Trout and cheeses: the excellence of Monte Amiata

Santa Fiora e Roccalbegna - The territory of Monte Amiata is rich in typicality and excellence, two of which are located respectively in Santa Fiora and Roccalbegna. In Santa Fiora there is an ancient fish pond, which has recently been put back into operation. The water that goes to feed the tanks passes under the parish church, so much so that someone even defines it as 'holy'.

Here there is a species of native trout, the macrostigma, whose breeding was once traditional but which was somewhat lost over time. A repopulation project has instead tried to bring this type of economy back into fashion, through the adoption of dry reproduction. In practice, the sperm of the trout and the water are mixed to give life to the eggs: today there are about 180,000 of them a year. In Roccalbegna, on the other hand, many quality cheeses are produced, strictly using only the milk from local farms. These two activities serve to create continuity between tradition and innovative methods, and to enhance the territory and keep it alive in its entirety.