Alessandra Di Paolo and Giusi Trapasso are the two women behind the rebirth of Borgotufi. Following their training in the prestigious cooking school of the three-star chef Niko Romito – which is only twenty minutes down the road – they decide to acquire, restore and take care of a small hamlet by Castel del Giudice (Isernia) that was destined to disappear. What they created in Italian is known as ‘albergo diffuso’ – dispersed hotel -, meaning that the existing crumbling, abandoned buildings have been renewed and converted in hotel houses – rather than rooms – and one of them in a reception and restaurant area.
Di Paolo, who oversees the kitchen and has fun with local products and vegetables of the area, says: “Here everything is so close, so genuine, so natural. Cooking becomes almost spontaneous, you just have to be careful not to do bad things to avoid ruining the goodness offered by nature.” Indeed, the flavors of the Molise countryside are the protagonists of her dishes, served in a dining room created just two and a half years ago with the restoration of the hamlet. But not only the ingredients of the dishes are local, everything here is local, including the stones used to decorate the dining room and the hotel houses.
A total of 33 houses – with all the modern comforts and a classic atmosphere -, for 100 beds, with fireplaces and kitchens are available for the guests, but there is also an impressive wellness center with swimming pool, Turkish bath, massage room, and gym. Moreover, what is striking the hearts of the guests are the silence, peace, and nature that can be experienced here, right on the doorstep of the hotel houses, in a hamlet surrounded by a 40 hectares apple orchard from which is possible to enjoy bike rides, rafting, castles, cathedrals and natural reserves.
Ilona Catani Scarlett