Marquises of Este, and then passed to the bishops of Pavia in 1041. In 1412 the village became part of the Beccaria family possessions with the villages of Montecalvo and Golferenzo, while in 1652 it was enfeoffed to Count Gerolamo del Pozzo. In 1743, with the Treaty of Worms, Volpara finally came under the rule of the House of Savoy.

The Versa stream marks the border between the municipalities of Volpara on the right bank and Montecalvo Versiggia on the left bank.

What to see in Volpara

Although small, the municipality of Volpara reveals surprises:

• 🏰 Volpara Castle or Picchi Castle: dates back to the 11th century. It is a building with a complex structure supported on the west side by a wall. Originally, the castle was surrounded by a wall, some traces of which remain on the north side.
  The first mention is found in a document from 1014, as a donation to the Bishop of Pavia, but today it is privately owned.
  
• 🎨 The Town Hall Murals: these are two frescoes commissioned by the Municipality of Volpara from the painter Tindaro Calia. Created in the early 2000s, they depict scenes of 20th-century rural life taken from photographs of the time.
  On the north wall, the image depicts a group of village children and farmyard animals; on the west wall, on the other hand, some peasants at the table of a tavern with wine are depicted.
  
• ⛪ Parish Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian: built in 1659, the presbytery is decorated with frescoes of the life of Christ.
  
• 🎻 Constantine Amphitheatre: built in 2011 in natural stone, it is inspired by ancient Roman amphitheatres; it can seat four hundred spectators for music, theatre and dance performances. It is reached via a footpath starting from the church.
  
• 🥂Tempiodel Moscato: a former 17th-century oratory, it is located not far from the Amphitheatre and is the perfect place to go to taste the excellent Moscato di Volpara and the typical products of the Oltrepò Pavese area.

Food and wine and typical products

🟡 Volpara is renowned for its wine production, in particular for Moscato di Volpara, its flagship product: a dessert wine with a brilliant straw yellow colour tending to gold, with intense notes of peach, apricot 🍑, sage and aromatic herbs🌿.
It is also produced in a passito version. It is perfect paired with fruit cakes with custard, dry pastries, sweet pastries such as Easter dove, panettone and pandoro, and also with blue cheeses. A real treat for the palate.

Between Cellars and Home Cooking

• Poggio Alessi – Via Poggio, 7. Tel. 0385 951019
• Cantine Monterosso – Via Strada Nuova, 2. Tel. 0385 99868
• Agriturismo La Costa – Frazione Costa, 1. Tel. 0523 990657
• Trattoria Il Ceppo – Via Roma, 34. Tel. 0385 99913

Volpara is an unmissable destination for those who love the culture of wine and the beauty and tranquillity of the Pavese hills.
Between evocative landscapes and authentic hospitality, this small village is another of the charming pearls of the Oltrepò Pavese.