Ca’ di Rugal

On our hills, there are oak trees. You see them standing still and majestic over the clearings where the vineyards no longer reach. They are solitary, solemn trees, but when you walk among them, if you slow your pace and stop to listen, they have a thousand stories to tell. They have always been here, after all, and they know the secrets of the woods.

We called this home Ca’ dal Rugal — oak trees in the language of the Oltrepò — because it stands slightly apart from the others, and from its windows your gaze can take in the entire valley.

As evening approaches, you can watch the sun disappear behind the church of Montecalvo, and the sunset alone is worth the journey.

And just like the oaks, this house has stories of its own to tell. They are written in its old terracotta floors, its reclaimed furniture and the little fireplace that has always stood against the same wall, warming countless country winters.

Ca’ dal Rugal is a place to come to when you need to stop for a while and catch your breath — just as you might pause to rest in the shade of a wise old oak tree.