Antica Trattoria Ballotta: Galileo’s Trattoria

Trattoria Ballotta: four hundred years (and more) of typical food.

Antica Trattoria Ballotta, one of the most traditional restaurants in the Veneto region, has become ‘ancient’ (‘antica’) not for the stroke of genius of an advertising expert but, as it should be, thanks to its many centuries of history. It’s located at the foot of the Euganean Hills, on volcanic soil, whose fertility was already well known to the ancient Romans. In the Middle Ages, the friars of Saint Augustine took care of the area, erecting some structures, including a shelter for pilgrims (*1) and a small convent. Not far from the convent was built an edifice that, during the ‘500, the religious sold to a private.

He transformed it into a tavern (‘osteria’). Situated in a strategic position, this place soon became a reference point for travelers, starting to be used as a staging post. Almost immediately, people noticed that its food was excellent.
This was how the tavern started to be famous: a celebrity further increased by the visit of well-known customers. Personalities like Galileo Galilei, who did not disdain to stop for a ‘delicious’ break during the journeys to visit his favorite butcher in Abano. Personalities like Giacomo Casanova, who proved to be not just an admirer of beautiful women, but also of the pleasures of the table.

The definitive consecration of what in time became a proper restaurant occurred with its inclusion in the register of the Historic Places of Italy. On this occasion, since it was not possible to establish precisely the date of birth of the ‘osteria’, it was decided that it was undoubtedly prior to 1605, whereas the right one should most likely be in the middle of the ‘500 (this explains the title of the paragraph).

Notes:
*1: The ‘ospitale peregrinorum’ was built by the friars in honor of Saint Leonard.

The famous guests of Antica Trattoria Ballotta.

During the centuries Antica Trattoria Ballotta had many guests: among them, a large number of famous people: scientists, writers, politicians, intellectuals and so on. Personalities who, once seated at the table, had the opportunity to reclaim part of their human side by appreciating good food. Personalities whose visit left an indelible mark, translating into a fascinating atmosphere quite perceptible still today eating in the restaurant.
Here follows a brief excursus of some of the most famous customers of the trattoria: a list that, although incomplete, is very indicative.

Venetian culinary tradition at Trattoria Ballotta: the ‘Torresano’.

‘Torresano’ (or ‘toresan’), is the Venetian dialect for ‘pigeon’: it seems that the word comes from a particular kind of tower, the ‘dovecot tower’, where this bird was once bred primarily to be served on the tables of the richest nobility.
A very ancient type of food, there are no doubts about it: in the ‘500, the writer and patron Alvise Corner, in his composition ‘Discorso sulla vita sobria’ (‘Treatise about sober life’), refers to some delicious ‘Pippioni Torraiuoli’ (or ‘torrigiani’).

Venetian culinary tradition at Trattoria Ballotta: the ‘Bollito’.

Just hearing about ‘Gran Bolllito alla Padovana’ (‘Great Paduan boiled meat’), comes to the mind a sort of ‘triumph of meat’. It’s undoubtedly one of the most typical specialties served at the Antica Trattoria Ballotta: after all Torreglia, the town where this restaurant is located is only a few kilometers from the city of Padua. It is said that the great scientist Galileo Galilei loved this dish quite a lot, so much to go personally (from time to time) to Abano (*1) to visit his trusted butcher. Well, as luck would have it, stopping by Ballotta to eat something became for him a delicious temptation.

At this point it’s necessary to explain what exactly is the ‘Great Bollito alla Padovana’: to prepare it, pieces of selected (*2) meat (beef, veal and pork) have to be boiled separately (*3). However, what makes this recipe really ‘Paduan’, the ‘secret ingredient’ that differentiates it from similar ones, is the addition of the meat of the famous ‘gallina padovana’ (‘Paduan hen’).
To conclude, the ‘Great Bollito’ is usually accompanied by various types of side dishes (especially mashed potatoes) and sauces such as ‘cren’ (horseradish sauce) and green sauce.

Notes:
*1: Famous spa town not far from Padua.
*2: Unlike the ‘lesso’, for which is generally used meat of inferior quality.
*3: Cloves, onion, celery and laurel leaves should be added to the water used to boil the beef.

Trattoria Ballotta: menu.

The ‘Torresano’ and the ‘Gran Bollito’ are not the only typical dishes served at the Trattoria Ballotta, there are many others that, for the sake of brevity of this article, can not be fully described. Anyway, it’s quite important to mention at least other three specialties: three ‘flag bearers’ of the Venitian gastronomic tradition in the world.

Galileo Galilei: scientific genius …

Galileo was, without a doubt, one of the most famous customers of Trattoria Ballotta. Since not everyone may remember why he was so famous, it’s useful to say something about his life and achievements. Messer Galileo Galilei, born in Pisa in 1564, is widely considered one of the fathers of modern science. Astronomer, physicist and mathematician, he loved so much these disciplines to consider them fundamental for the understanding of the universe, even from a philosophical point of view.

His great desire for a kind of knowledge mirroring reality as much as possible led him to adopt the ‘experimental method’: a method based on empirical analysis, carried out using precision instruments. It was exactly the desire for state-of-the-art equipment to encourage him to perfect the telescope to better observe the cosmos: that’s how he became a strong supporter of the heliocentric (or ‘Copernican’) theory. According to this theory the Earth, and not the Sun, is at the center of our solar system.

Part of Galileo’s studies was conducted in Padua: he lived in this city for eighteen years, from 1592 to 1610, taking advantage of the religious tolerance allowed by the influence of the nearby Republic of Venice. A precious tolerance, considering the violent methods used at that time by the Church of Rome to defend its doctrine.

It seems that the years spent in Padua were particularly happy and fruitful for the scientist, as proved by his own words:

“Consumai li diciotto anni migliori di tutta la mia età”

“I spent there the best eighteen years of my entire life”

(*1)

The protection from the church vanished the day he decided to move: after some time he was accused of heresy for having opposed the Aristotelian precepts (asserting the centrality of the Sun). Taken to trial by the Holy Office, he escaped the stake (*2) publicly renouncing his ideas. He was therefore forced to confine himself to Arcetri, where he died in 1642 after having contributed indelibly to the evolution of human knowledge.

Notes:
*1: Excerpt from a letter sent to Fortunio Liceti in June 1640.
*2: The stake was used by the ‘holy’ Roman Church to punish many: among them, the Dominican monk Giordano Bruno.

… and great gourmand!

Strange as it may seem, Galieo Galilei, genius, scientist and fierce opposer of the cultural status quo imposed by the arrogant ecclesiastical hierarchies, had also a ‘human’ side of his character: a part of his personality expressing itself in simple manifestations, such as the love for good food. Many evidences show that he ate very well, especially when at home, spending quite a lot of money for his delicacies.

It’s therefore not surprising that, during the period in which he lived in Padua, many were the scholars (belonging to the richest class and the nobility) who chose to live with him to enjoy not only his teachings but also the refined cuisine. The habit to host students was in truth widespread among the academics of the time: this way they could make up their salary thanks to the rent and expensive gifts. During the years, famous people like Carlo Gonzaga and numerous scions of the best Italian and foreign families stayed at Galileo’s house.

The great attachment of the great scientist to the pleasures of the table is proven by many documents handed down to the present day. Some of them are particularly indicative, such as a payment note sent by a butcher (*1), showing precisely the type and quantities of meat purchased. This short text is really interesting because thanks to it it’s possible to explore the private sphere of a historical figure of great importance.

Here follows a brief excerpt from the document:

According to the content of the full version of this note and other clues, it’s quite clear that ‘lesso’ (boiled meat), was a type of food often present on the table of Galileo, at least during his stay in Padua. It is probably no coincidence, considering that it’s one of the most typical dishes from this city (further described in another paragraph of this article).

Notes:
*1: It’s important to point out the fact that there are many other documents like this, about supplies of fish, wine and cheese.

Torreglia, the town of Trattoria Ballotta.

Trattoria Ballotta gets a good portion of its indisputable charm from the fascinating place where it’s located: the lush slopes of the Euganean Hills, part of the municipality of Torreglia.
The origins of this town are very old: archaeological discoveries have proved that there are settlements in the area since the Neolithic. The Romans were the first to appreciate the fertility of this territory, a characteristic mainly due to its volcanic origins. During the Middle Ages, the ecclesiastical authorities carried out, among other things, reclamation works, thus contributing to the development of agriculture.

In the Fifteenth Century, this zone was annexed to the Republic of Venice: an influence witnessed by the presence of sumptuous villas that still today embellish the landscape. Among these, it’s important to mention the magnificent Villa dei Vescovi, in the district of Luvignano.
Starting from the Nineteenth Century, Torreglia began to depend on tourism, driven by the beauty of its places and the proximity to renowned spas. A dense entrepreneurial fabric started to develop after the second post-war period.

Ballotta, Galileo’s restaurant, is in Torreglia, a small town located on the slopes of the Euganean Hills, not far from the city of Padua, in the Italian region of Veneto.

In September 1786, the famous German writer J.W. von Goethe ate at the Trattoria Ballotta, enjoying particularly some dishes: the ’baccalà mantecato’ (creamed cod), the Montagnana ham and the stuffed quail. Everything was accompanied by more than one glass of Friularo wine.
It seems that on this occasion he said:

“Die ganzen menù hat mir sehr geschmeckt und verliebt wie eine Dame”

“I really enjoyed the menù and fell in love with it like with a woman”

Quite many have been the owners of the Trattoria Ballotta during its four hundred years (and more) of life. It’s interesting to find out that the name of the restaurant, ‘Ballotta’, is the nickname given to Toni Carta, one of these owners, for the ‘generous’ dimensions of his body.

Aureliano Pertile was born in 1885 in Montagnana, a Venetian town not distant from the Trattoria Ballotta. He was a tenor of international fame, one of the favorites of the great conductor Arturo Toscanini and for a long time he was a star of the Metropolitan in New York. Some of his songs are certainly the ideal choice to accompany this article:

Note: join Spotify and listen to the full song.

San Sabino is a small church that, according to some documents, dates back to 1077. It’s located on a hill overlooking the town of Torreglia and the Antica Trattoria Ballotta. From its terrace, it’s possible to enjoy a beautiful panorama including the city of Padua.

As Galileo admitted in one of his letters (“I spent there the best eighteen years of my entire life”), the period in which he lived in Padova was for him one of the happiest and most productive. During this period, he stayed in a nice building in the historic center, not far from the famous Basilica of St. Anthony, located in a street that currently bears his name.

Galileo, during the period between 1592 and 1610, taught at the University of Padua, one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1222. Since 1492, this University has its seat at the Palazzo del Bo: a very interesting building that should be remembered, among other things, for its famous anatomical theater.

There is a suggestive building in the city of Padua, not far from its historic center: the ‘Specola’ Astronomical Observatory. Many believe that Galileo used it for his research, but it’s not true. Although the original structure (a defense tower known as ‘Torlonga’) dates back to the Ninth Century, its summit, devoted to the study of the stars, was added quite later, in Mid-Eighteenth Century, well after the scientist’s death.

It’s not difficult to visit the Antica Trattoria Ballotta: the main point of reference is the city of Padua (not far from Venice). From Padua, head towards the Euganean Hills and reach the town of Torreglia, it’s short and pleasant route.

ANTICA TRATTORIA BALLOTTA