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This intimate

18 century home
th

is located in the

countryside of

Emilia Romagna

and exudes warmth,

authenticity and

hospitality.

Lamb From Montreal to San Damaso
©Lido Vannucchi

A home away from home. There is no better de- in an intimate space with an open kitchen and shared
scription to define Casa Maria Luigia, Massimo Bottu- tables. Among the chef’s offers are some that define not
ra’s and Lara Gilmore’s – husband and wife – bed and only Bottura’s career, but his very life. Like the “Mont
breakfast which the financial times ranks among the Saint Michel,” a tribute to a very important memory for
best B&Bs in the world. This intimate 18th–century the chef, the day when everything began for him.
home is located in the countryside of Emilia Romagna Indeed, it was after a trip to Normandy with his
and exudes warmth, authenticity and hospitality. So brothers, where he first tried oysters, lamb and cider,
much so that when guests wish guests to, they can open that he chose to devote his life to cooking.
the large refrigerator in the common area and literally
‘loot it’ at their leisure of the many savory and sweet The vinegar cellar
delicacies inside. As one would do in one’s own home, In 2022 Casa Maria Luigia expanded, acquiring
in one’s parents’ home, in one’s grandparents’ home. and restoring an old vinegar cellar founded in 1969,
“We purchased this 18th–century property with which now houses 1,400 barrels of traditional bal-
the intention of extending the hospitality concept be- samic vinegar dating back from 1910–1980, alongside
yond the boundaries of Osteria Francescana, our three works of contemporary art, a shared passion of the Bot-
Michelin star restaurant opened in 1995 in the historic tura–Gilmore couple.
center of Modena,” explained Massimo and Lara.
Their dream did not immediately come true: “It Al Gatto Verde at Casa Maria Luigia
took years to find this special place,” the couple con- Since last September, the guest house’s culinary
tinued, they decided to fill the rooms with “with [their] offers have been further enriched with the opening of
private collection of favorite things: contemporary art, the new restaurant Al Gatto Verde, under the leader-
books, vinyl records, historic Italian cars and motorcy- ship of chef Jessica Rosval. The restaurant, converted
cles, and a pantry full of delicious ingredients, native to from the former stables, is designed to minimize its
Emilia Romagna.” impact on the environment, paying attention to sus-
Casa Maria Luigia is a welcoming retreat where tainability – solar panels provide electricity, while a
the day begins with a unique and rich breakfast and zero–waste approach is applied for all other energy re-
ends with dinner with the Francescana a Maria Luigia sources – whose kitchen life revolves around a wood–
experience, a culinary journey through the dishes that burning oven, similar to the one used to prepare break-
have made the history of Osteria Francescana, served fast at Casa Maria Luigia.

104 Food Protagonist