Hamlet of Talamello
The hamlet of Talamello with its historic center is an invitation to take a stroll because of the intimacy it offers the visitor and the treasures to be discovered within the perimeter of a few hundred meters.
These include the fountain that ennobles the square, the Cell in the cemetery that contains authentic fifteenth-century treasures, the splendid Crucifix of the "14th-century Rimini school".
Do not miss the Amintore Galli Theater, named after the father of the Workers' Hymn, who was born here in 1845, a teacher, critic and well-appreciated composer. This building now houses the Gualtieri Museum and Art Gallery. It is home to important initiatives aimed at promoting traditional products: in October, the Valmarecchia Chestnut Fair; in November it becomes the capital of Fossa cheese, with a fair devoted to this tasty product defined by the poet Tonino Guerra as the "Amber of Talamello".
A bit of history
Talamello, nestled against Mount Pincio which protects it, belonged to the Della Faggiola family enfeoffed by the pope, and then returned several times into the possession of the Church and the Malatestas.
In 1296 a very rare event for these places took place here, as usual characterized by the clash between Malatesta and Montefeltro. The Ghibelline Maghinardo Pagani led both Rimini and Montefeltro into battle against the papal army, managing to conquer Talamello. However, the dominion did not last long, the Pope reappropriated it and the same thing happened again after the excommunication of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, when he enfeoffed the Guidis of Bagno and the Malatestas of Sogliano.
In 1490, the production of gunpowder began in the various Talamello mills which ended in the 20th century. Vestiges still remain; the two octagonal-shaped deposits, dating back to the 19th and 20th centuries, located in Campiano, are quite peculiar.
Ghost and legends
The amber that delights the palate
In the pits dug under what was once the ancient medieval castle, of which towers and walls remain, the “amber” matures.
Actually, it is not the precious stone from the shores of the Baltic Sea, but it is a cheese, the "Formaggio di Fossa" to which the poet Tonino Guerra later gave the name "Ambra di Talamello". This is because, just like amber, it remains for a long time inside the holes dug into the sandstone, also of uncertain origin. Here, it undergoes an entirely magical transformation. Although the phenomenon has been studied for a long time, it still has many aspects that cannot be scientifically explained. It has been going on since the 15th century, as the documents attest, even if it seems that since the time of ancient Rome, some cheese has been kept in the dirt without getting moldy, indeed in the bowels of the earth, it acquires intense flavors and aromas that characterize it as compared to all other dairy products. And today it can be found on the tables of restaurants all over the world, and starred chefs have created dishes specifically to enhance the aroma and flavor of this cheese with the color and mysteries of amber.
A fair in November is devoted to it, at the time precisely when after three months of pitting, it is removed and brought to light.