From the small town of Lumignano, a few kilometers from the Montegaldella-Longare junction of the A31 motorway, comes a great specialty typical of the Veneto region. They are called “Bisi”, a particular variety of peas capable over the centuries to conquer even the Doges of Venice who, on the day of the Feast of San Marco on April 25th, never gave up a dish of the so called “Risi e Bisi”, a typical spring soup rice base and fresh peas. The table of the lords of Venice, on that day, used to be enriched with fresh fish from the Adriatic, seasonal fruit and Greek wines.

The variety of Lumignano, counted among the traditional agri-food products of the Ministry for Agricultural and Forestry Policies, has numerous characteristics that make it a unique product. The first of these is earliness: the bisi plants are very low and resist well to winter frosts: the climate of the area, well exposed to the sun, helps to give the product a sweet and delicate flavor. Its production was started by the Benedictine monks who lived in Lumignano, and then extended along the entire belt of the Berici Hills.

In local trattorias the dishes with peas are great classics that the visitor must absolutely taste. Among these is the variant of rice and peas with the addition of small pieces of goose meat “in onto”, a traditional peasant method of the area to preserve the poorest parts of the animal for a longer time. And then there are the homemade “tajadele coi bisi”, where only peas are added to the pasta, fried with onion and white wine.

Lumignano hosts a great festival every year in late spring to make its great specialty known even outside its own territory. All the families of the town, by tradition, are personally committed to the party, with the commitment to safeguard this typical crop, unique for its flavors and genuineness. A place to be discovered and able to excite you with the magnificent views of Monte della Croce and the wonderful Hermitage of San Cassiano set in the rock.

 

A land to discover:

Food and wine: “Risi e Bisi”, rice and peas, the doges' dish for the Feast of San Marco.

History: The cultivation of the Benedictines who conquered the palates of the Venetians.

Territory: Monte della Croce, tourist routes, villas and the Hermitage of San Cassiano in the rock.